Roland Cube Street EX

Started by Elantric, May 31, 2014, 08:59:29 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Elantric



Its stereo
CUBE Street EX
Battery-Powered Stereo Amplifier

http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/1317





But I already own the Roland BA-330, Cube Street, AC33, and all use the same "AA" battery pack.

I think Roland is overstating the actual output wattage. But look forward to trying one out in July when they finally ship.


aliensporebomb

I'd love to try it out if one appears at a dealer near me.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Bill Ruppert

#2
Yep!
It works just like this.
(If you plug the iPod in with a studio mixed song and walk away)


(50 watts on 8/1.2 volt nicads batteries???)


GeePeeAxe

Bill wrote: "(50 watts on 8/1.2 volt nicads batteries???)"
------------------
It's like the horsepower count by cars - 50 W maximum could be correct.
My car "has" 110 HP (max) but I  drive it using only some 20-30 HP all the time.
Of course the batteries will run out faster if you play loud all the time.

Cheers, Djordje

Elantric

#4










jerrycali

I ordered one - got it - tried it out and brought it back the next day - it didn't work well with the gr55 - the bass kept distorting - maybe someone else had better luck - let me know- JC

JKpicker

I have a Cube Street EX.   I tuned all my 61 settings to sound good on it.  I played a very large hall Christmas party last week with my rock band.  I had it plugged in of course.   I put the volume on maybe 30%, and it performed so good, I am not taking my other amps to future gigs....that is of course.....unless something weirds out.

Maybe the fact that I did not have an overly heavy "basey" patches going thru it made the difference.  As of now, I, my band mates, the guys running sound for us, all were amazed at this little thing.   The sound guys said they had to take me out of the mix, because my stage volume was too big.

Go figure.

Elantric

Im working in LA this week (FCC testing for new hardware I co designed) was able to visit Thomas Nordegg.

We connected my Boss GP-10 to the stereo Line Inputs on rear of Cube Street EX.

Worked very well for guitar sounds at decent volume. Much louder than the non "EX" Cube Street!


Elantric

#8
I finally found time to play through the Roland Cube Street EX.

I think its a great amp  - and goes plenty loud when used in the high power mode ( 25Watts RMS per side = 50W Total)

At first I just plugged my Godin LGX-SA with its stock Seymour Duncans into the Guitar Input, and auditioned built in the COSM Amp modeling - the Roland Cube Street EX is very different from other cubes  - the Guitar Channel lacks an adjustable Gain Control  - only has a Volume control, that is more like a master Volume for the  COSM Amp modeling channel. Despite this issue, i did get great tones from the Cube Street EX, working my on-board guitar Volume control to "clean up" the crunch / high gain COSM Amp Models.

Next I plugged stereo 1/4" cables direct from GP-10 out into the Cube Street EX's Stereo Line Input channel (on far right)

Great tones! nice portable size  - highly recommended !

sine_3000

#9
I have a Cube Street EX, and I like it a lot.

Actually, I bough my used GR-55 a few weeks after I bought my EX, specifically because I was looking for a compact and road-worth unit I could quickly plug between my guitar and the EX and get all the tones I was used to getting with my PC and its software COSM and VST's.

And, the GR-55 sounds great through the EX.  I have been using the "line in" input, which is the equivalent of a "keyboard" input - it has mono-left and a second stereo right input, and just has a single volume knob (i.e. no EQ at all, no bass-mid-treble pots).

The EX has a crazy amount of input options, though, and I have tried the GR-55 in others as well.  There is an FX loop in the rear which works (but then you lose all amp volume control, I'm pretty sure).  There is also a "lower impedance" (i.e. no built-in COMS modeling input) for guitar or mic, which does have bass-mid-treble EQ, and has a switchable mic/guitar setting.  That input works okay, but is a little more trebly by default.  Still, the EQ's are there. 

There is also the "main" guitar input, with six input settings, four of which are built-in amp modeling!  Settings are "acoustic guitar" and "mic", and "acoustic sim", "clean", "crunch", and "distortion".  All these COSM modeling tones are usable in their own way.  My problem with them is that there is only one volume control, not a pre-amp/power-amp kind of set up, so it's hard to get overdrive control from the dirty channels, unless you use your guitar's volume controls, as Elantric said above, and we all probably know how well that works (i.e., barely well enough, but not really well enough to boost your volume for a solo or any other out-front playing).

Given that the EX's COSM modeling is (frustratingly and unnecessarily!) limited in this way, I opted for the GR-55 to both supplement my guitar tones, and also to replace my GR-20's synth tones.

Still, it is nice to know that the EX really is a self-contained unit for guitar, and that if I had to, I could just take it and a guitar and a cable, and play somewhere without any real limitations (other than settling on one or maybe two guitar tones for the night).

It seems very loud.  I have not played out with it yet, and at home, I rarely get it up past 25% of its volume.  Fifty watts coming out of two 8" (true stereo) speakers, plus two more 2" tweeters, seems a very good replacement for my 60 watt 1x12" tube amp's speaker.

And it weighs only 17 lbs, and that was the real deal closer for me.  I'm tired of lugging a 40 lb amp to the smallest jam session, even if it does sound good.  (I've decided I won't sell my tube amp though - an original 1980's Dean Markley CD-60 - because no one would really ever pay me what its real value is worth.  Tube amps will never go away!) 

I recommend the Roland Cube Street EX as an all-around, all purpose guitar and PA amp.  It's not too cheap, at $499, but it's well built (good Roland quality ;) and I expect to be using it for many years to come.  The battery power is just gravy!

Elantric

#10
I was playing my Roland Cube Street EX with GP10 last night and lost track of time -must have played 2 hours non stop - great sounding full range Stereo Amp and ideal match when used with Boss GP-10.
I  can even use the Guitar Out jack on GP10 to feed a Volume pedal that feeds the Ch#2 Guitar input on the Cube Street EX and use the excellent built in COSM amp modeling for more versatility at live gig 

The Cube Street EX serves many functions, Even has a Mic Input for Vocals and the SPL level can keep up with a Rock Drummer, this has been a great purchase !




Majiken

Dammit! I'm trying to limit my GAS to what the Germans refer to as "an egg-laying wooly milk sow"- but this looks like it could cover several bases.... :-\
Take what you need, put back a bit more, leave the place behind you better than it was before :-)

www.majiken.rocks

Elantric

#12



Elantric

#13
Been using the Roland Cube Street EX with Boss GP-10 a lot - Rehearsals /gigs / with loud rock drummers - works very well.

I took delivery of the official Roland CB-CS-2 "carry case" for Cube Street EX



The side pockets are deep enough to store the AC Power Supply brick - which is great  -and its design  allows swift setup / teardown - as you can leave the Cube Street EX amp inside carry bag during performance , and simply roll of the front and top and tie it on the back with he built in velcro straps



And if the crowd starts throwing tomatoes, its fast to roll things back into transport position and carry on your shoulder

shawnb

How loud is it on battery power?   Does the sound change much?
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Elantric

The Cube Street EX on Battery Power sounds same as with AC power. Roland did a good job on this one.

Maxim

Hello everybody!
Did somebody try to use street ex with nylon strings guitar? I need universal amplifier. Is it possible ? or I must buy street ex and ac33?

Elantric

#17
I own both  Cube Street EX and AC33 ( and AC60)

The Cube Street EX goes louder and cleaner than AC33 and works fine with Nylon instruments

Cube Street EX is more versatile - AC-33 and AC-60 are not recommended   because both the AC33 and AC-60 when trying to use  with VG-99/GR-55/ GP-10 for electric guitar & Synth use distort terribly and low frequencies go flubby.

Supposedly the Roland AC-90  works - but I've never seen one yet at any Roland USA dealer 


Roland suggests the new JC40, but that is more for electric guitar use (has no HF Tweeters)  -

The Cube Street EX is 25watts RMS  per side and includes HF Tweeters  goes loud enough to play gigs with drummers - most versatile amp I own. 

Maxim


sine_3000

Elantric, Just a question on your use.  Do you happen to run your EX in stereo?  Because I am using a Strymon Lex now, and it goes true stereo out, so I decided to take advantage of the stereo feature of the EX.  Of course, then, it feels like I'm cutting my volume in half, by sending my signal in 25W halves thru both speakers, instead of all 50W thru both.

Still, the sound is amazing.  I got a Digitech Polara stereo reverb as well, and I near wet my pants at how good it sounds sometimes.   can't just turn my back on the stereo, but I'm afraid I'm sacrificing volume.  I haven't had the chance to play out at full volume yet; however, so I haven't really field tested this setup per its volume.

Do you have any experience with going stereo?  Or do you just use mono?  Also, do you use the guitar input with the modeling, or use the keyboard FRFR input?

Thanks.

Elantric

#20
QuoteDo you happen to run your EX in stereo? 

I always run my Roland Cube Street EX in Stereo - typically I feed output of my Roland/Boss  / Kemper Processor in Stereo into the Stereo LINE IN on the far right


Very Happy with the Street EX's Stereo Sound - its a great little amp - and gets very loud.


QuoteAlso, do you use the guitar input with the modeling,

The COSM Modeling is a bit weak on this Model ( no COSM Amp Gain Control) -if I run normal electric guitars in Mono  I prefer my Cube 80XL

Yohanes

#21
I just get Roland Street Cube EX based on your review here. I want a full range compact powerful stereo amp (in one unit). I don't need COSM, but some input option like keyboard in and mic in.

When it arrived, it is very small (it is almost as big as my Roland Cube 20 XL). As expected as Elantric and some of you pro musicians performing in public say it loud, so I tested it at home and it is VERY LOUD. But I am expecting hi-fi frequency responses (down below a hundred Hz) and without delicated EQ controls I cannot get that sub bass omph. That is the only one weakness of this amp. I am thinking to pair this with a subwoofer so I can use the Ipad/Iphone input for backingtrack. Otherwise, the bass drum and other low freq will not sound strong enough.

EX is far expensive and different than Cube 20 XL, but it is worth it. If you will use this amp to amplify whatever your instrument as long as it is not a drum machine or maybe bass guitar, than I believe you will love it.
Yamaha Pacifica 510V
Roland G-707
Godin Freeway SA
Boss GP-10
Roland GR-50

Elantric

#22
It's not going to reproduce sub bass tones

I'm using this for guitar tones and occasional synth pads

If you need battery bass amp , look at Phil Jones Amps, but none are stereo

http://philjonesbass.com/store/


sine_3000

#23
Nice battery-powered sub, there.  I was thinking about the very same thing.  I read somewhere that a user replaced one of the stereo speakers with a subwoofer cone!  Not sure how that worked out for him, though.  Also you lose the pure stereo signal, if you are using that, which I intend to.  More gear, argh! 
Ed: $699, ouch!

Also, I just today learned that there is NO FX loop on the EX!  I had hoped that the "line out/aux in" would work as an FX loop, but after trying it out today finally, I see that it does not.  A little bit bummed about that.

Elantric

None of the current production Roland Cube amps have audio FX Loops for routing signals between preamp and power amp.