Six AA Batteries, 20 Hours of Performance
Buskers, subway musicians, bedroom heroes, woodshedders, backstage rehearsers... listen up: we've got someone we'd like you to meet, and his name is Roland Micro Cube. Though Roland has since released other battery powered portable amplifiers (such as the Cube Street), the Micro Cube was the first amplifier designed and sold by Roland capable of being fully powered by batteries, and it's still their smallest. At first glance this might not seem like such a big deal, but for a company with a history of producing such incredible sounding and performing gear as Roland to step into the battery-powered amplifier market is a true boon to the mobile artist. Roland has proven for years they have the tools to produce incredible sounding gear, with a solid track record in the miniature amp market.
A Wishing Well of Tonal Versatility and Depth
With a price tag as inexpensive as the one you'll find on the Roland Micro Cube, you'd expect to be given just one great sounding amplifier model and maybe some built-in reverb. Prepare to have your expectations shattered (in a good way). Roland has generously included 7 digital models of famous guitar amplifier tones, thanks to the onboard COSM technology (that's right, the very same technology powering such Boss favorites as the GT-10 and ME-70) for nuanced and perfectly captured tonality, pumping out a loud and clean 2 watts of muscle.
COSM-o-Modelin'
On the thoughtfully laid out and easy to navigate top panel of the amp you'll find a model of the time-honored JC-120 Jazz Chorus, perfect for jazzy and poppy clean tones. When Roland models their own amps, you know they're going to sound great. Take the 7-way selector switch for a spin and you'll also find models suited for your acoustic guitar, a sparkly Fender-style clean-verging-on-grit tone, a glassy Class A in the vein of a Vox AC30 model, a mid-heavy Marshall stack sound, a high-gain Mesa-esque Recto model, and even a model perfectly suited for use with a vocal microphone!
FX Yourself Before You Wrex Yourself
What else? Chorus? Check. Flanger? Check. Phaser? Tremolo? Check and check. The effects section picks up where the amp models leaves off with a smorgasbord of colors and textures. Use whatever amount of any of the preceding effects you wish, and even combine them with a separate control for reverb and delay for a wealth of high fidelity tones and options.
Because a Digital Tuning Spoon Would Just Be Silly
Doing their best job to give you everything they can slam into this tiny unit, Roland also have thoughtfully included a built-in tuner, what they're calling a Digital Tuning Fork. Hey, that sounds neat... literally. It's a reference pitch with support for a whole tone worth of flat tuning. Want to jam along with your iDevice? Connection is as simple as hooking it up to either of the 1/4-inch or 1/8-inch stereo Aux Inputs, and you can even go silent thanks to the headphone jack.
At home, just plug the included AC adapter into your wall socket and you can save your batteries for your next one man band gig in the local quad plaza. This thing is only 8 pounds--with the included carrying strap, you might even forget you have it on!
The Micro Cube is the first Cube amplifier that runs on battery or AC power. Using six "AA" alkaline batteries, you can play for up to 20 hours--thanks to the Micro Cube's high-efficiency amplifier. A carrying strap is also included, allowing you to be heard just about anywhere you want. And the sound? It's a Cube, so you know it sounds great!
7 Classic and Modern Amp Models
Looking for the sound of Roland's JC-120 Jazz Chorus(TM) or your favorite British combo amp? You'll find those and more in the Micro Cube, thanks to seven COSM amp models. Roland's COSM technology is the only modeling method that captures every nuance of the original amps--from the preamp and circuits to the speaker. All you need is the Micro Cube for perfect tone.
High-Quality Effects
There's no need to lug around pedals when the Micro Cube comes with six DSP effects. All the essentials are included--from chorus and flanging to a phaser and tremolo effect. A separate Delay/Reverb processor lets you dial in anything from slapback and long delays to reverb and more (in addition to using one of the aforementioned modulation effects).
New Digital Tuning Fork and More
Tuning up is a snap using the new Digital Tuning Fork. Just press the Tuning Fork button (the harder you hit it the louder the sound) and you get an instant reference tone with support for flat tunings up to two semitones. The Micro Cube also comes with a choice of 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch stereo Auxiliary inputs--great for connecting a CD player or line-level instrument--plus a Recording/Headphones output. Take a Cube anywhere you go!
Features:
Ultra-compact portable DSP guitar amp with 5 in. low magnetic leakage speaker
Runs on battery or AC power (adapter supplied) and includes carry strap
7 COSM guitar amp models including JC-120 and a special mic preamp model
6 DSP effects: chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo and separate Delay/Reverb
New Digital Tuning Fork with support for flat tunings up to 2 semitones
Recording/Headphones output and stereo Auxiliary input for CD players, etc
Technical Info
Rated Power Output: 2 Watts
Nominal Input Level:
- INPUT: -10 dBu
- AUX IN: -10 dBu
Speaker: 12 cm (5 inches) x 1
Controls: TYPE Switch, GAIN Knob, VOLUME Knob, TUNING FORK Button, KEY Switch, TONE Knob, EFX Knob, DELAY/REVERB Knob, POWER Switch
Indicator: POWER
Connectors:
- INPUT Jack: 1/4 in. phone type
- REC OUT/PHONES Jack: Stereo 1/4 in. phone type
- AUX IN Jacks: Stereo 1/4 in. phone type, Stereo miniature phone type
- AC Adaptor Jack
Power Supply: DC 9 V: AC Adaptor or Dry Battery (LR6 (AA) type) x 6
Current Draw: 185 mA
Dimensions (W x D x H): 9-5/8 x 6-9/16 x 8-15/16 in. (244 x 166 x 226 mm)
Weight: 3.3 kg, 7 lbs 5 oz (excluding AC Adaptor and Battery)
Accessories: AC Adaptor, Strap, Owner's Manual
Weighing-in at just over 7 pounds, the Microcube can run on 6 AA batteries or the included AC adapter. Its 7 amp models and 6 digital effects give it big sound. Two watts; 5" speaker. Carry strap included.