My first Alembic is an Orion. Not having the filters is different. The pickup system is what sold me on the brand. The two band works so well on the fretless. I was use to having an onboard EQ so it was an easy transition. I'm still figuring out the filters on my Pbass and Series I but I'm not going back. Other electronic systems sound inferior to me now.
The last couple of evenings i've been doing a blow by blow side by side comparison between this Orion and my standard europa.
Hands down, overall the europa has a better representation of the alembic sound i am familiar with. Smoother more variety and much sweeter and denser in the mids and higher frequencies.
What I really like with the Orion is the mainly the bottom end I can dial in from the bass and it does have a different overall alembic sound which is slightly "harsher" than what my filter basses have. Yes i think i have found a simpler alembic bass that I can use primarily for reggae, music where i don't need the flexibility a filter bass and also as a lighter backup bass when i feel the need to carry two basses.
What is swinging things towards the Orion is that the standard Europa has a range of sounds I can get from my black Europa with anniversary electronics that has for a long while been my go to gigging bass. So losing the standard europa would not remove any tonality from my disposal but it seems strange to consider dropping a higher spec instrument for what seems to be a lower spec instrument. I'm not going to rush to make a decision as i'm not pressed for time. However i value any experience that you can provide to aid my thinking. I'm definitely not going to keep both basses, that's a certainty.
