NGD Two Notes CAB M+

Christmas present to myself...




It's been hard to ignore the recent buzz about the CAB M+ since they added the preamp functionality. I've been wanting something like it for a while now. I picked up a Tech 21 Blonde for practice at home a few years ago, and I never really bonded with it. The CAB M+ obviously has way more capability. For me, with my pedal board, it can be a all-in-one solution for silent practice at home. Additionally, I can use it for recording, or use it as a direct box at gigs with or without my amp. It seems like great tool with many uses. So, when I saw the CAB M go on sale for $249.99 with free shipping, I had to have it. I'm glad I jumped on it too because they were sold out just a couple of days later, and then the price jumped to $279.

Out of the box it had the old firmware. As with anything Bluetooth and Android, the initial setup and connection didn't go smoothly. Once I got it going, the app indicated that there was a firmware update. No, you can't update it via your phone or tablet, you have to connect it via USB to a computer (Windows and Mac support only).

After I got the firmware updated, I flipped the input level switch to +12dB, plugged my Tele directly in, and plugged in my Sony 7506s. I just left it set on the first preset, which is supposed to be a '77 Twin. I enabled the preamp, and without touching any other settings I started playing. Wow, it immediately exceeded my expectations! Then, in the preamp settings, I turned the treble up some and the bass down exactly like I would on any black/silverface Fender. I also turned the reverb down a bit. The preamp tone controls responded exactly like I would expect them to. Perfect so far! I also tried cranking the power amp. Not bad, certainly not mind blowing, but not bad at all.

All in all, after just a few minutes of tinkering with it, I'm very happy. Now, I want a reactive load box. I thought about just ordering the Suhr, but I decided that I'm just going to build one. I'm already drawing up the plans.

Edit: I had some time today to run my blackface Bassman through it (with just cab/mic and a little reverb enabled). It sounded great. Switching back to the built-in preamp, with similar tone settings, I noticed that it's actually a little on the bright compared to the real thing. Not a big deal, I could still make sound good and very similar.