Tube vs Cube Amp Shootout - Can you hear real tubes over an emulation?

Tube vs Cube amp Shootout - Can you hear real tubes over an emulation?
Can you hear the difference between a real Tube Amp and a digital emulation?
The Roland Cube features several digital models of classic tube amps. Provided by their Composite Object Sound Modelling technology. COSM.
But how similar does it sound against the real thing? Let’s find out because in today’s video We’ll find out if you can guess….
#TubeVsCube
In This test I’ll be putting my Roland Cube 80x against my Vintage Silverface Fender Pro Reverb, and my more modern Orange Dual Terror Lunchbox.
Because the cube has so many amp models I’ll be using these 2 different tube amps to go against it. The fender for the cleaner sounds, the orange for the heavy stuff.
All amps will have their EQ sections completely flat at 5 or noon.
Each amp will be mic’d with my version of a 57, that a 58 with the grille off. With the mic pointing just off the dustcap, right up to each amp’s grille.
To learn more about Microphone techniques and digital recording basics, check out my book How to Record Anything with Clarity and Character #1 best seller on Amazon: tinyurl.com/Re...
This first round will have 5 examples. I’ll pan between choice A, and Choice B on the screen. You’ll have until the countdown to lock in your answer .
We will be comparing:
Clean tone, Spring Reverb, Tremolo, Overdrive, and In a full Mix
It’s time to see whose a tube and whose a tube. Let's go!
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[@carver555]

I have played cubes - 80X - 80Gx and 40GX for 20 years despite being lucky enough to afford whatever I want. I have had over 25 years, a series of fenders, mesa boogies, marshalls, orange, peaveys and a dumble of late. They are all great amps but if I am brutally honest with you I have always kept a Cube and have played some of my best gigs using them. They are reliable and controllable in any circumstances and I have grown to love the sound. They are all slightly different but the same at the same time(If you know what I mean). I will probably keep the dumble for the fact that I spent a lot on it. Whether I will gig with it is a different question. Valve amps basically only do one thing and again being honest I couldn't tell the difference when I watched and listened to your video. I laugh when people say they can tell the difference because all the genuine blind trials tell us one thing. Most musos can tell the difference between a good and a crap amplifier and guitar for that matter. What we cannot tell is what generated to the sound analogue or digital- a good sound is s good sound. I have a 100 watt Katana also and have never used it - scratchy crap in my opinion and cubes might seem a bit old fashioned but I like them and the people who are nice enough to watch my band frankly don't care what I use and why should they? Out of all the amps I have if I could only keep one then it would be a Cube 40GX. We have been conned for long enough with expensive world war 1 technology. Thanks for the video but the valve thing is wasted on me. You either like an amp or love it or you dont.

[@dimitris70]

Carver have you tried the Rolland JS22?

[@conartist267]

Me too. The cubes are great amps. I have 2 80xl’s and I play with a guy with a Bassman and an Orange. My sound is as good without pedals so it’s good enough for me…

[@garycoates4987]

I think wasn't the best comparison you should have set the EQ on the amp to be closer instead of the same settings, it's kinda like you had a bias going in to the demo, the cube actually works differently,, the tube eq knobs work more like a balance than a level , setting it at noon is going to put it in the middle of the sweep where noon on the digital is going to half of an amount. All these amps are great.

[@RobBob555]

Exactly, he PURPOSELY made the cube sound bad, useless crap biased video 👎

[@abergreg]

I think its you mate, mine sounds a mile better than this. Bear in mind that you are comparing kit that is ten times the price of the cube AND you've got the treble and presence on low, what a doughnut.

[@perpetualgrimace]

For a better comparison, you'd want each amp going into the same cab, since speakers and cabs make a huge difference in the sound, minute differences in mic placement make a difference, and even two of the same mic can sound different. Someone who doesn't know better could walk away from this video thinking "tube amps are brighter than solid state modeling amps" and that's not the right takeaway at all.

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

I appreciate the comment! 2 of these are combo amps, so I feel it's fair to compare them with that built in speaker. You are correct I could have gotten a closer comparison by re-amping a DI signal. perhaps in the sequel! thanks for watching

[@timons7446]

@@LearnAudioEngineering Yeah I just wantet to comment on the same topic. I would like to watch the same test again but all amps through the same cab. The clean sound of the Fender, though...it's gorgeous! Apart from that it's a great idea to compare those 3 amps and the title is a true eyecatcher :D. I watched the video because my high school used to have a Roland Cube. Me and my friends use to meet for lunch and jam in the music classroom. Because of the break we could turn up our amps really loud and honestly I got some decent sounds out of the Roland Cube. I think I cranked the clean channel and used a boost or overdrive into it. I wonder what it would have sounded like through a nice 2x12 or even a 4x12 cab!

[@nickevans417]

It looks like your mic placement was a bit different too. Looks like centre for the Orange and a bit off centre for the Cube. That could make a considerable difference.

[@zszoranst]

My Cube 40xl souds very nice and clear, even with cheap guitar like Squier.

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

Good to hear!

[@StratsRUs]

The 40XL is a beautiful amp.

[@JayTheLane]

I dug this video for sure. However, I'm a bit bemused with this comparison. Surely the eqs on each amp aren't relative to each other as in noon on one wouldn't equal noon on the other. Each would need to be dialled in. Reverb comparison is a waste of time between the Fender and cube as they are apples and oranges reverb wise.

[@Alyamepi]

There must something wrong with that cube of yours. Mine only sounds this muddy with the power squeezer on. I won't say it is better than a tube amp (I don't own one), but the difference is definitely not as obvious as in your video.

[@jeremyschuhmann9671]

Fender Deluxe Reverb has a treble bleed capacitor on the vibrato channel volume control (like a bright switch that’s on all the time), making it one of the most trebley-sounding tube amps on the market, particularly at low volume settings. Many people have this capacitor clipped or disconnected at one end, as it’s an easy mod that can easily be undone (cap is near the vibrato channel input jack). The Cube 80XL, with its closed-back, infinite baffle cabinet has tons of low bass, and close-micing it with a cardioid accentuates the bass further. I would suggest turning on the bright switch and turning down the bass on the Cube 80XL, and moving the mics back a foot or so to try to get a better overall tonal match before attempting the blind test.

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

These are great tips, Jeremy. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge!

[@alanknott363]

Thanks for the shootout. I was surprised at how muddy the Cube is sounding here, I have the Cube 60 and have absolutely no problem getting a brighter, more sparkly tone just using it's EQ and presence controls, and that is with any of my guitars.

[@KarstenJohansson]

It would have been a better comparison if he didn't just 12 o'clock the settings. The mid-point has never been a true comparison, because it ignores that different amps have different "slopes." If you turn the treble up on a cube, it's easy to have way too much. In other words, it would have been better if he at least did tried to get them in the same frequencies, since it was all about whether you could tell the difference between tube and cube, and not whether the mid-point of the EQ is boring.

[@heyou429]

My Cube 30 doesn't sound muddy like this one. It also looks different, though, like no presence knob or looper. Is it any different or better recording with the phone/rec jack as a DI instead of mic'd?

[@StratsRUs]

I have tube amps and Boss and Roland Solid States etc.The convenience of the Roland and Boss , with all their bells and whistles make them great value.Even if I prefer my tube amps for a very direct connection, I think a Roland Cube XL , with the Power Squeezer and Looper etc is great value if you can find one.Not quite the satisfaction of a Marshall or Fender tube etc but excellent value. I think it's always good to keep a tube amp because it sharpens your ear when dialling in all other types of amps.

[@tonyharley5230]

Pointless, because you set the EQ to noon instead of dialing in the cube to sound like the tube amps.

[@vibetone355]

Got them all right bar one, l own the cube 80x l don’t record with it, just bedroom level playing keep it clean and add EHX platform compressor, Bell Epoch deluxe delay, specula reverb mk 3 all 3 pedals running into EHX tri parallel mixer pedals are in parallel, Getting a nice ambient mix, The cube is very reliable solid well made and will probably out live me,

[@LuisDiaz-wf4qj]

Hi! I have a cube 80xl and I changed the speaker for a Jensen c12k and the sound went from heaven to earth.

[@J.Blogsblues-ns4to]

The Fender was the best sounding for cleaner sounds the overdrive sounds on the other two were quite unpleasant in my view listening on headphones.

[@clayteasouth]

Why is the cube volume level so low? I have both cubes 2 for stereo rig and valve amps 3 for stereo and they all have a purpose and sound. Learn to tweak your tones.

[@conartist267]

My cube sounds heaps better than yours. I think your EQ settings on the cube were way off

[@jamesdoctor8079]

I think your cube could match that fender pretty close if you were to put an EQ pedal in front of it. There’s always going to be a difference between tube and solid state, but if you’re just going for specifically a clean sound - youd be surprised how much you can narrow down the differences with a good EQ pedal. Now, overdrive and distortion is a different story. The only ss amps I’ve heard that can emulate that are the fender tone masters, blackstar silverline, and kempers

[@RaviSingh-ph2uw]

I agree with some others, for a good comparison you need it going into the same cab and you need to not just leave the settings at five, but adjust it so they sound as similar as possible. This is my opinion this is what I’ve seen other people do, and the sort of thing they do in the Anderson comparisons

[@paulcarter5117]

Hmmmm, interesting. I have a Vox ac15, Fender Mod Hot Rod Deluxe and a Roland Cube 30X. Love the Cube every bit as much as I do the tube amps. Been through several different amps and those are the 3 I kept :)

[@ensoniq2k]

My score is abysmal: 0 I have a Cube myself and the sound is definitely fine. Some people tell me a tube is totally different and I'm nuts but I guess they need to justify their pricy investment. I even added the cheapest 4x12 speaker Thomann has to offer and like the sound way better than those Vintage 30s

[@FanHalen5150]

I got all the A/Bs and got all except the first question right.

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

thanks for watching!

[@gregmckitrick888]

Any experienced guitarist knows you have the find the amp that works for you. I love the Roland Cube 80XL but I only use it with the clean channel--the pristine JC emulation--and pedals. Works great. Want a deluxe reverb? Get a deluxe reverb. Emulations will only get you part of the way there.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I used a pair of Cube 80GX for stereo separation for years until getting a powered PA system; finally sold one Cube and quickly regretted it.

[@truthorhappiness]

My Roland Cube 60 doesn’t sound like this. It’s as if you turned the tone knob on the guitar to full mud.

[@yaki_font]

Pro reverbs flat eq is with all controls on 12. You should have them eq by ear flat each

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

I think your first question phrased it better, are you saying that the EQ controls only attenuate and that 10 (this amp goes to 10) is the flat position?

[@yaki_font]

@@LearnAudioEngineering nope it doesn't really work like that, its totally interactive. As you change the eq on one knob the others also change a bit... The flatest you can get is all on 10

[@yaki_font]

@@LearnAudioEngineering check this vid out so you get the full explanation kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXXTp5WeaLd0ZqM

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

@@yaki_font interesting I'll look into this thanks!

[@LearnAudioEngineering]

@@yaki_font funny I just found that one!

[@SH-pq5zq]

It seems even though all the settings are "flat", each amp is inherently different...so it's obvious what the tube is once it's revealed...to truly compare, would be better go "even" out the frequencie.

[@conartist267]

You really have to EQ the cube properly. Setting everything to 12 o’clock isn’t a proper comparison and EQing it in the DAW is not what people want for live shows. You also used a very old cube and the first with their amp sims. I believe if you had’ve spent a little time you would’ve gotten very close. I’m in a band with a guy that plays a Fender Bassman and an Orange Crush and my Cube 80xl easily matches it even without pedals…

[@yeril9]

I like Moore cube

[@kaleoride]

Actually compared to the Fender, the Orange does not sound good.

[@zacgabriel4724]

I really don't think either sound that great. Honestly going direct in is how you get the purist tone and I think amps only ruin it.

[@TTLBeauty]

Kapp

[@sink9963]

purest tone is subjective and you can't really define that

[@zacgabriel4724]

@@sink9963 If you think that you've obviously never heard the tone that comes out of my Squier Les Paul when I go direct in... No cap

[@sink9963]

@@zacgabriel4724 damn bro u right i put my guitar direct in with a boss metalzone in the signal chain. Purest form of distortion fr

[@ReinholdBinder-d9n]

Well. I don't like the sparkle at all. I actually hate it. It sounds crap. Especially when I play Jazz. Give the Roland any time.