A lot of Laney AOR questions...

[pott]

I emailed this to the Laney guys but I thought I'd post it here as well...

Hey there
I have a pro tube AOR 30 112 combo and I have troubles understanding the preamp and stage gains on it. I read all the manuals but some things still confuse me.
Preamp 1 and 2 control different gain stages. Does this mean that each control one tube (other two being phase inverter and boost/AOR channel?)? Also, what is the difference between preamp 1 volume and preamp 1 level?
Thirdly, what happens when the AOR switch is pulled? A third preamp tube is overdriven?
So if I have preamp 1 on full and 2 at 0, I can adjust the over noise level using the preamp 1 level and master volume, and adding 'gain' using preamp 2 would give me less imediate OD than using the AOR switch?
And finally (loads of question, I'm really sorry...) the tubes in this amp are still original and I wish to change them. I'll do the biasing myself but if there are a particular set of power tubes you guys can advise for the amp, with the proper biased values, I'd be very grateful. I do believe I am set as far as preamp tubes are concerned, but there is one thing I am wondering. Should I place a higher gain tube in the boost slot, and use lower gain, quieter tubes for 1 and 2?
Thanks a lot for your time! I spent a lot of time researching this but it seems that most people possessing the amp have the same problems.

[nonamemx]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

It is confusing. This should help:

[pott]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

Wow thanks for tht!
Mhmm if I understand correctly, The arrows on the zigzag thingies are the pots right..? So when the AOR switch is off, the signal goes through the preamp 1 volume first (the triangle being the tube itself), and the low input bypasses it. Makes sense. And when turned on, it adds one tube? Therefore do I assume that preamp 2 is the second gain stage, comprising 2 tubes (1 and 2?) and the preamp one is the boost tube..?

[DenimBrigade]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

Post if they reply, Im interested to see what they say. I recently bought an AOR head, and I love it, but it doesnt quite cut through my bands other guitarists amp like I had hoped, and he is using a SS combo...it just seems I cant get the gain described by many AOR owners.

[JacksonRob]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

My AOR is one of the hottest heads I have played through. How are the tubes in yours/brand of tubes/biased? Which AOR model/year? Most people can not believe that my head is not modified and was made in 86' by the way that it sounds/performs.

[DenimBrigade]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

I have a 50watt Series II head, its one of the 8 knob versions. I will check tomorow what kind of tubes. I bought it used, with it sitting in the store for a little over a year, so I dont know how old the tubes are, except they should need to be changed soon. I took it to the guys at this local shop to have it checked, see if it needed a retube. They just fooled around with it for a little bit to check it while I was there because I couldnt let them keep it for a week. They said it was fine.

[nonamemx]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

[ QUOTE ]
Wow thanks for tht!
Mhmm if I understand correctly, The arrows on the zigzag thingies are the pots right..? So when the AOR switch is off, the signal goes through the preamp 1 volume first (the triangle being the tube itself), and the low input bypasses it. Makes sense. And when turned on, it adds one tube? Therefore do I assume that preamp 2 is the second gain stage, comprising 2 tubes (1 and 2?) and the preamp one is the boost tube..?

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty much. Except that with the AOR OFF, it bypasses the Preamp 1 (boost) tube.

So, High input, AOR OFF = Crunch
High input, AOR ON = Lead
Low input = Clean (no preamp overdrive, bypasses preamp tubes)

[nonamemx]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

[ QUOTE ]
I have a 50watt Series II head, its one of the 8 knob versions. I will check tomorow what kind of tubes. I bought it used, with it sitting in the store for a little over a year, so I dont know how old the tubes are, except they should need to be changed soon. I took it to the guys at this local shop to have it checked, see if it needed a retube. They just fooled around with it for a little bit to check it while I was there because I couldnt let them keep it for a week. They said it was fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

If your AOR isnt "cutting", then something is definately wrong, because the AOR has the most "cut" of any amp ive ever tried.

You may be dialing in too much gain. I run the Preamp 1 and 2 volumes (gain knobs) at about 6. Turning the Preamp 2 higher than Preamp 1 will make your tone darker (less cut) Turning Preamp 1 higher than the Preamp 2 will make your amp brighter.

I like to set them to the same setting, so both of mine sit at 6. Its enough gain to satisfy, but isn't so overcompressed that it looses its edge. (which usually happens when you go past 7 on those knobs)

And it may be the old tubes.

[DenimBrigade]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

Well the thing is, when I play alone in my basement or something, it seems to sound fine. It nails classic AC/DC. But when I play with my band, I cant even hear myself, even if we try to adjust the volume on the amps. The other guitarist has a SS Kustom 2x12.

[pott]

Re: A lot of Laney AOR questions...

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wow thanks for tht!
Mhmm if I understand correctly, The arrows on the zigzag thingies are the pots right..? So when the AOR switch is off, the signal goes through the preamp 1 volume first (the triangle being the tube itself), and the low input bypasses it. Makes sense. And when turned on, it adds one tube? Therefore do I assume that preamp 2 is the second gain stage, comprising 2 tubes (1 and 2?) and the preamp one is the boost tube..?

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty much. Except that with the AOR OFF, it bypasses the Preamp 1 (boost) tube.

So, High input, AOR OFF = Crunch
High input, AOR ON = Lead
Low input = Clean (no preamp overdrive, bypasses preamp tubes)

[/ QUOTE ]
On the manual it says that the low input only bypasses the first pre tube...http://www.laney.co.uk/manuals/A30-1...0Issue%201.pdf
Ah and YES after trying I FINALLY realized that 'preamp 1 level' only works when AOR is on, which must mean it's in fact 'AOR channel gain' and not first gain stage level...Ah thanks dude!
Ah and even with a SD Custom on my guitar, with the AOR off I have a CLEAN sound with both channels are on 6...Not 100% clean, but clean nonetheless. That's without the EQ boosts either.

[siggy14]

Question for you AOR owners who tried an MTS3200

Which has more gain? The MTS3200 or the Laney AOR. I am going to purchase one of these amps and I love the Ratt recording which i know are the Laneys. But at the same time i played an MTS and it sounded great too. So if someone who has owned or played both, let me hear your opinions.

[nonamemx]

Re: Question for you AOR owners who tried an MTS3200

I would probably say the AOR has more. But the gain structures of the Carvin MTS and the Laney AOR are very different.

Pott: The Diagram has it pictured that it bypasses preamps 1 and 2. Thats what I was going by. I never use the low input, and I slammed around on it a few minutes ago, and it overdrives a bit more (its more of a clipping sound, not sure what that means. It could be the active EQ.

[nonamemx]

Re: Question for you AOR owners who tried an MTS3200

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQIAuDNcRNk&search=Ratt


Here's a live RATT clip, Warren uses AORs in that clip if you look closely behind him, he's got a couple stacks.

[pott]

Re: Question for you AOR owners who tried an MTS3200

Alright THANKS dude! You helped a crapload!

I'm most likely getting my two JJ preamp tubes tomorrow and two lesser gain Rubies by the end of the week. Which tube slots do you advise I upgrade first with the higher gain valves? Pre1 and boost slot?

[nonamemx]

Re: Question for you AOR owners who tried an MTS3200

yeah, I would put the JJ's in the V1 and V4 (V4 is the boost)