Digital Music Reviews

  Roland Expands Its CUBE Series with a New Compact Cube Amp Roland has expanded its long-running CUBE amplifier line with a new model aimed at players who need a compact, portable, and easy-to-use practice and performance amp. The CUBE series has been one of Roland’s most recognizable product families for decades, known for combining modeling technology, portability, and simple control layouts for everyday guitar use. The new addition continues that philosophy, focusing on convenience and versatility rather than complex feature sets. A New Chapter for the CUBE Series The CUBE lineup has evolved steadily over the years, covering everything from small practice amps to portable street-performance systems. The new model fits into this tradition by offering a lightweight and portable design that can be used in a wide range of situations, from home practice to small outdoor performances. Roland continues to position the CUBE series as a flexible solution for guitarists who want reliable...

  Ibanez Alpha Series Signals a Bold New Direction for Extended-Range Guitars Ibanez has unveiled the new Alpha Series for 2026, introducing a completely new guitar platform aimed at modern progressive and metal players. Available in both 7-string and 8-string configurations, the Alpha Series combines multiscale construction, Fishman Fluence Modern pickups, and a highly ergonomic body design intended to meet the demands of today's performance-focused guitarists. While new guitar releases are common, the Alpha Series feels significant for a different reason. Rather than updating an existing platform, Ibanez has chosen to develop an entirely new design from the ground up. A New Body Shape for a New Generation The most obvious feature of the Alpha Series is its unconventional body design. According to Ibanez, the shape was engineered with ergonomics as a primary goal. The body features a deep forearm contour, extensive rear carving, and a lower section designed to improve comfort when...

Blackstar Expands Its FRFR Range with the New Artist FR Standard and Artist FR Special The growing popularity of guitar modelers has created a booming market for FRFR (Full Range Flat Response) speaker systems. As more players adopt platforms such as the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, Line 6 Helix, Kemper Profiler, and IK Multimedia TONEX, the need for speaker solutions designed specifically for these systems continues to increase. Blackstar has responded with the introduction of the Artist FR Standard and Artist FR Special, two powered FRFR cabinets designed to provide the accuracy required by modern digital rigs while maintaining the familiar feel of a traditional guitar amplifier. What Is the Artist FR Series? The Artist FR Series is Blackstar's latest entry into the FRFR market. Unlike conventional guitar cabinets that color the sound of an amplifier, FRFR systems are designed to reproduce the signal as accurately as possible. This allows guitarists to hear amp models, cabinet simulat...

  Has Bad Cat Finally Built the Ultimate Do-It-All Tube Amp? For decades, guitar players have chased the same impossible dream. They want sparkling cleans. They want classic British crunch. They want modern high-gain aggression. And they want all of it from a single amplifier. Most amps excel at one or two of those things. Very few genuinely excel at all three. That's the challenge Bad Cat appears to be tackling with the new Hot Cat 50. The latest version of the company's flagship high-gain platform combines a redesigned 50-watt EL34 power section, dual independent channels, flexible EQ controls, and switchable Lo and Hi gain modes. The Problem With Most "Versatile" Amps Amp companies love to use the word versatile. In reality, many so-called versatile amplifiers simply offer multiple variations of the same core sound. A clean channel may be decent. A gain channel may be excellent. But rarely do both channels feel equally developed. The Hot Cat 50 seems to have been d...