Considering an Orange head: probably AD30TC or Rockerverb 50 - Any opinions?

kelvinburn

I'd recommend an HT60 soloist 1x12 if you already like the Blackstar sound. Footswitchable boost and reverb too. Takes pedals REALLY well :P

ICBM

Cacofonix said:

This "lost in the mix" thing.  A large part of that is, I think, misunderstanding of the band about how to EQ against each other.

I had my Nomad at a gig the other week, and had it dialed in just perfect for home use, a warm jazzy sound.  It could not be heard, even at full volume.

I realised what had happened (it was sitting squarely in the bass frequencies) and turned the treble up.  From "it's too quiet" to "it's too loud now".  I had to turn the volume down to about 2/3 at that point.  A lot of people came to have a look at it that day.

Obviously some amps are voiced to sit nearer the bass than the treble, hence the idea of a treble boost in the loop, but getting the bassist to narrow his scope can pay dividends with a more punchy sound from him, and a clear guitar sound.

That's very true, but still some amps are more audible in the mix than others, even at similar EQ settings. (Actual frequency balance, rather than knob positions.)

meltedbuzzbox

slightly off topic here but I have played through a few blackstars now and I have made the same observation through each model.

It doesn't matter what guitar I plug into them, they all sound the same. They all seem to have a fat bottom end.

Humbuckers, JM, single coils etc. It doesnt matter. 

Has anyone else noticed this?

ICBM

meltedbuzzbox said:

slightly off topic here but I have played through a few blackstars now and I have made the same observation through each model.

It doesn't matter what guitar I plug into them, they all sound the same. They all seem to have a fat bottom end.

Humbuckers, JM, single coils etc. It doesnt matter. 

Has anyone else noticed this?

Yes, although I would say a compressed midrange sound rather than fat bottom end. The bottom end seems tight and not as deep and open as I like, and the top-end is rolled off and doesn't sparkle. I hear the same basic characteristic in everything from the HTs up to the Artisans and S1s, and even the IDs.

Cirrus

Maybe they sound better once they've warmed up a bit? 

meltedbuzzbox

Cirrus said:

Maybe they sound better once they've warmed up a bit? 

maybe like this?

ThePrettyDamned

meltedbuzzbox said:

slightly off topic here but I have played through a few blackstars now and I have made the same observation through each model.

It doesn't matter what guitar I plug into them, they all sound the same. They all seem to have a fat bottom end.

Humbuckers, JM, single coils etc. It doesnt matter. 

Has anyone else noticed this?

They have a character (same way Vox amps sound like vox amps) but they do sound a bit different from each other.  

But I don't think they mask the sound of the guitar.  I can hear a single coil is a single coil, and two different bridge pickups will sound different.  

DartmoorHedgehog

@Cacofonix, yes I run the treble much higher in the band than what sounds nice at home.  And an EQ in the loop to adjust it even more (EQ controls on the amp don't have a great range IMO).  It sort of works - we've had two guitars in the band for nearly a year and it's not terrible, just starting to think a change would be beneficial.

@meltedbuzzbox, I've got three electrics; an archtop with humbuckers, a LP-style with slightly higher output humbuckers (and coil splits), and a Melody Maker with P90s.  They do sound quite different through my HT20, but I know what you mean - not as obvious a difference as with some other amps.

@Kelvinburn, thanks, I do like my HT in general, but I think if I'm changing I'd rather go for something different.  I've had a bit of an Orange fetish for a bit so I think it's probably time to scratch that itch, even if I keep the HT20 as well (it's not worth much after all).

ThePrettyDamned

Ooo just had a thought...

Maybe try the Orange Crush Pro, if you can! I thought the 60 watt combo lacked 'body' and 'oomph' so to speak, which I put down to the cab being a bit small.  But it might give you the cut you need, and they look cracking! Maybe look into that, and the 120 watt version.  

meltedbuzzbox

I am guessing you have a fair budget if you are looking at Orange.

Have you not thought about a mesa boogie or an Engl?

I would go for a Fender twin, but not all models meet the requirement of 2 channels. They cut through the mix no worries ;-)

Cornford seem a popular choice too

DartmoorHedgehog

I know if I'm prepared to fork out for a Rockerverb or even a Rocker 30 (I wouldn't buy a new one, but still they're quite pricey compared with anything I've had before) then there is serious competition from other stuff I would have considered out of my league before, such as Mesa like you said.  Not sure about Fender - the other guitarist in the band uses one and it's quite nice to have a contrast - would be good for the Rockabilly stuff though!  A Mesa Express 5:25 head or something is probably similar money to a Rockerverb used - they're supposed to be pretty versatile (I'm really not a metal player at all).  But I'm trying to narrow down the choice, and I've had a thing for Orange for ages for some reason (I'm using an Orange cab with the HT20, and almost went for a Dual Terror when I bought the HT).  If I came across a Mesa I'd give it a try though.