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Pros:
- Works for starters and professionals
- Is equipped with headphones to practice
- Delivers wide range of tones
Cons:
- Limited versatility in terms of features
If you are a beginner who has just started mastering his/her instrument or the professional who is looking for a decent practice amp, you are in the right place, my friend. I know perfectly well how hard it is to find the device of your dreams that will combine the quality, affordability and mind-blowing sounds. However, there are some staples when it comes to amps and Orange Crush Pix CR12L is definitely one of them. This bad boy is an honorable member of the Orange family and offers a lot at a small price. If you are interested, then keep on reading as we discuss all the details about this product.
Features
The Orange Crush is a solid-state amp that features analog circuitry along with a 6” speaker and 12 watts of power. These properties are quite standard for practice amps and are more than enough for your home utilization. It has one ¼” output (Line Out) for your headphones and, of course, one input for your instrument. This bad boy has a single channel, however, this does not interfere with the quality of your sound.
The headphone/line-out output features CabSIM cabinet emulation, which is reminiscent of Orange 4×12 cabinet tones. It replicates the Voice of the World Speakers, bringing those signature sounds right to your bedroom. Crush is a bit limited in terms of onboard effects, however, it does have the basics, i.e. overdrive. As you can see, the features on this one are really easy to grasp and offer just the right amount of versatility. We could not expect any less from Orange, though. Thumbs up!
Controls
If you are not into overcomplicated controls, I have good news, this is not the case with Orange Crush. Everything here is easy to understand, especially since all the knobs are visualized with their PiX hieroglyphs. It takes a single glance to figure out what is what and start experimenting with sounds. Let’s discuss the functionality of each control in-depth and find out, how they alter your sound.
The first knob you will see on the panel is, of course, the Volume. You probably already know what this one does, however, as they say, repetition is the mother of learning. So, Volume modifies the level of the output and allows you to be as loud as your heart desires. Next we have a 3 band EQ, represented with the following knobs: Treble, Middle and Bass. Each of them changes the said frequency range and gives you a decent range of tone shaping options. Having such a high-quality EQ on a practice amp is not that common, which means Orange has undoubtedly nailed that part (and not only). Now, the Overdrive activates the distortion and gives you that subtle effect. And finally, the Gain intensifies the distortion and can really take it to the metal station. That’s it! These are more than enough for finding the perfect sound, don’t you agree?
Orange Crush 12 Sound
Can an Orange amp produce a crappy sound? I do not think so. This is not just a prevalent stereotype – this is something they have proven repeatedly. Crush is not an exception either. This bad boy has spectacular sound quality and does really make your instrument shine. It is louder than its 12 watt siblings from other brands, which is definitely an asset. Undistorted tones are as clean as a whistle and can be attenuated without any noticeable noise. The overdrive can go from subtle to the extreme (and anything in between) with just a twist of Overdrive and Gain. This effect is steeped with girth and texture as if you were playing a high-end distortion pedal. Orange Crush has everything you would ask for in terms of sound and offers exceptional sonic potential.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Orange Crush is not solely a mediocre practice amp – it is way more than that. As you would expect, it shines by all standards and presents the wonderful thrupple: high-quality features, controls and sounds. It comes in a small and lightweight design, making it easily portable. Whether you leave it in your bedroom or bring it along to your band practice, Orange Crush will be at your service and will not disappoint you no matter what. Listen to demos, reconsider everything I have mentioned and give this bad boy a chance! After all, Orange is the new niche of musical equipment.
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