Orange Bass Butler Bi-Amp Bass Preamp Pedal – B-Stock

Quick Product Summary

The Orange Bass Butler is a powerful bi-amp bass preamp pedal designed to give bassists the huge sound and routing flexibility of a multi-amplifier setup without carrying an entire backline.

Rather than simply blending clean signal into a distortion pedal, the Bass Butler splits your bass into two separate parallel analogue signal paths. One handles the full-range clean bass sound, complete with EQ and compression, while the second uses a guitar-style preamp to add aggressive distortion, mids and upper-frequency character. The two can then be combined for a sound that retains solid low-end definition while adding as much grit and attack as you need.

Separate cabinet-simulated XLR outputs for the Clean and Dirty paths make the Bass Butler particularly useful for live sound and recording, while its standard blended output allows it to integrate into a conventional bass amplifier or pedalboard.

This individual unit is offered as B-Stock, giving bassists a strong opportunity to add an unusually capable Orange preamp and DI solution to their rig.

At A Glance

Feature	Details
Brand	Orange
Model	Bass Butler
Product Type	Bi-amp bass preamp pedal
Signal Concept	Parallel Clean and Dirty signal paths
Clean Path	Full-range bass preamp with EQ and compression
Dirty Path	Guitar-style gain preamp with 3-band EQ
DI Outputs	Separate balanced XLR Clean and Dirty outputs
Cabinet Simulation	Dedicated bass and guitar CabSim on XLR outputs
Main Output	Blended ¼" output without CabSim
Expression Input	Yes
Ground Lift	Yes
Power	18V
Condition	B-Stock
Main Appeal	Clean low-end definition and aggressive distortion simultaneously
Best For	Rock, metal, alternative, punk, studio recording and direct live rigs

B-Stock Condition Report

Condition Classification: B-Stock

This Orange Bass Butler is being offered as B-Stock rather than standard new stock.

No specific cosmetic blemish, packaging variation or other reason for the B-Stock classification has been supplied for this individual pedal, so no condition details have been guessed or added.

For further information about the appearance of this particular unit, our team can provide additional guidance before purchase.

What's Included?

• Orange Bass Butler Bi-Amp Bass Preamp Pedal

✘ No Additional Accessories Confirmed

Only items specifically confirmed for this individual B-Stock unit are stated above.

Condition Notes

This pedal is classified as B-Stock.

No specific cosmetic damage, faults, repairs or modifications have been supplied for this example.

Fair Deal Quality Control Assessment

B-Stock effects and preamp equipment is checked by Fair Deal Music before leaving us to make sure it is operating correctly for its intended use.

For the Bass Butler, our assessment focuses on the pedal's main signal path, controls, switching and output functionality.

That gives you the reassurance of buying specialist bass equipment from an experienced independent music retailer with musicians available to help with pedalboard integration, amplification and live-routing questions.

Why Choose The Orange Bass Butler?

Proper Parallel Bi-Amp Architecture

The Bass Butler's biggest advantage is that the clean and distorted sounds run in parallel rather than one simply replacing the other. Your fundamental bass tone can remain deep and controlled while the second path supplies the aggression, harmonic content and upper-mid cut.

Keep The Low End When Adding Distortion

Heavy bass distortion can sometimes sacrifice definition and low-frequency weight. By keeping a dedicated full-range clean signal running alongside the dirty channel, the Bass Butler lets you add substantial gain without abandoning the foundation of your bass sound.

Built-In Compression On The Clean Side

The clean bass path includes compression to help control peaks and keep your low end consistent. This is useful for aggressive pick playing, slap bass and live situations where maintaining an even signal can make the instrument easier to place in the mix.

Guitar-Style Dirty Channel

Rather than using a conventional full-range bass distortion circuit, Orange approaches the Dirty path more like a guitar amplifier. This emphasises the frequencies that create aggression and definition while the separate bass channel takes care of the fundamental low end.

Separate CabSim XLR Outputs

The Clean and Dirty signal paths each have their own balanced XLR output with dedicated cabinet simulation. This allows a sound engineer or recording setup to receive the two parts separately and balance them independently.

Flexible Conventional Amp Output

You are not restricted to a direct-to-PA setup. The blended ¼-inch output can feed a conventional bass amplifier, allowing the Bass Butler to function as the centrepiece of a traditional pedalboard and amp rig.

Orange Bass Butler Compared With Popular Alternatives

Orange Bass Butler vs Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI

The SansAmp approach is ideal for players who want traditional amp-style bass preamp shaping, drive and DI functionality from one compact box. The Bass Butler is better suited to players specifically attracted to parallel bi-amping, where a clean low-end signal and a heavily driven second path remain separately controllable.

Orange Bass Butler vs Darkglass Microtubes X Ultra

Both are aimed at bassists who want aggressive drive without sacrificing low-frequency definition. The Darkglass takes a more modern frequency-splitting approach, while the Bass Butler recreates the broader concept of running separate bass and guitar-style preamp paths in parallel.

Orange Bass Butler vs MXR M80 Bass DI+

The MXR is a straightforward bass preamp, DI and distortion solution with a compact conventional layout. The Bass Butler offers a more elaborate routing system for players who want separate Clean and Dirty XLR feeds and a sound closer to a dedicated dual-amp setup.

Orange Bass Butler vs Separate Bass Preamp And Distortion Pedals

Using several pedals gives you freedom to choose every component individually, but it also requires more connections, more pedalboard space and careful signal blending. The Bass Butler packages the fundamental clean-plus-dirty bi-amp concept into one purpose-designed unit.

Who Is The Orange Bass Butler For?

The Bass Butler is particularly well suited to bassists who want heavy or aggressive drive without losing the weight and definition of their clean sound.

It is a strong choice for:

• Rock and hard-rock bassists

• Metal players using heavily distorted bass tones

• Punk and alternative musicians

• Pick players who want extra attack and upper-mid aggression

• Bassists using direct-to-PA live rigs

• Recording musicians wanting separate clean and dirty tracks

• Players looking to reduce the size of a traditional bi-amped setup

• Bassists who need flexible DI and amplifier routing

• Musicians looking for a preamp that can become the centre of a pedalboard

Looking for advice on choosing the right bass preamp, DI box, distortion pedal or live bass setup? Our experienced team of musicians can help by phone, online or in-store.

Suitable Genres And Uses

Rock and hard rock: Combining a solid clean foundation with a driven upper-frequency path produces the weight and aggression required for dense guitar-based mixes.

Metal: The ability to retain clean lows while applying substantial distortion makes the Bass Butler particularly relevant to heavier bass styles where clarity can easily disappear under high gain.

Punk and alternative: The Dirty channel can add edge and attack while the Clean path keeps the fundamental notes solid underneath fast pick playing.

Studio recording: Separate Clean and Dirty XLR feeds give an engineer considerably more flexibility than committing to one blended bass sound during tracking.

Direct live rigs: The Bass Butler can form the heart of a setup designed to feed front-of-house without requiring a large traditional bass backline.

What Is Bi-Amping For Bass?

Traditional bi-amping involves dividing the bass signal between two different amplification paths. One can concentrate on producing deep, powerful clean lows while another provides mids, treble, distortion or a contrasting amplifier character.

The Bass Butler packages that concept into a single pedal. Instead of transporting two amps and splitting the instrument between them, the pedal creates two parallel preamp paths internally. The result is particularly useful when you want aggressive bass distortion that still retains a strong, clean fundamental underneath.

Story & Context

Bi-amped bass rigs have long appealed to players who want the weight of a clean bass amplifier combined with the aggression of a driven guitar-style setup. The drawback has traditionally been the amount of equipment required to achieve it.

Orange developed the Bass Butler around that problem. Instead of treating it as another conventional bass overdrive pedal, the design recreates the core idea of a large parallel rig inside a compact floor unit.

That makes the Bass Butler particularly relevant to modern live and studio setups, where separate DI feeds and compact equipment can offer much of the control of a large backline without requiring multiple amplifiers on stage.

Compatibility & Recommended Pairings

Bass Amplifiers

The blended ¼-inch output can feed a conventional bass amplifier, allowing the Bass Butler to work as a preamp and drive section ahead of your existing rig.

PA Systems And Mixing Desks

The two balanced XLR outputs make it possible to send the Clean and Dirty paths independently to compatible live-sound equipment.

Audio Interfaces

For recording, the separate outputs allow the clean foundation and distorted character to be captured independently, giving you greater control when mixing.

Expression Pedal

The dedicated ¼-inch expression connection provides additional real-time control when used with a compatible expression pedal.

Other Effects

Compression, modulation, octave and ambience effects can still be incorporated into a wider pedalboard setup depending on the signal chain you want to build.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Orange Bass Butler
Product Type	Bi-amp bass preamp pedal
Signal Architecture	Parallel Clean and Dirty analogue signal paths
Clean Path	Full-range bass preamp
Clean Processing	EQ and compression
Dirty Path	Guitar-style gain preamp
Dirty EQ	Bass, Middle and Treble
Clean XLR Output	Balanced with bass cabinet simulation
Dirty XLR Output	Balanced with guitar cabinet simulation
Main Output	Blended ¼" jack, no cabinet simulation
Instrument Input	¼" jack
Expression Connection	¼" jack
Ground Lift	Yes
Power Requirement	18V
Dimensions	17 x 8.5 x 16.5cm
Weight	1.29kg
Condition	B-Stock

Specification Note

The exact serial number, production date and specific reason for this unit's B-Stock classification have not been supplied and have therefore not been guessed or added.

Power Requirements

The Orange Bass Butler requires an 18V power supply.

An external power supply has not been confirmed as included with this individual B-Stock example, so it is not listed in the What's Included section.

Always use a power supply that meets Orange's specified requirements for the Bass Butler rather than assuming that a standard 9V pedal supply is suitable.

Fair Deal Music Verdict

★★★★★ 5/5

The Orange Bass Butler is much more ambitious than a conventional bass distortion pedal. Its strongest feature is the ability to maintain a powerful clean foundation while creating a completely separate driven signal alongside it.

For rock and metal players in particular, that solves one of the biggest problems with bass distortion: getting enough aggression to compete with heavy guitars without turning the low end into an indistinct wall of gain.

The separate CabSim XLR outputs make the concept equally valuable in the studio and on stage, where the engineer can control the clean and dirty components individually.

Best suited for: Rock, metal, alternative and touring bassists who want aggressive drive without sacrificing low-end authority.

Main benefit: Parallel clean and distorted signal paths preserve bass weight while adding substantial grit and attack.

Value proposition: Combines the roles of bass preamp, distortion system, compression, signal blender and dual DI routing unit in one rugged pedal.

Standout feature: Separate cabinet-simulated XLR outputs for the Clean and Dirty signal paths.

Customers usually upgrade from: Conventional bass overdrive or distortion pedals when they need greater control over low-end retention and live routing.

Most commonly paired with: A quality bass amp or powered stage rig, expression pedal and complementary modulation or octave effects.

Our tip: Start by getting the Clean channel sounding strong on its own, then gradually introduce the Dirty path. This makes it easier to build aggression without accidentally losing the solid bass foundation underneath.

Showroom feedback: The Bass Butler makes the most sense for players who have previously struggled to get a heavily driven bass sound that still feels large and controlled in a full band mix.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Our Birmingham showroom has helped generations of musicians find the right instruments, amplifiers, pedals and equipment, backed by a knowledgeable musician-led team who understand the products we sell.

When you shop with Fair Deal Music, you can buy with confidence thanks to:

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians

• Carefully checked new, used, pre-owned, B-Stock and ex-display equipment

• Competitive prices on leading music brands

• Secure UK-wide delivery

• Flexible finance options available, subject to status

• Friendly support before and after your purchase

• Secure online ordering

• A large Birmingham showroom

• Decades of experience with both new and pre-owned musical equipment

Whether you're building a professional bass pedalboard, simplifying a live rig or looking for a better way to combine clean and driven bass tones, we're happy to help you choose the right setup.

Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Thinking about upgrading? Your next piece of gear could cost less than you think.

We're always happy to consider part exchanges and trade-ins on a wide range of musical instruments and equipment. Whether you're looking to upgrade your guitar, bass, keyboard, amplifier, drum kit or studio gear, your existing equipment could help reduce the cost of your next purchase.

Simply get in touch with our team for a no-obligation valuation, and we'll be happy to discuss the options available.

It's an easy way to unlock the value of the gear you no longer use while making your next piece of equipment even more affordable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Orange Bass Butler a distortion pedal or a preamp?

It is best thought of as a bi-amp bass preamp system rather than a conventional distortion pedal. It provides separate Clean and Dirty preamp paths, tone shaping, compression and multiple output options.

Can I use the Bass Butler directly into a PA?

Yes. Its balanced XLR outputs are designed for connection to compatible professional audio equipment, with separate cabinet-simulated outputs for the clean bass and dirty guitar-style paths.

Can I record the Clean and Dirty sounds separately?

Yes. This is one of the Bass Butler's major advantages. The independent XLR outputs allow the two signal paths to be captured separately so their balance can be adjusted during mixing.

Can I still use the Bass Butler with a normal bass amp?

Yes. The blended ¼-inch output allows the pedal to feed a conventional bass amplifier without cabinet simulation.

Is the Bass Butler suitable for clean bass sounds?

Yes. The Clean channel is an important part of the design rather than simply a dry blend control. It provides full-range bass processing with EQ and compression.

Is it suitable for five-string bass?

Yes. The full-range Clean path makes the Bass Butler a strong option for extended-range instruments where retaining fundamental low-frequency definition is particularly important.

Would the Bass Butler suit lighter styles as well as metal?

Yes. Although its parallel distortion architecture is especially attractive for rock and heavier music, the Clean channel, compression and routing options can also be useful for funk, pop, alternative and general live or recording work.

Why would I use two XLR outputs instead of one blended signal?

Sending the Clean and Dirty paths separately gives the engineer independent control over their level and processing. That can make it easier to retain deep bass definition while adjusting how prominent the distorted element is in the final mix.

Final Buying Advice

The B-Stock Orange Bass Butler is an excellent choice for bassists who want far more control than a conventional drive pedal can provide.

Its parallel clean and dirty architecture allows you to build a huge driven bass sound while protecting the low-end foundation that makes the instrument work in a band. Add compression, independent EQ, separate CabSim XLR outputs and flexible amplifier routing, and it becomes a serious live and studio tool rather than simply another effect.

For players interested in bi-amped bass sounds without transporting a complicated multi-amplifier rig, the Bass Butler offers a remarkably practical solution.