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Photos too small? Click on photos, screenshots and diagrams in articles to open a Larger View gallery. January 2010
Other recent issues: | Line 6 Micro Spider, Roland Micro Cube RX & RX BassBattery-powered amplifiersPublished in PM December 2008  Printer-friendly versionReviews : Guitar: Amplification Battery-powered amplifiers have been with us for decades, but it is only in recent years that long battery life and high-quality sound with modelling and onboard digital effects has become a reality. We check out the latest crop from Roland and Line 6.  The original Boss Micro Cube proved that there was a demand for a serious battery-powered amp with effects, which could be used for busking, jamming on the beach or writing riffs in the back of the tour bus. So it was only a matter of time before rival products started to appear. Vox's DA5 amplifier was the first contender on the scene, but now Line 6 have joined the party with a battery/mains Micro Spider. Roland have also expanded their Micro Cube range. Line 6 Micro Spider  Fractionally larger than a Roland Micro Cube at 9.5 x 7 x 10 inches and weighing just 7lbs, the Micro Spider is rated at 6W and incorporates a single 6.5-inch speaker. A mains adaptor is included, but the amp can run for up to 20 hours on half a dozen C cells, making it truly portable. Note, however, that C cells generally cost rather more than the AA cells used by Roland. As you'd expect, the front end uses digital amp modelling, in this case with a choice of Clean, Crunch, Metal, Insane or Acoustic emulation selected by four front panel buttons, where you have to press the middle two to get the acoustic model. Unexpectedly for an amp of this price and size, the settings for each model can be stored as a program for later recall just by pressing and holding the corresponding channel buttons. There's a full set of Bass, Mid and Treble controls plus Drive, Channel Volume and Master volume, as well as two sets of effects that can be used at the same time. The first offers Chorus/Flange, Phaser or Tremolo, while the second provides Sweep Echo (echo with a wah-like filter sweep), Tape Echo or Reverb. Both of these use the familiar Spider one-knob control, where each effect is controlled by one third of the knob's travel and all the necessary parameters are adjusted simultaneously. This is always a compromise, as you can't adjust the effect parameters individually, but a tap tempo button makes setting the delays to the correct speed very straightforward. There's also a guitar tuner with note readout and sharp/flat/in-tune LEDs. As if that weren't enough, a second channel provides a mic input on an unbalanced jack with its own volume control, plus a 3.5mm mini-jack for playing your CD or MP3 backing tracks through the amp. Should you wish to use the amp for recording, a POD 2.0-style direct output with speaker emulation is provided, which doubles as a phones output. And all of this for around the cost of a decent analogue fuzz box! No Line 6 amp would be complete without a couple of less obvious functions tucked away somewhere, and this time it's the Tap button that accesses them by enabling you to turn on a distortion boost and a built-in noise gate. If you hold down the Tap delay time button as you turn the Drive knob up past 12 o'clock, the Clean channel light comes on and the distortion boost kicks in. Conversely, if you hold the Tap delay time button as you turn the echo/reverb knob up past 12 o'clock, the noise gate comes on. The boost is quite subtle, giving more of a gentle overdrive than an obvious distortion, so blues players should like it. By default, each amp model loads up with the appropriate tone controls and effects, but you can disable the auto-effects selection by switching on the amp with the Insane channel button pressed down. Holding down the Clean channel button as you switch on restores the factory presets. Physically, the amp is built much like a full-size amp, only smaller. The vinyl-covered case is made from MDF and plywood with braced internal corners and chunky, moulded plastic corner protectors. A panel at the rear accesses the battery compartment, and there are strap buttons on either side for use with the included strap, so you can wear the amp for music on the move — or for a quick getaway from illegal busking pitches! Tonally, the amp is surprisingly flexible and has a big amp character to it, unless you try to play too loud, in which case the sound goes somewhat boxy, which is pretty much what you'd expect from any low-powered amp in a physically small cabinet. Both the Clean and Crunch channels are great for near-clean sounds or a bit of blues and respond well to the guitar's volume control or picking strength, but if you want something less subtle the Metal and Insane models will keep you shredding for hours. I don't think the Acoustic amp model has quite the same zing as Roland's interpretation, but it does the trick and delivers a clean and transparent sound ideal for rhythm work. All the effects are pedal quality, and while Sweep Echo might seem an odd inclusion, it works well at longer delay times and combines well with the phaser. I particularly like the tape echo effect, which sees the repeats getting duller and more warbly as they go around, just like the real thing, while the reverb makes a more than adequate replacement for a spring. Adding a tap tempo is a huge bonus if you use delays, as one-knob effects can otherwise be frustratingly limiting. I also like the facility to plug in a mic at the same time as the guitar. Micro Cube RX  Of course, Roland weren't standing still while all this was going on, and though the original Micro Cube is still selling well (it is only 2W, but very loud due to its highly efficient speaker), they have added several new battery-powered models to the Micro Cube range, including the Micro Cube RX and Micro Cube RX Bass both reviewed here. The Micro Cube RX is somewhat more sophisticated than the original Micro Cube, and offers some stereo effects via its four four-inch speakers and stereo 2.5W-per-channel amplifiers. On offer are eight COSM amp models (Acoustic, JC Clean, Black Panel, Brit Combo, Classic, Metal, R-fier and Mic), though there is no provision to use a mic at the same time as a guitar as there is in the Cube Street, the Line 6 Micro Spider or the Vox DA5. On the effects side, there are six digital effects. Reverb and delay are controlled by one knob in a similar manner to the Line 6 and original Micro Cube, while the other handles chorus, flanger, phaser or tremolo. On top of that, there's what Roland call a Rhythm Guide, which is really a basic drum machine to help you play along; stereo (3.5mm) and mono (quarter-inch) aux inputs for your CD/MP3 player; a headphone output/speaker-simulated recording output; and a footswitch jack for turning the Rhythm Guide section on or off. Most impressively, you can run all this for up to 13 hours straight from half a dozen AA batteries if you are away from a power point to plug in the included mains adaptor. A simple tuner with sharp, OK and flat LEDs is built in (where the amp model switch selects the note) and the Rhythm Guide has a Tap Tempo button, as well as an on/off switch, a Volume control and a rotary selector for 11 different rhythm patterns, covering most standard genres from country and rock to Latin and dance. While all this takes up a little more space than the original Micro Cube, it is still surprisingly compact at 296 x 207 x 294mm, with a weight of 6.4kg (14lbs. 2oz). As with the original Micro Cube, the construction is just like a regular amp, but smaller, with a vinyl-covered MDF cabinet and a perforated metal speaker grille. I tend to gravitate toward the Brit Combo (with plenty of top wound in) or Black Panel models, as they give a nice old-school sound just on the edge of break-up when you wind up the gain, though the more aggressive models are perfect for metal and shred players. Roland's effects are always of a high standard and they don't disappoint here, while the acoustic emulation is as good as anything you're likely to find in a pedal and certainly close enough to get away with when playing rhythm parts in a pop or rock context. The only slight disappointment is that the stereo effects don't stand out much due to the close positioning of the speakers, but at least they tried. Micro Cube RX Bass The Micro Cube RX Bass is outwardly identical to the regular version, other than the Bass badge and the labelling of some of the controls. It has the same general feature set, including the Rhythm Guide and an identical effects repertoire, but the amp models are of course different and the Boost button has been replaced by a Comp button that now brings in a preset compressor. This time, the amp choices are Octave Bass (adds a hint of one octave above), Super Flat, Flip Top, B Man, Bass 360, Session, Concert 810 and Mic. While you might not expect to get a lot of low end from such a diminutive amp, the small drivers actually work in its favour in terms of frequency response. So although you can't get huge amounts of level, the tonal balance is actually pretty convincing and certainly good enough for jamming, practice or rehearsals. And if you need more level, you can feed it into a bigger amp or PA system, though this shuts off the internal speaker. The amp models range from deep, smooth bass tones to some nice John Entwistle-style edge with a hint of dirt, while the effects give you scope to move away from the obvious and have a bit of fun. You can coax most conventional bass sounds from the amp, and the compressor adds punch to the sound while also making the result seem more even and solid. Just don't try to push it too hard or the low notes tend to get a bit flatulent. As a portable bass amp that can also run on batteries, I can't think of anything else that can touch it. Verdict All three amplifiers reviewed here demonstrate just how far battery-powered amplifiers have come over the past few years, with a usefully long battery life and the same kind of tonal and effects flexibility you'd expect from a much larger amplifier. Each has its own tonal character and the variation in feature sets might appeal more to one user than another, but Line 6 are to be applauded for giving the user programmability, a tap tempo button for the delay and a separate mic input. On the other hand, Roland give you that very useful Rhythm Guide section and a bit more overall level and low end, courtesy of their very efficient speakers. The larger cabinet also gives most of the amp models a bit more tonal depth, but then the cost is higher than the Line 6 Micro Spider, which is really pitched against the original Micro Cube. Having a bass option that works this well is also pretty impressive. Whether you're looking for an amp to take on holiday, for jamming with your friends, warming up in the dressing room or for a bit of busking, these will all do the job with style, so don't let their small size and apparently low power put you off, as their efficient speakers make them pretty loud. You can also use them as standby amps for 'real' gigs by plugging them directly into the PA if your main amp decides to blow up. Go on, you know you want one! 0  Published in PM December 2008  | Line 6 Micro Spider £88, Roland Micro Cube RX £169 & RX Bass £169 The current crop of battery amps from Roland, Vox and Line 6 all offer the user the chance to create on-stage type sounds with effects, but at a lower volume and with go-anywhere convenience. Once you've used one, it's hard to imagine not having one, even if just for that odd five-minute blast during commercial breaks on the TV. It's also nice to see bass players being catered for.
Tech Spec Micro Spider 6W amp with 6.5-inch speaker. Chromatic tuner. Requires six C batteries. Four Spider III models (Clean, Crunch, Metal, Insane), plus Acoustic. Bass, mid and treble. Six Smart Control FX (Chorus/Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Sweep Echo, Tape Echo, Reverb). POD 2.0-style direct output. Quarter-inch mic input with dedicated mic trim knob. Mini stereo MP3/CD input, quarter-inch instrument input. Quarter-inch headphone output. Dimensions (WDH): 9.5 x 7 x 10 inches. Weight: 7lbs. Tech Spec Micro Cube RX 5W, 4 x 4 amp. Requires six AA batteries or included adaptor. Eight COSM amp models (Acoustic, JC Clean, Black Panel, Brit Combo, Classic, Metal, R-fier, Mic), plus Boost button. Bass, mid and treble. Six digital effects (chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb). Rhythm Guide section with 11 patterns, plus tap tempo. Built-in tuner. Stereo (3.5mm) and mono (quarter-inch) aux inputs. Headphone and speaker-simulated recording outputs. Footswitch jack. Dimensions (WDH): 296 x 207 x 294mm. Weight: 6.4kg. Tech Spec Micro Cube RX Bass 5W, 4 x 4 amp. Requires six AA batteries or included adaptor. Eight COSM amp models (Octave Bass, Super Flat, Flip Top, B Man, Bass 360, Session, Concert 810, Mic), plus Comp button. Bass, mid, treble. Five digital effects (chorus, flanger, T-wah, delay, reverb). Rhythm Guide section with 11 patterns, plus tap tempo. Built-in tuner. Stereo (3.5mm) and mono (quarter-inch) aux inputs. Headphone and speaker-simulated recording outputs. Footswitch jack. Dimensions (WDH): 296 x 207 x 294mm. Weight: 6.8kg. |
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