Or15 Vs. Dual Terror

[Jgisler2006]

Hey there, new to the boards. Recently I have picked up the old axe and have decided to purchase a new head. I have already purchased a pretty sweet orange ppc412, yet I have been unable to test out both of the heads I'm considering. Any and all advice would be appreciated.

I play a lot of pop punk, punk and metal stuff so my concerns are basically coming down to being able to cut through the mix and being able to play over a loud drummer in a practice situation. I have done some research and most people feel that both of these amps are quite loud (Although you might lose some cleans). Ive found some pretty good deals on both amps used so at this point its based on your advice and youtube until I can get hand on.

How do the amps compare?
Why is the Or15 rarely discussed? or sold used? I imagine this is a good thing
Based on youtube, I enjoy the tones both amps produce.
Is there a huge difference between 15 and 30 watts? As obviously the tube set up is different.
How to the El84's compare to the Ax7's?

Thanks guys any info is much appreciated. If I happen to be posting this in the wrong spot or bringing up an old subject I do apologize as I am new.

Thanks guys!

[jason41224]

good luck getting the poll function to work, it hasn't for a while now. sucks, i know.

anyways, welcome! to answer your primary question, either amp will probably do the job well. the OR15 will probably be more adapt at handling metal, but either could do the job. it just depends on your personal preference...the DT has less gain and is more jagged around the edges at higher gain levels, but has a decidedly more classic sound. the OR15 is essentially a Rockerverb dirty channel with EL84s, so it has a more modern voicing with plenty of gain. either car can make the trip, but are you an automatic transmission kinda guy or 4-on the floor?

to clear something out, EL84s and 12AX7s don't compare, at all. they are designed to do two different jobs...going back to the car reference, it'd be like comparing your engine block to your rear brake lights. both amps have both sets of tubes...12AX7s in both amps serve as the preamp, which is mostly in charge of shaping your sound. EL84s are part of the power amp, which helps amplify the final product. both can cause distortion when overloaded. think of your gain control as a gain knob for your preamp (which is why you see it sometimes labeled 'preamp gain'), and the volume control for the EL84's gain. this oversimplified a little bit, but i hope you get the basic picture.

the biggest difference between a 15 watt amp and a 30 watt amp will be headroom, or how much clean volume you can get out of the amp. if you're shooting for cleans that can cut over a drummer, 30+ watts is a safe bet. if you are just looking for dirty sounds, trust me 15W is more than plenty for you. contrary to what many assume, 30W is not twice as loud as 15W.

if you want my personal opinion, i'd go with the Dual Terror. i prefer classic sounding amps, and a nice clean channel is useful. the Dual Terror is also super pedal friendly, a plus to me. I used to be much more into pop punk than I am now, but i know that it could get the job done.

alternatively you could look at getting a used Rocker 30. they've been discontinued, but they pop up pretty commonly used for fair prices. and man, when i was playing pop punk, that think obliterated. just a perfect sound. helluvanamp for just about everything i've thrown at it; Pop Punk, Metal, Progressive, Funk and P&W. anyways, worth a look.

[Jgisler2006]

Thanks for all the info! I am definitely a newbie when it comes to proper tube amps. However I am kind of on the fence as I do not use pedals. I found a pretty sweet th30 for a good price and am also considering that option. Ill keep my eyes open for a rocker30 those things are awesome. It's actually been pretty difficult finding a good deal on a used orange through the web. People seem to hold on to them. Which is a good thing! Something about the tolex is calling my name though. I don't want to end up with a sort-of orange amp, I want the real deal. Without the price tag though haha.

I'm basically in need of something loud enough with good tone and good quality. While gigging I typically wouldn't switch between channels during a set. But if the Or15 has decent cleans while tweaking the gain, I think I might head in that direction. Where would be a good place to find one used?
Thanks again for all your help!

[RickenBangler]

Welcome to the clan Jgisler... thought I'd chip in as I used to play a TT (which is essentially half a dual terror with 15w output) and now play an OR15. I'm an old school pop/punk plank spanker. I think either of your prospective choices would get the job done through that 4x12 - but there is a difference...

I found the TT less flexible than the OR15 (due to the lack of EQ) and it definitely has a more pronounced 'honk' about it - which sits really well in a mix. The OR can get close to TT/DT tones but doesn't quite nail (to my ears) the creamy-mid-warmth. For my '77 punk-style, I prefer the OR15 and I think it would 'do' metal more happily. As Jason said, the 30watts of the Dual Terror should get you more clean headroom - I doubt you'd get over a loud drummer in a rehearsal situation trying to keep an OR15 clean (it has quite sweet clean tones but it really is a filthy little beast by design).

Why is the OR15 rarely discussed?
Well, it's a relatively new addition to the line and very similar to the Jim Root #4 Terror - which most metallers seem to favour over it. I think it also gets the 'it's not a proper OR' or 'it's Chinese' rap, without people having spent some time to get to know it, whatever, I could care less, I bloody love mine.

Here's a suggestion... why not bag yourself a TT? It's not difficult to pick up a previously enjoyed one for a good price - and you should be able to move it on without losing much if it isn't for you. It would give you a great opportunity to find out if the Dual Terror was the way to go and have some fun along the way...(which you will).

I wouldn't normally do your poll as they're different animals - but I will this time to see if they've sorted the poll glitch

[apocalypsedude]

"if you want my personal opinion, i'd go with the Dual Terror. i prefer classic sounding amps, and a nice clean channel is useful. the Dual Terror is also super pedal friendly, a plus to me. I used to be much more into pop punk than I am now, but i know that it could get the job done.

alternatively you could look at getting a used Rocker 30. they've been discontinued, but they pop up pretty commonly used for fair prices. and man, when i was playing pop punk, that think obliterated. just a perfect sound. helluvanamp for just about everything i've thrown at it; Pop Punk, Metal, Progressive, Funk and P&W. anyways, worth a look."

My thoughts exactly.

[msmith4432]

I have not played a DT, but just on volume the OR15 is plenty loud. I played it a few times with a drummer in a band setting of about 85 people and there was no problem with volume. But your not getting a clean tone

[Jgisler2006]

Thanks again guys. I'm kind of leaning towards the Or because I'm trying to think of what I really need, plus it has that classic orange look.

Where's a good place to look for them used online? I haven't had much luck with them. Also why is it actually cheaper than th Dt?

[RickenBangler]

Where's a good place to look for them used online? I haven't had much luck with them.

Don't think it's going to be easy to find a used one - it's a relatively new amp...

Also why is it actually cheaper than th Dt?

Well, the DT is a footswitchable 2x channel 30w amp, whereas the OR15 is, as you know, a single channel 15w amp. There's not much difference in the price and while you lose a channel on the OR15, you gain a proper headcase, full EQ and the effects loop. I see you had a look at the TH30 - that could also be a good contender for you - cost effective (I don't do 'cheap' neither do Orange) - I was very close to hitting the button on one of those but the lack of EQ put me off... apparently has a sweet clean channel though from what I've heard.

[Randy Bass]

I definitely think you should check out the TH30 before deciding on anything. It will be more versatile/flexible than the OR15 and the Dual Terror. The main drawback of the TH30 would be that it has a narrower range of mid-gain adjustment for Classic Rock tones than the Dual Terror. It can do louder cleans and heavier high gain sounds than the OR15 and Dual Terror though.

[kerrygets]

This my simple mod for OR15 which make it a bit like DT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5kOu-G0xAE&hd=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(forgive the poor camera mic)
And these are other two video clip which are miking with sm57 and the setting are same as above clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYiQpiyVg24&hd=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tAoluHN4Pg&hd=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[everdrone]

I vote for the th30 for cheapest amp that can do heavy rock well

[Jgisler2006]

Anyone aware of any good deals on a used th30?

[Jgisler2006]

Also if I do consider the Or15, how would it compare to a 100w solid-state in terms of loudness. Im asking because I previously gigged and practiced with an old Marshall mg100Hdfx and it was plenty loud enough. Also not the worst solid state I've ever owned. That being said how does 15w of tube goodness compare to 100w of solid state in terms of loudness.

Many have told me this thing gets quite loud enough but I keep reading reviews that claim the opposite.
thanks guys.

[Randy Bass]

Also if I do consider the Or15, how would it compare to a 100w solid-state in terms of loudness. Im asking because I previously gigged and practiced with an old Marshall mg100Hdfx and it was plenty loud enough. Also not the worst solid state I've ever owned. That being said how does 15w of tube goodness compare to 100w of solid state in terms of loudness.

Many have told me this thing gets quite loud enough but I keep reading reviews that claim the opposite.
thanks guys.

This is hard to answer because there are so many variables. If you had the standard MG half-stack, your 100-watt head would have only been putting out something like 60-70 watts fully cranked into the one 8-ohm cab. The MG speakers are also very inefficient compared to the Vintage 30s found in most Orange cabs. I would expect an OR15 through a PPC212 cab to be comparable in volume to an MG half-stack.

[Jgisler2006]

Also if I do consider the Or15, how would it compare to a 100w solid-state in terms of loudness. Im asking because I previously gigged and practiced with an old Marshall mg100Hdfx and it was plenty loud enough. Also not the worst solid state I've ever owned. That being said how does 15w of tube goodness compare to 100w of solid state in terms of loudness.

Many have told me this thing gets quite loud enough but I keep reading reviews that claim the opposite.
thanks guys.

This is hard to answer because there are so many variables. If you had the standard MG half-stack, your 100-watt head would have only been putting out something like 60-70 watts fully cranked into the one 8-ohm cab. The MG speakers are also very inefficient compared to the Vintage 30s found in most Orange cabs. I would expect an OR15 through a PPC212 cab to be comparable in volume to an MG half-stack.

Thats good to know, I am aware wattage has hardly anything to do with it. But with the Mg, Volume was usually around noon and it did the job just fine. I need to find a local shop that has one on hand that will let me test it.