Using an amp as a pre amp

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Mike_J

Mike_J

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A pretty basic question probably but I'd appreciate some help.

I have a small Orange 15 watt practice amp lying around doing nothing. Can I use this as a pre amp for my Marshall 50 watt DSL? I'm pretty dissatisfied with overdrive/distortion foot pedals and wondered if this was a better option.

If I can, do I place it in the effects loop?

thanks,
Mike.
 
Mike_J said:
A pretty basic question probably but I'd appreciate some help.

I have a small Orange 15 watt practice amp lying around doing nothing. Can I use this as a pre amp for my Marshall 50 watt DSL? I'm pretty dissatisfied with overdrive/distortion foot pedals and wondered if this was a better option.

If I can, do I place it in the effects loop?

thanks,
Mike.
Click to expand...

that would be dangerous to the marshall if you push any real output from the orange and dangerous to the orange because input of the marshall would be an improper load. amps you can do that with will have a preamp out on the back made to run into a power amp. i did this with solid state amps back in the 80's but i wouldn't try it with tube amps.

bummer eh.
 
A preamp designed to push the front end of an amp puts out a fraction of a watt. Sending 15 watts to the input of your marshall will easily fry something. Most likely both amps.

How are you not able to get enough gain out of a DSL?
 
i'd throw and overdrive pedal in front of that marshall. that'll give you all the gain you need.
 
Got the message. Thanks all.

Fairview. The dirty channel on the DSL is a bit fizzy and thin. The clean channel has a far more full sound but not quiet enough gain and I'm just looking at options.

I guess I'll have to trawl through the process of trying out pedals.
 
Get a THD Hot Plate for the Orange. Use the Line Out to your effects return on the Marshall.

Outside of that, no.
 
Mike_J said:
Got the message. Thanks all.

Fairview. The dirty channel on the DSL is a bit fizzy and thin. The clean channel has a far more full sound but not quiet enough gain and I'm just looking at options.

I guess I'll have to trawl through the process of trying out pedals.
Click to expand...

high gain tube amps can get a bit fizzy. have you tried cutting the presence all the way back and using the treble knob to set your highs? my V3 gets fizzy with too much presence and gain at the same time.
 
What is the model of the Orange amp?

If you're a serious tinkerer, it is possible to modify the Orange amp to pull the signal out after the preamp, before the poweramp. This will involve opening up the Orange amplifier, possibly scraping the PCB, and soldering a new connection. Having the schematic for the Orange is highly recommended.
 
I have thinking about getting a THD Hot Plate when I have some spare bread.
Thanks all for the help.
 
If the Orange has a LINE out (no other type of output would work), then you can send it to the effects return on your marshall's effects loop. The effects return expects a line-level signal. That'd bypass the Marshall's preamp and just use its power section. But if the Orange doens't have a line out, don't try it. Anything stronger than a line level signal will definitely fry either the input or the effects return on the Marshall. And a DSL makes an expensive door stop!
 
Why not just sell or trade you're old amps in and buy an amp that works right for you? They both seem to be decent enough known and used by lots of players, surely someone would buy them from you. That is if that is you're situation.

Life is too short to not get the amp you want and need.

I say go for it !!!
 
metalj said:
Why not just sell or trade you're old amps in and buy an amp that works right for you? They both seem to be decent enough known and used by lots of players, surely someone would buy them from you. That is if that is you're situation.

Life is too short to not get the amp you want and need.

I say go for it !!!
Click to expand...

This of course is the right answer. I was just trying to make the best of a not ideal situation. When I bought the Marshall DSL, I didn't realise the huge difference between the clean and dirty channels would make it so difficult to work them together.

I'll probably flog it. Great amp, but not for me. My girlfriend has Mesa Mark 3 head lying around and I'll work the shit out of that and see what I come up with. Whatever I end up using, I'll probably use a Hot Plate.
 
Tadpui said:
If the Orange has a LINE out (no other type of output would work), then you can send it to the effects return on your marshall's effects loop. The effects return expects a line-level signal. That'd bypass the Marshall's preamp and just use its power section. But if the Orange doens't have a line out, don't try it. Anything stronger than a line level signal will definitely fry either the input or the effects return on the Marshall. And a DSL makes an expensive door stop!
Click to expand...

The only problem with that is that Line Outs can be pre or post power section, depending on the amp. Then on top of that, not all will allow you to run the amp without a 3rd party dummy load in place of the speakers.
There is a lot more that needs to be researched on each amp when using that method.
 
Mike_J said:
I'll probably flog it. Great amp, but not for me. My girlfriend has Mesa Mark 3 head lying around and I'll work the shit out of that and see what I come up with.
Click to expand...

Wow, tell me more about this girlfriend.

Oh oh, you mean you'll flog the AMP, and you'll work the shit out of the AMP.

Well, tell me more about this girlfriend anyway! ;)
 
RejectionNinja said:
Wow, tell me more about this girlfriend.

Oh oh, you mean you'll flog the AMP, and you'll work the shit out of the AMP.

Well, tell me more about this girlfriend anyway! ;)
Click to expand...

Flog as in sell the amp off.
My girlfriend is a guitar player-she owns the Mesa stack. Ideal really.
 
Tadpui said:
If the Orange has a LINE out (no other type of output would work), then you can send it to the effects return on your marshall's effects loop. The effects return expects a line-level signal. That'd bypass the Marshall's preamp and just use its power section. But if the Orange doens't have a line out, don't try it. Anything stronger than a line level signal will definitely fry either the input or the effects return on the Marshall. And a DSL makes an expensive door stop!
Click to expand...
that is what I was thinking.
 
Tadpui said:
If the Orange has a LINE out (no other type of output would work),
Click to expand...

Begging your pardon (really, I am trying to be respectful, here) but all these would work, to some (ahem) "level":

LINE out;
Effects Loop Send;
Pre-Amp out (like on a Pignose Model 100);
"Slave" out;
Headphone out (altho 'phone outputs tend to be a bit hot, they are not hot enough to fry anything- it might just sound like crap- turn the volume down on the Orange 15.)
 
stevieb said:
Begging your pardon (really, I am trying to be respectful, here) but all these would work, to some (ahem) "level":

LINE out;
Effects Loop Send;
Pre-Amp out (like on a Pignose Model 100);
"Slave" out;
Click to expand...
These are all different versions of line outs.

stevieb said:
Headphone out (altho 'phone outputs tend to be a bit hot, they are not hot enough to fry anything- it might just sound like crap- turn the volume down on the Orange 15.)
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The OP was obviously contemplating running the SPEAKER output to the Marshall. A giant no no.
 
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Farview said:
These are all different versions of line outs.

QUOTE=stevieb;3118394] Headphone out (altho 'phone outputs tend to be a bit hot, they are not hot enough to fry anything- it might just sound like crap- turn the volume down on the Orange 15.)
Click to expand...
The OP was obviously contemplating running the SPEAKER output to the Marshall. A giant no no.[/QUOTE]

True, but not everyone would recognize them as such.
 
stevieb said:
The OP was obviously contemplating running the SPEAKER output to the Marshall. A giant no no.
Click to expand...

True, but not everyone would recognize them as such.[/QUOTE]

as long as it is a 1/4" line level out it should work shouldnt it?
 
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