Roland Blues Cube Hot - Guitar Amplifier Manual

About Your New Device

Guitar Amp as a Musical Instrument
An electric guitar doesn't come alive until it's plugged in. Your amp can actually be considered part of the instrument.
In fact, it's almost like the body of a great acoustic, contributing greatly to the final sound. Even a vintage guitar can't give you all it's got if you use a mediocre amp.

Dramatically Evolved Tube Logic

The quest to find the Blues Cube tone started with the component of the same very basic tube circuitry as Fender Bassman's. Specifically, that is 12AY7 and 2 stage of 12AX7 for pre tubes, passive tone stack, longtailed pair phase inverter, 6L6GC power tubes with pushpull method, output trans. Its power section contains GZ34 rectifier tube, and the fixed bias method is adopted for power tube.
Types of power supply such as B+ power supply or C- power supply are significant factors that are deeply related to the curve of power tube gain or saturation, and not only types of tube but the way of power supply is the important factor to determine the characteristics of amp sound.
There is a certain point in the dynamic change in power supply to power tube that produce a very good feeling for musicians. That is to say, attack and sustain go together, or in other words, the characteristic bite feeling and compression feeling of tube go together. We have made the balance of adjustments to the feelings over and over again.
Warm, bouncy, responsive, dynamic, elastic... these are all terms that guitarists use to describe the satisfying experience of playing their favorite tube amps. Thanks to Roland's Tube Logic, these words can be applied to the Blues Cube as well.

Dramatically evolved from the first-generation sound of the original Blues Cube amps from the '90s, today's Tube Logic accurately provides the complex, highly interactive behavior of classic tube designs in meticulous detail, providing the magical "it" factor that takes a guitar amp from a simple sound system to a living, breathing musical instrument. Great feel, distortion control with touch and volume, bloom, sparkle, power supply "sag," and more — everything that players love about a finely tuned vintage tube amp is present in abundance with the Blues Cube.

Performance-Ready Amp for Pro Players

Ready for live playing, the Blues Cube Hot is equipped with 30-watts of power, plus a custom 12-inch speaker that's been specially designed for maximum tonal response with Tube Logic. The open-back cabinet features poplar plywood construction, which offers acoustically vibrant tone for solo or group performances.

Wide-Open Sound at Any Volume

Power Control
Every tube-amp player knows that you really need to turn up the volume and push the output tubes to get the amp to sing at its best. The downside is that the sound simply becomes too loud for playing anywhere but the biggest stages — though that's certainly never stopped guitarists from trying! The power amp section of the Blues Cube uses a high-impedance drive circuit to drive the speaker in an authentic way. Even within the power amp section, the bias circuit for each component such as NFB, phase inverter, output transformer network, and power supply uses an independent circuit structure and is tuned independently.
With Tube Logic, the Blues Cube authentically delivers the complex distortion characteristics of output tubes and their interaction with the output transformer, with the sound getting richer and the feel becoming more dynamically responsive as the overall volume is increased. But with the Blues Cube's variable Power Control, you're able to enjoy this musical, cranked-up tone while matching the volume to any situation, from recording to rehearsals to nightclub gigs and beyond.

Features

• With a tube amp's tone and responsiveness to your touch, this is a compact-sized 30 W guitar amp that you can use at home, on stage, or anywhere.
• Stylish, modern look with a vintage vibe.
• Roland's comprehensive Tube Logic design delivers the interactive tonal behaviors of famous fine-tuned vintage tube amps, including preamp and output tube distortion characteristics, power supply compression, and much more.
• Classic open-back design with custom 12-inch speaker and poplar cabinet for enhanced presence on stage.
• From clean sound to crunch sound that's distorted in the power stage, you can control the full range while staying at the same volume. Four-way Power Control (0.5 W, 5 W, 15 W, MAX) allows for cranked-amp tones at any volume.
• Master volume, a tone-stack type 3-band EQ, and reverb are provided. There are also boost/tone switches for adding variety to your sound.
• USB output for high-quality direct recording to a computer.
• Optional footswitches for switching BOOST and TONE on/off.

Panel Descriptions

Top Panel

INPUT jack
Connect your electric guitar here.

[VOLUME] knob
Adjusts the volume. If BOOST is off, settings of 0–6 will provide undistorted clean sound, and settings of 6–12 provide a light crunch sound with some power-amp distortion.
* The settings shown above are approximate. The setting at which distortion begins and the degree of distortion will depend on the guitar that's connected.

[BOOST] button
Turning the [BOOST] button on produces a thick and solid distorted sound based on a circuit that produces distortion in the preamp tube.

[TONE] button
Turning the [TONE] button on produces a sparkling high range that's based on adjusting the capacitors of the volume circuit and feedback circuit.

EQUALIZER
[BASS] knob
Adjusts the sound level of the low-frequency range.
[MIDDLE] knob
Adjusts the sound level of middle-frequency range.
[TREBLE] knob
Adjusts the sound level of the high-frequency range.

[REVERB] knob
Adjusts the reverb depth.

[MASTER] knob
Adjusts the overall volume.

[POWER CONTROL] switch
Lets you switch the output level of the power amp according to your location or needs. The MAX setting selects the maximum output. This is equivalent to 30 W.

[POWER] switch
Turns the power of the Blues Cube on/off. When the power is on, the indicator at the left of this switch is lit.

Rear Panel

AC IN jack
Connect the included power cord.
* Use only the power cord that was included with the unit.

FOOT SWITCH (TIP: BOOST RING: TONE) jack
If you connect a footswitch (separately sold: BOSS FS-6, FS-7, or FS-5L), you can use it to turn BOOST and TONE on/off.
* This unit is equipped with a TRS type jack that is wired as follows.

* The Blues Cube is compatible with latch-type footswitches (FS-6, FS-7, FS-5L). If you're using an FS-6 or FS-7, set the mode of A and B to FS-5L (LATCH). Momentary-type footswitches (e.g., FS- 5U) cannot be used.

PHONES jack
Connect headphones here. You can obtain powerful guitar sounds just as if you were playing through the speaker. To adjust the volume, use the [VOLUME] knob along with the [MASTER] knob.
* If a plug is inserted in this jack, no sound will be output from the Blues Cube's own speaker. This is convenient if you don't want loud sound to be produced from the speaker, such as when you're practicing at night.

LINE OUT jack
Connect this to your PA system or recorder. You can obtain powerful guitar amp sound just as if you were playing through the speaker.

You can use this in conjunction with an external PA system, or to record your performance via direct line while monitoring the sound from the Blues Cube's speaker.
Adjust the output level using the [VOLUME] knob.
* To prevent malfunction and equipment failure, always turn down the volume, and turn off all the units before making any connections.

REC OUT port
You can use a commercially available USB 2.0 cable to record the sound of the Blues Cube into your computer.

You must install the USB driver when connecting the unit to your computer.
Download the USB driver from the Roland website. For details, refer to Readme.htm which is included in the download.
http://www.roland.com/support/

Turning the Power On/Off

* Once everything is properly connected, be sure to follow the procedure below to turn on their power. If you turn on equipment in the wrong order, you risk causing malfunction or equipment failure.

1. Make sure that the Blues Cube's [MASTER] knob and the volume of the devices connected to the Blues Cube are set to 0.
   * Before connecting your instrument to the Blues Cube's INPUT jack, set the [MASTER] knob to the minimum setting (far left).
2. Turn on the Blues Cube.
   * Before turning the unit on/off, always be sure to turn the volume down. Even with the volume turned down, you might hear some sound when switching the unit on/off. However, this is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.
   * This unit is equipped with a protection circuit. A brief interval (a few seconds) after turning the unit on is required before it will operate normally.
   
3. Turn on the power of the devices connected to the LINE OUT jack, PHONES jack, and REC OUT port.
4. Adjust the volume levels for the devices.
   Before switching off the power, lower the volume on each of the devices in your system and then TURN OFF the devices in the reverse order to which they were switched on.
   * If you need to turn off the power completely, first turn off the unit, then unplug the power cord from the power outlet. Refer to "To completely turn off power to the unit, pull out the plug from the outlet".

Main Specifications

Roland Blues Cube Hot: Guitar Amplifier
Rated Power Output	30 W
Nominal Input Level	INPUT: -10 dBu (1 MΩ)
Speaker	30 cm (12 inches) x 1
Controls	[POWER] switch [BOOST] button [TONE] button [VOLUME] knob [BASS] knob [MIDDLE] knob [TREBLE] knob [REVERB] knob [MASTER] knob [POWER CONTROL] switch: 0.5 W, 5 W, 15 W, MAX
Indicators	BOOST, TONE, POWER
Connectors	INPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type LINE OUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type PHONES jack: Stereo 1/4-inch phone type FOOT SW (TIP: BOOST, RING: TONE) jack: 1/4-inch TRS phone type REC OUT port: USB type B AC IN jack
Power Consumption	33 W
Dimensions	433 (W) x 239 (D) x 450 (H) mm 17-1/16 (W) x 9-7/16 (D) x 17-3/4 (H) inches
	433 (W) x 239 (D) x 413 (H) mm 17-1/16 (W) x 9-7/16 (D) x 16-5/16 (H) inches (excluding protrusions)
Weight	12.6 kg 27 lbs 13 oz
Accessories	Owner's manual Power cord
Options (sold separately)	Footswitch (BOSS FS-5L, BOSS FS-6, BOSS FS-7) Amp stand (BAS-1)

* 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
* In the interest of product improvement, the specifications and/or appearance of this unit are subject to change without prior notice.

Block Diagram

* 1: No sound will be output from the speaker when a plug is connected to the PHONS jack.
* 2: No signal from the USB will be output from the speaker.

USING THE UNIT SAFELY

Before using this unit, carefully read the sections entitled "IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS" (inside front cover), "USING THE UNIT SAFELY", and "IMPORTANT NOTES". These sections provide important information concerning the proper operation of the unit. Additionally, in order to feel assured that you have gained a good grasp of every feature of your new unit, read Owner's Manual in its entirety. This manual should be saved and kept on hand as a convenient reference.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREVENTIONS OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS

About WARNING and CAUTION Notices
	Used for instructions intended to alert the user to the risk of death or severe injury should the unit be used improperly.
	Used for instructions intended to alert the user to the risk of injury or material damage should the unit be used improperly. * Material damage refers to damage or other adverse effects caused with respect to the home and all its furnishings, as well to domestic animals or pets.
About the Symbols
	The symbol alerts the user to important instructions or warnings. The specific meaning of the symbol is determined by the design contained within the triangle. In the case of the symbol at left, it is used for general cautions, warnings, or alerts to danger.
	The symbol alerts the user to items that must never be carried out (are forbidden). The specific thing that must not be done is indicated by the design contained within the circle. In the case of the symbol at left, it means that the unit must never be disassembled.
	The symbol alerts the user to things that must be carried out. The specific thing that must be done is indicated by the design contained within the circle. In the case of the symbol at left, it means that the power-cord plug must be unplugged from the outlet.

ALWAYS OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING

Make sure that the power cord is grounded
Connect mains plug of this model to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.

To completely turn off power to the unit, pull out the plug from the outlet
Even with the power switch turned off, this unit is not completely separated from its main source of power. When the power needs to be completely turned off, turn off the power switch on the unit, then pull out the plug from the outlet. For this reason, the outlet into which you choose to connect the power cord's plug should be one that is within easy reach and readily accessible.

Secure a sufficient amount of space at the setup location
Since this unit normally emits a slight amount of heat, make sure to secure sufficient space around it, as shown below.

Do not disassemble or modify by yourself
Do not carry out anything unless you are instructed to do so in the owner's manual. Otherwise, you risk causing malfunction.

Do not repair or replace parts by yourself
Refer all servicing to your retailer, the nearest Roland Service Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as listed on the "Information. "

Do not use or store in the following types of locations

• Subject to temperature extremes (e.g., direct sunlight in an enclosed vehicle, near a heating duct, on top of heat-generating equipment); or are
• Damp (e.g., baths, washrooms, on wet floors); or are
  
• Exposed to steam or smoke; or are
• Subject to salt exposure; or are
• Exposed to rain; or are
  
• Dusty or sandy; or are
• Subject to high levels of vibration and shakiness; or are
• Placed in a poorly ventilated location.

Do not place in an unstable location
Otherwise, you risk injury as the result of the unit toppling over or dropping down.

Connect the power cord to an outlet of the correct voltage
The unit should be connected to a power supply only of the type described as marked on the rear side of unit.

Use only the supplied power cord
Use only the attached power cord. Also, the supplied power cord must not be used with any other device.

Do not bend the power cord or place heavy objects on it
Otherwise, fire or electric shock may result.

Avoid extended use at high volume
Use of the unit at high volume for extended periods of time may cause hearing loss. If you ever experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should immediately stop using the unit and consult a specialized physician.

Do not allow foreign objects or liquids to enter unit; never place containers with liquid on unit
Do not place containers containing liquid (e.g., flower vases) on this product. Never allow foreign objects (e.g., flammable objects, coins, wires) or liquids (e.g., water or juice) to enter this product. Doing so may cause short circuits, faulty operation, or other malfunctions.

Turn off the unit if an abnormality or malfunction occurs
Immediately turn the unit off, remove the power cord from the outlet, and request servicing by your retailer, the nearest Roland Service Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as listed on the "Information" when:

• The power cord has been damaged; or
• If smoke or unusual odor occurs; or
• Objects have fallen into, or liquid has been spilled onto the unit; or
• The unit has been exposed to rain (or otherwise has become wet); or
• The unit does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a marked change in performance.

Be cautious to protect children from injury
Always make sure that an adult is on hand to provide supervision and guidance when using the unit in places where children are present, or when a child will be using the unit.

Do not drop or subject to strong impact
Otherwise, you risk causing damage or malfunction.

Do not share an outlet with an unreasonable number of other devices
Otherwise, you risk overheating or fire.

Do not use overseas
Before using the unit in overseas, consult with your retailer, the nearest Roland Service Center, or an authorized Roland distributor, as listed on the "Information."

When disconnecting the power cord, grasp it by the plug
To prevent conductor damage, always grasp the power cord by its plug when disconnecting it from this unit or from a power outlet.

Periodically clean the power plug
An accumulation of dust or foreign objects between the power plug and the power outlet can lead to fire or electric shock.
At regular intervals, be sure to pull out the power plug, and using a dry cloth, wipe away any dust or foreign objects that may have accumulated.

Disconnect the power plug whenever the unit will not be used for an extended period of time
Fire may result in the unlikely event that a breakdown occurs.

Route all power cords and cables in such a way as to prevent them from getting entangled
Injury could result if someone were to trip on a cable and cause the unit to fall or topple.

Avoid climbing on top of the unit, or placing heavy objects on it
Otherwise, you risk injury as the result of the unit toppling over or dropping down.

Never connect/disconnect a power plug if your hands are wet
Otherwise, you could receive an electric shock.

Disconnect all cords/cables before moving the unit
Before moving the unit, disconnect the power plug from the outlet, and pull out all cords from external devices.

Before cleaning the unit, disconnect the power plug from the outlet
If the power plug is not removed from the outlet, you risk receiving an electric shock.

Whenever there is a threat of lightning, disconnect the power plug from the outlet
If the power plug is not removed from the outlet, you risk receiving an electric shock.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Power Supply

• Do not connect this unit to same electrical outlet that is being used by an electrical appliance that is controlled by an inverter or a motor (such as a refrigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, or air conditioner).
  Depending on the way in which the electrical appliance is used, power supply noise may cause this unit to malfunction or may produce audible noise. If it is not practical to use a separate electrical outlet, connect a power supply noise filter between this unit and the electrical outlet.

Placement

• Using the unit near power amplifiers (or other equipment containing large power transformers) may induce hum. To alleviate the problem, change the orientation of this unit; or move it farther away from the source of interference.
• This unit may interfere with radio and television reception. Do not use this unit in the vicinity of such receivers.
• Noise may be produced if wireless communications devices, such as cell phones, are operated in the vicinity of this unit. Such noise could occur when receiving or initiating a call, or while conversing. Should you experience such problems, you should relocate such wireless devices so they are at a greater distance from this unit, or switch them off.
• Do not allow lighting devices that normally are used while their light source is very close to the unit (such as a piano light), or powerful spotlights to shine upon the same area of the unit for extended periods of time. Excessive heat can deform or discolor the unit.
• When moved from one location to another where the temperature and/or humidity is very different, water droplets (condensation) may form inside the unit. Damage or malfunction may result if you attempt to use the unit in this condition. Therefore, before using the unit, you must allow it to stand for several hours, until the condensation has completely evaporated.
• Do not paste stickers, decals, or the like to this instrument. Peeling such matter off the instrument may damage the exterior finish.
• Depending on the material and temperature of the surface on which you place the unit, its rubber feet may discolor or mar the surface.
• Do not place containers or anything else containing liquid on top of this unit. Also, whenever any liquid has been spilled on the surface of this unit, be sure to promptly wipe it away using a soft, dry cloth.

Maintenance

• To clean the unit, use a dry, soft cloth; or one that is slightly dampened. Try to wipe the entire surface using an equal amount of strength. Rubbing too hard in the same area can damage the finish.
• Never use benzine, thinners, alcohol or solvents of any kind, to avoid the possibility of discoloration and/or deformation.

Additional Precautions

• Use a reasonable amount of care when using the unit's buttons, sliders, or other controls; and when using its jacks and connectors. Rough handling can lead to malfunctions.
• When disconnecting all cables, grasp the connector itself — never pull on the cable. This way you will avoid causing shorts, or damage to the cable's internal elements.
• A small amount of heat will radiate from the unit during normal operation.
• To avoid disturbing others nearby, try to keep the unit's volume at reasonable levels.

Documents / Resources

References

• Roland - Support

Download manual

Here you can download full pdf version of manual, it may contain additional safety instructions, warranty information, FCC rules, etc.

Download Roland Blues Cube Hot - Guitar Amplifier Manual