Roland DB-900 Combo

Well, I just used this combo at an outdoor gig yesterday when my Trace Elliot AH-300 head's fan stopped working. I'd heard the roland was a great amp so I was eager to be "saved" by the other band's bass rig. I was able to spend significant time with the features of this bass (about a half hour); seemed simple and effective although the cheesy "solid state" and "tube" selector switches seemed straight out of an early '80's Crate. The compression was effective.

Wow, this amp sounded, I am truly sorry to say, like crap. Muddy with a tinny high over-running it. Wow. Very disappointing. I know it was only for one gig but I went over and over it with the other bassist, trying to be polite, and the best we could get after that half hour was just plain unacceptable. I was so dismayed I hooked my Trace with a 4x10 Eden back up, risking over-heating. The result: no comparison and stunned looks from the other band in the audience (GREAT guys, by the way).

No idea.

No idea.

If this was mine, I'd take an insurance policy out on it and dump it in the river.

This Combo has three kind of modulations to offer: Transistor, Tube, Overdrive. All works well. Additionally there a very easy (one knob) to use compressor, a chorus (also one knob), EQ (Bass, Mid Freq. + Mid Level/Treble) plus 'shape' to get more variety in sound. U get prof Outputs (Bal. DI-Out, Phones-with speakers sent off-, Line out etc.). Two preamp knobs: Gain AND Volume. Also Master Volume.
There are two places, only two, to store sounds you've created or changed. Seven speakers are in it: 4x10'', 1 Horn Tweeter and 2 passive 12''. When I first looked at it (I know the DB-500 well), I thought: 'Oh, the same, not more??? But after a short time I saw, everything I need is there and it's easy to handle.

My main Bass is a German Prof-Bass with two Bartolinis. First I played Glockenklang, who are famous for their HiFi-Sound, but I wanted more rock-power. I play in very different places, from clubs to stadiums, and there the Glockenklang (350 W) lacked.
With the Roland DB-900 I have no doubt, that it is loud enough for any stage. Earlier we had to give some Bass on the monitor. Now this Combo is so loud...(320 W, but with a very clever technique, that sounds much more louder!). For example: In our very loud rehearsal, my bandmates told me not to be so loud. I had the Master on 9PM! The loudness is very good, you haven't to go (like tubes) to 16 or 17PM, to get Your sound, this amp is totally digital! The (sub)low frequencies are so present, that You -with a good bass guitar- are attempted to put the bass-knob down! I presume, nearly every cheap bass can be updated with this Amp (mo' Bass, kiddies!). But I give him a 9, 'cause the (sub)low frequencies are (with my bass) so obviously, that it's hard, to get a mid-fenderlike-orsomethinglikeit-sound. This thing is for bass players, who didn't play High Fidelity-Jazz, or 60s-Beatsound, this is for people, who want to play tight rock or/and to push their cheap instrument into professional sound (or to show the Marshall-Guitar-Player who is the king in the room).

Looks like noone can do it harm.

Don't know.

If You are interested in bass sound with big dephts, which are actually modern (which means deep low end) with big loudness, then I can recommend this combo, especially for those, who look for something like ampeg 8x10, but who don't want to pay the name and carry the weight. This (japanese) thing is absolutely professional in sound, loudness and features. It rocks, but nothing for Jazzmen.
IMPORTANT FOR U:S: INHABITANTS: Don't dry Your cat in it! It can be nearer as it seems!;)

This amp was first presented in 2001. It's using Roland's COSM modelling technology plus the FFP (feed forward processing) technology which is used to process the input signal to highest effectivity thus expanding the dynamic range. The COSM models 3 basic amps: solid state, tube and tube distortion. Once this selection is made you can go on to the gain and volume department which works like it is supposed to. Next step is a compressor which works decent. The shape button alters the basic EQ setting of the preselected model. Pressed down it gives more bass and treble. The EQ section has a mind-blowing bass-knob, a fairly decent, but not extreme parametric mid-EQ and a treble knob which adds nothing but high-freq hiss even if the amp has no load. The chorus is an old Roland feature, in this case it is called D-chorus and leaves the low end untouched while adding a light shimmer with increasing predelay to the high mids. Cool with me, but I'm not a fan of bass chorus.
I forgot the inputs: ther are two of them, high and low impedance for active and passive basses.
I bought this amp cause it does best what I think bass amps (and bass players) should do: provide the world with real low notes. Like I heard on stage from two of my favourite players: Doug Wimbish and Tony Levin. I play in a revived Krautrock outfit and in a bluegrass/blues acoustic band, sometimes with a blues band. Because the first-mentioned band plays with 4 electric gitarrists I became tired of borrowed combos which only boost midfrequencies like mad while leaving a solid hole in the bottom. I was only astonished by the very light Gallien-Krueger combo which produced an enormous bass and volume with an extra 2x12 cabinet. And I went out to find those extra low notes.
I should mention that I play an ok Fender J-bass copy of unknown asian origin plus a Framus electric upright from the fifties with one single coil pickup and one knob for loudness. It produces what I already said I love: contra-octaves with years of sustain. Somebody gave to me a Gretsch hollow-body bass from the early sixties with flatwound strings also.
For this very diverse arsenal of basses I needed an amp and my tests made clear it wasn't the Ampeg stack with 8x10 and a classic SVT head (too muddy, too compressing for the double bass). It wasn't the Gallien-Krueger with extra light weight but lousy service conditions in Europe and its impressive but still too little output. It wasn't the different SWR combos with their beautiful tone which sure enough reproduced the nuances of the double bass better than the Roland but lacked the punch. It was this 64 kg baby with 7 speakers and a lot of power directed to all the right places by an never-tiring electronic brain which worked for all that is low.
Other features: balanced DI output before the amp, line out after preamp, EQ, chorus etc., headphones jack and effects insert. You can switch the settings and the chorus with lots of (optional) foot latch switches which i think is a crappy thing.
You can store two settings which I don't think is much. Plus you can switch to "manual" (another foot switch or use yer finger) for the actual setting of the knobs.
320 watts is more than enough for anybody except Lemmy.
Features I never use are the treble knob and the chorus. I won't need a very distorted nu metal or thrash bass either, like the tube drive provides.
I rate it 8 because I think a device that expensive and advanced should have more storage and a working high EQ and - I'm already nagging - two parametric EQs. Plus an ergonomic little switching pedal INCLUDED. Yes.

I use the basses mentioned above and will maybe play monophonic bass synths or synth bass pedals over it too. The wooden tone of the old Gretsch bass is reproduced with sheer power up to the point the old hollow guy starts feeding back.
I love to play with pedals - my boss octaver came to great honours (but only with one octave down).

That's what the amp does best: it produces the lowest bass end I ever had in my life combined with incredible guts and punch guaranteed to make your trousers (and your balls if you have) flap in the breeze. 320 watts come out as loud as any piggy-back's 600 watts. I swear. Now I now why I started playing double-bass back in school in 71.

The FFP does wonders to send the sound to the 4 15" speakers, the tweeter and the two passive 12" radiators.

The variety of sounds for slapping, fretless playing, flat- and fingerpicking is good. You can use the EQ for a slightly nasal tone without losing the lows. You can shred your years by using the tube drive. Too brutal for me.

It doesn't make a bad bass an Alembic on the other hand. Every lack in material and playing technique comes out very well. So be prepared: buying this one will make you practise harder.

Looks like solid-built Roland sh*t, metal front, carpet, extra corners and all. Those old Jazz Chorus things are still around. It has two big handles and removable casters which could be bigger in radius (but I could change them). I would use it on any gig without a backup simply because it's too heavy for a combo and for a backup. Jokes aside. I didn't use it on a tour till now but I would 'cause that's what I bought it for.

Service in Germany is available. 2 years warranty.

I play bass and double bass for 31 years now (good golly) with some intermissions, I also play electronics, piano, guitar, Dobro, and electric lap steel (40s Gibson with blackface and silverface 60s Fender Princeton amps). I've owned a bad 70s Fender bass, a very good Music Man stingray bass (one of the first they built end of the 70s) and a surprising Peavey 80s bass (where are they now?) with a lot of growl. I had no name combos, a Peavey top (also good) with self-built cabinets and played some more (Warwick etc.). The Roland amp meets definitely my idea of bass sound. I hate the weight but chose to take no compromise soundwise. I come out of the practise room totally high - by sound, nothing else. I compared it 1:1 to the above-mentioned amps (SWR, Gallien-Krueger, Ampeg) and I'm also used to a blackface Fender Bandmaster which is nice but insufficient.
If they did it better I'd vote for a true treble knob, a second parametric mid EQ, a still better compressor (with more than one knob) and a switch-on/off delay (can you say that?) to prevent the speakers from damage.