ADA MicroCab II

It's a no-brainer to figure it out. The pass-thru is a great feature if you still want to feed your amp. XLR and 1/4" outputs are nice.

I just got the thing a week ago, but have messed around extensively in the last few days. It says what it does and does what it says.

I mostly use an ADA MP-1 to get my tone. Traditionally, I'm used to listening to the MP-1 through a Crate G-60 combo amp (using the power-amp only). The Crate has a single 12" speaker. Then I close-mic the Crate with an SM57. When I listen to my recorded rig, it seems to me that the SM57 adds a dark quality or has less mids than I like.

Now I substitute the Microcab II for the Crate and the SM57. When I use the 1 X 12 setting on the Microcab II and go right to the board, it's the exact sound I'm used to hearing. A boost of the HI on the Microcab II makes it sound like my rig without the SM57. So I am very pleased with the sound quality on this particular setting.

It's really nice not to have to mic the amp anymore. No more cable mess. No more worrying about ambient noise.

I played with some of the other cabinet shapes. They sound either too dark or too harsh. But I get my sound, so I'm not too worried.

If your preamp is already designed to go direct into the board, like my Rockman Sustainor, for example, the Microcab II will suck the life out of it. I imagine that modelers like the V-AMP and POD would be the same. This device is definitely just for traditional tube preamps.

I bought it used so I don't know how old it is. I like the power switch on the front and the lack of wall wart.

So simple my 1 year old could figure it out. Just plug it in, make a couple of connections and your ready to go. You will never need a manual of this one. So easy.

I have use every possible preamp know to man to get a good sound direct into my hard disc recorder. Every thing sounds really thin and buzzy. I finally got an ADA microcab 11 and the second I turned it on I was amazed at the differance. I like this thing so much that I got in the closet and got out 4 preamps to test it with. I used a digitech 2112, rocktron piranha, Carvin quad X and Marshall jmp 1. Instant awesome tone. The sound is much much bigger, fuller, smoother, brighter I could go on and on. This thing will give you the sound you want. Amazing piece of gear

so far so good will probably live forever in my recording rack

Unfortunately they are history but if it dies I will bury it and find another one somewere.

I play hard rock with tons of gear. George lynch type of tone. This was the perfect piece of gear for me to get the hot tone on the disc. This thing is a must have. If you find one buy it and you will see what I mean.

The MicroCAB2 is very easy to use and has 8 pushbuttons that let you select cabinet type and 3 knobs that adjust Hi/lo/volume. The Hi process and Thump are not exactly EQ as they seem to affect how the sound reacts.

I had been recording with an SM57 directly on the cone of a 2x12, but the microcab gives a level of tonal control and clarity that the SM57 didnt have. I found that mic recording is gratifying and challenging, but doesnt always give what I am looking for. The microCAB is much easier to dial in. Its very easy to push buttons and tweak the knobs and get the illusion that you changed you micing technique.

I run my Rocktron Piranha or ADA MP-1 into the Roland GP-100 for some parametric and compression, and then into the microcab. I play this through Behringer Truth Monitors and it sounds excellent.

It really gets rid of the graininess that alot of cheaper DI boxes possess. The hi-contour and thump controls seem to affect how the signal reacts and seem to do more than EQ. It also doesnt have the "corporate rock" sound that alot of the newer modellers possess. Of course, I have found that adding compression gives it more "up front" sound, but it is nice that the MicroCAB doesnt totally compress the signal by itself.

Depending on the situation, some cab models sound better than others. The 4x12 CABS are alot thicker and great for heavy rythym and the 2x12 cabs are a little airier and perhaps better for leads.

I got this before I had any experience recording with the SM57. After doing several demos using the SM57, I came back to this unit and found that it gives some sound features that I was having trouble getting with the mic. Things like picking dynamics translate well through the microcab. Harmonics also translate well although adding a touch of compresion helps bring them out. I wasnt having as much success getting these things with the SM57.

I must say that this thing does more than just EQ the sound. While it may not be a perfect replica of the miced sound, it has advantages and includes all of the things that you may need in your mix.

Yeah. Looks simple enough.

I am used to using my guitar rack to get my tone and bought the microcab to record my rack instead of a newer modeller. It definetly has ALOT going for it in the sound category. It is an analog unit and maintains some imperfections in the sound that add authenticity. I have heard some modellers that sound too "corporate". I'd like to get a modeller some day, but this works surprisingly well.

Another thing it can do is to record tube-thru signal which enables it to pick up tube saturation. This might add another dimension to using it for recording. I set it up to do this, but was getting a ground loop between the microcab, my power amp, and my computer.

If you have a studio and/or are aguitarist, I'd recommend picking up one of these because its an excellent tool that you will find a use for at some point. Nice to record a tube pre-amp that you are already sed to using and doesnt totally homogenize you tone like a modeller. Lots of room to get creative with your tone.

Couldn't be easier. Patch in your pre-amp (or power amp on the MicroCab II), select a cabinet size (8 different button choices), and tweak the low and high EQ (labeled Hi Balance and Thump) and you're set! I've bought three of these now - one for my road rack, one for my MP1 in my studio rack, and another to have on hand for a friend coming to my studio!

Manual for it is great. If you don't have the manual, it's not a big deal - this is pretty much plug and play. Manual is also available for download at http://www.ultimatetone.com.

Bonus info - before ADA went under, I had talked to them on the phone. One cool trick to try is pushing in multiple cabinet buttons - or all of them or none of them for different sounds. Didn't work for me, but it's subjective.

Excellent. The MicroCab II added a real power cord and got rid of the wall wart from the original one. No noise, and you have your choice of 1/4" outs or XLR balanced outs.
i've used this with an ADA MP1 as well as a Mesa Boogie V-Twin Rack preamp.

I've gigged with it for 8 years without a problem.

ADA went under, but I would imagine guitar amp repair shops could fix it. there is a guy on the web who bought all of ADA's remaining inventory; check on http://www.ultimatetone.com for more information.

You can pick these up used for $80-150 on eBay, and they are excellent for recording (you can blast your amp late into the night without fear of eviction) and they're even better for gigging - you can send a mic'd amp signal straight to the PA!

I tried this unit in various effects path combinations for the first few months, and then finally stumbled on the fact that it's best as the very last effect in a chain to a home stereo, studio, or PA system. I recommend using a system that has good monitor speakers, i.e., insist on flat response rather than any colorization at all. I wouldn't recommend using it anywhere in a traditional guitar amplification chain (e.g., to a typical combo amp or in its effects loop), since that kind of setup will dominate the sound with it's own nuances.

Controls are very straightforward as each 1-12, 2-12, 4-12, open back, sealed enclosure, and vintage version cabinet effect combination has its own select pushbutton. It works just fine, and including digital or footswitch capability to do this would have added unnecessarily to the overall cost.

There isn't much to explain in a manual, but the one that was included was more than adequate, particularly due to the graphs that compare the sound curves of authentic cabinet/mic placements to what they accomplished with the unit itself. It shows they did an admirable job of accurate modeling.

The unit does not employ firmware or other upgradable components, and really doesn't need to.

I have an Alvarez AF60CK that has their proprietary piezo ribbon under the saddle and built-in MK II preamp. I had a Seymour Duncan Woody HC and a stereo out jack installed to separate the two signals. The HC isn't powerful, but I really appreaciate how noise free it is. (Besides, you can make up for any lack of volume somewhere in your amplification chain as long as you're equally critical of your added gain source.)

Noiselessness is very important to me, and that aspect carried through the Microcab II quite well. Just make sure your monitoring or sound system is free of noise itself, because any chain to it using this device will amplify it. Once I found the right placement as mentioned in the previous section, the unit was very quiet at almost all settings. (If you try to use it some other way, only a couple selections are noise free.) As with any device with a high frequency or "presence" type control, hiss can be exaggerated at very high settings, and the Microcab was no exception in that respect.

I like and play a variety of jazz and jazz fusion (blues, latin, hard bop, etc.) styles, but have unique demands because I'm a fingerstylist. I don't try to emulate the exact sound of any artists I like to listen to, but I do try to capture the essence of what they're saying in my own mind and interpret things from there.

I've experimented with derived electronic sounds over the years, even MIDI processing, but I just keep coming back to an almost completely unadulterated sound. Nevertheless, at any point in a gig, I usually have some amount of EQ, reverb, delay, or overdrive kicked in to add emphasis or variety. The Microcab II finishes it all off nicely.

I've had no problem with the unit to date, and while I may have been negligent in not considering a backup of some sort, I've never had a need for one with this unit.

I've never had the need to call customer support, though I've read that, unfortunately, their factory has since burned down. (I bought it sometime in the mid-90s.)

It's a great match for what I play and the systems I go through. Since ADA is no longer in business, if it gets stolen or lost I'll be in a fix until I figure something else out. I really wouldn't know what to try next among the plethora of devices that claim to have cab simulation now. Most of the folks whose opinion I favor say that that claim is usually a front for stylized EQ, i.e., it lacks the cabinet realism or "3D-ness" of the Microcab II.

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 they are not around anymore. 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!!!