Review Boss Nextone Stage 40w 1x12 Guitar Combo

This new range draws on Roland's Blues Cubes and promises to deliver both the sound and the playing feel of a real valve amp.

Priced betwixt the Boss Katana and the Roland Blues Cube guitar amps, the Boss Nextone models lean more in the direction of the Dejection Cubes, and add together an on-board delay also equally switchable output-phase characteristics. These are emulations of 6V6‑, 6L6‑, EL84‑ and EL34-based Class‑A/B valve amps (see box), and employ the Tube Logic algorithms and ability scaling switching that were adult for the Blues Cube range. Boss tell us that selecting an amp blazon on the Nextones physically reconfigures the analogue Class‑A/B output circuitry, also as the mode the preamp and speaker interacts with information technology, and so essentially in that location are iv different counterpart circuits that feed into the final Class‑A/B output stage. It'south all very dissimilar from the various modelling amps of other manufacturers that do all the emulation with DSP and and then feed the result through a clean power amp — no doubt this one reason these amps go so much closer to a true valve-amp experience.

Overview

The 40W Nextone Phase — which is the model I was sent for review — is companion to the slightly larger and doubly powerful 80W Nextone Artist, and features a single custom 12-inch speaker mounted in a semi-open-backed cabinet. Everything is neatly finished, with a smoothly textured black vinyl roofing, blackness plastic corners and panel trim, and gray-striped speaker grille cloth. As with the Dejection Cube, the controls are designed to be set up but like a conventional amplifier, so at that place are no menus or LCD readouts to go between the user and the process of setting upwardly a audio. However, if you practice like deeper tweaking, the gratuitous downloadable Nextone Editor app (for Mac Os and Windows) allows you to create a custom amp setup past tweaking such things as bias, ability supply sag, additional EQ, tone stack type, boost parameters (ane of which is to have a compressor in place of heave), delay blazon, reverb type and so on. You tin can also use it to swap out the filibuster for a tremolo if you'd adopt, and in custom style you can have different power-valve types for the clean and lead channels if yous wish.

Though the amp is not programmable in the conventional way, it can store one custom setting created using the editor software, and this tin can be chosen upwards past pressing and holding the Aqueduct switch (press and concord over again to go back to standard mode). Notation that just the custom amp mode tin can be tweaked using the software, but with its four ability valve options the standard manner is still very flexible.

You also get a speaker‑emulated DI output, an emulated headphones/recording output, USB recording (which requires a commuter, available on the Boss website), furnishings loop jacks that tin be configured in series or parallel, plus the means to connect optional footswitches or a dedicated multi-switch controller. The optional GA-FC foot controller offers channel choice, tone, boost, effects loop and delay. If you want something simpler, upwards to 3 FS-series footswitches can be used to command key functions. However, the GA-FC is recommended, equally information technology also includes two jack inputs that can be used to add a switch for tap tempo and a master volume expression pedal. Should you wish, you tin hook up one or two external speakers, as long as the combined load is non less than 8Ω.

With all these extras, yous might reasonably enquire why the Nextone costs less than the equivalent Dejection Cube. In fact, at first glance the Roland/Dominate amp range seems a piffling odd, in that the Katana models sport the most features merely are the least plush, while the Blues Cubes — devoid of anything much in the way of bells and whistles — are considered the top of the range. While there are some differences, as I'll explicate, the merely obvious compromise I tin can meet is that the Nextone cabinet is built from particle board rather than the plywood of the Blues Cubes; that may have a petty warmth away from the sound and it makes the amplifiers a bit heavier. The speaker seems to exist a unlike model too, but given the price deviation these are very pocket-sized details.

Panel Games

The layout of the Nextone Stage's controls follows the familiar clean and pb channels format, with boost and tone switches for adding crunch and height boost — again, this is a Blues Cube spin-off, though it's worth noting that the Blues Cube has dissever tone and boost buttons for each channel, whereas here in that location's just i pair of buttons, but their settings are remembered when you change channel. The tone types are dissimilar also, the lead channel adding warmth and the clean aqueduct adding brightness. Farther tweaks are possible to both tone and boost for the custom amp setup using the editor software, with alternate boost voicing or the choice of a compressor.

While the basic Blues Cube amps accept only reverb (you have to go to the top models for tremolo), here y'all go delay as well, with the aforementioned choice of trading information technology in for a tremolo (on the custom setting simply) via the editor software. Usefully, the USB interface tin be used to record both the amp-emulated and clean guitar sounds simultaneously, and the headhones/recording output comes in handy in the studio as a DI source when you lot don't want to hear sound from the speaker. If using the Nextone Editor software, y'all can choose from iii 'Air Feel' miked‑cab variations. Dry out recordings tin as well be re-amped via USB afterwards selecting USB Loop Back in the editor.

To the left of the control panel is the channel-select switch, which you tin also press and concord to toggle between the normal and custom amp settings. Those tone and boost buttons are correct next to the input jack, after which comes the clean channel (with only a volume knob) followed by the atomic number 82 channel, which has both gain and book controls. The iii-ring EQ is augmented by a Presence control next to the principal volume knob, while the furnishings section has only two knobs for adjusting the corporeality of delay and reverb, plus a tap-tempo push for the delay or tremolo and a filibuster on/off button. Final in line, next to the power switch, are two four-way rotary switches, ane to select the output valve blazon and i to select from Standby or the three power settings: 0.5W, Half and Max.

Speaker Out jacks are located on the underside of the amp section. The back of the amp appears quite busy, with no fewer than vi quarter-inch jack connectors — two for footswitches, and one each for line out, phones/rec out and the loop send and return. If you don't take the fancy six-button GA-FC human foot controller, which connects using a TRS cable to the delay jack, you lot can use one of the jacks with a dual switch (TRS connexion) to select channels and to bring in boost, and the other to turn the delay on or off.

The USB socket and an IEC mains inlet are likewise on the rear panel, with three farther jacks tucked beneath the chassis for connecting external speakers.

Operation

The costless software editor allows you to tweak diverse settings not accessible on the amp, and so save the result to a custom patch in the amp. As with other Boss apps I've tried, the editor software is extremely simple to apply, with very obvious controls and sections divided into logical pages. Y'all can save as many custom setups as you like but only 1 tin be stored in the amp at any ane fourth dimension. While you have to cull filibuster or tremolo — you can't have both — you lot could add tremolo to your custom amp but have delay in the normal style amp. Switching to the custom setting involves a 1-2d press of the Channel button, and then isn't something you'd normally do mid song.

The four power valve modes accept singled-out characters and the amplifier responds very well to playing dynamics, in much the same way as a valve amplifier does. Having the switchable power modes means yous can hit the sweet spot at studio-friendly levels besides, so that analogue output phase is conspicuously doing the job.

Is there anything I didn't like? Well, it would have been helpful if in that location was a way to switch between delay and tremolo for the normal mode — I'g sure it could have been implemented using a combination of switch presses or a printing-and-hold move. Similarly the delay feedback level, though sensibly prepare, could have been made adjustable using the familiar 'concord downwards a button while turning a knob' strategy. I also recollect this rather fantabulous amp is deserving of a better cabinet, but at the same time I can appreciate that decisions had to be made to reach this cost point.

The Nextone range comprises two similar models, the smaller 40W Phase and the more than powerful 80W Artist. Sonically the amplifier can get very close to the sound of a Blues Cube, despite its somewhat different cabinet acoustics — though in a direct shootout, I felt the Blues Cube Hot and Stage models seemed slightly warmer-sounding and somehow more 'lively'. I don't know if this is down to the cabinet, speaker or whatever, but for many players the differences volition exist too subtle to worry near. It'southward also possible that more tweaking in the editor would get the sound even closer, and considering of the four tube-emulation options, the Nextone covers a broader palette when needed.

The emulated line output likewise works very well for DI'ing into a PA organisation for live use — though for the best recorded results, you lot still tin can't shell sticking a mic in front of the amp, and that's something the 0.5W setting makes user-friendly in the dwelling house studio. I institute the clean channel to be cleaner up to higher level settings than my Dejection Cube, and the lead channel cleaner at lower gain settings, so I'd probably choose to stay on the Lead channel set near clean and and then use pedals to add together more drive when needed. I tested that way of working with an OCD drive pedal and it worked perfectly well for lifting a slightly jangly clean tone into classic rock territory.

Verdict

However yous determine to apply it, for small pub and club gigs the Nextones have the edge over most valve amps — while you tin hit the sweet spot at audience-friendly levels, they're capable of playing loud when you demand to. Y'all may too notice that the on-board delay/tremolo and reverb mean you don't need to take a big pedalboard with you. And while the editor software tin can help you fine-tune your sound, even if you lot never carp to download information technology you should notice the Nextone to exist a very capable and flexible amplifier, with much more of a tube-amp feel than the all-modelling amplifiers I've tried.

Alternatives

The closest equivalent probably comes from Vox's Valvetronix range, in which a single valve stage feeds a pseudo transformer placed between the modelled preamp and the power amp to recreate the ability-amp experience.

Output-phase Configurations

The power-stage configuration has a meaning issue on the style an amplifier sounds. The 6V6 was often used in low-wattage American amps, and the characteristic sound is often described equally sweet simply crisp, with a trivial compression. The 6L6 output valve, favoured by many US high-power amp builders, has more headroom and delivers a potent mid-range. You can expect Fender-similar tones from these two settings on the Nextone.

Crossing the Atlantic, the EL84 is all-time known for its Class‑A configurations in Vocalization amps, and has a distinctive high end that's sometimes described as 'chiming'. It also overdrives sweetly without losing definition. And of course the EL34 was Marshall's stock in merchandise, and is associated with archetype rock and blues sounds — though it also works well when clean.

Pros

• Hugely configurable yet so simple to utilise.
• Very valve-like sound and experience.
• Congenital-in effects.
• Friendly software editor.

Cons

• No way to switch the delay to tremolo on the front console.
• No panel adjustment for filibuster feedback.
• Switching betwixt normal and custom modes not instant and can't be washed with a footswitch.

Summary

While incorporating a lot of Blues Cube Dna, the Nextone adds user editability and on-board delay, making information technology extremely versatile.

information

Nextone Stage 40W £439; Nextone Artist 80W £615. Prices include VAT.

www.boss.info

Nextone Stage 40W $499.99; Nextone Creative person 80W $699.99.

www.boss.info

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Source: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/boss-nextone-stage

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