CR120H Weird Volume Issue

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sliznut
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Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:24 pm

CR120H Weird Volume Issue

Post by sliznut » Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:29 pm

Hi all. I just got this head last night. I love it, but I ran into one strange issue I have never had. While playing around and feeling out the various tones and settings of the amp, I later decided I would plug in my pedal board and see how my pedals compared with the amp's dirty channel.

I had the amp on the clean channel, and stepped on my distortion pedal. Sounded fine. Volume was a little low due to the pedal volume level being lower than the amp. I turned the pedal volume up and it sounded fine. Started chugging around on some riffs and suddenly the volume dropped by probably half. I thought I had a short of some sort. Plugged it back into my old amp head and no issues. Set up the CR120H again, and had the exact same problem again.

At first I thought maybe I had a weird imbalance with the cab, but I double checked and the info says you can run 1 8ohm cab to 1 output on the CR120H. Further testing kept reproducing the problem. Alone, the amp is fine. But as soon as I hit that distortion I get oddball volume fluctuations. It isn't the pedal because it works fine on other amps. Any ideas?

Rlw59
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Location: DFW, Texas, USA

Re: CR120H Weird Volume Issue

Post by Rlw59 » Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:25 pm

That's pretty bizarre.

Do you have the amp cranked loud? Or does this happen at lower volume too?

Your other pedals work ok in the loop? (You imply they do, but can't hurt to ask.)

Have you tried running the distortion into the front of the amp instead of in the loop?

Is there an Orange dealer nearby? Maybe take your guitar and pedalboard there and try another CR120H?

sliznut
New Member
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Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:24 pm

Re: CR120H Weird Volume Issue

Post by sliznut » Fri Dec 01, 2017 9:49 pm

I have a pedal board going straight into the front. I haven't tested the loop yet. I have an old Boss OD1, a Digitech Metal Master, a Morley Bad Horsie wah, and a DOD phaser. The phaser and wah always affect volume with swells. I haven't tested the OD1 really yet. But the Metal Master does this only in the CR120H.

The amp isn't cranked. It did occur to me that it may be because the 2x12 I'm using is rated at 100 watts and the CR120H is 120 watts. But I'm not pushing it that hard. I don't think I even had the volume up halfway. Clean channel would be what I would call a bedroom volume: loud enough but not window shaking. I'd hit the Metal Master and the volume would slightly boost as expected. Play a few chords, palm mute to see how it handled that, and then bam...volume drops significantly.

a.hun
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Re: CR120H Weird Volume Issue

Post by a.hun » Sat Dec 02, 2017 5:07 pm

Well odd. If not pushing the amp hard it (I’d say definitely) isn’t a speaker problem. Don’t know what it is though. Personally I’d take it back - sounds like a definite amp problem to me.
Can happen very occasionally, up to Orange /their dealer to supply an amp without issues. I’d think it is a one off fault. You’d probably need to reproduce the problem and let them hear it. If they are dumb enough to argue just contact Orange directly, they’ll sort you out.

Be really good if you could let us know what happens! :D


Andy.
aNDyH. :wink:

Ever tried to outstare a mirror?

In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find!

sliznut
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Joined: Fri Dec 01, 2017 3:24 pm

Re: CR120H Weird Volume Issue

Post by sliznut » Sat Dec 02, 2017 5:16 pm

Update: I'm an excitable idiot. Hahaha

In my excitement at having a new toy, I completely overlooked the basics. I had a loose cable on the pedal board. Thing sounds like a beast now.

Rlw59
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Posts: 242
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 3:31 pm
Location: DFW, Texas, USA

Re: CR120H Weird Volume Issue

Post by Rlw59 » Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:28 pm

We all have those moments where we assume the basics are covered, and assume that a malfunction must be due to something catastrophic.

Glad it's sorted. Enjoy that beast!

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