Roland Mobile Cube for jamming with synths?

[PeterRees11]

Hi

I am looking at getting a Roland Mobile Cube to play some small synths and drum machines through for jamming with friends. It won't be used for gigging or busking, just as a convenient, battery-powered way to get my sounds out. Does anybody have any experience of this little unit? It's getting long in the tooth these days - are there any better solutions around for a similar price that I should be checking out instead?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[Arpangel]

I’ve got an older Street Cube, great unit, lots of volume, loud enough for small gigs.
The Mobile Cube is great for personal practice, but you may find when playing with others you might need a bit more volume, for a clear undistorted sound. The Mobile can sound a bit "small" and that’s because it is!
If your budget can stretch to it look at the bigger Cube Street, they are so useful, for all types of situations, you won’t regret buying one, although prices have gone up dramatically.
I’ve also got a Roland 10GX Guitar amp I use for keyboards sometimes, I use it with a mono Behringer Micro Mix, it’s loud, and you can get some great overdriven synth sounds with it, also it’s relatively cheap, at around £130.
There’s nothing wrong with the Mobile Cube, but I’d check it out, just to see if it’s loud enough for you.

[Ben Asaro]

+1 to everything Arpangel said.

[resistorman]

My experience with the Roland battery gear has been rather the opposite than the distinguished forum users above I found the 2 units I briefly owned to sound very thin and “cardboardy”. I use Bose Pro 1 speakers for synth jams (which are pretty pricey but worth it), but when my wife hijacks them for actual paying gigs, I fall back on our $ 200 Behringer MPA40BT which sounds surprisingly good for the price. In fact, we’ll use a zoom R16 mixer and plug in 3 or 4 synths when we’re jamming by the river.

[PeterRees11]

Thanks, it's good to have both viewpoints. I was hoping someone would surprise me with gushing praise of the Mobile Cube, but it seems it's just not that great.

[Ben Asaro]

I think our observations are the same, just seen from a different perspective. One man's 'clear and focused' is another man's 'thin and forward'.

[Arpangel]

I think our observations are the same, just seen from a different perspective. One man's 'clear and focused' is another man's 'thin and forward'.

Often the case, I can’t say I’m unhappy with my Rolands, in fact, the 10XG gets used as an effects unit, I just like the sound "as is"

[resistorman]

I think our observations are the same, just seen from a different perspective. One man's 'clear and focused' is another man's 'thin and forward'.

Quite true The Street Cube sounds good for busking with electric guitar.

[Arpangel]

I think our observations are the same, just seen from a different perspective. One man's 'clear and focused' is another man's 'thin and forward'.

Quite true The Street Cube sounds good for busking with electric guitar.

I saw a guy doing an East Coast synthesis set, on the South Bank in London, Tangerine Dream "esque" and very good it was too, he had a Street Cube, sounded great, all he had keyboard wise was a Micro Korg, and a pedal.

[PeterRees11]

Well, I picked one up and it's fine actually. I love the form factor, the leather strap and the battery power. It struggles with some synth sounds - some alarming speaker flapping at times, but at moderate volumes (below 50%) it's great - very clear, forward, bright sound, excellent Roland chorus (on/off only), good attack on drums and percussive sounds. I think I'll keep it.

[Arpangel]

Glad you got it sorted.