Out of Many Amps, the Cube Lite is the Easiest to Use

Hello everyone! I'm Yuki Kito and I’m a guitar instructor.
This time, I would like to introduce the Roland “Cube Lite,” which boasts unparalleled capabilities as a practice amp.

ROLAND / CUBE Lite Black Guitar Amplifier

What kind of amplifier do you all usually use for practice?
A tube amp? Transistor? Headphone amp? While there are various types of amps to choose from,

• Size
• Sound quality
• Price

When considering these three points, isn't it true that the options suitable for a practice amp are somewhat limited? (Even though I really want to practice with a tube amp... lol)

Actually, this Cube Lite is available at the guitar school I belong to, and I've been using it for about three years now, so I believe I'm familiar with its ease of use, merits, and demerits.
Now, I would like to introduce it right away.

■ One Great Point of Cube Lite: Ridiculously Small

It’s so small that for a moment you might think, "Is this a battery-powered mini amp?"
It has an incredible size, with a width of 25cm and both height and depth under 15cm.

When it comes to amps of a similar size, the YAMAHA THR is also hard to pass up, but even then, it can't quite beat the compactness of the Cube Lite. Of course, the THR is a great amp too (laughs).

The benefits of its small size are wonderful, and it makes a huge difference, especially for home practice.
For example, placing a normal amp on a desk sacrifices a lot of space, so in many cases, people end up leaving them on the floor to collect dust.

In that regard, you can place the Cube Lite in a corner of your desk and still use the rest of the desk without any problems.
Especially for households with children where available space is extremely limited, being compact is definitely a welcome feature!

■ Second Great Point of Cube Lite: Music Sounds Great

Despite its small size, the Cube Lite actually comes equipped with two speakers.
Furthermore, it even has a built-in subwoofer, allowing you to play music or movies with very powerful sound.

You can output music from other amps that have an AUX terminal... you can, but...
Most of them are so specialized for guitar that music playback often sounds a bit lackluster. In that regard, since this amp has a subwoofer, I think it’s perfectly viable for listening to music!

As an instructor, I have busy days and slow days... on those slower days, this amp is extremely useful for practicing while playing YouTube videos or even for watching movies on Netflix.

■ Third Great Point of Cube Lite: Ideal Clean Sound & Reverb for Practice

Setting aside solo practice where you're simulating a performance, don't you usually find yourself practicing with a clean sound for standard sessions?

When that's the case, having too many effects or amp simulators might make sound-shaping so fun that it actually gets in the way of your practice.

On that note, perhaps because it's a characteristic of transistors, the Cube Lite's "Clean" setting produces a beautiful clean sound that thoroughly eliminates distortion elements. Having reverb and chorus included is also a nice touch! In particular, keeping a shallow reverb on might make your practice time more enjoyable...?

■ Fourth Great Point of Cube Lite: Portability

Amps inevitably become difficult to move because their weight and size get in the way.
I'm sure there are times when you think, "I'd really like to just play a little bit in the living room..."

Beyond its small size, the fact that the Cube Lite is lightweight at just 1.7kg is one of its biggest advantages.

With this level of lightness, you can even fit it in a gig bag to play lightly at a friend's house, and transporting it during a move is a breeze! I think portability is surprisingly important when owning an amp.

■ Points of Concern for Cube Lite: Distortion Sound Quality

There are all kinds of amps with different speaker sizes and transistor/tube configurations, but if you ask whether you can create a dynamic distortion like a Marshall with the size of a Cube Lite, I think that's a bit of a stretch.

The clean sound is quite good, but I get the impression that the distortion is somewhat picky about the guitar used.
Instead—or rather, to make up for it—the clean channel is excellent and takes pedals quite well, so I think it’s just an inevitable trade-off.

So, that was my introduction to the Roland Cube Lite!
What did you think? When looking for an amp, our eyes often wander toward tube amps or high-quality transistor amps.

However, it might be worth putting a compact amp with intentionally minimal features, like the Cube Lite, on the table for consideration.

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