Boss

The logical
next step
The lowdown on
Roland’s clever Tube
Logic technology
W
hile valves sound great,
they’re not perfect.
Modern valves don’t
have the quality and consistency
of those made in the 50s and
early 60s, and they wear out
quicker. Solid-state should have
all the advantages – it’s durable,
reliable and portable with no
heavy transformers. But the
sound and response of valve
circuits is diffi cult to emulate
with solid-state. Until now, that
is. Roland’s fi endishly clever
Tube Logic technology made its
debut in the rejuvenated Blues
Cube series, before being used
for the Waza Craft, Katana and
Nextone amps. It uses analogue
solid-state circuits, which can
be dynamically controlled with a
DSP to react just like their valve
equivalents, making it possible
to mimic the various parts of
classic valve amplifi ers, right
down to component level. It
sounds uncannily authentic.
put more functionality at your feet
with the GA-FC foot-controller.
In use, the Nextone sounds
scarily realistic, with bouncy
dynamic cleans and fat, touch-
sensitive tweedy overdrives. The
diff erence between the output
stage types wasn’t quite as distinct
as we’d hoped, although you can
certainly hear classic Plexi, Tweed,
Blackface and Vox characteristics
as you cycle through diff erent valve
types. It’s more noticeable using
clean sounds and mild overdrive;
as you turn up the wick the subtle
nuances gradually disappear. The
eff ects are impressive and you can
dial in any sound you want using
the editor: for example, the
software EQ has not one but two
fully parametric midrange choices.
At lower volume the Nextone
Stage sounds much like a real valve
amp, without the drawbacks of
valves. It has more functionality
than the Blues Cube, but lacks the
eff ects wizardry of the Katanas.
The reverbs are great and the delay
can be swapped for a decently
usable tremolo, however there are
currently no other eff ects and only
one programmable patch.
Taken on its own, the Nextone is
a great idea, however it faces stiff
competition, including ironically,
Boss’s own Katana range, which
may not have the power amp
control but has quite a few tricks of
its own. However, if you don’t need
bells and whistles but want to hear
just how far solid-state can be
taken, the Nextone is a great choice
– maybe your next one.
Nick Guppy
BLACKSTAR
ID:60 TVP
Blackstar’s
stunning ID range
is the Nextone’s
closest
non-Roland
competitor, with
six preamp
voices, six output valve emulations
and more effects to tinker with.
BOSS KATANA
ARTIST 100
A few quid more
buys the flagship
Boss Katana
Artist, which
offers five voices,
58 effects, eight
patches and a truly superlative Waza
Craft loudspeaker.
MARSHALL
ORIGIN 20C
If you must have
real valves,
Marshall’s Origin
20 Combo is the
real deal, utilising a
clever preamp and
Powerstem technology for classic
Marshall tone.
ALSO TRY...
The control panel has a
reassuringly familiar
old-school look and feel
The Nextone includes a
programmable effects
loop, USB port and foot
control sockets
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SuMMarY
£469
£499
£459
92
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ToTal GuiTar JULY 2019
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TGR320.gear_lead.indd 92 5/22/19 11:25 AM