roland micro cube and eleuke combo question..

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does anyone have this same set up ? if so i'd like to know what setting you are using on the roland, I seem to just stay in the accoustic setting with about 1/3 reverb and maybe just a touch of chorus.

I have the eleuke knobs both at around 50% to 60% and the tone on the roland at about the same.

Whenever I flick that selector swith around to the other setting I just cant get a nice sound out of it, I'm thinking perhaps I need to start messing with the gain as well because the volume seems to increase by heaps on anything but accoustic.

I love the eleuke but the roland has always been kinda dissapointing, for one thing the C string is just really boomy whatever setting I use (which may be a string thing but it seems more like the pick up in the eleuke is a bit imbalanced and heavy at the C string frequencys.

The guy at the local music shop suggested I take it in and spend a morning plugging it in to all the different amps in the store and experimenting with it so that is on the cards for sometime soon.

It's a bummer though because like i say i really love the way the Eleuke plays and feels but I am getting totally frustrated at the amp side of things, consequently the Eleuke stays in its gig bag way too much of the time.

Also, it is a bit buzzy, seems to be an earth problem, i wanted to use the small headphone jack as an out because then i could send 2 channels to the mixer or have fake stereo in the editing software so i could just throw a stereo expansion filter on it, but when i do that i get this really bad earth buz if my wrist or arm touches the main 3/4 inch jack.

So I have got a work around where i go mono / big jack out and into the roland then use the rolands headphones out jack to send stereo to the mixer.

it's all very confusing, I just want to plug in and go but it seems way more fiddly than that and I'm losing it... lol

thanks in advance for any tips or advice.
 
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It takes a lot of tinkering around to get the sound you want.

I don't think it's the amp's fault.
I am more inclined it is issues with the Eleuke's electronics. I own (and have owned) a very wide variety of electric ukuleles, including Eleuke.
And I have been using the Roland Microcube for several years.

Most of my other electrics sound fine and balanced on the Microcube. Getting an Eleuke to sound nice is more of a challenge.
You're right - the C string does tend to be overpowering (and if you think that's overpowering, try putting a low-G string on it and see what happens).
In my theory, it has a lot to do with Eleuke's internal electronics. The output tone is quite brittle and trebly, so to compensate, many of us turn the tone knob down. Obviously if you have the tone down, it sounds less brittle, but the bass frequencies will overpower.

The setting I have best of luck is having the volume on the Eleuke around 60-70%, and using the "MIC" amp setting on the Microcube.
Have the gain on the Microcube to absolutely (or close to) zero. Adjust tone and volume as desired on the amp.

I find that this gives a much more crisp, open sound than the other settings.



If you want to try an electric uke that sounds fabulous through an amp, try the Risa electric Uke-Solids.
They sound a lot more pleasant to my ears.





As for having an "earth" hum problem, I wouldn't blame the amp either.
Roland amps are notoriously known for their clean sound - I've heard quite a few people in amp circles that they're the cleanest amps ever. Furthermore, Eleukes are one of the quietest (in terms of hum) electrics I've tried too. Their active electronics are very resilient against background hum.

My suspicion is on your instrument cable... that's usually the culprit in my limited experience. Or perhaps your Eleuke batteries.. (always use Alkaline 9V)
 
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Thanks heaps for the input, yeh I do think you are right about the eleukes pick ups being the culprit, I think I will try and get the pick up system replaced and improved because I love the way the eleuke plays and sits in my hands and also I have just spent over 500 bucks on yet another uke (that makes 6 now) in just over 12 months so I will not be getting permision from mrs Webby (she who must be obeyed) to go buy another electric one.

I'll try your advice on the roland settings now and see if that makes a difference, i never thought to use the mic channel with no gain, thanks.
 
I think how the Eleuke's internal electronics are set is a disappointment. Other than that, they're really fine instruments - you get a lot for the price.

But yeah, I couldn't get used to how brittle and trebly they sound.
Their older models (before they introduced the mp3 jack) had better outputs, with mellower tones. However, they suffered from quality control issues.
The current models almost never have quality control issues, but their sound output is quite harsh and brittle.

I still remember the first time I got the "new" Eleuke and compared it to my "old" one.
My first thoughts were "Eleuke really jacked up the treble on their new model.. perhaps in an attempt to sound more 'acoustic' uke like?!"

Can't have the best of both worlds?!

Listen to some samples of the "original" older Eleukes. I used to own one too - I find the tone more pleasant and mellow...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB-B8b1Cuj4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFUhPObM97o


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmsdasW4Pyw



Of course, amps, settings and equipment are a big factor. But I truly believe that the older Eleukes had mellower tones built-in than the newer.
 
Well I'm not sure which model ive got, it doesn't have an mp3 jack just a 3/4 inch and a headphones, I got it new from a shop about a year ago maybe 18 months ago tops.
 
I have an older "Bugsgear Eleuke" (tenor) with a Kala label on the headstock. Came from MGM about 2 years or so back. It sounds very warm and mellow with the tone control backed down from treble. Not harsh or brittle at all. The newer ones may have different capacitors in their tone circuits than the older ones. I believe the capacitor rating affects tone although I could very well be wrong here. Any electronics gurus out there?
 
The acoustic setting on a Roland Microcube is to make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar as atated on page 6 of the manual:

http://lib.roland.co.jp/support/en/manuals/res/1811450/M-CUBE_e1.pdf

"2. Type Switch
You can select from the following seven amp types:
ACOUSTIC
This original amplifier model gives you a
dynamic acoustic guitar sound using a
standard electric guitar."

If you want an acoustic sound from your Eleuke get an L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. box to dial that sound in.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/lr-baggs-para-acoustic-di/307160000000000

I own a lot of battery powered amps and have done extensive research with them:

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?5333-Battery-powered-ukulele-amplification
 
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