Roland MicroCube Combo

Well documented features - multiple effects, multiple overdrive/distortion models (Acoustic, JC-120, Blackface, Brit Combo, Classic, R-Fier), tuning fork, etc. etc. Like countless before me, I could have forgone the tuning pitchfork for another knob dedicated to tone (or effects control) or perhaps a metronome. But definitely keep in mind that this is a tiny, inexpensive practice amp - and for those purposes it truly exceeds normal expectations. It's funny, 2 watts and under $150 on paper does not inspire consumer confidence at first just because good amps are expensive as a rule, but I guess technology's creeping up on us real quick. I'm jealous of the kids who get this today, cause I would've LOVED this thing when I was 12.

I use the microcube with a 1995 Gibson ES-335, Gibson mahogany Les Paul double cutaway (no maple top), and an Ibanez RG 450 with a S. Duncan Jazz in the neck. I also own a '65 Reissue Fen. Twin Reverb, Keeley modded Sparkle Drive and Fulltone FullDriveII (and also had a Zinky Superfly that I regretfully returned because the price was too much - the best amp I've ever played through). My style was in some weird, nebulous rockbluespsuedojazzspeedmetalfunk bullshit for an almost unbearably long time for those around me but I've finally started grasping better the art of composition and singing/songwriting (and using my voice made it ten times more difficult to play my old shit anyways) so I find my tonal needs are changing. But I still practice my chops on both clean and distorted tones and the amp models were better than expected.
The Rectifier channel was responsive to fast, dynamic, alternate picked passages with a good, heavy attack - could get a good, cowboys from hell heavy crunch. This channel does actually reward good technique and gives a great, thick, brutal-enough lead distortion tone with the gain set at about 2-3 oclock and the tone at about 1-2 oclock.
The Classic is a bit too midrangy for me, but still gives a good, thick, Marshallesque tone with a bit more transparency than the R-fier. AC-DCish (although definitely not as ballsy, but again 2 Watts!)
Brit Combo with medium gain has perhaps the best picking response of all the channels from smooth to breakup - I like this channel but I believe the addition of another tone knob could've really helped here.
The Blackface has a good fendery thick clean tone with the gained dialed up - however lower notes with my ES-335 in the neck positions often yielded mild speaker buzz at normal volumes.
The JC-120 is a nice, tighter clean than the Blackface, harder to break up and slightly more sterile but a good transparent clean (though speakers will also eventually buzz if pushed to hard - 2 Watts!).
I don't use the Acoustic as I personally think it lends a strange tone - but I also personally think that it's weird to try an emulate an acoustic sound with a solid body.
I tend to never use effects these days but they're relatively decent. The flanger and the phaser are a bit too overwhelming, so their application is a bit more difficult (although the effects will appeal to some). The reverb is pretty good in my opinion.
Depending on where I sit in relation to the amp determines its noisiness in high gain settings. Sometimes a little bit noisy, sometimes almost dead silent.

It just screams solid-state and the construction materials are strong and industrial-like. It really does last forever on six batteries - this is a pivotal selling point I think. I've had it for just a couple weeks but I really doubt that it'll breakdown.

Dunno. Other people seem to like the support.

I've been playing for over twelve years with intermitten gaps. If it were stolen or lost I would definitely buy it again unless something better came along. I guess I hate that the amp can "fart" out a little with too much bass on the clean tones, but I believe that that sacrifice for portability is a sound one (no pun intended).
I love the versatility of tones I get - they are all good enough to inspire a literal 300% increase in practice time and including that with the fact that it really is dirt cheap for what you get, I'm giving this thing a rock-solid ten.

Portable DSP guitar amp, 2 watt power, 5-inch speaker, runs on battery or AC power (adapter included). 7 COSM guitar amp models including JC-120 and a special mic preamp model. Onboard DSP effects: chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb. Separate gain and master volume control. Digital Tuning Fork with support for flat tunings up to 2 semitones. Recording/Headphones output and stereo Auxiliary input for CD players.
The biggest feature that is missing is that there is no straight-through or bypassed clean amp tone. I think there is a real need in the market for a low-power box with a small speaker that just amplifies your guitar in a near-field listening environment. For home solo practice or jamming with a stereo, you don't need to create a big sound that fills the listening room, but you do need enough sound to get over the acoustic sound of the guitar. I have the same reservations about the MicroCube that I do with the Tech 21/Behringer-type modeling amps. Every 'sound' is a model. There is no clean sound, it is a model of a clean sound. You can turn off the DSP but you can't turn off the modeling.

If you like a high-gain type of sound you'll probably like the MicroCube. The MicroCube's sound is hot in the upper midrange and quite 'shouty', even on the 'clean' amp models. Of course this makes it sound a lot louder - this is as loud sounding as 15+ watt amps - but I'm not a high-gain type and I found this tiring to listen to after a while. Personal preference here, I like something more along the lines of the small (and cheaper) Vox amps which give a warmer sound at the expense of some midrange definition. It is also interesting that you can have the gain turned to zero on the MicroCube and the amp still makes a sound. That's a clue that they build a bunch of gain into it already. With high-gain usually comes buzzing and the MicroCube is about average on the buzzing scale.

Looks and feels solid. I'm not a big fan of wall wart power supplies but that's par for the course.

This amp tries to do a lot and obviously there will be compromises. You'll get some modeling and effects, but you can't tweak the parameters. The battery power option gives the MicroCube a bit of an edge in the market and if you need that feature then by all means give this a try. Judged purely as a small amp, The MicroCube is expensive, although it certainly doesn't give up anything in build quality or performance. But for home practice I've gotten a lot of mileage out of powered computer speakers which you can plug straight into your guitar with a 1/8 to 1/4 adapter plug.

This is a follow-up. I have connected this microcube to a 12" fullrange 4ohms speaker, just out of curiosity. Well, thing thing is definitely louder than 2 watts! Unbelievble how loud it was on the rectumfryer setting, and mean.
The bad news are: this amp loses its qualities (definition, tightness, clarity) when not connected to the speaker it comes with.
I also tried a 2x10" box (@40hms, very important) with the same problem.
And if you go the line out way, it is still the same thing. I also found the phones out to be uninspiring (and I've got good expensive akg's) and lifeless.
The bottom line: use it as it comes, just your guitar into it and enjoy the results. No way to have better sound out of it.
Still, it offers such great fun you absolutely have to own one.

The new micro cube amp. A lot of good effects like chorus, flanger,phaser,tremelo, plus delay and reverb to add on. The effects are excellent for practice use although not quite as tweakeable as a pedal. Being a practice amp it really does not need 2 channels and the tuning fork fits in with the idea of it being a portable amp.

The amp sounds great with humbuckers or single coils which is the mark of a real good amp. The amp is super quiet, no noise or hiss to speak of. From authentic surf music to metallica this amp has them all covered. The distortion does take more time to dial in than the clean channels. Play around with the gain, volume and tone knobs to get your favorite sweet spot.

The worst thing to do is to buy this amp because of it's current status as a "FAD" amp. If you have a specific need for a small amp such as portability or very low sound requirements then go for it. The worst possible thing to do is to buy this amp based on these reviews if you have no practical use for it. This amp has an industrial look to it, it's not pretty at all and pretty much nails the apperance of a small car battery with the strap on top and the 6 knobs(filler caps?)on top. This amp sounds authentic with it's modeling but it can't match the dynamics and presence soundwise of a larger amp with a larger speaker. The amp sounds like I'm listening to a radio when I playing it. I generally prefer my larger amps with an 8 inch or larger speaker to this little microcube. If you don't have a specific use for this amp and just decide to purchase it because of it's current "fad" status you may end up not playing it much like me. Just think a bit before you lay out your hard earned cash on this little guy.

see below

great for bedroom and studio

seems solid

its a roland

well i love this little box...sounds great and it doesnt annoy the wife if i have it in the corner of living room. My only wish would be that you could adjust the level of the effects but it seems you can only adjust the speed at a set level. I am acctually going to buy another one and split the signal. This way i can play around with mixing the effects and also play around with out of phase effects between the two for my recording studio. Then I will record in stereo via mikes. The small speaker seems to produce a sound that sits well in a mix. The amp modelling sounds are very usefull ... the guys who knock this amp must be looking for something else. I always thought that somebody should make a little micro amp with a built in tube preamp...this is the closest ive seen so far.. a real classic....im sure the future will produce some more amazing amps in this micro class...and this is the one to have really started something...a real keeper.

I use it at home and it's inspired me to play more frequently.
The features have already been discussed.
For what this amp is designed to do, it gives quite a bit of versatility.
I'm impressed with the long battery life I'm getting. I love the portability and never plug it into an electrical outlet.
The tuning fork is better than nothing, but a tuner would have been nice.
Nothing here to be really unhappy about and a whole lot to applaud.

It's hard to believe the sound quality from such a little box.
The acoustic sound isn't very accurate, but it's still very usable.
I can't say every sound is usable to me, but as an overall package, this amp really shines.
If I want super clean, it's there. Nasty? It does that too.

It's built like a tank, so I doubt I'll have any problems with it.

This is my first Roland purchase and I've had no need to contact them.

I've been playing for 40 years. I've had a large variety of equipment.
I currently have a couple of Warmoth Teles, a couple of Agiles, an Ovation Custom Balladeer, Peavey amp, various accessories and effects.
I'd buy this amp again in a heartbeat if it was stolen.
I don't understand the harsh review a couple of reviews down. This thing sounds good and gets better the more you learn what you can do with it.
Even a quick listen in a store should merit a halfway decent review.
To each his own. I love mine.

Others have already covered it. More versatile than it has a right to be for $125. Best in class product, in terms of features and performance.

works great with humbuckers or single coils. Surprisingly (almost shockingly) good driven tones (the marshall and mesa models are particularly notable). Clean sounds are mediocre (really the only weak point), but for $125 who cares. Delivers much more than you would ever expect. And the gainy sounds actually "feel" like a real amp (of course it's not as big and meaty sounding as a 1x12 combo or 4x12 stack), unlike the line6 stuff I used to own. Sounds bigger than the 5" speaker has a right to...

The effects are terrific, if not totally flexible, but so what - it's $125!!!!

I won't rate this section since it's a new product, but it seems very solid and well built from the outside at least. I don't know how they do it at this price point.

No idea, not an issue at this point. There web site is pretty bad and hard to find information on.

I've been playing for approx. 30 years. I play professionally, doing session work and live work. I have an endorsement deal with a major guitar manufacturer. Not bragging, just qualifying my statements above. Stylistically I'm a rock/jazz guy who does alot of improv. My main gear is customized tube equipment and I'm a tube snob. Love the appeal of new tech but haven't seen it really work out soundwise (at least in an amp).

This product is a winner any way you look at it. Don't listen to the knuckleheads who dissed it for one reason or another. I could take this to a gig, mike it up, and I don't think most people would know the difference, it's that good. Sounds great, feels great, ultra portable and light (reason I bought it actually), and even runs on batteries so I don't have to worry about my 2 year old electrocuting himself when daddy plays in the living room.

One of the most well thought out products I've come across lately. Boss has a winner with this one and it will FLY off the shelves.

Oh- and I didn't even mention much about the effects - 2 independent effects, and they actually sound great. No I don't work for Roland, and I actually don't like some of their gear (the VG8 was a great concept but I think it blows soundwise). They did their homework with this one.

The features have been covered ad nauseum below, so I will not replicate that information here. Suffice to say, the amp has an amazing array of capabilities for an inexpensive battery-powered practice amp. I am thoroughly impressed. It also outputs a room-filling sound -- it feels more like a typical solid-state 15W amp.

The amp can reproduce a wide variety of sounds, given the combination of COSM amp modeling and built-in effects (reverb, chorus, flanging, phasing, tremolo, delay). It runs the gamut from very clean to decently-distorted.

The construction quality was another thing I was unprepared for in an amp this inexpensive. All of the knobs, buttons, and switches are solid and well-built. Nothing rattles. The case and metal grille are superb. The jacks are sturdy. It's built like you'd expect an amp that cost 10x as much to be built.

As if COSM amp modeling, built-in effects, 20-hour battery life on 6 AA's, and solid construction weren't enough, Roland thoughtfully added an 1/8" and a 1/4" input jack for audio input (e.g.: CD player, drum machine, or other audio source). The source is automixed with the guitar input. There isn't anything on the market at this price point with these features and portability.

Very toy-like appearance, several effects situated on same rotary button, no tempo adjustment on delay.

Useful for camp-fire or busking.

Tried it in a music shop. Nice sound. I'm sure you would get the same sound through your portable stereo if you use an effect-box (i.e. VAmp).

This is not a guitar amplifier at all. Has no characteristics you would want.

I was looking for a practice amp for my son. I tried both the Cube15 and MicroCube. Since he plays with a couple of friends with a music teacher I decided to go for the Cube15.

So it depends of what you are looking for. I'm sure you could get a lot of fun with the MicroCube as well. But I don't think it will last very long.

This is a neat little guy. It has a Digital Tuning Fork, a Tone Knob, Two effects brackets : 1)Chorus/Flanger/Phaser/Tremolo; 2)Delay/Reverb, an Amp bracket : Acoustic/JC Clean/2x12 Blackface/Brit Combo (Vox)/British Stack (Marshall)/Rectifier (Mesa/Boogie)/and a "Mic" mode. A Gain knob and Master volume knob accompany the whole set.

This thing can run on AA batteries for up to 20 hours or you can use a 9v adapter (which is included brand new in the box). The power switch is on the back, and there is also a headphones/recording out as well as an auxillary in.

5" Speaker, I've heard this thing is SUPPOSED to be 2 watts, but there's no stinkin' way...this thing blows away my Behringer GM110 30-watt combo in loudness and in style, character, and tone. For an amp of this size? This thing gets a solid "10" for features.

I use this with a Fender Stratocaster. I've also tried running a Boss SD-1 SUPER OverDrive into it. I'll rate each effect, amp style, and feature accordingly.

AMP MODELS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Setting 1 : Acoustic

It sounds somewhat realistic in an Acoustic/Electric sense. What I mean by that is, it sounds like an Acoustic with a preamp that's plugged into a mixer board, but all the highs are turned up, and you get this really tinny (not brassy, there's a difference) sharp sound. It basically sounds like the Boss AC-2, and I never really cared for that. I'm sure there is a noticeable difference in the tonal characteristics between humbucker and single-coil equipped guitars, however with my Strat I am not impressed with the sound. It does start sounding a bit better when you add in some chorus and reverb, but this could never pass for a realistic acoustic sound. It sounds too digital and fakey. Go out and buy yourself a good Taylor. You'll be glad you did. This feature gets a 7.5 out of 10.


Setting 2 : JC Clean

Roland has always been known highly for their crystal clear chorusy clean sound. In my opinion, the JC Clean is your basic, no frills clean channel. There's not much amp character here, just a nice, clean, sparkly clean channel. It's totally transparent and doesn't even color your guitar's natural tone. This feature gets an 8.5 out of 10.


Setting 3 : Black Panel

This setting is an emulation of the well-known and sought after Black Panel 2x10 Fender Twin Reverb. Dark, moody, and gives you the warm fuzzies. Works well with a Stratocaster or a Telecaster or the like. I think this channel sounds best with some good ol' Tremolo and a half-way cranked reverb. If you have a Boss SD-1 or an Ibanez Tubescreamer, THIS is the channel to use it on. Real smooth and responsive...you Blues players will love this. Rating : 9.0 out of 10


Setting 4 : Brit Combo (Vox AC30TB)

The Roland instruction manual that came with this amp says that the "Brit Combo" setting supposedly emulates a Vox AC30TB (TB stands for Top Boost). It sounds dark and real british, but there's a slight gain problem. It doesn't seem to have quite enough gain. It's almost as if you put a booster in front of one of the clean channels and turned up the grit a little, but even with the gain maxed it sounds like a simple overdrive pedal. Where's the great Vox sounds I hear on those Radiohead albums? This setting really doesn't appeal to me, but I'm sure it appeals to some, so I'll give it an 8.0 out of 10.


Setting 5 : British Stack

This is supposedly the vintage 70s/80s Marshall Full-Stack emulation. Don't get me wrong, this sounds like some of those vintage sounds alright, but once again, you'll have to use a booster in front of it to get over-the-top gain. No shred here. No EVH-Brown Sound here either. The other thing that irks me about this setting is that it has a tremendous honkey midrangey character to it. It's like playing through a bugle. Plus it has a shrill top end as well. That's not the classic "Greenback" style Marshall sound that is talked about in the Roland User's Manual. Greenbacks were known for having rounded, mellow lows, and smooth, bright (not shrill) highs. But how can I complain...I mean, it's a hundred bucks and some change, right? Rating : 8.5 out of 10.


Setting 6 : Rectifier

Emulation of the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Stack and Combo. This is quite possibly my favorite setting on the amp. Now I'm not a gain freak if that's what you're thinking...but I do prefer more gain and a chunky, heavy low end and a fuzzy even-layered high end. This setting delivers. You have gobs of gain to spare, and it cleans up pretty nice (albeit not as nice as my Behringer GM110 though). When I tap on my Boss SD-1, I can get over the top gain, and just for kicks I tried some death metal licks and it shines right through. One complaint I do have however is the shrillness of the high end when you turn the tone knob past 1 o'clock. T

This thing seems sturdy enough. I've carried it from separate rooms, and the pegs on the side to carry it are sturdy. It's small, but like one reviewer said below, you could probably throw it out a moving car's window and pick it up five minutes later and it would still work fine.

Got this thing brand new for $99.. which was cool because the store had it marked for $139, then they marked it down to $109, then I talked them into selling it to me for $99. How sweet it is to go bargain hunting!

I think this amp will assist me greatly in recording and home use. It's not even close to being loud enough for playing out, however it holds its own against most 20-30 watt amps, and this thing is only supposed to be TWO watts!!

Either way, $99 for an amp is a steal, no matter what. Some of these older guys who have been playing for ages are kicking themselves at the prices of amps that you can literally carry with one hand. The tone and accuracy are amazing in the Roland, Behringer, Line6, and Vox Modeling amps. This one being a Roland is no exception.

I had a guy come in while I was giving this amp a test drive who had played back in the late 60's/early 70s, played through the expensive, botique amps of their day...I'm talking Marshall '59 Plexis, JCM800's, etc. I plugged in and played through this little amp that could probably fit in your big uncle Bill's overalls. They were literally astonished, saying "wow, that sounds JUST like the Marshalls we played through!"

So if you're a stay-at-home hobbyist with your guitars, own your own studio, and want to record or practice late at night with excellent sounding amp models and effects, the Roland Micro Cube is the way to go. Not only that, but it's portable too. Take it to the beach and be Dick Dale...flip on that Reverb and the Blackface Setting, baby! Tremolo pick your way to Guitartown!! Impress the ladies!! I don't care what you do with it!!

It's a great little amp. Highly recommended.



God Bless You!! JESUS IS RISEN!!!

~Jared