Amp trouble

[Bill Groner]

I have a Roland Micro Cube Amp. I have had it and used it daily for the last 8 years. When I turn it on, all the lights flash. They do this several times, and then go dark. I repeatedly turn the switch on and off, until finally it turns the amp on. Do you think it's a problem with the power switch, or something else? I will thank you for all the advice from you electronics guys. I am handicapped in that field!

[Tom Troughton]

Hello, I'll try to help. This is an old amp, and might be easier to get it serviced, or replace it. That said, ...

There's a few possibilities here. From your description I don't know if the amp is taking a long time to turn on, or if the switch doesn't work at all, or if something else (if there's lights, there's power). First thing remove the batteries if there are any in it, and see if it shows the lights. Maybe you did that. This is a problem that has been reported - read the thread I listed at 3)

1) Not saying this is the issue, but have you customised the settings? Maybe try to reset the amp to factory settings? This might make all the lights flash as you describe. See (a different amp, but maybe similar?):

https://support.roland.com/hc/en-us/art ... n-the-unit

See also for how to reset the amp MicroCube GX - don't know if it will work with your amp:

https://support.roland.com/hc/en-us/art ... ialization

Everything that follows can break your amp. Personally I have these things serviced, because I am afraid of what electricity can do, but if you want to mess around these links might help. I can't help if you follow these and something goes wrong.

REPEAT: This is at your own risk.

About servicing inside: Roland doesn't seem to have allowed the schematic to be posted. See

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/thre ... ed.308554/

2) There is a beginner-friendly series of teardown videos for Roland amps of this style that starts here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLGwVIi0paU

3) If the amp intermittently has no power at all I would think it s the power switch, but it could be a failing circuit board. See:

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/my-rol ... ay.862926/

There's some pictures of what the problem can be. Based on your post maybe you would be more comfortable getting someone to help you with fixing this. Some people report the problem goes away. YMMV. About the posters: I think Joetho is a mad man - fuses exist for reasons to do with fire and shock. Your opinion may vary from mine. I would see a service centre. If you don't want to do that ...

4) There's a facebook page that discusses some of the issues that come up, with another youtube video of a teardown of a cube 60 amp, showing that these amps are very similar to one another:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1199713 ... 371655123/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n39tAMM-w2g

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[Bill Groner]

Thank you Tom. If have put a band aid on it that seems to work and I think it has narrowed down my problem. It happens when the power switch on the amp is used. I bypassed that by finding the position on the switch that works and left it in that position. I have an outlet type switch plugged in the wall. I turn the amp off with using that instead of the switch on the amp itself. It works every time so I can only assume it's the switch on the amp itself. Thanks for all the links you posted. If I have trouble in the future I will check them out.

[Bill Groner]

Tom, again thank you. I have tried the 2nd link you posted and it worked. I don't know how my amp got out of whack, I never touch that save button, but I did like the link said and all is good now.