Will the Roland Tone Capsule Go in a Roland Blues Cube Tour Head
Ultimate Blues Tone Capsule review
- Thread starter elkman
- Start date
- #1
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- #4
I'm also REALLY interested in how it takes pedals. The core Blues Cube clean channel is a pretty good pedal platformer, especially for cover band stuff. But I'm open to the idea of this being even better!
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I just got the Blues Capsule as well and I really like it, it definitely gave the amp much more clean headroom. I am using the 2x12 version of the amp. I am only using the amp with pedals so I don't really use the second channel but I really like how my pedals sound through it. I play mostly jazz and blues as well as a variety of stuff in a wedding band and it sounds great for all of my uses.
Thanks for the feedback! So just curious: what kind of drive pedals do you have on your board? And is there a noticeable difference in sound/feel with pedals compared to the amp without the tone capsule?
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I would describe it thus;
if the standard model sounds "tweed" the ultimate blues capsule changes the tone to make it more "blackface". It also did a wonderful job of improving the gain channels drive.
- #9
I tried this out in the artist model today.I would describe it thus;
if the standard model sounds "tweed" the ultimate blues capsule changes the tone to make it more "blackface". It also did a wonderful job of improving the gain channels drive.
I personally prefer the tweed tone, so I liked it better without, but I could totally see someone who loves blackface cleans falling in love with this.
Cool, thanks man!
So two follow up questions for you: Can you describe a little more how the gain channel was improved? My guess from what I've heard is that it is voiced as a slightly gainer version of the clean channel. And did you get to try it with any gain pedals?
Thanks again!
- #10
they said they based it on a Fender Super Deluxe.
What the heck is a "Super Deluxe"?
- #11
Cool, thanks man!So two follow up questions for you: Can you describe a little more how the gain channel was improved? My guess from what I've heard is that it is voiced as a slightly gainer version of the clean channel. And did you get to try it with any gain pedals?
Thanks again!
I would say the gain became slightly more aggressive sounding, and there was definitely more gain, and the boost feature almost took on a "tubescreamer" type quality [as in you suddenly got more gain and a mid boost with it on].
Pedals went into just as good as it did before the capsule, it just had a different tone. It sounded very, very good - it just wasn't the sound I was after personally. I had the cash to buy the capsule but I actually preferred the more "tweed" sound of the stock amp.
If you liked slightly more scooped, blackface fender style cleans, and more aggressive gain than you will LOVE the capsule. it does that with aplomb.
- #12
What the heck is a "Super Deluxe"?
Fender Super Reverb....sorry my bad.
- #14
While I generally prefer tweed tone to blackface, I could see getting this tone capsule just for an occasional different flavor.
- #15
Ultimately [no pun intended] my ears heard right the first time.
The UBTC has less midrange, and a more mellow top end [by just a hair]. it also has WAY more clean headroom - which is nice for pedals. The midrange thing was VERY noticeable to me because I'm sort of a midrange junky - I have a tendency to like almost too much of it. Oddly, the slightly scooped tone is more noticeable at cleaner tones - at higher gain on pedals the pedal seems to be more effective on tone, and the slightly mellower top end sometimes complimented pedals nicely.
For those of you that are not pedal guys, it is worth noting - the UBTC makes the crunch channel better... a LOT better. Its smoother, more pronounced and refined. The boost function is much more useable - notes seem more defined. If you wanted to use this amp as a guitar to amp only, the UBTC is THE way to go. The crunch channel was better in EVERY way.
I don't use the crunch channel however - I use the clean channel only as a pedal platform. So that was where I tested it next.
Noting the tone differences with and without the UBTC I decided to adjust my settings- I'd use my normal settings for the amp without the UBTC, and an adjusted setting for it in, to try to get them to sound similar.
I could get the UBTC to sound almost like the stock amp by turning the mid control up another 1 to 1.5 numbers [so if you like you mid control at 6, putting it to 7 or 7.5] and by adjusting the presence a hair. I recorded several examples and had my wife randomly play me audio samples while I sat with my back to the monitors so I couldn't see which sample she was playing. listening to them back to back I discovered that at higher gain I got to a point where I had to think about which sample was the UBTC, and it was very difficult to pick them apart. Adjusting the tone stack on the UBTC made it sound almost like the stock amp! The difference became noticeable at lower gain and clean. Eve with the tone stack adjusted on the UBTC it was always a dead giveaway. I was able to always pick out the stock amp, and liked it better. I tried adjusting the tone stack further, but no matter how hard I tried I could not get it to sound perfectly like the stock amp.
At this point I was sort of bummed out and was ready to mail it back. I stewed about ti for the evening and today while practicing found myself sitting in front of the amp, staring at the amp, the tone capsule and frowning.
I was still bugged about the tonal differences between with and without; On paper, the schematics between the Fender Bassman and the Super Reverb are very, very, very similar. The super should be slightly more mid scooped, and perhaps have a touch less high end [and by result sound like it has a touch more bass too] - buy couldn't I accommodate for that with the EQ? in theory I should be able to get them extremely close.
Then it hit me while I was staring at the amp - particularly the channel and EQ settings.
So the clean tone I like on the stock amp has the channel volume at '3.5' or so. any hotter and it starts adding too much break up which in turn affects the sound/tone/feel of the pedal. When that's where I was leaving the UBTC too. As I was thinking about it and staring at the amp it dawned on me - "hey dummy, the UBTC is supposed to give you higher headroom. so there is some kind of 'warmth' that is added at 3.5 that isn't outright breakup but tis there, just like a tube amp would be, and running the UBTC with its much higher headroom means you aren't getting that warmth; you're running it very cold. you need the channel volume up higher!"
So I recorded several passages [clean, light break up from pedals, overdrive, and distortion all provided by pedals] on the standard amp in my normal settings again, and then I installed the UBTC again. I raised the presence one number, raised the midrange one number, dropped the bass about a half a number, and raised the channel volume from 3.5 to 7. I played the same passages again with the same pedals.
I had my wife randomly play them to me in pairs with my back sitting to the monitors. Every time I picked the UBTC! It didn't sound the same - it sounded BETTER!!!
So in short, Roland knew exactly what they were doing when they said "reacts like a tube amp" - and just like a tube amp it had to be turned up more to sound right.
So a word to anyone trying one out for themselves; you have to get that channel volume up higher in order for the clean channel to pick up the midrange girth, warmth and dynamics I was expecting. The standard amp distorts much faster/easier and therefore I was getting that at lower volume.
So here's the quick rundown;
PRO;
-MUCH higher headroom
-crunch channel better in EVERY way
Imperative;
-mid scooped, more mellow top end at lower volume, midrange and dynamics increase as volume goes up!
-tone of the entire amp is adjusted in a subtle but definitely noticeable way
So should you get the UBTC? I can't fathom at this point why anyone wouldn't; want this tone capsule unless you really are in love with the Bassman sound and do not want to use pedals at all. Otherwise, the bassman sound is in there with enough volume, but you get a much better gain channel and a LOT higher headroom.
I've now decided I like the UBTC BETTER than the stock amp and I'm going to keep it!
I hope this is useful/helpful to anyone who been on the fence about it.
- #16
In my case I love the clean sound stock and with UBTC, but much prefer the crunch sounds with UBTC. Since I prefer to play both channels, the UBTC is staying in my Artist...at least for now!
- #17
Nice review snow!
In my case I love the clean sound stock and with UBTC, but much prefer the crunch sounds with UBTC. Since I prefer to play both channels, the UBTC is staying in my Artist...at least for now!
I can totally see that.
In fact, I think most folks would prefer it - just get that channel volume up higher to get the true dynamics of the amp and it sounds killer!
- #18
- #19
So today I had revelation... a "I can't believe I was that ignorant" sort of revelation.
I was still bugged about the tonal differences between with and without; On paper, the schematics between the Fender Bassman and the Super Reverb are very, very, very similar. The super should be slightly more mid scooped, and perhaps have a touch less high end [and by result sound like it has a touch more bass too] - buy couldn't I accommodate for that with the EQ? in theory I should be able to get them extremely close.
Today it hit me while I was staring at the amp - particularly the channel and EQ settings.
So the clean tone I like on the stock amp has the channel volume at '3.5' or so. any hotter and it starts adding too much break up which in turn affects the sound/tone/feel of the pedal. When that's where I was leaving the UBTC too. As I was thinking about it and staring at the amp it dawned on me - "hey dummy, the UBTC is supposed to give you higher headroom. so there is some kind of 'warmth' that is added at 3.5 that isn't outright breakup but tis there, just like a tube amp would be, and running the UBTC with its much higher headroom means you aren't getting that warmth; you're running it very cold. you need the channel volume up higher!"
So I recorded several passages [clean, light break up from pedals, overdrive, and distortion all provided by pedals] on the standard amp in my normal settings again, and then I installed the UBTC again. I raised the presence one number, raised the midrange one number, dropped the bass about a half a number, and raised the channel volume from 3.5 to 7. I played the same passages again with the same pedals.
I had my wife randomly play them to me in pairs with my back sitting to the monitors. Every time I picked the UBTC! It didn't sound the same - it sounded BETTER!!!
So in short, Roland knew exactly what they were doing when they said "reacts like a tube amp" - and just like a tube amp it had to be turned up more to sound right.
So a word to anyone trying one out for themselves; you have to get that channel volume up higher in order for the clean channel to pick up the midrange girth, warmth and dynamics I was expecting. The standard amp distorts much faster/easier and therefore I was getting that at lower volume.
I've now decided I like the UBTC BETTER than the stock amp and I'm going to keep it! I'm going to amend my previous review to reflect that.
- #20
Thanks to my blues cube artist I have kicked the tube habit. Three outdoor gigs with a powerful band. Set at 45watts and using a gain changer. While I still have affection for tube amps there's no way I'm going back.
I agree. I've got several VERY nice tube amps here - Marshall 1974X rebuilt with mercury magnetics transformer, Mesa Mini Rectifier, Peavey Classic 30, Marshall DSL40C... I've gigged my Roland 4 times in the short time I've had it and the less weight and easier handing are a true blessing, and tone is every bit as good! My old tube amps are just sitting there collecting dust. If that trend stays true for 6 months or a year I might even just sell them - this Roland is truly that good!
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Source: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/ultimate-blues-tone-capsule-review.1708115/
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