NAD. Orange Dark Terror

[jgcable]

Watch the Youtube video's. Read the reviews. You will say to yourself.. there is no way this amp can sound as good as everybody says it does. Well... you would be wrong.
This amp KILLS. Perfect for every type of high gain metal you could think of. Loud enough to gig with anywhere. It has an effects loop.
Now I have the Tiny Terror and the Dark Terror.

Lovin it....

[jgcable]

Oh yeah.... A/B it against the 5150-III LBX... and there really isn't a lot of difference.

[xenophobe]

I think the Dark Terror is the best tone I've ever had. I have an MXR M108 10 band eq in my fx loop. I have the input a notch down and the output a notch up. Sounds amazing.

[AussieTerry84]

Oh yeah.... A/B it against the 5150-III LBX... and there really isn't a lot of difference.

I have both I reckon the LBX has alot more gain but both amps are amazing!

[jgcable]

I have both I reckon the LBX has alot more gain but both amps are amazing!

I agree. After hearing a national touring Van Halen Tribute band who's guitar player was using an 5150 LBX through a 1 x 12 Friedman cab with a mic in front of it I was sold on the fact that the 5150-III LBX is absolutely one of the finest sounding high gain amps I have ever heard live. I was literally blown away.
That's how good the Dark Terror is. Tons of gain. Tons of harmonics. Very reactive. It just has that PERFECT metal sound. That's how the 515 sounds too. Its just perfect. The Tiny Terror is fantastic too. If it had an effects loop it would even be better. Still... it sounds absolutely amazing.

[xenophobe]

The only reason I would not recommend the Dark Terror is if you're actually in a gigging metal band... I don't think it has enough output for a small club with a double bass drummer, especially if running triggers. If I ever start gigging again, I'm buying the Dual Dark 100.

Otherwise, it's a great garage amp. I have what, $1500 into my current garage amp, but that's with the MXR and a Line 6 G55 wireless... Worth every penny of it.

I even learned to appreciate doom/sludge/stoner tones with it... because just strumming downtuned chuggy, it's just amazing. One night I sat there with my ESP Strat w Super Distortion tuned to C# and I just freeform riffed for over 4 hours.

[jgcable]

The only reason I would not recommend the Dark Terror is if you're actually in a gigging metal band... I don't think it has enough output for a small club with a double bass drummer, especially if running triggers. If I ever start gigging again, I'm buying the Dual Dark 100.

Otherwise, it's a great garage amp. I have what, $1500 into my current garage amp, but that's with the MXR and a Line 6 G55 wireless... Worth every penny of it.

I even learned to appreciate doom/sludge/stoner tones with it... because just strumming downtuned chuggy, it's just amazing. One night I sat there with my ESP Strat w Super Distortion tuned to C# and I just freeform riffed for over 4 hours.

Let me clarify what I meant by saying its loud enough to gig anywhere. I am in a VERY loud metal gigging band. Even in small clubs we always mic just about everything. My guitar is ALWAYS mic'd. I agree with you. If I was playing in a small club with a LOUD metal band with a pounding drummer and I wasn't mic'd I might have a problem hearing myself.
Regardless... hook this little amp up to a 4 x 12 cab and you will be stunned. Its amazing.

I would never need the power of the Dual Dark. Even my 50 watt Single Rectifiers are rarely more than 2 on the master volume.
With a good PA there is no need for that many watts. I think between 15 and 30 is perfect.

[jgcable]

I was watching Download 2017 last night and I was surprised as to how many metal bands use Orange amps! The only guitar tone I didn't like in the entire show was Mark Tremonti's from Alterbridge . I believe he was using Diezel. It was way to buzzy and high end sounding.
There were some great bands playing that I have never heard of. My favorite performances of the show were from Opeth. What an amazing band.

[xenophobe]

I'd want the Dual Dark 100 for it's flexibility, it's 100/70/50/30w selectable. The 50 is only 50/25. The extra power would be good for playing open air parties or unconfined spaces. But I've also never been in a band that lugged a full PA, usually just one for the vocals, and am used to having a drummer with triggers and a FRFR, so the extra power is good for hitting the sweet spot. I doubt I'd ever have it set at 100, but 50 or 70 might come in useful.

Orange cab designs sound great. I don't know what they do different, but they're all heavier than counterparts from different companies. They're not heavy like Mesa flight case cabs, but they're heavier than most traditional tolex cabs, from what I've experienced.

[jgcable]

I am using my Dark Terror with an Avatar oversized closed back 2 x 12 loaded with a V30 and a T75. It sounds amazing.
Here is the unusual thing though...
Personally.. I think it sounds better than my Marshall based rigs. Its certainly more fun to play through because its so fat and it has so much gain.
When I took the rig to band rehearsal my band mates didn't like how it sounded. They thought my Marshall JMP1 rack system powered by a solid state Rocktron Velocity 100 power amp sounded better.
When the band is playing.. the Marshall sounds better. When the band stops and only I am playing the Dark Terror sounds better. Its the same thing I experience with my Eleven 11R rack system.
That's why for the last few gigs I have been using my Mesa Single Rectifier 1/2 stack or my Marshall 2203 Reissue half stack (with a Zakk Wylde overdrive out in front). I can't go wrong with either. I prefer the Mesa though. It just roars and it has so much gain. Lovin it.

[skullfunkerry]

I used a Dark Terror for years with two Orange 1x12 cabs, and I never had issues with being heard, even without being mic'd up. Great sounding amp, if I was regularly gigging again I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

I actually had a Rockerverb 50 head which I sold and replaced with the Dark Terror - some of the purists on the Orange amps forum were horrified! For the music I play though, the Dark Terror was better, and had a smoother, nicer-sounding distortion. The Rockerverb is definitely a more versatile amp, but I only needed one of the sounds it could make...