Orange Amps releases Micro Dark amp head

Building on the success of the brand’s Dark Terror and Dual Dark amps, the Micro Dark shares the same Shape control combined with a new 12AX7-driven high gain preamp section, yielding screaming dirty tones that contrast with its miniature frame, but still offers quite a versatile palette of tones from squeaky clean to brash and mean and everything in between.

Other features include a transparent fully buffered effects loop and a headphone output that includes Orange’s CabSim circuitry. With the optional matching PPC108 speaker cabinet, the Micro Dark can be part of a convenient and portable practice rig while still being able to be mic’ed up in the studio, while the micro amp head’s full potential can also be expressed through a full-sized 4×12 Orange PPC412.

Key Features:

• Valve/Solid State Hybrid Design: The Micro Dark sports a new high gain circuit which blends valve and solid state technology. The preamp uses single 12AX7/ECC83 valve to produce a large array of usable tones with warm cleans, smooth overdrive and fat, singing distortion. Its solid state output section puts out 20 Watts and can be can be paired with any 8 or 16 Ohm cabinet.
• Shape Control: Orange Amplification’s typical Shape control varies the midrange response whilst interacting with the bass and treble. Working from the 12 o’clock position, a subtle nudge to the left adds more midrange and smooths the highs. A clockwise notch or two reduces the mids and brightens the tone. At extreme settings, the Shape’s effect becomes even more pronounced, especially when pushing the Gain control. A scooped, thrashy voicing with an aggressive ‘smiley face curve’ EQ is easily achieved in the fully clockwise position, whilst turning fully anticlockwise boosts the mids for a more classic ‘bark’.
• Buffered Effects Loop: the Micro Dark’s fully buffered, transparent, low impedance loop allows for any number of effects and cables to be patched in without affecting tone.
• CabSim Headphone Output: based on a popular feature on the brand’s Crush Series amps, the headphone output includes CabSim circuitry which is meant to faithfully emulate the sound of a mic’d Orange 4×12″ cabinet loaded with Orange’s flagship 'Voice of the World’ speakers. While allowing the use of headphones for silent practice, it can also be connected to a mixer/recording console to capture what the manufacturer describes as “huge, authentic Orange tones” in the studio.
• Unboxed dimensions and weight: 16.5 × 13.5 × 9.5cm (6.50 × 5.31 × 3.74″) for 0.78 kg (1.72lb)

More details at orangeamps.com.