ADA MicroCab

I use with an MP-1 preamp. Easy to use, just push a button to select a speaker. The real trick: push one button down in the first section, then another into the second section. Once you have two buttons staying down the tone is WAY better!

This seems to take the noisy edge off my MP-1. The real trick: push one button down in the first section, then another into the second section. Once you have two buttons staying down the tone is WAY better!

Owned for over 5 years, no problem.

The real trick: push one button down in the first section, then another into the second section. Once you have two buttons staying down the tone is WAY better! If you hit just one button (like intended) you get an okay tone, a little ratty and thin sounding. Select a 1x12 cab and a 4x12 cab at same time and it rocks.

The MicroCab is without doubt extremely simple to use - you can't fail. But sometimes I think it changes the original sound almost too much - I have had to change my preamp settings...

I just plug the MicroCab in between my good ol' SGX 2000 Express (wich still has very good effects and possibilities, but sounds quite terrible without any speaker simulation) and my Peavey Classic 60/60 amp. It adds thickness and wormth to the sound, but also some analog (?) noise, wich is quite annoying, actually. I'm not so familiar with all those digital simulators wich comes with the new preamps. Therefore, it would be interesting to compare it with the new stuff. Does anyone have any experience?

It seems well built and OK, but I would prefer the MicroCab II, wich, as I understand, has a ordinary cable instead of the extern power supply.

Anyone want to sell the Mk II...?

This unit is dirt simple. It does amazing things to direct signals. It is a well designed product that is extremely flexible. I really wish that ADA was still around to continue to develop this thing.

I use this with a Virtual Vintage loaded Strat. The signal goes from the "guitar out" of a Roland GR-50 into a Digitech GSP-21 into the Microcab. Without the Microcab the signal is sterile and harsh. With the M'cab the signal is very believable. The M'cab has "pass through" outputs that allow an unprocessed signal to go to an amp. I've "A/B'd" the signal with a mic'd amp and the slight difference in sound (which is not detectable in a mix) is more than off-set by the ease of use and consistency. I run my GR-50 guitar synth sounds through the second channel in the M'cab and it does a great job of fattening the digital synth sounds. (Keyboard players take note!)

Very reliable. The only caveat is to watch the little power supply jack on the back of the unit. This is not very sturdy and a whack to the plug can break the solder joint internally. Please, no more wall warts!

They're not around, but the unit is pretty easy to work on. (I've done some repair myself and it was not bad.) See the wall wart comment above.

I play a huge variety of stuff both live and in the studio. This thing stood up to a decade of full time road work and was a god-send for getting consistent results in any situation. I have a second unit that I keep in my studio. I will look for another as a back-up for my road rack. (I might go with the Cab II since it eliminated the wall wart.) This is by far a "hall of fame" product.

Super easy to use! If you can push a button or two, you're in there like swimwear.

The reason for the Microcab is to do away with all the nit-picky mic'ing techniques. A person could spend hours and hours in a studio putzing around with mic placements. With this thing, you plug in, pick a cab, and go. Even for live sound, this thing takes all the guesswork out of placement of the mics for your speaker cabs. Now you can run direct to the board and still get that profesionally-mic'ed sound out of your PA. Sweet! This doesn't make any of it's own noise that I can hear.

Hell yeah I can and do depend on it! It stands up to normal useage fine. Of course, you don't want to drop the thing or smack your soundguy over the head with it...it IS an electronic device after all. Well, ok......if your soundguy absolutely insists on mic'ing your cabs when you already have one of these Microcabs, then you probably should smack him over the head with it! And if it does break, just get another one. They're inexpensive to replace. Then replace the soundguy as well....with a chimp.

ADA is gone. The only decent support you will ever get for ADA gear is at www.adadepot.com If it's about ADA, it's there. So the rating I'm giving here really applies to ADAdepot, not ADA. If you really need a manual, parts, service, or even advice, again, go to ADAdepot.

Currently, I'm using one exclusively in my home studio. I will never use a mic again, except for vocals. I will be looking for a few more of these to use in live situations, so the one I have now can stay in my studio rack. This takes all the wasted time and science (guesswork?) out of setting up a proper mic'ing technique. I can't say enough about that fact! Although I admit I spent many hours just playing around with this when I first got it, because it sounded so awesome! Metal, rock, funk, country, surf, whatever....If you record an amplified stringed instrument, this is your Saviour. If you play live and normally mic your cabs to run through the PA, this will keep those drunks from wrecking your expensive mics when they stumble on the stage and start making a ruckus, as well as giving you the sound you really need through the PA without setting up any mics for the cabs. $50-100 on Ebay, and worth its weight in gold. Unfortunatly, there are many of these on Ebay without the correct power adaptor. They'll tell you they "lost it somewhere, but you'll be able to find one no problem..." Haha, funny people. Well, it takes a special AC voltage, not a common easy to find DC voltage at all! Don't think you'll just skip on down to Radio Shack or Wal-Mart for one of these power adaptors. They'll look at you like you have leprosy. Can't find the right one?

ADAdepot has them. :P

I've owned 3 ADA microcabs since they first came out. I've used them in my concert halls as well as the studio.Try this...leave out all your buttons on your cabinet selections..Don't push any of them in,Run your gain up full{I've found out that their gain on these units aren't real strong] ,ANYWAY,run your high about 10:00 and your thump about 12:00..I seem to get a more round sound,...no mid range honk..sounds like a more true tone in the studio. For the price', these units are great. All my ADA's are original, once every 3 years I have them serviced,resolder here and there.

I use marshall,and velocity amps...custom guitars with EMG's

without a doubt

they don't exist..any good Tech can keep them serviced

This is an update to my previous addition. This is a piece of cake boys and girls...KISS...Keep It Simple Stupid...and that is what exactly ADA did...and did it right!!!

I finally got to use this beauty on stage and it was and is the most amazing sound I have ever, ever had!!! Just slightly striking of the the strings and my sound was nice round and chunky...hit them hard and "brilliant overdrive" with definition. The sound isn't as processed as I thought early and by the end of the night, the bottom of my pants was all torn and frayed from the vicious sound and tone this MicroCab provide for me...this unit took a terrible, sterile amp like my Line 6 and made a beast out of it...it is simply "Holy Grail" like. I can't imagine what this unit would do for a real tube amp. When I play the "Rectifier" setting on my "6", I am convinced that it sounds just like the Mark III Boogie in Rythum 2 mode...and that is just with the 1x12...thru the Boogie 4x12...truly amazing!!! This thing is so quiet...honest! This unit brings all of the Modeled sounds in my "6" to life...from the "Black Face Fender" to the "Marshalls" to the "Rectified"...all sound very accurate thanks to the MicroCab!!!

They are out of business but built to last and last.

Same as above.

From Rock and Roll to Country, it dozen't matter...this MicroCab will only add to your tone. I could Rant and Rave about this product forever...the guys at work can't stand to see me coming...they know what I'll be talking about..."you should here the sound and tone I'm getting from this ADA MICROCAB!!!" The Best Investment Ever!!!
Oh Yeah...I almost forgot...I managed to hook it up to my 1988 Sunbird and guess what...200 MHP in the turns!!!

First of all, I am submitting a review for the MicroCab II. Getting a great sound out of it is a piece of cake! I interfaced it with my Line 6 Plus (effects loop) and that was it! Select the cabinet type, adjust the High and Thump control and I finally had a superb sound and tone! I got this from Pioneer Music...second hand...so there was no manual...but this unit is so easy to use, you won't need it.

The sound this unit produces is somewhat processed but I don't think you will ever tire of it. I use a Custom Strat Style guitar (H-S-H) and a Line 6 Plus, which I am not so fond of. Great features but not enough research in Digital Modeling. I have been playing for 27 years and I have been searching for the Holy Grail sound. I thought the Line 6 was the answer...NOT!!! So I decide to try a tube preamp (very clean setting) thru the effects loop on my "6" and I was totally knocked out!!! Amazing tube tune...FINALLY! So I got an ADA MP-1 preamp from Ebay which added great tube tone to my amp...but I still could not get a decent guitar sound thru the house system...miked or direct, it all sounded thin and buzzy. So Pioneer Music came to the rescue and sold me a MicroCab II. Listen everybody!!! This MicroCab is the most amazing thing any music manufacture has created in a very long time. You would not believe the sound of your guitar...not only thru your amp...but thru the house system was absolutely amazing!!! I could not tell the difference between the sound and tone from my amp or the house...it was that accurate!!! Plus, the preamp gain from the ADA MP-1 + the preamp gain from the ADA MicroCab II + the volume of my Flextone added up to monster tone and volume...I think it would easily eat just about anything.

Built like a tank...no wall wart...super quiet...it also has a bypass switch for comparing with or without the MicroCab...leave it on! I think this will last a very, very long time.

Their business burnt down in 1994-95-96??? and they went bankrupt...too bad because if they were still around. Judging from the two high quality products I have, I bet they would be the leader in the music industry today.

THE BEST INVESTMENT I HAVE EVER MADE!!! If it were stolen or lost I would make every effort to get another one! Apart from the slightly processed sound, I love everything about it...I just wish I could decide what cabinet to use...they all sound so good. If you can get one, hold on to it with your life...it is a superb product...if I could only find a way to plug it in to my 1988 Pontiac Sunbird...WOW!!!

Real easy to use: select on of the cab types, tweak the level, Thump and Hi Balance knobs to your liking (I just set them at 12 o'clock), and you're done.

I've used this unit over the years because I've always had Digitech preamps around and have not had terribly great results recording them direct. The cab/speaker simulations in the Digitech units (especially the earlier ones) always seemed like glorified EQ's. The Microcab adds a lot of complexity to the original signal. So a distortion patch out of the preamp might sound buzzy and ratty by itself, but with the Microcab it's more than just EQing out the highs; it really does sound like you're playing through a speaker that in turn is being miked. So you get some of the variances in dynamics and compression that a real speaker can give. It's a liquid sound. The only thing you don't get is subtle speaker distortion.

That being said, there is a weakness in the sound: it will make you sound overly processed because you ARE being overly processed. If you like that 80's processed studio guitar sound, you'll like this. A lot of the newer digital modelers like the POD and J-Station do a better job of emulating the live sound of a classic amp. But the Microcab's stack emulations have a type of comb filtering and subtle phase cancellations that the digital modelers seem to miss. I wouldn't rule out pluggin a POD into this thing for kicks.

The unit adds a moderate amount of noise.

Never had a problem in the 3 years I've had it.

I've played a variety of style from rock to jazz to blues for the last 25 years. With my Microcab, I use a Gibson Les Paul, Aria Les Paul copy, Ibanez S540 and RG570.

You should be able to get one of these things used for under $100. Buy one and don't let go of it. You may not use it all the time, but it's a great tool to have around.

This is a one rack space stereo speaker simulator that simulates 7 different speaker configurations: Opened Back (1x12, 2x12, and 2x12 vintage), and closed (sealed) back (1x12, 2x12, 2x12 vintage, 4x12, and 4x12 vintage). Signal In/Through (1/4" TS), Signal Out (XLR and 1/4" TS) each channel. This unit not only simulates the cab, but also the frequency tweaks of an SM57. Ease of use..... hmmmmmm. pick a cabinet, adjust your gain (volume), high frequencies, and THUMP, and you are done. The manual is one of the better ones I have seen: it actually tells you how the different cabinets are simulated.

My setup is as follows: guitar(Peavey Wolfgang)->Peavey Tubefex->BBE 482->Microcab (to mixer)->through signal to Peavey Classic 50/50->Genz Benz GB212 Flex stereo cab.

I can get the Genz Benz tone from this unit in the P.A.

The cabs simulations sound great and realistic. Especially the low end thump.

I just got it. No Comment

ADA is out of business.

The really nice thing about it - I can get that close micing tone with any cab, and have it be consistent for every gig, and NO MICING, NO STANDS. You can switch the cabinet on the fly - really good for those who do covers. I would buy it again, but I don't know if I will be able to find another.