Orange Terror

A single channel hybrid mini amp head with a single preamp tube, a 20W solid state poweramp, a headphone out, mono effect loop and 8-ohm output.

I needed a amp with a headphone out, at least one tube and an effect loop which was compatible with the speakers I already owned, so considering all amp heads on the market the Micro Dark was the obvious choice for me (all-tube models with a headphone out are very scarce, except fot a Bugera model which costs 3 to 4 times as much).
Oh, and the sound of course: this one goes from blues to metal in a breeze.

I’ve owned it for a week as of writing this review, and haven’t tried any of its competitors.
Please note that this amp has a rather warm sound in my opinion, it might be powerful enough in rehearsal, especially in overdriven sound or maybe even in a jazz band with a not-so-violent sound.

So, I’ve only used it at home, most often with headphones and the rest of the time plugged into one of the two speakers of my Carlsbro GLX 150 combo – Celestion 12"s, which I consider better for the lower range than the cab which comes with the Micro Dark which is only a 10”.

Soundwise finally, this head certainly gives its all with a cab. The sound of its preamp tube is not a mere myth, having only used solid state amps so far I can clearly tell the difference.
However, my headphones are awful, so it would be worth trying with quality headphones.

As for its controls, except for an on/off switch, you only have 3 knobs left to do the job.
Left from right, you have Volume, Shape and Gain.
No introduction necessary for the first one, the Shape knob controls the tone from the lows on the left to the highs on the right, and the Gain control really rocks as hard as it gets past half its course with the volume cranked up.

The way the contrôle interact with each other is very important with this amp, and those used just like me to put several od/dist pedals in front of it will often have to change the gain depending on whether you use a pedal or not.
Another point to notice it that until half its course, the Gain control works as a volume/boost with the sound remaining clean.
The drive sounds beautiful, with a simple-yet-efficient 70s-rock British sound that reminds of Vox, so it would be a pity to only consider the Micro Dark as a mere base for using pedals, which was how I originally intended to use it.
In the end, I have diminished my number of overdrive/distortion pedals after getting it.

The effect loop beautifully mixes the modulation and delay effects in, which is what I was after.

A little cons though with the lack of compatibility of some pedals, for instance the Voodoo Lab GIGGITY which doesn’t come out well, I still have to figure out why.

In the end, I recommend this excellent Orange Amps product, which features an excellent value for money. I’m happy to have discovered it.

- Used at home and on stage,
- almost too powerful for home usage unless you want to fry your neighbors
- deliver a powerful organic sound that can get dirty quite quickly
- Heavy and robust
- Nothing fancy with it, Gain , master bass and treble..
- Missa a Mediuml for sound coloring

This is a very small mixing 20w amp transistors and a lamp. You can connect an audio source, which is very convenient for training. I mostly play with headphones but I bought the tiny HP that goes with it, and that can make cattle without problem.

There are two stages of amplification, a known volume, which allows light to play, and the second called the gain, which sends a very nice distortion Orange, despite the size of the craft.

UTILIZATION

Everything is super simple, no need to book. We get a good sound instantly.

SOUNDS

This is an amp sound so training is not comparable to a big amp, but frankly, are very clear and the sound is distorted barrel for size.
It goes from light to Ac / Dc, I would say.

I play with a Telecaster Custom Shop pickups equipped, mainly.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it regularly for 6 months. I had not looked before but I tried it with a friend.

The +

Very reasonable price
Weight: If in the tens of grams
Very very small footprint
His gun for size
Minijack auxiliary to play over a piece
Sufficient power for up to a beef with other guirares and percussion

The -
Uh, I'm looking

* The most practical thing about this head are its size and weight. Perfect to rehearse without breaking your back. The speaker that comes with it, the orange 2X12 celestion vintage 30, is also very light (after having used a 2x12 Engl, so I know what I'm talking about!).

* It features a switch to select the power: 7 or 15 watts, up to you. The 7-watt mode is enough to play with my band, more than enough to play along with a drummer and the rest of the band. It's worth noting that you need to really crank the volume on a tube amp to get its best sound: 7 watts with the volume halfway or 3/4 up (distortion 3/4 up as well, it increases the volume) and you can make yourself heard.
The 15-watt mode is better to play clean and use overdrives/distortion from a pedalboard.

* Effects loop for modulation effects (chorus, delay, reverb and whatnot).

UTILIZATION

* Dialing it in couldn't be easier. One volume, one tone (for the mids) and one gain control.

* The famous switch to toggle between 7 and 15 watts output power. Enough to play in a band. Live, amps are usually miked so there's no need for excessive output power. Anyway, this head delivers enough power for small gigs.

* There's a manual for people who have no intuition

SOUNDS

* With the gain cranked all the way up or set to 3/4, you get a nice distortion. The Orange sound remains fat, it's a matter of taste and colors. It can be a bit muddy, not very precise nor well-defined. If you use a pedalboard, it will be easier to get a biting distortion with more precision.

* With an EMG 81/85 (standard tuning or down-tuned a whole step or even in drop C) it sounds good. With Dimarzios and drop B (which starts to be low) it sounds fine, too, but it has less the Orange spirit, less adapted to the amp's style because it turns into a mush when it's too low

* The clean distorts pretty fast, it crunches as soon as you touch the gain.

* The tone control acts on the mids. At the center, it has no impact on sound, I think. Turning it left you get a rock sound, a "British" sound. On the contrary, to the right it's an "American" sound with scooped mids, it's resolutely metal. My favorite setting is to turn this pot to 10/11. I think you can find this type of controls on Blackstar gear!

OVERALL OPINION

* One year of loyal service, always with its orange 2x12 speaker. I used to play with line6 valve combos, which are a good compromise between "tube" and modeling sounds, all-in-one gear. I chose this head to avoid electronic problems (the motherboard on the line6 breaks down once a year, so even if they are versatile, the constant repairs make them a real pain). Switching to the Orange forced me to get a pedalboard, going from digital to analog you have more pro gear and customization

* I tested the Jim Root (Slipknot) signature model. I didn't like it as much and, strangely enough, the distortion seemed less vicious.

+ : Reduced size and weight, transportation ease, its looks, the brand, the simplicity!
- : I would've loved to have classic EQ controls, bass/mids/treble, which work really well!

Note: There is the Orange dual terror for people who want two channels. But a two-channel Dark terror would be awesome (just in case the guys at Orange read this review!) !