Roland CM-30 Cube Monitor

I spent about two months researching the market looking for a guitar amp that would tick in the following boxes:

1) portable and light
2) multiple inputs
3) full-range speaker
4) loud enough for band practice
5) quite enough for bedroom practice

It was like solving a complicated equation. I hate guitar amps and combos because they seriously limit the sound you can produce with your guitar. Not to mention they make no sense if you?re a 21st century player and use digital technologies and synths. Hence a full-range speaker was a must.

I first focused my search to acoustic and keyboard amps but they tend to be bulky and have a lot of instrument-specific features that I wouldn?t need. So I refocused to small PA systems. Long story short? I settled on Roland CM-30 and went on to read reviews and more reviews. And tests?

By the time I was done, it got about 20 euros more expensive? Still, I placed my order.

Despite knowing the physical dimensions of the Cube by heart, I was rather surprised to find out how small it actually was. The top handle is an amazing detail - to carry the Cube around is very easy, it sort of balances itself out and the weight sensation is neutral. In other words, it?s comfortable. Oh, and it?s built like a tank with well recessed knobs.

What I really like is the sheer amount of inputs so you can connect your devices in such a way that best matches the Roland?s ins with your device?s outs.

Sound response is fairly neutral and I only use the on board equalizer to adjust for the room acoustic and/or particular placement.

I recommend using the Cube on a stand raised to your ears? level. A) you get the sensation of the best balanced sound, B) the Cube will actually sound loud. You can?t get around the physics here and while 30 watts amounts to a decent power output, the area of the speaker is small. There?s a reason it?s called Cube MONITOR.

I brought it to a band?s rehearsal and while it wasn?t the loudest thing around (along the drummer and bass player in a big room), I did got heard. The situation improved dramatically when I raised the Cube, though, and I still had about a third to go on both the channel and the master volume knobs. I think I might get another one - with two, I?d get comfortably loud and I?d be in full stereo.

The Cube is a really universal gadget - and it?s small and light so you can easily carry it along to ALWAYS have your own personal monitoring on stage (thanks to comprehensive ins/outs and routing), no matter what instrument you play.

Bought it initially as a monitor for my keys in a small jazz group. Shaped a six inch piece of hard foam which I pushed into the back part of the handle recess. Ends up leaning back at 45 degrees pointing straight at me. Brilliant!
Then brought it up to the church gallery with my 40 piece choir, as some numbers I like to use a piano sound and not the pipe organ that's up there. Stuck it up on a mic stand, as the seating is steeply tiered and I wanted them all to be able to hear it, then took a line out to the mixer hooked into the PA. Brilliant!!
Then started taking it to rehearsals for musicals and performance groups I'm involved with. Left it on the ground and put that piece of foam under the front of it to tilt it up slightly and project the sound more. Even with a big chorus and a Six piece band (though I did keep them pulled back volume wise) at no time was I lost or in need of pushing to the limit. Far from it. People were looking around to see where my sound source was. They couldn't even see it. Brilliant!!!!!!
I've always thought about investing in an AER but couldn't justify the cost. With this cube, I don't know if I ever will. . .

I use this monitor in conjunction with a Nord Electro 5 in rehearsals and small (jazz mainly) gigs. Sound level is adequate, so you can hear with clarity what you are playing. Sound quality is better than I expected from price and size, piano samples sound clean, crispy, with a good low-end and in overall, a pleasure to play with them in this monitor. Versatility is a strong point, amp has lot of inputs in stereo / mono jacks / RCA / mini jack and a microphone XLR input for dynamic mics. I use a inexpensive microphone stand to place the amp at an ear level.

What I think is missing:
- Dedicated outputs for recording / PA (though headphone output may be used for this purpose or even better some DI with thru)
- Reverb effect, especially for use with the microphone.

I will buy soon a second unit to pair them and get the excelent stereo output of Nord.