First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Orange Amps General Forum

Moderator: bclaire

ragealexrage
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:45 pm
Location: Florida

First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by ragealexrage » Sun Aug 13, 2017 5:40 pm

Hello All,

I am a new Orange owner and this is my first post on this forum. I did some searching for an answer to this question but I still feel unsure so here goes.

A little background, my wife bought me a Micro Dark this past Christmas and I absolutely love it; my last amp was a Marshall MG100HDFX that I had since high school and it was so absurdly loud I wasn't really able to play it (I have kids and only play at home these days). I sold the Marshall and got myself a PPC112 to run the Micro Dark into and it's great, only now that I know how good the 1x12 sounds it makes me want to get an all tube head for it. I am leaning towards getting a Tiny Terror head because they can be found at a good price used, and since it's just been discontinued I figure it might be a good time to scoop one up, however, looking at the OR15, the feature set looks quite nice (FX loop, EQ, more gain) but it's pushing my budget a bit, which brings me to my main question(s)-

For someone who plays mainly at home in a range of styles from country, punk, some classic rock, some alternative rock and some hardcore/post-hardcore, do you think I will be happy with the TT, and maybe a few pedals, or is it worth it to go for the OR15?

I don't really find reverb necessary for bedroom playing, maybe some delay, but I would like to have the option to use a small looper pedal like an RC-1 or something for overdubbing rhythm guitar. I read somewhere that the TT does breakup mainly in the output tubes so an FX loop would be somewhat pointless. Has anyone run a delay into the front of the TT and does it sound OK or is it a bad idea?

Also, which amp does better clean tones / better clean volume? I love the way my 1x12 responds to cleans on the Micro Dark, and I don't want to loose that.
Orange OR15 | PPC112
Orange Micro Dark

Image

Les Paul Lover
Duke of Orange
Posts: 6821
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
Location: Derby, England

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by Les Paul Lover » Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:03 pm

Right.... 1st thing 1st.... They are both rated at 15w rms clean. They'll both be about as loud clean as the other.

Whoever told you the tiny terror only does power amp gain doesn't know what they're talking about. The tiny terror has 3 stages of preamp again. The OR15 has 4. At 15w, it's easier to push these amps into power amp overdrive than a 50w or 100w amp. It might be what they meant, but a 15 water cranked is bloody loud already.

As for the delay, so long as you set it reasonably low, it'll be OK. Delay fares better than reverb with dirty amps and no fx loop.

Your looper though...... recording a dirty loop and playing over the top of it is almost impossible without fx loop. So long as your playing clean, and playing clean over it, you'll be fine without fx loop, but if there's just a little dirt in the preamp, it will sound pretty mushy unless you can go though an fx loop.
Ant

Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5


Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute

Jondog
Duke of Orange
Posts: 7234
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by Jondog » Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:07 pm

.You might like a TH30. I think they're fairly reasonable in the used market. Especially if you plan to experiment with pedals. It'll be similar to your Micro Dark in function on the dirt channel, plus you get the effects loop, a clean channel snd 7/15/30 watt power options.
Image

ragealexrage
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:45 pm
Location: Florida

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by ragealexrage » Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:23 am

Les Paul Lover wrote:
Sun Aug 13, 2017 10:03 pm
Right.... 1st thing 1st.... They are both rated at 15w rms clean. They'll both be about as loud clean as the other.

Whoever told you the tiny terror only does power amp gain doesn't know what they're talking about. The tiny terror has 3 stages of preamp again. The OR15 has 4. At 15w, it's easier to push these amps into power amp overdrive than a 50w or 100w amp. It might be what they meant, but a 15 water cranked is bloody loud already.

As for the delay, so long as you set it reasonably low, it'll be OK. Delay fares better than reverb with dirty amps and no fx loop.

Your looper though...... recording a dirty loop and playing over the top of it is almost impossible without fx loop. So long as your playing clean, and playing clean over it, you'll be fine without fx loop, but if there's just a little dirt in the preamp, it will sound pretty mushy unless you can go though an fx loop.
Thanks for the info, I know I would be sacrificing some flexibility in terms of pedals going with the Tiny Terror, and I'm hoping to be able to hang on to my Micro Dark anyway, so I could always use that if I need to use a loop. As someone who has owned a TT, would you say it is a versatile amp for practice? I love my Micro Dark but I'm getting tired of playing really heavy genres all the time and want an amp that will make me want to explore other styles. Also I have heard from various people that the Terror does not take pedals all that well in general, would you say that's accurate or just user error? I come from a pro-audio background so I have a good working knowledge of signal flow and how to stack/use effects. One of the main reasons I don't use much reverb is that I find it unnatural to put reverb in the middle of a signal chain, it always sounds somewhat synthetic to me. Thoughts?
Orange OR15 | PPC112
Orange Micro Dark

Image

ragealexrage
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:45 pm
Location: Florida

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by ragealexrage » Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:23 am

Jondog wrote:
Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:07 pm
.You might like a TH30. I think they're fairly reasonable in the used market. Especially if you plan to experiment with pedals. It'll be similar to your Micro Dark in function on the dirt channel, plus you get the effects loop, a clean channel snd 7/15/30 watt power options.
I haven't looked at the TH30 very closely but I am aware of it. I think I will look into it some more, it definitely seems like a sweet head, although quite a bit more than a Terror or an OR15. Might be on my list for a future upgrade for sure. Do you think a PPC112 would do it justice? Seems like it should since it can run in 7 watt mode.
Orange OR15 | PPC112
Orange Micro Dark

Image

Jondog
Duke of Orange
Posts: 7234
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by Jondog » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:15 am

PPC112 is a 60 watt cab. Handle it no problem. I love the TT, but its really not an extremely versatile amp. Its designed to be a simple rock amp, and it does that really well. Delays are OK on it, but bot as good as in a loop when you're using higher gain. OR15 is obviously a step up and probably better if you intend tonuse a lot of effects that would benefit being used in the loop. Between the two, I prefer the TT for its sound, buts thats personal preference.
Image

johnnyblues
Rocker
Posts: 179
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:07 am

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by johnnyblues » Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:07 am

Get an OR15 and don't look back. I've previously owned a TT and sold it as my effects just does not sound good in front of the amp. I've only played the OR15; tbh, but from that limited experience I found it to sound big and ballsy (using a ppc112), plus the efx loop can only make your time-based effects perform as they should (which is after all your gain pedals/stages). 8)

Good luck on your purchase decision, and do post a pic here once you get it. :mrgreen:
Image

God made man... everything else is made in China!

PBA
Rocker
Posts: 166
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 2:01 pm

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by PBA » Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:35 am

I am a happy OR15 owner. I preferred it over the TT. I thought it covered all the sounds of the TT but could do more.
I don't use the effects loop very often. I have always found that pedals in the loop sound a bit "artificial" and the difference between a pedal on and it off seems to effect the feel. That's not an issue with the OR15 as I found the same on other amps.

As a pedal platform (i.e. set clean), the OR15 is fine at low volume but it's not really what it was designed for. Overdrives into a clean amp really don't sound the same as OR15 pre-amp distortion.

At domestic volumes, it does work quite well. A boost or low gain overdrive can be helpful in creating touch sensitivity. I doubt the TT would be substantially different when used with pedal into the front.

thejay
Orange Expert
Posts: 675
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 1:48 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by thejay » Mon Aug 14, 2017 11:59 am

I preferred the OR15 over the TT; I'd go that route.
Oranges - R32, OR50, R30, RVMKIII, OR100, AD30, OB212, CB212 (2x)
Non Orange - Mesa, Friedman, Vox & Marshall
Former Oranges - TT, JRT, OR15, RVMKII
YouTube https://bit.ly/2pSp3sk
http://bigbattlebear.bandcamp.com

ragealexrage
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:45 pm
Location: Florida

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by ragealexrage » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:10 pm

PBA wrote:
Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:35 am
I am a happy OR15 owner. I preferred it over the TT. I thought it covered all the sounds of the TT but could do more.
I don't use the effects loop very often. I have always found that pedals in the loop sound a bit "artificial" and the difference between a pedal on and it off seems to effect the feel. That's not an issue with the OR15 as I found the same on other amps.

As a pedal platform (i.e. set clean), the OR15 is fine at low volume but it's not really what it was designed for. Overdrives into a clean amp really don't sound the same as OR15 pre-amp distortion.

At domestic volumes, it does work quite well. A boost or low gain overdrive can be helpful in creating touch sensitivity. I doubt the TT would be substantially different when used with pedal into the front.
Thanks for your input PBA, I'm not talking about using a huge amount of pedals with it, maybe two or three and probably won't even use an OD pedal, especially if I go with the OR15. Maybe a clean boost, a compressor, a delay and a fuzz at the most. I just can't imagine a pedal giving me a better gain sound than what Orange amps already put out. In terms of clean tones I know it wont be Fender clean, which isn't really my thing anyway. I like the Orange clean sound.

Jondog wrote:
Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:15 am
PPC112 is a 60 watt cab. Handle it no problem. I love the TT, but its really not an extremely versatile amp. Its designed to be a simple rock amp, and it does that really well. Delays are OK on it, but bot as good as in a loop when you're using higher gain. OR15 is obviously a step up and probably better if you intend tonuse a lot of effects that would benefit being used in the loop. Between the two, I prefer the TT for its sound, buts thats personal preference.
Jondog, that is the main reason I'm unsure about the TT. I only have the space and budget for one amp at the moment so I want something that will cover everything I want to play. Looks like I'm leaning towards the OR15 now, if my budget allows it, although I will probably end up selling my Micro Dark if I go for the OR15 since it would be quite redundant to have both I think.
Orange OR15 | PPC112
Orange Micro Dark

Image

ragealexrage
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:45 pm
Location: Florida

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by ragealexrage » Mon Aug 14, 2017 1:12 pm

johnnyblues wrote:
Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:07 am
Get an OR15 and don't look back. I've previously owned a TT and sold it as my effects just does not sound good in front of the amp. I've only played the OR15; tbh, but from that limited experience I found it to sound big and ballsy (using a ppc112), plus the efx loop can only make your time-based effects perform as they should (which is after all your gain pedals/stages). 8)

Good luck on your purchase decision, and do post a pic here once you get it. :mrgreen:
Thanks a lot johnny, I will definitely post some pics once I pull the trigger!
Orange OR15 | PPC112
Orange Micro Dark

Image

Les Paul Lover
Duke of Orange
Posts: 6821
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:08 am
Location: Derby, England

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by Les Paul Lover » Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:39 pm

From what you say you need, I reckon the OR15 is a better match than the TT.

The TH30 would be an even better match I reckon, as suggested by jondog. It has a stellar clean channel too.....
Ant

Orange Gear: RV50 MKI, R30, AD15, PPC212
And.... Genz Benz Black Pearl 30
Past Orange: AD30TC Combo, TT, AD5


Guitars: Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded, Vigier Expert Retro 54, Gibson SG 70s Tribute, Aria Pro II RS X80, G&L ASAT Special Tribute

Jondog
Duke of Orange
Posts: 7234
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by Jondog » Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:00 pm

Even a #4 Root Terror. Its basically the same as an OR15. #4 and OR15 are bith based off the Rockerverb.
Image

ragealexrage
New Member
Posts: 19
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:45 pm
Location: Florida

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by ragealexrage » Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:36 pm

Jondog wrote:
Mon Aug 14, 2017 3:00 pm
Even a #4 Root Terror. Its basically the same as an OR15. #4 and OR15 are bith based off the Rockerverb.
Seeing as they're both about the same price I would probably go with the OR15; it'll match my cabinet better and I'm not really one to by artist signature stuff. Does anyone know what the key differences are between the Terror circuit and the RV circuit? I know it's more gain and the features are different but what are the sonic differences between, say, a Dark Terror and an OR15 (same amount of gain, both have effects loop)?

Les Paul Lover wrote:
Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:39 pm
From what you say you need, I reckon the OR15 is a better match than the TT.

The TH30 would be an even better match I reckon, as suggested by jondog. It has a stellar clean channel too.....
From what I've seen the TH30 is out of my price range, although it does look very, very good.
Orange OR15 | PPC112
Orange Micro Dark

Image

Jondog
Duke of Orange
Posts: 7234
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2008 12:16 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Re: First Post - Trying to decide between TT and OR15

Post by Jondog » Mon Aug 14, 2017 4:59 pm

Dark Terror, Jim Root Terror, OR15, TH30 are all Rockerverb based so be similar amount of gain available. Tiny Terror has lots of gain, but more open, less conpressed sounding and maybe not as tight with higher gain. Its a great classic/hard rock type amp.
Image

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 142 guests