EA Micro300

Sealove · #1 01-23-2008, 12:16 PM

I got my EA Micro300 from Gollihur music last week after a long wait for tech issues to be resolved with the initial release. I'm quite pleased with the overall sound, portability and general build quality. However, some of the features do not operate as I had expected.

Both of my concerns have to do with channel switching:

1) For doublers on acoustic and electric basses (or when switching between any 2 instruments - elec. fretted to fretless, etc.) it would be most useful for the foot switching scheme to go 1-2-1 rather than 1-2-both-1 as is the default. The current scheme requires an extra click and has the potential for undesired noise from 2 active channels when switching instruments for doublers in a live show situation. The only time I'd want both channels to be active is when blending pickups, or for some type of teaching situation. In either case the ability to select both channels on with the footswitch is unnecessary. Actually, I can't imagine a situation where anyone would want to be able to select both channels on with the footswitch. Perhaps the footswitch could be re-programmed 1-2-1, and the option to select both channels on could be limited solely to the onboard switch.

2) It is great that you can plug a single instrument into channel 1 and have the ability to switch to channel 2 for a different tone. However, this feature has very limited practical usage without the ability to have independent volume settings for each channel. In the simplest case - if you have substantially different tone settings on the channels, the volumes will be very different between the two channels. I guess one could adjust the volume control on an electric bass to make up for this, but some passive instruments will change tone and lose highs when the volume control is backed down. My old Fender P-Bass sure does! Most acoustic double bass pickups do not have onboard volume controls. My Wilson and Underwood pickups have none. Bowing a double bass creates a great deal more output than playing pizzicato. The ability to adjust tone alone is not enough to allow me to play arco/pizz when using the micro300's channel switching feature. I need separate volume controls (or at least access to the trim pots independently when switching channels.) Perhaps a stacked master volume pot could be used, or an additional master volume pot could be added in the space where the EA logo is. Every other channel switching amp (guitar or bass) that I know of does have the ability to adjust volume settings between channels when channel switching.

I do realize and appreciate how much EA has packed into this tiny beast. Your thoughts and comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Carl

Mike Dimin · #2 01-24-2008, 08:32 AM

Carl,

I appreciated the conversation we had at NAMM concerning these issues. It is unfortunate that you missed the wonderful Randy Strom, who discovered EA at the show. Randy is truly one of the most amazing touch style guitarists that I have ever seen. The ability to plug the bass side and treble side of his WARR guitar into separate channels and blend the volume and tome for each was quite remarkable.

Mike

jahan · #3 02-07-2008, 12:07 AM

Carl, Maybe I'm misreading what you're complaint is about the two channels, but I just bought a Micro 300 and it does have separate volume controls for each channel.

Mike Dimin · #4 02-07-2008, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Dimin

Carl,

I appreciated the conversation we had at NAMM concerning these issues. It is unfortunate that you missed the wonderful Randy Strom, who discovered EA at the show. Randy is truly one of the most amazing touch style guitarists that I have ever seen. The ability to plug the bass side and treble side of his WARR guitar into separate channels and blend the volume and tome for each was quite remarkable.

Mike

Randy Strom:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HOLhJOshXis

Sealove · #5 02-11-2008, 12:23 PM

Hi Jahan,

Yes there are separate trim controls for each channel. Plug one instrument into input 1 and adjust trim. If you then use a footswitch to switch to channel 2, the trim setting for channel 1 applies. There is no way to adjust volume independently on the second channel. Only a tone change is possible.

Best,
Carl

tombowlus · #6 02-12-2008, 10:33 AM

I've been playing with one a bit of late, and let me tell you, through a pair of Wizzy 10's, this amp sounds incredible!

Tom.

Sealove · #7 02-12-2008, 05:17 PM

I have a single Wizzy 10, and totally agree that the amp sounds GREAT!
Pretty nice to carry around, too.....

Carl

LM Bass · #8 02-12-2008, 10:48 PM

I really love this thing.
I play mostly string bass, but sometimes I double as well.
This weeks gigs are with a gospel choir, and both basses through this amp sound great. Two channels with seperate EQ! There is enough power on hand through my CXL-110 to cover many different situations I play in.

I can load in with one trip, so nothing is unattended in the car. (If you live in the lower mainland, that's important!). I can put this little amp in the gig bag and stroll along with my bass on a wheel, carrying my speaker in a free hand. I hope they sell a bazillion of these little gems.

Laurence
(not endorsed)

fdeck · #9 02-13-2008, 07:37 PM

Mine arrived today! I am the third owner, having gotten it from the Classifieds over on the electric bass side. It is an early production unit, but it got the fix from EA, and seems to be quiet. I will know how it plays at volume on Friday.

Ric Vice · #10 02-13-2008, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

Mine arrived today! I am the third owner, having gotten it from the Classifieds over on the electric bass side. It is an early production unit, but it got the fix from EA, and seems to be quiet. I will know how it plays at volume on Friday.

Francis,
That is a very fetching gig bag. One of a kind I'd venture? Just thought, I'd step in here for a second and sing the praise of the HPF Buffer Preamp you sent me. I played a very acoustically difficult hall Monday Night at Webster University. That little black box worked it's magic and I was actually able to hear the bass in that room for the first time every.
Great unit.

Ric

fdeck · #11 02-13-2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric Vice

Francis,
That is a very fetching gig bag. One of a kind I'd venture? Just thought, I'd step in here for a second and sing the praise of the HPF Buffer Preamp you sent me. I played a very acoustically difficult hall Monday Night at Webster University. That little black box worked it's magic and I was actually able to hear the bass in that room for the first time every.
Great unit.

Ric

Ric, thanks for the kind words!

The bag is genuine Sesame Street, from Target.

quee · #12 02-15-2008, 05:33 AM

Those are some pretty good reviews for the the micro 300!
Has anyone had a chance to compare it to a a markbass SA450 minimark II?
What are the differences?
As a markbass SA450 owner, I would love to know how they compare in sound as I like the idea of having an amp this small!

Sealove · #13 02-29-2008, 10:51 PM

Been gigging quite a bit with the EA Micro300 & Wizzy 110. Wilson Pickup on my bass. I am SO pleased with the focused excellent sound, punchiness and portability!

dar512 · #14 03-09-2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fdeck

Mine arrived today! I am the third owner, having gotten it from the Classifieds over on the electric bass side. It is an early production unit, but it got the fix from EA, and seems to be quiet. I will know how it plays at volume on Friday.

fdeck,

Do you use your preamp into the iamp? I've got an Eminence EUB (modified Gage PU) and I'm wondering if I got an iamp300 would I still need to carry around a pre.

FWIW, Gary over at GEL says the PU puts out 3MΩ. Is the 3M output close enough to the iamp300's 1M input?