Roland CUBE-80XL

Started by mikelara, December 31, 2011, 08:51:31 AM

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mikelara

Hi sound freaks,

Today I was in the local music store to try the Roland cube 80 XL (for amplifying my gr-55).
Maybe it sounds strange but in my opinion this is the perfect amp for the gr-55.
I tell you why and what I did.

Gr-55 output (jack) to the Roland cube 80 XL Aux. input. Not the normal input!!!




Use a jack to mini-jack cable. The cube has a mini- jack input on the aux. The microcube has both (mini jack and normal jack input for aux.)  I don't understand why they left this behind on the bigger cubes, but that's not a problem. Buy or make a good cable with a quality mini jack.

Choose output select (on the gr-55) to headphones/p.a.  So direct, as you would do when you go straight into a mixer. Factory setting is also on this output option.
The amp models sound very in your face/ nice and amplike with a lot of power and punch! That's what I was looking for: Punch.
And, what I didnt suspect, the synth sounds (organs, piano's and all the stuff) sounds verry alive too. With a lot of warmth.

To my ears this sounds way better than any keyboard amp or powered speaker/ monitor.
I'll buy the cube 80 XL.
So, I want to share this with you. Try it!!  Maby you have to create good sounds. But when you select a guitar and an amp you have a good sound in minutes.

Mike

Elantric

#1
Great tip

I have both the Cube 80XL and Cube 80X

Both very similar, I agree this amp is a sleeper with more than meets the eye.

I still vote for the Cube 80 XL







- its built like a tank, and LOUD! It easily holds it own - I could play anywhere with this amp. Even if the other guitarist had a Marshall Stack, the Cube 80XL would still cut through.

I should state at 2012 Winter NAMM, Roland used several Cube 80 XL's as amplification systems to demo GR-55, and GT-100 

prsrick

#2
I also have this amp for a year now, but I plug in to normal jack, and use "JC CLEAN"  .  And I am not extrememly happy with the sound comparing to my other tube amp  Victoria and Fender esp for modelling sound.  i am thinking of getting. fishman Loud box mini or Low end AER.  have anyone try that combination.   i will try you method to see any great improvement.  thanks or the tips.

prsrick

Yes, and it also have a direct 1/4 jack!

Ringo

#4
Has anyone tried running the GR55 into the rear 3.5mm Aux Input on the Cube 80 and using  your guitar passive pickups into the regular Cube 80 input?
I have a Roland Ready Strat, so I like to be able to mix or choose between the GR55 and the Strat pickups (upgraded to Lace Hot Gold set)


tekrytor

#5
Quote from: Ringo on January 04, 2012, 09:22:40 PM
Has anyone tried running the GR55 into the aux input on the Cube 80 and using  your guitar passive pickups into the regular Cube 80 input?
I have a Roland Ready Strat, so I like to be able to mix or choose between the GR55 and the Strat pickups (upgraded to Lace Hot Gold set)

@Ringo:
I tried this on my Cube 30X. It works. It should also on you Cube 80.

I use the GR-55 headphone out into the AUX-IN on the Cube. Works great. This is my typical small gig setup. I'm still getting used to the 55, so the mag PUs into the Cube's guitar input is my Plan B, if I get lost in GR land.

I do the same on my tiny $99us VOX Mini-3 amp for very small occasions. I love this little amp for a lot of  things. Like a one man show with a 2 sq. ft. floor requirement. It has a stereo aux-in, a mic-in, and a guitar-in with a nice set of amp models, too. If I can battery power the GR-55, I could even busk with it all on the sidewalk, with no AC. I'm thinking of grabing another for true stereo in compact.

When I want to put my best GR foot forward though, I use either a pair of Barbetta 31 or the VGA-7, if I have help to carry it.

The newer small amps (with the 1/8th inch mp3 player inputs) output a broader frequency spectrum than standard guitar amps, even with smaller speakers. Probably not for perfectionists, but pretty good bang for the buck and versatility.

I would imagine the Cube 80 sounds great.
SY-300/BeatBuddy/VoiceLive 3/GR-55(v1.50)/33/1/50/700/VGA-7/V-Bass, Yam-G10, GPK-4, DIY X-Bee HighlyLiquidCPU "Cozy-Lil-Footie", FCB-1010, other MIDI stuff, Godin Freeway SA and various other GK equipped controllers, Sonar X1, Audacity, KXstudio, Misc devices

Ringo

Thanks for the input, I don't have a Cube 80 but I might try to pick one up, or an older Cube 60.
I have been using a Peavey KBA60 keyboard / acoustic amp.
The synth sounds are good through it, and I  run the direct guitar into a small multi effects and into another channel , those tones not as optimal but it is ok.
The Cube would be easier to haul around than the KBA and I'm sure the guitar tones would be better.

Elantric

#7
There is no Aux input on the Cube 60, the heavily discounted 2008-2010 era Cube 80X does, along with the  Cube 80XL. The rear  3.5mm TRS Aux Input provides the most neutral flat response.

Ringo

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep on the lookout for a Cube 80x then.

paulv1958

Hi
I have both the Cube 80 and a Behringer ACX1800 Acc Amp. The 80 is okay for Guitar sounds, but IMHO compared to the tonal range on the 1800 for the PCM sounds , it chalk & cheese. The 1800 wins hands down.

Looking to get a B315D powered PA to replace both for just the 55 sounds.

mbenigni

audioMIDI was running a special a couple of days ago:  $159 for the M-Audio GSR10 and $229 for the GSR12 - both likely well suited to the GR55.  I only hesitated because I couldn't decide which one to get!  Pricing elsewhere is weird on these units, ranging from $199-$299 for the 10, and $299 to $399 for the 12, which makes me wonder if they aren't being confused for one another in some listings.

Anyway, M-Audio is not generally my first choice, but for $159 I probably should have rolled the dice.

Manuel

Hi everybody, does anyone have an experience with Line 6 Spider Amps in conjunction with the GR-55 ? Beside the GR-55 I also play acoustic instruments like Banjo Mando and Dobro and I want to be able to store settings for each instument in order to recall them when changing instruments during my gigs. Best regards Manuel

Elantric

My own exploration of Line6 Spider Amps have been very sub par.


Too much emphasis on Metal patches, Too much compression and no headroom.

Your mileage may vary.

tomslad

I use mine through a Roland Cube 40XL (aux input) and it sounds great

musicman65

#14
By far the best single cabinet stereo solution I've found:

http://www.msamps.com/#!kp-500s/vipzl

This amp is clean, loud, and has a huge natural sound. It'll keep up with a half-stack on guitar amp modeled tones and the PCM/Synth sounds come through deep and powerful.

bd

mbenigni

Quote from: musicman65 on January 09, 2012, 04:09:44 PM
By far the best single cabinet stereo solution I've found:

http://motion-sound.com/product?name=kp-500sn

This amp is clean, loud, and has a huge natural sound. It'll keep up with a half-stack on guitar amp modeled tones and the PCM/Synth sounds come through deep and powerful.

bd

I was torn between this and the K4 and basically flipped a coin (you can't test drive these amps anywhere around here) and bought the K4.  Have been pretty unimpressed w/ the K4 and wonder if I'd have been happier with a Motion Sound.  Of course the 500SN is a bit more expensive, and the 200 is probably a bit underpowered.  Also curious about their unconventional down-firing "360 degrees" designs, but again I'm concerned they might be underpowered or have unusual frequency response curves.

How is the stereo spread on the Motion Sound?  On the K4 it is barely appreciable, to the point where I think the money would have been better spent on an improved speaker array in mono rather than a stereo architecture.

musicman65

mbenigni,

I read a bunch of bad K4 reviews from keyboardist before pulling the trigger on the KP550sn. The KP550sn isn't perfect either but it is more transparent than I expected. All combo amps have coloring. Its just a question of how much. The KP550sn EQ has to be dialed in to get it as flat as possible. I cut the mids a bit and bump the highs up maybe 3db. There is a bass control per channel (has two identical channels)and master sub-bass and master volume.

The stereo is good but not great outside of the sweet spot directly in front of the amp...until you twist the stereo expander knob. It's the equivalent of a width control. I don't know how, BUT IT WORKS! The amp sounds like it is projecting from a position farther and wider away. And thats in or out of the sweet spot. Pure magic, I tell you! Find one and give it a listen if you can.

bd





atonal

Hi ,I also was unimpressed with the K4,mackie thump but OHHH THE QSC KW122 WAS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN FOR ME.sounded great using only one, not stereo but mono was the best sound I found.When spending $900 for a k4 or 1400 for the motion sound which I've owned other products of theirs and found them Underpowered.I'll start with one and in time add another for stereo,It will also serve as a killer PA,and for more Umph for my acoustic guitar amp using the line out into the qsc.I can only recommend The Qsc but try before you buy, Anything,had to travel 70 miles to try the traynor...Qsc's at all GC's pack up your gr or vg and try it out,can't wait to bring one home..

prsrick

today. I have more time finally after 2 weeks of Flu recovering. , to test out different options and different amps.

I found that using Roland 80XL through AUX is good for PCM sound,  but for model guitar and normal guitar,  the BASS is too much like you are playing a bass guitar and it is not that realistic as using a real guitar amp,  using the GENZ BENZ Bass amp seems to be better, but it is still not like going though my Fender HotRod Deville 4x10 which has balance bass and treble.  the guitar I used is Parker Mojo Fly. With GK3.

I am planning to buy a Roland AC60 and see whether this will give me better overall performance.
Weight and sound is my highest priorty now.   I found that even the 35lb 80XL was too much for Me after I lugged it around during Xmas time through th Hospital corridor to the senior resthome to playn for the church choir, sign, I am getting old now!

samandlyn

#19
I am surprised no one has mentioned the  Atomic Reactor FR amp yet ?
Although I have not tried one, it is supposed to be the bees knees FRFR amp to use with the Axe FX, so I imagine it should be great with the GR55 ?

Any experience with it out there?

mbenigni

Thanks for the info MusicMan.  I've seen Width controls in other effects processors and this sounds like a really smart thing to include in a single-cabinet stereo product. 

The funny thing about the K4 is I did nothing but hunt for information and reviews for weeks before I bought it, and nearly everything I read was glowingly positive.  I understand that any combo will color tone a bit, but with a closed back FR combo I wouldn't expect anything this pronounced.  I'm basically looking for something that performs like a good studio monitor, but can take a little more abuse.  Something like a Mackie SRM450 or whatever their current equivalent is, or the QSC that are mentioned above, will probably come closer.

Samandlyn, the Atomic FR Wedge was the other product I strongly considered, but I decided that I wanted something stereo, hence the K4.  A bad decision in retrospect.  Then again, the Wedge is another case where I couldn't possibly hear it in advance, and - while probably perfect for guitars - I don't have a clear sense of how well it would complement PCM synths.

Guitarbot

I run my GR-55 rig into a stereo pair of QSC HPR122i speakers.  I am totally happy with them.

Deacon Blue

Just for S & G's I hooked up my Fender Mustang II to the gtr out and a Acoustic B200 bass amp to the synth out. It was fantastic! In the Gk Mix position I was able to dial in and out  just about any tone I wanted. Got the deep bottom and solid mids from the bass amp and the nice treble highs and excellent gtr tones from the Fender.Dialing in and out the gains from either amp gave me so many different tones! I used my normal p/u at 100 and my synths PCM tones at around 75.  Yeah the bass amp is a little cumbersome but I can live with that....
"When your project isn't working, look for the part that you didn't think was important"
www.Bandmix.com/katylyst

ianridge

Following up earlier posts on the Roland Cube 80XL I bought one a few days ago and it had it's first outing in rehearsal yesterday.

Used the aux in socket and got both a good synth and cosm sound. For gigs I suspect I'll put one channel through the PA and leave one through the Roland to get extra volume but it pushed it out pretty well against drums, bass and another guitar.

Switching to guitar pickups through the GR55 and to the guitar jack input worked well on a couple of numbers and I did try mixing them at the same time. Certainly good enough and loud enough for rehearsal and with the PA will also be fine for gigs.

A great, reasonably priced (£299), solution and I don't now have to drag my Marshall 100W MV top and 4x12 cab around (still sound better but my knees are going and heavy lifting is a thing of the past)

Roland 80xl is definitely worth a look.

Rockbeare

Also try a secondhand Line 6 AX2 212.

One of the first modelling amps and pretty good too, it has discrete guitar and aux inputs so you can mix guitar and synth sounds per patch.  And since it is midi switchable, you can use the GR55 to switch patches and even give realtime parameter control.  The only downside is the although the amp is stereo, the aux input doesn't seem to be.

I used one of these amps with my old GR33 and it was magic, everything you could need for a gig.  The GR55 would be even better but I've moved on some way since then and use an Axe-Fx, which can tackle the GR55's input a different way.