New - Micro Cube Bass RX - for lap steel?

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?Objectid=940

This actually looks to be loaded for bear!

Anybody tried it yet?

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

No, but we will wait for your review, Ron!!!!

Aloha, Smile

Don

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

Is it a bat powered unit like the 'cube?

Fred · From: Amesbury, MA

I tried one with a bass at a local Guitar Center. It sounded suprisingly good for such a low power amp. Yes it can run on batteries. I think it was about $200. My SWR Workingman's 12 is light enough if I'm playing bass.

There is also a guitar version of this new Roland, but I didn't try it.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

I wasn't up for dragging a steel around til nighty nite, but I'll try to get something relevant beyond Fred's post, should I make the show. I'll be limited to Q & A, as I doubt they have a steel in-house, or bar/pix...

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

For some reason, they special shipped it to the store just for the seminar, had no plans to demo/mention it (they didn't), and the rep. had no clue about using it for steel.
Plus, they won't sell the demo piece.

But, after giving it a hands-on eyeballing, I'll be getting one. It's just too impressive not to think it won't be killer, and at $220.00, well worth a shot. Still small, and more portable than the MC 'Street'.

The reps. stated that Roland prices will be going up in May...

2 other items of mention: Roland's new RD 700G keyboard has some stunningly real (how would I know?) sampled Steinway's and such that sure will make piano movers happier.

And, a hand-held 24 bit, 96 kHz WAVE/MP3 recorder by Edirol/Roland at $400 - the R-09 HR - that has lot's of very useful capabilities.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Moved to Electronics from Steel Without Pedals.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

JOZEF SMITH · From: WESTMINSTER - CA - USA

I just bought the Micro cube RX and I love it. It is pretty loud for a smal amp plus it has a booster too.
Besides the equalizer and effects as on the standard Micro cube, it has also a tuner and a rhythm guide with 11 different drum patterns which you can change the tempo and volume. Sounds very good with guitar, peddle steel or lap steel. I also bought an AMPUPLUGNPLAY @ $34.95 PLUS SHIPPING. It is 2"X4" amp with a 1/4" male jack that you plug right into
your instrument. It has an off/on swith and runs on a 9 volt battery. The sound level is changed by using the volume and tone control of your instrument. Fully open will overdrive the amp and you will get a distorted rock sound. Up to volume level 8 on your guitar the sound is pretty clean.
It is made by Ampuplugnplay, Orlando, Florida.
Very handy to have it, no chords and fits in your pocket.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

I was about to search anew for a decent headphone amp, and this is getting excellant reviews by real players, so it's on my list now.
How does it sound, volume/tone wise when turned down to get a clean setting? Is there enuf volume so you don't have to strain to hear it?

I'm still burned by my purchase of the AmpPlug years ago, which was worthless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MicroCube Bass up-date - My mutually tone freakish friend, Bobby Ingano had the opportunity to test run the RX the other day and will be buying one ASAP.
If THAT doesn't sell you, then you don't know Bobby.

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Which are we talking about the MICRO CUBE RX Guitar Amplifier or the MICRO CUBE BASS RX: Bass Amplifier?

Ron, which one is Bobby interested in?
Which one are you interested in?

Aloha, Smile

Don

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Bobby will be buying the MicroCube Bass RX. The same for me.
And, it can't happen soon enuf, as my Crate Taxi is dead and Waikiki is calling........

He sed it had plenty of power and now he won't be drowned out by the loudies.
Plus, the rhythm thingy also has a 'secret' Zydeco beat that had him having a blast with.

Stephan Miller · From: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

Played the Roland RX Micro Bass at GC yesterday, first with a Fender Mustang bass, then with a Chandler 6-string lapsteel.

As a bass amp-- for its size, weight and rated power output (5w), it totally rocks. Amazingly full & loud. Definitely giggable in a small room (with a reasonably sane drummer). The effects and built-in rhythms (w/ Tap Tempo) would spice up solo practice, though after the novelty wears thin, who knows. The sampled amps are pretty decent, there's a nice variety of tones there.

As a lap steel amp-- my point of comparison is the Vox DA5, also rated at a max 5w, which replaced the 2w Roland MicroCube as my rehearsal amp. I didn't bring the Vox for a diract A/B, but it was really clear to me that the RX was capable of a lot more volume-- and clean volume, than the DA5. My 1st impression was that the Vox may have the more happening tones, though-- the RX, while having a fuller sound, was not as "open"-sounding as I would have liked...but I didn't have enough time to stay and really dial it in to my liking. Again, this amp would certainly project well enough for street use, band rehearsal, or a cafe-style gig.

And remember, it's designed as a bass amp, with appropriate modeling. I'm going back to GC with an OD pedal and A/B the Bass RX with the Guitar RX. If it seems useable as a rehearsal/solo practice/jam amp for bass AND steel, I'm snappin' one up at $229.

--Steve

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Thanx for the bass comments. I'd not heard it at all yet.
Tone is what it's all about for me, and it'll have to excel like my Crate 'Taxi' did for me to be happy.

Our local outlet went and sold the "demo only/not for sale" 'exibit' example that I wanted, and I now have a $30 discount for raising the roof about it..., so maybe they have the new shipment in today and I can finally hear for myself.

The Guitar RX is quite different in action from what I understand. Derrick and Bobby ABed them and the Guitar RX supposedly sucked in comparrison.

Gary Anderson · From: Fort Mohave, Arizona, USA

I received my Roland Micro Cube Bass RX amp a couple of days ago, so this is a first impression only. I became aware of this amp from information here on the SGF. I recently purchased a Squire Bronco and upgraded it with a bass pick-up from Stew-Mac, and a thru the body bridge with 4 saddles from MF. ( a $149 guitar now becomes a $300 guitar) Anyway, I was looking for a light weight practice amp, and I have found it. The big surprise came when I played my pedal steel thru it. I found a sound that was very pleasant to my ears. The chorus and reverb also sound good to me. I was also very pleased with the rhythm unit that I did not know was on it, so much so that my Zoom MRT-3 will be in equipment for sale soon. The tuner will work for bass, but is useless for the steel. I am by no means a expert on any of this , but I do know when I like something, And for me, this is a keeper! I can play a CD deck thru it, practice with a rhythm unit, and play bass or steel with one small amp. Can use head phones too.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

I was hoping to hear from someone having pumped thier pedal steel thru it.
Thanx for the info, Gary!

Sounds as tho Roland nailed it, albeit with tunnel vision, since they don't suggest at all that it can serve other instruments other than bass very well.

Therman Jones · From: Stillwater, OK USA

Thanks to this thread I ordered one of these amps from my Friend in Kansas City. He's real good about letting me return stuff that I don't like. I received the amp yesterday, and he won't have to worry about me returning this. I love this amp! When I unpacked the amp I plugged in my Artisan lap steel with the Jerry Wallace TrueTone pickup and hit a chord.....Wow!!...this amp really sounds gooood.
I'm 65 so I appreciate the amp being small and lightweight, and the effects are nice, and all the COSM's are 'really cool' (as my son likes to say)(by the way, what's a COSM?) The eleven rhythm styles with three variations each will come in useful for practicing and it has a tuner set up for bass tuning OR if you hold in the tuner switch for one full second it goes into chromatic tuner mode. Neato. Add to that the CD input on the back and the headphone out jack and it's a nice package.
But it wouldn't appeal to me if it sounded like a lot of the small amps on the market. That's where the Roland MicroCube Bass RX comes through. It sounds good. I'm not very good at describing a 'sound' or a 'smell'. I like the type of sound that is found on Buddy Emmons C6 songs , Jim Cohen C6 songs, Maurice Anderson C6 songs......you can see the pattern forming here....in short, give me lots of bass, scoop the mids a little, and boost the trebles.
Add some reverb and enjoy. The RX does as good of a job of delivering this TONE as any amp I've ever heard. And, while not overly powerful, it has plenty for practice, recording, and even gigs in a small venue or where you can mic the amp thru a sound system. It's good enough I plan on using it on some bass gigs I play with guitarist Tommy Crook.
I'll be at the Tulsa show this Saturday as a spectator, but I'll have the amp in the trunk of my car if anyone wants to try it out. Maybe we can use one of the demo rooms, or something. I think if everyone could hear this amp my Friend in Kansas City and other retailers would 'sell a bunch of'em.

Thanks Ron for starting this thread.

Therman
_________________
Customized 8 string Artisan lap steel....it will have to do until I hit the lottery...

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

I can't wait to get mine!

Derrick Mau · From: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Ron,

Check out the two new battery operated Crate's at Easy Music before you pluck down cash on the Roland.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

I see the Crate TX15 @ $150 and a new Limo model, the TX50DB @ $400 on a search, and the little one seems to have a pre-amp 'situation' where somehow strumming the bass strings takes sound away from the treble end, per a reviewer.

I'd be interested in the new Limo, as I liked the original, but $ and size are a concern.

Bang for the buck and other +s, I'm betting on the Bass RX to cover all the needs I have for a portable.
One serious downer will be if the headphone out on this isn't better than the original MC. I need a totally clean sound for that.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Finally had a chance to test drive this thing, and had a hard time finding settings that wouldn't break up at some point.
Lower volume settings with 0 gain of course aided in this aspect, but I may not always want to play that quiet, and any distortion is worthless to me. Plus, the reverb makes it more suseptable to crapping out, and the headphone option wasn't totally clean either.
These are probably deal killers for me.
The PU on my Magnatone is the hottest I've ever encountered, even stronger than Ricky horseshoes, so it was a good tester for this purpose. Overall, it failed the initial test, but I'll go back tomorrow morning as soon as the store opens and try again without having to compete against Deep Purple and thier mothers making every bit of inane racket possible and see how it goes.
I'll be A/Bing it against the Vox DA5 which I havn't had a chance to try yet.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

In a quieter setting and with the volume set no further than 3/4 and full EQ with 0 gain, the amp faired better, with distortion coming rarely and when it did, later than at full volume. This would normally be a duh finding, but I'd have thot this amp would be virtually distortion free if bassists are expected to play thru it. I don't see them being satisfied with playing thru this amp unless they go into the PA, and for steel, it sounds good at mid volumes on all the settings except the 'Octave Bass' (which is wierd on steel, which brings up other possibilities...), but all settings are worthless when cranked, and again, that's with the gain at 0.
The headphone 'out' performed better as well. Not perfectly clean in all settings even at reduced volumes, but OK for the most part.

For home play/practice or busking in a quiet area, it should be pretty decent. But for anything more, the line out feature to a PA or micing is a must.

Tried the VOX DA5. Forget it.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Gave up on the Bass RX for the slight thumping sound the amp made when attacking the strings, which was too annoying, and the bottom end tone was still too 'small speaker'-ish.

Tried the RX designed for guitar, and found it to be better overall, with no 'thump' issues. Plus, the reverb on this model is somehow better than the original MC.
The boost button expands the amps sound, and makes it fuller and has enuf low end to be barely satisfactory.
The distortion factor arises when pushing the amp to what stage use would require, and don't see it viable for all but the most minor stage work when clean is the objective.

The 'ryhthm' box feature is more variable than expected. Quite usable.

At $200, I'd say try it out. Over that, not as much bang for the buck.

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