The Cube Street range is virtually synonymous with busking and street performance. We’ll go so far as to wager that there isn’t a popular waterfront or street corner in the world where you won’t see a Cube Street at the feet of the talented musicians entertaining passers-by!
There are two amps in the Cube Street range – the Cube Street II and the Cube Street EX. Which one you choose depends on your needs – are you a solo performer running backing tracks from your phone? Do you use just a single guitar or have you got multiple instruments to plug in? Or do you have several band members performing together?
We’ve compiled some of the key features of both the Cube Street II and Cube Street EX to help you figure out which one works for your situation – and there’s also a handy summary table at the end of the article!
Contributed by Ed Lim for Roland Corporation Australia
CUBE STREET II – THE BENCHMARK
- The lightest and most portable Cube Street
- 10W power rating punches above its weight with high performance speakers
- Microphone input with harmony and reverb
- Instrument channel with nine selectable amps, chorus, delay and reverb
- Looper with up to 45 seconds stereo recording time
- Eight AA batteries will last 10 hours
- Common features – tuner, footswitching, 3-band EQ, AC adaptor included
- Optional Bluetooth® adaptor for wirelessly streaming music and editing with the CUBE Street II editor app
Weighing in at a mere 4.4kg, the Cube Street II is lightweight and ultra-portable. You can run it for up to 10 hours on just 8x AA batteries or use the included AC adaptor.
Crowd ready!
You have a choice of two inputs – one is a combined XLR/TRS which you can plug in a microphone or a line level input like a keyboard or synthesizer; the other is a standard ¼” TRS jack for you to plug your guitar or microphone with a jack connector into.
On the Mic channel, you can fine tune your sound with a 3-band EQ as well as reverb and the ability to add three types of vocal harmony to your voice.
On the Instrument channel, a wide variety of amp models are available, from acoustic simulator all the way up to chunky lead tones. These are also supported with the choice of delay or reverb to add for extra character.
With an onboard, footswitch controllable looper you get to be your own band, creating in the moment rhythms and looping additional musical parts on the fly. It is a great feature for performance as well as for general writing and practice.
Round off these great features with the BT-DUAL optional Bluetooth adaptor for extra wireless freedom to run backing tracks directly from your phone and wirelessly control the CUBE Street II editor app!
It’s clear why the Cube Street II is the standard choice for so many street performers across the globe.
But if you need a bit more, read on…
CUBE STREET EX – BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER
- Supports more inputs for busking with multiple instruments or bigger groups
- Innovative technology uses 8AA batteries to generate a huge 50W of power
- Get extended battery life using power saving modes
- Incorporates two pairs of discrete woofers and tweeters for great full range sound
- Use i-CUBE link to connect Apple devices – use with CUBE Jam app
- Stand mountable. Stereo link to create powerful mobile PA system
- Streamlined selection of COSM amps and basic effects
- Common features – tuner, footswitching, 3-band EQ, AC adaptor included
Cube Street EX takes things to a whole new level, sporting up to 4 inputs and a huge 50W of power to support busking with multiple instruments or bigger groups – or, if you just want to be louder than the busker a few metres down the sidewalk from you!
The versatility of the 4 inputs allows you to amplify almost any configuration of instruments and vocals for street performance, giving you a unique edge on the competition. For example, you might run:
- Keys + vocals + electric guitar
- Acoustic guitar + electric guitar + vocals
- Electronic drums (in stereo) + electric guitar + vocals
- Two vocals + synth (in stereo)
The possibilities are endless!
Sound quality is upgraded over the standard Cube Street II by incorporating a stereo pair of 8 inch woofers and dedicated 2 inch tweeters to allow fantastic full range sound reproduction for backing tracks or instruments like electronic drums and synthesizers. With i-CUBE Link and the free CUBE JAM app you can easily control backing tracks from your Apple device, and even record straight to your phone! A core selection of COSM amps is represented – from acoustic guitar preamp and acoustic simulation to clean/crunch/lead options; as well as a trusty trio of effects – reverb, delay and chorus. The innovative power optimisation technology allows 8x AA batteries to power the EX for up to 20 hours on ECO mode (10W) – with 15 hours available on NORM mode (25W) and 5 hours on MAX mode (50W). If 50W of power isn’t enough, you can even stereo link another Cube Street EX to form a mighty but mini portable PA system – mountable on speaker stands for maximum sound dispersion. In this configuration you can run up to EIGHT simultaneous inputs – no need to shell out for a separate mixing desk. Considering the huge bump in power, increased versatility, and great quality of sound reproduction, the EX is still extremely portable at 7.4kg!IN SUMMARY
| CUBE Street II | CUBE Street EX | |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs |
1. Mic/Line (XLR/TRS) 2. Guitar/Instrument/Mic (TRS) |
1. Mic/Line (XLR/TRS) 2. Mic/Guitar (TRS) - with COSM 3. Line in (L/Mono) 4. Line in (R) |
| Aux. In | Yes (w/dedicated volume) | Yes (w/dedicated volume) |
| i-CUBE Link | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | Woofer: 16cm (6.5in) x2 |
Woofer: 20cm (8in) x2 Tweeter: 5cm (2in) x2 |
| Power (watts) | 10W | 50W |
| On-board effects |
Reverb Delay Chorus |
Reverb Delay Chorus |
| Looper | Yes | No |
| Vocal Harmony | Yes | No |
| Built-in Tuner | Yes | Yes |
| Footswitchable | Yes | Yes |
| 3-Band EQ | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo Link | No | Yes |
| AC Adaptor | Included | Included |
| Battery Powered | 8 x AA | 8 x AA |
| Battery Life |
8 hours @ 10W (MAX mode) 11 Hours @ 5W (ECO mode) |
5 hrs @ 50W (MAX mode) 10 hrs @ 25W (NORM mode) 20 hrs @ 10W (ECO mode) |
| COSM Amp Models |
A-Guitar Acoustic Sim Clean Crunch Lead Mic |
A-Guitar Acoustic Sim Clean Crunch Lead Mic |
| COSM Gain Control | Yes | No |
| Weight | 4.4KG | 7.4KG |
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