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Topic: New Microcube - Roland fights back |
Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Eric Dunst
From:
Brooklyn, New York, USA
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 10:34 am |
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While this is certainly of interest to lap steel players, we have an entire section devoted to Electronics where this discussion should go.
Moved to Electronics from Steel Without Pedals.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 10:36 am
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It's very interesting that both Roland and Crate are shipping battery-powered amps that use AA sized batteries rather than D sized batteries as in the past.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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James Mayer
From:
back in Portland Oregon, USA (via Arkansas and London, UK)
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 10:45 am
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| What's with the crate having more high-gain amps than anything else. Are there really a lot of buskers out there playing metal on the sidewalk? |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 11:23 am
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| If you use the AC adapter, how many watts would the Cube Steet then have? It seems it would almost double? I see no info on this in the spec sheet. |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 12:44 pm
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I've got the first Micro Cube, and it's always up by the couch. They need a compressor, a separate reverb and delay and they'd be the ultimate all in one amp with the right line outs.
What I'm waiting for is the most compact 30watt tube bare bones pair of amps to run with my Pocket Pod from a stereo adapter from the earphone duplex 1/8" out. That little toy is just showing what's in store. I'd look for a miniXt next, and I'd get one.
Wow.
I feel older every day with all the stuff that's coming out.
EJL |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 12:51 pm
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I don't know why Roland only went for 2.5 watts.
They could of beefed it up I'm sure.
Did they just modify the circuit of the original Microcube for the Cube Street?
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 12:51 pm
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| Quote: |
I feel older every day with all the stuff that's coming out. |
You are. |
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Eric West
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 1:03 pm
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<;0)
Well I'm off to the beach for a two nite 300$ casino gig that the tip jar/jam band crowd hasn't found out about yet.
I'll feel younger tomorrow, and with any luck....
FHLE |
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Craig Prior
From:
National City, California, USA
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Posted 27 Jul 2007 7:42 pm
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Currently I'm busking near everyday with the DA 5. I run my lap steel into the guitar input and a Mp3 player with my tracks into the "mic" input. I'm able to get a pretty decent mix and I'm happy with the sound of the Vox amp but I'd like to offer 2 observations:
1. Monitoring the mix: here's where Fender got it right with the AmpCan (the only thing they got right with AmpCan... otherwise, it's not too useful). They have the speaker on top. By pointing the speaker straight up you create a "sound bubble" that allows you to hear your mix close up and personal. It's the same mix that your audience hears. By contrast, I have to tilt the DA 5 so I can create that sound bubble and accurately hear the mix. Unfortunately this causes it to rest on the jack from my Mp3 player, which will eventually break the thin little cord.
2. Mp3/CD input: I chose the DA 5 over the MicroCube because the DA 5 features a "mic" input with a separate volume control. It's just a balanced input and that's what I use for my Mp3 tracks. If you rely on the bare input such as the MicroCube provides, it's never very loud. You have to max up the volume control on the Mp3 player which is a pain.
If I were king of the world I'd order these companies to create battery amps with the speaker on top as well as a separate Mp3/CD input with its own volume control. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2007 6:01 am
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Craig,
The new Microcube Street has everything you desire. The cabinet can either be postitioned "flat" or you can tilt it back to get the angle you described.
It also has two channels - each channel with it's own volume, eq and effects.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Mike Fried
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 28 Jul 2007 10:32 am
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Gerald, I would imagine Roland chose to limit the output to 2.5 watts as a tradeoff for better battery life. More output power = more input power required.
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Visit my music page at http://facebook.com/drfried |
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Bryan Bradfield
From:
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
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Posted 29 Jul 2007 2:21 pm
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| The Roland Canada website has deleted the original Micro Cube, so it looks like the Street version supercedes the original Micro. There might be some bargains in the clearing out of remaining Micros? |
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Don Kona Woods
From:
Hawaiian Kama'aina
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Posted 29 Jul 2007 11:47 pm
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| What is the new Microcube Street amp going to cost? |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2007 8:46 am
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No price listed anywhere yet.
I'm guessing $199 - that's if they want to be competitive with Vox.
I called Sweetwater Sound and asked them when they were getting the new Cube Street in. They just laughed and said that many new items are announced at NAMM before companies actually have manufacturing and distribution in place.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2007 8:16 am
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Well, both Sweetwater and Elderly have the Cube Street on their websites with a price of $299. Elderly has an estimated arrival date of August 31st.
That's $100 more than the Vox DA-10 which is in direct competition feature-wise with the Cube Street. We'll have to see what happens.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2007 10:53 am
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$300 is pretty steep for an amp with limited bottom.
I'd have to be quite impressed with it beyond that of the Micro @ $120, and then get a great deal before popping for one.
I'll be waiting for a bunch of user reviews and then watching the 'bay. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2007 12:02 pm
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The Roland does look sturdier and more bullet proof than the Vox. That is an important consideration for me because I put these amps in my suitcase when I fly. The suitcase is checked and the baggage-gorillas toss it around etc.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 6 Aug 2007 2:03 pm
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| I'm real skeptical about the use of AA batteries. Seems like you'd be lucky to get a couple of hours playing time at anything above bedroom practice levels. Of course, that depends on the programming, too. Steady rhythm would eat batteries a lot faster than occasional lead lines. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 6 Aug 2007 4:03 pm
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Donny,
Ask anyone who has a Microcube or a Vox DA5/10. The batteries last forever. They really do. I don't know how they do it.
When I owned a Microcube I typically got 15 hours out of a set of batteries, same with my current Vox.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Mitch Druckman
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 7 Aug 2007 7:41 am
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What I'm looking for in a "street" amp is the ability to have a guitar and a microphone connected at the same time with control over each channel.
The new Roland has 2 separate channels with separate levels and eq for each. Does the Vox give you that kind of individual control over the mic and guitar? |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 7 Aug 2007 7:44 am
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The Vox has a separate channel for a microphone. This channel has no EQ but does have a separate volume knob but accepts only a 1/4" plug.
The new Microcube Street has a separate channel for the mic with EQ and volume, and will accept 1/4" as well as an XLR plug.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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