Record player through Orange PA120

[steamboat]

I have a 70s PA bouncer cab and i'm thinking of buying a mid 70's orange PA120. I don't intend to use it as a p.a. for the band but I was hoping To run my record player into one of the 4 inputs for listening to music. Is there any reason it won't sound good? I realize i'll be converting stereo outputs from the record player to a mono 1/4 input to the PA, but the sound quality is what I want to know about. I feel it should behave well but I just want to make sure i'm not over looking something before I invest. I have a tube stereo receiver that I use now and it sounds awesome but I just Thought it would be bad a$$ to have an orange stereo system for my records and i suppose I could run an ipod as well if I converted the 1/8 ipod to 1/4 mono for the PA? Or would that not be a good idea to hook an ipod up to a vintage amp? my modern PA has an input for ipods but What about an old tube amp? safe for the ipod or not?

I also Thought about getting a regular or120 and running the record player through it and then have the option of using it for guitar from time to time. But the guitar or120 has the h.f. knob and I'm not sure how that would react with the record player? any ideas?

So i'm figuring the PA120 will be much better for optimum sound quality for the record player?
I could always run guitar into the PA120 as well but i'm sure an OR120 is a lot better for guitar.

[Jondog]

It'd be awesome as long as you can live with it not being hi-fi stereo

[steamboat]

It'd be awesome as long as you can live with it not being hi-fi stereo

Yeah i'm not too worried about it being mono. I mean you still hear everything. Plus if your ever listening to a DJ or music at a bar isn't that mostly always mono anyways? I figured I could get some awesome thump using a PA120 as a stereo. Plus if I do feel like getting spacey and listening to the dark side of the moon I always have my hi-fi- tube receiver. It sounds amazing but it's only 15 watts. I'm building a big jam room out in my shed so I'd like something that could shake the roof on a late friday night! AND right now I only have ONE 70's bouncer cab...There not easy to find. So who knows when i'll even have a pair of them to even consider wiring stereo.
Mine is a 15" EV driver with built in 4 horns and a Plexi panel front. Could be a long long time till I find the a matching one in GOOD condition.
Anyone know of one just laying around please let me know!

[FleshOnGear]

You will likely need a phono preamp between the turntable and the PA head. I imagine the preamp stage in the head has enough gain, but it won't have the RIAA phono eq curve.

[steamboat]

You will likely need a phono preamp between the turntable and the PA head. I imagine the preamp stage in the head has enough gain, but it won't have the RIAA phono eq curve.

Yes I think your exactly right I'll need a phono pre amp. Which is no big deal.

From the research I've done running a turntable through a guitar amp won't sound the best because the the tone stack in the circuit for guitar I'm reading you want a flat very clean platform. So the OR120 idea is scrapped I'm thinking the PA120 should be my best option. Does anyone know if that part of the circuit is indeed different from the OR120 to the PA120? I want to make sure it doesn't have the same tone stack for guitar and that its fairly flat....im assuming it is being a PA amp? But I've been wrong once or twice before

I know orange had turntables back in the 70s but it seems they ran them through slave amps not the front of pa heads.

[FleshOnGear]

If it's a Baxandall style eq it should be capable of being dialed flat. I couldn't find a schematic, but even the OR120 had a Baxandall eq.

[zorro]

You must have RIAA-correction, otherwise it'll sound crap.

/z

[jontheid]

Firstly - what do you mean by 'record player'?
A turntable that connects to a stereo system, or a stand-alone player?
Any chance of model number/pix?
Some old record players use ceramic or crystal cartridges - these do NOT need RIAA equalisation.
More modern equipment uses magnetic pickups which do need RIAA equalisation.

Also bear in mind that if you got an OR120 you could use the 'echo in' as the input which bypasses all of the EQ and gives you pretty much a SL120 equivalent.

Cheers,
Jon

[Les Paul Lover]

Have you considered a slave Unit? Those only have a power section, no colouring there?

[Gladmarr]

Also bear in mind that if you got an OR120 you could use the 'echo in' as the input which bypasses all of the EQ and gives you pretty much a SL120 equivalent.

Or the slave in/out. Just one 100k resistor away.

[steamboat]

Firstly - what do you mean by 'record player'?
A turntable that connects to a stereo system, or a stand-alone player?
Any chance of model number/pix?
Some old record players use ceramic or crystal cartridges - these do NOT need RIAA equalisation.
More modern equipment uses magnetic pickups which do need RIAA equalisation.

Also bear in mind that if you got an OR120 you could use the 'echo in' as the input which bypasses all of the EQ and gives you pretty much a SL120 equivalent.

Cheers,
Jon

Its a more modern record player it's a stand alone unit. I'm sure i'll need the phono converter for RIAA equalization. Easy enough.

well I was considering an OR120 but from the research I did in order to properly hook a stereo signal to mono without possibly damaging the ipod or record player you want to keep the left and right signals separate. so if I only had 1 input I would be forced to use a " Y " adapter to go from stereo to mono and although they sell them It was recommended not to use them because they are just shorting the left and right signal to each other which sometimes will work but other devices like an ipod might get wrecked. SO I'm going to go with a PA120 because it has 4 inputs and I can keep left and right signals separate plus i can leave the record player and ipod hooked up all the time without switching having to switch them into the one input of the OR120 when I want to use it. Not a big deal but it's a bonus to having 4 inputs. I know I know the OR120 has two inputs but There a HI and LO right? so there would be a slight difference in sound between the left and right signal plus is it even ok to run into both inputs at the same time on the OR120?

I Decided to get the PA120. I'll post pics as soon as the PA120 arrives.

Have you considered a slave Unit? Those only have a power section, no colouring there?

Yes I have. Show me one and I'll buy it! In all my years looking I haven't found one yet. Still looking for another bouncer Cab as well.

When I do find another bouncer cab I'll hopefully have another PA120 or a SLave by then...Then I can run left signal to one amp and right to another and achieve STEREO! That will be an awesome day but for now just need an amp to power The one bouncer Cab I have.

[Gladmarr]

Then you can use this to convert back to mono.

[steamboat]

Then you can use this to convert back to mono.

HAHA thats awesome!

[bclaire]

I hadn't had a chance to post but I've been reading.

If it's a modern turntable with line out it might be okay without the RIAA converter. I have a USB turntable and it has that...

But I also have a regular turntable that needed one to work since my receiver is modern without phono input, only aux in.

In your situation, I would simply use a Y cord from the turntable to convert to mono.

All that said, I suspect that the sound output is going to sound like ass. I've run music through a guitar amp before and it was pretty abysmal.

[Les Paul Lover]

Firstly - what do you mean by 'record player'?
A turntable that connects to a stereo system, or a stand-alone player?
Any chance of model number/pix?
Some old record players use ceramic or crystal cartridges - these do NOT need RIAA equalisation.
More modern equipment uses magnetic pickups which do need RIAA equalisation.

Also bear in mind that if you got an OR120 you could use the 'echo in' as the input which bypasses all of the EQ and gives you pretty much a SL120 equivalent.

Cheers,
Jon

Its a more modern record player it's a stand alone unit. I'm sure i'll need the phono converter for RIAA equalization. Easy enough.

well I was considering an OR120 but from the research I did in order to properly hook a stereo signal to mono without possibly damaging the ipod or record player you want to keep the left and right signals separate. so if I only had 1 input I would be forced to use a " Y " adapter to go from stereo to mono and although they sell them It was recommended not to use them because they are just shorting the left and right signal to each other which sometimes will work but other devices like an ipod might get wrecked. SO I'm going to go with a PA120 because it has 4 inputs and I can keep left and right signals separate plus i can leave the record player and ipod hooked up all the time without switching having to switch them into the one input of the OR120 when I want to use it. Not a big deal but it's a bonus to having 4 inputs. I know I know the OR120 has two inputs but There a HI and LO right? so there would be a slight difference in sound between the left and right signal plus is it even ok to run into both inputs at the same time on the OR120?

I Decided to get the PA120. I'll post pics as soon as the PA120 arrives.

Have you considered a slave Unit? Those only have a power section, no colouring there?

Yes I have. Show me one and I'll buy it! In all my years looking I haven't found one yet. Still looking for another bouncer Cab as well.

When I do find another bouncer cab I'll hopefully have another PA120 or a SLave by then...Then I can run left signal to one amp and right to another and achieve STEREO! That will be an awesome day but for now just need an amp to power The one bouncer Cab I have.

Indeed these slave head are quite rare.

And one must be very careful and ready for the worst when googling slave head......