NAMM 2020: Orange Amplification are going big on bass for the new year with two new versatile products for the low enders out there.
First up is the Bass Butler, delivering you a Bi-Amp bass rig in a pedal. The pedal splits the bass guitar signal at the input stage into separate, parallel, analogue signal chains.
The steel-based Bass Butler's ‘Clean’ channel can then be adjusted with different parameters: compression, bass, treble and volume. Further comprehensive controls offer an optical compressor circuit, cut/boost tone controls and a dedicated, bass cabinet-simulated balanced D.I. output.
The Dirty channel offers further control in the shape of Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass and four-stage Gain (with four stages).
The Bass Butler's Dirty channel features offer a guitar cab-simulated balanced D.I. output and an expression pedal jack for deeper control over the input gain.
Both the pedal's channels have XLR balanced output for mixing desks. The Bass Butler also features an Amp output, and this uses a blend of the two channels before the can simulation kicks in, and you can set this balance as you desire with the volume controls.
This will allow bassists to have an on-stage sound that they can control independently of the front of house mix.
A Ground Lift switch eliminates ground hum when the Bass Butler is connected up to a PA and a bass amp at the same time.
That's a very comprehensive set of features that we can see huge potential appeal in for all kinds of electric bass players – such as Slipknot's VMan below.
The Little Bass Thing is more straightforward in spec, but no less useful. It's a lightweight (just 3kg) 500W of Class D amp with solid state preamp section, combined with a powerful, solid state pre-amp.
The Little Bass Thing has a sweep-able parametric mid control for tone shaping, alongside bass and treble frequencies with 15dB of boost on tap.
The amp has a neutrally voiced built-in Class A Optical Compression circuit and this can be controlled by a foot switch (sold separately) or from the Little Bass Thing's front panel.
There's also a buffered FX Loop, plus a balanced D.I. output with Ground Lift switch. For active or high output pickups the Little Bass Thing offers a 6dB input pad switch.
For more info check out orangeamps.com
