Roland Micro Cube Bass RX

6ckbass · #1 05-02-2011, 02:21 PM

I just picked up this little monster last night and it seems pretty sweet! Has anyone else used this? What do ya'll think about it? Is there a better deal for portability practice out there or what? I almost grabbed a LowDown 110 but they highly recommended this one to me at Guitar Center, but we all know how knowledgeable they can be...

::::BASSIST:::: · #2 05-02-2011, 05:37 PM

I have one and love the features, but honestly the tone is mediocre at best. Not enough lows.

The Birdman · #3 05-02-2011, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6ckbass

I just picked up this little monster last night and it seems pretty sweet! Has anyone else used this? What do ya'll think about it? Is there a better deal for portability practice out there or what? I almost grabbed a LowDown 110 but they highly recommended this one to me at Guitar Center, but we all know how knowledgeable they can be...

I have both the Micro Cube Bass and the LowDown 110. Do you need volume and deep bass for your practice? If you do, the Micro Cube Bass is a bit limited. I do use it for practice with the folk/trad group I play bass for, but the Low Down 110 generally works better. I can even gig with the Low Down 110.

That said, if relatively low-volume practice is all you need it for, it works pretty well.

Roger

Slowgypsy · #4 05-02-2011, 06:05 PM

Very different amps. Line 6 is 110 ac. Roland can be battery powered. That's a huge feature difference in my book. If you have zero need for battery power, Line 6 probably has a power edge.

spufman · #5 05-03-2011, 10:47 AM

I have the non-bass Micro Cube that I use mostly for mandolin and lap steel. It will handle occasional very very light duty bass as well. I just love the thing, I use it all the time around the house and yard, plugging in my mp3 player or whatever. Totally cool product sounding way better than it has a right to sound! Batteries last at least 20 hours in my experience. I'll have to try the bass model sometime.

Slowgypsy · #6 05-03-2011, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spufman

I have the non-bass Micro Cube that I use mostly for mandolin and lap steel. It will handle occasional very very light duty bass as well. I just love the thing, I use it all the time around the house and yard, plugging in my mp3 player or whatever. Totally cool product sounding way better than it has a right to sound! Batteries last at least 20 hours in my experience. I'll have to try the bass model sometime.

I've got the "official" bass Micro Cube. As best I can tell it's exactly the same unit as the guitar Micro Cube... just different labels. It models brand names of guitar amps instead of brand names of bass amps.

**TRichardsbass** · #7 06-27-2011, 09:06 AM

I saw a video on YouTube demoing one, and interestingly I tried to find one at the local Best Buy to try it. They didn't even have guitars!

The amp looks great for that small backyard, around the fire thing for a bassist, and if the amp models sound like they do on the video it is a new twist for recording bass at home. I could mic that and get some good sound without having to touch it after recording it direct.

2.5W X 2 is definitely limiting, but the battery power is interesting. I'd love to hear sound clips slowgypsy!

Jack Clark · #8 07-21-2011, 11:38 AM

I have had my Roland Micro Cube Bass RX for about two weeks now. I use it for practice on my own and with my amateur Bluegrass group practice sessions. It's all I need for that and it weighs only 15 lbs. (~6.8kg), less than half what my other combo does. Surprisingly loud for its wattage. And the lows go plenty deep enough for me (E1). I really like this little thing.

With my odd bass, the Bass RX sounds best with my Fishman or Headway preamp, but that may be because I try to make by bass sound as much as possible like a DB, so I fiddle with the sound options quite a bit. It does not sound as loud, mellow-toned, or clear as my other practice combo (an Acoustic AB50) and even with a preamp the tone is not as even, but it weighs less than half as much and it runs on AC or batteries.

Once a year I play in a parade on the back of a pickup or trailer. I think this little thing—running on batteries—will at least allow a bass thump to be heard amid the crowd noise

CDweller · #9 07-21-2011, 12:01 PM

I've got a micro cube, which I use for practice at home. I'll use either the speakers or the headphones if it's later at night.

The tone is ok, but certainly limited in volume. The different amp models are clear and distinguishable. It's fine as a practice amp, and certainly could be used in an un-amplified folk guitar group setting. The headphone output sounds crappy to me, but it is usable.

It's always a pleasure to go from the micro cube to a real bass rig, and enjoy the bigger sound a proper rig offers. Yet the micro cube serves its purpose as a small practice amp just fine.

devilstone · #10 05-08-2012, 03:52 PM

Hi, I have a Roland cube micro bass amp. My other amp is a 450W Acoustic. The acoustic is getting heavy to lug to practice, and I never take the volume above 1 or 2. I tried bringing the cube but it got washed away sonically. What wattage amp does the Roland compare to? I want to get a smaller combo, but I want to make sure it's loud enough. the cube says output is 2.5w X 2. I tried a few smaller amps at GC but it was too loud in there to really judge anything...

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.