Orange Dual Terror Head

FACT SHEET
♦ Manufacturer: Orange Music Electronic Company Ltd.
♦ Official Site: www.orangeamps.com
♦ Price: ₤525.00
♦ Features: Power Switch, output valve switch, 1.5mm Zintec Chassis with steel vented top case.
♦ Controls: Independent volume, tone and gain for each channel.
♦ Output: 30, 15, 7 watts
♦ Valves: Preamp: 4 x ECC83; Output: 4 x EL84

Ever since Orange released the all-tube Tiny Terror in 2007, the company has worked to keep up with the demand for the 15-watt portable guitar head. However, Orange somehow found the time to introduce both the Tiny Terror Combo and the Tiny Terror Hard Wired Edition along the way. Now they've made another addition to the family with the release of the Dual Terror head. This latest Terror has both 7- and 15-watt settings and can put out an additional 30-watts from the EL84-driven power section.

FEATURES

The Dual Terror is more versatile than the Tiny Terror, but all the highly praised features of its predecessor remain unchanged. Even the aesthetics, which include vented, cabinet-free chassis and a chrome handle, have been preserved. Despite the fact that the Dual is slightly larger than the Tiny, it still manages to maintain its portability.

One major difference between the Dual and the Tiny is the tubes. The Dual uses four EL84 tubes whereas the Tiny used two, meaning the Dual is capable of more power and more overall volume. The Dual also has an on/off switch, a single input, a two-way switch for selecting channels and a three-way switch for full, standby, and half power. There are three speaker outputs but no effect loop.

PERFORMANCE

While the four EL84 tubes give the Dual a slightly upper hand over the Tiny, the difference isn't overtly noticeable. The Dual is denser in its harmonics than the Tiny (a detail that is more obvious when the Dual is set to 30 watts, causing a higher level of speaker movement and sound pressure). Also, top notes tend to sound slightly more round and the low end has a bit more kick.

The Dual's design captures more of the warm tube sound. The rhythm and lead channels are much the same, although the lead channel has slightly more fat and gain. The amp's high-gain settings are more rich and defined and the crunch tones are denser.

THE VERDICT

The Dual Terror offers lovers of the Tiny Terror added power combined with the option to switch between rhythm and lead settings. The new 30-watt setting means the Dual can easily be used in live settings of moderately loud volume and can be used with large speaker cabinets. In addition, the four EL84 tubes add some extra punch. The Dual lacks an effect loop, but features three power options, incredible tones and convenient portability.