ADA Microcab

[Dajbro]

Any of you have any experience with the ADA Microcab (version I, not II) for direct recording?

I've found a used one at what seems to be a fair price and was wondering if I should pull the trigger. Anyone have any thoughts? Thanks.

[Denyle_Guitars]

I had a MicroCab II. I used it with a Hafler preamp and it always sounded like 80's metal. Sold it for $100 about 5 years ago. I think you can get similar results with a free plug like Voxengo Boogex.

[Shane Sanders]

Everybody seems to agree that version one wasn't up to par. I honestly don't know.

I disagree that the MicroCab II sounds like metal--to me, it sounds like what you pipe into it, though I do think most of the cabs in it are overly nasal sounding which may be what Denyle Guitars is referring to.

If you use either of the 1x12 options in it, you can get some very usable and consistent vintage tones--those do not sound nasally to me, very usable. I have plenty of cab emulation IRs and still find the MCII to be nice and somewhat warmer than most IRs. I keep it around because sometimes I'm more about the sum of the parts and low CPU than I am about stunning isolated sounds.

[clintcrump]

I bought a used on Ebay a few years ago. After plugging it in and trying it out for about an hour, I put it up for sale on ebay. SPL has a box called the Transducer, but I have no idea how it sounds.

[gtrnstuff]

I had both versions and both were usable, like Shane said, the 1-12 options weren't too nasal. It's another flavor.

[Dajbro]

Thanks everyone. Still on the fence here. I was originally thinking of going the plugin route, as I've already got some to work with and have used them in the past with some success. Audio Ease Cabinet looks good for $50.

[Denyle_Guitars]

The best setting I found was with multiple speaker buttons in, usually 4x12 closed + 2x12 or 1x12 open.