With a cabinet closer in size to a Deluxe, and relatively lightweight despite two Celestion G12H-100 loudspeakers, the Cyber-Twin is more portable than most 2 x 12 combos. The chassis follows the same open-ended, wedge shape design as the Dyna-Touch models, but inside things are very different.
There are four main PCBs, which are double-sided and through-plated, and the component count is very high with several expensive-looking microprocessors in evidence.
The front panel is where the Cyber-Twin's dual nature is immediately evident. The left-hand side is more or less traditional Fender, with a single input jack followed by nine knobs. But move to the right and, aside from a traditional jewel mains indicator light, you're confronted with a large display panel surrounded by buttons and dials that announce Fender's arrival in the digital age.
On the rear there are a few more surprises such as the stereo pair of balanced line-outputs and a SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) output. Then there's the MIDI IN, OUT and THRU sockets as well as jacks for the amp's two (supplied) footswitches and two assignable controller pedals. Clearly, this is not a regular Fender amplifier.
In use
Once switched on there's a delay for a few seconds while the Cyber-Twin's two GT12AX7 preamp valves warm up and the digital stuff initialises. But we confess we didn't notice this the first time - we were too busy watching the motorised knobs rotate! Self-twiddling aside, this portion of the control panel looks disarmingly conventional. The knob on the far left is a trim control, used to set up the optimal input level with a small LED display, and isn't motorised: just set it and forget it. Then we have gain, volume, bass, mid, treble, reverb and master volume. These controls all have their positions memorised as part of a patch, with the clever exception of the master volume - setting this control determines a maximum level, which can then be altered by remote control, using either an expression pedal or a MIDI continuous controller.
Did we say MIDI? Oh yes. The Cyber-Twin has a MIDI implementation that would put some keyboards to shame. Virtually every parameter can be accessed, either with an assignable controller pedal, or from, for example, a sequencer. There's a four-channel footswitch and a separate reverb/FX toggle switch included, but to explore the fun of real-time remote control further, or to access more than four presets, you'll need to buy the appropriate gear. This makes perfect sense to us: how many players bought MIDI rack set-ups with trillions of patches, only to find they only needed three or four sounds for everything?
The right-hand side of the front panel is where the Cyber-Twin's digital control resides. Initially a little daunting, the functions are easy to understand after a brief read of the comprehensive manual. The four buttons in a vertical line next to the master volume are the 'quick access' channels: once you have a sound you like, hit Save and store it to be recalled, either by one of these buttons or the four-button footswitch.
The actual Save button is one of four in an arc on the left of the display. The other three call up the onboard tuner and noise-gate functions and allow you to tap in a tempo for delay and modulation effects, like tremolo. Under the display are three small knobs, which access the three most important functions in any FX patch - just like tweaking the knobs on a stompbox, and very straightforward to use.
The large dial is for data entry and the four buttons on the right of this access editing functions for amp models, FX and utility functions like MIDI mapping and so on.
Fender have organised the Cyber-Twin's monumental range of tone into three banks. The Fender Custom Shop consists of 85 permanent patches complete with effects; Your Amp Collection is a permanent non-effects set of 35 amp models. You can take your pick from either of these two banks, change them to your heart's content and store your patch in the Player's Lounge bank, which has up to 85 slots available. The actual amp models read like a Fender hall of fame. From Tweed Champs to modern incarnations like the Prosonic and Roc-Pro.
Although Fender doesn't like the Cyber-Twin being compared to a digital modelling amp, this is one area where both are similar: you're presented with someone's interpretation of a particular amp, and it's up to you to decide how valid it is. Comparison is always purely subjective, and full of variables. We A/B'd the Cyber-Twin's Blackface Deluxe offerings with three real Deluxes - two original sixties models and a re-issue - and came up with four distinctly different sounds! However, with a few easy changes it was possible to make the Cyber-Twin sound as close to all three as made no difference. What is clear, however, is that without any extra ear candy to bolster things, the Cyber-Twin can sound as sweet or as wild as any real amp in its library.
Talking of candy, the cleverest bit of Fender's digital effects suite is that reverb doesn't form a part of it. Fender amps are almost synonymous with the reverb effect and the Cyber-Twin places this logically as part of the amplifier model, with inboard and outboard spring types available, as well as a selection of room, halls and plates. Reverb aside, there's all kinds of fun to be had with delays, choruses and wah-wahs (touch and manual), as well as wackier stuff like ring modulation and harmonising. We just loved the tape echo delay with bucket loads of analogue warmth and a wow/flutter effect that perfectly captured the old WEM Copicat - Hank Marvin fans, this one could be perfect for you!
If there's an effect you want that the Cyber-Twin doesn't have, then plug it into the send/returns, which can handle balanced or unbalanced, mono or stereo, and high or low-level signals.
Fender have gone to great lengths to give the Cyber-Twin the ultimate in live or studio flexibility. As well as a stereo pair of balanced, speaker compensated line-outs which can be summed to mono, there's the SPIDF, which can either output the direct guitar signal or the full effects-laden amp sound direct into your sound card. But if that sounds like overkill, the Cyber-Twin can still be used conventionally, and with a stereo power stage delivering 65W RMS per channel, there's plenty of power.
Verdict
We've seen a lot of high-powered digital amps lately and that word 'awesome' is beginning to get somewhat overused. But if ever an amp deserved exclusive rights on that word, the Cyber-Twin is it. Considering the almost limitless number of parameter combinations, the digital implementation is very well handled - dig as deep as you like, or simply turn a knob. And with its comprehensive MIDI spec, the control possibilities are endless.
The price puts it in a different league to most amps of this type, and because digital technology is relatively cheap and chip improvement so frequent, there's bound to be another 'awesome' amp appearing very soon.
Whether today's kids will look back at the Cyber-Twin in 25 years time with the same fond respect that we have for the Bassman or the blackface Deluxe, only time will tell. However, innovation is the name of the digital game, and at least for the time being, the Cyber-Twin reigns supreme.
Once switched on there's a delay for a few seconds while the Cyber-Twin's two GT12AX7 preamp valves warm up and the digital stuff initialises. But we confess we didn't notice this the first time - we were too busy watching the motorised knobs rotate! Self-twiddling aside, this portion of the control panel looks disarmingly conventional. The knob on the far left is a trim control, used to set up the optimal input level with a small LED display, and isn't motorised: just set it and forget it. Then we have gain, volume, bass, mid, treble, reverb and master volume. These controls all have their positions memorised as part of a patch, with the clever exception of the master volume - setting this control determines a maximum level, which can then be altered by remote control, using either an expression pedal or a MIDI continuous controller.
Did we say MIDI? Oh yes. The Cyber-Twin has a MIDI implementation that would put some keyboards to shame. Virtually every parameter can be accessed, either with an assignable controller pedal, or from, for example, a sequencer. There's a four-channel footswitch and a separate reverb/FX toggle switch included, but to explore the fun of real-time remote control further, or to access more than four presets, you'll need to buy the appropriate gear. This makes perfect sense to us: how many players bought MIDI rack set-ups with trillions of patches, only to find they only needed three or four sounds for everything?
The right-hand side of the front panel is where the Cyber-Twin's digital control resides. Initially a little daunting, the functions are easy to understand after a brief read of the comprehensive manual. The four buttons in a vertical line next to the master volume are the 'quick access' channels: once you have a sound you like, hit Save and store it to be recalled, either by one of these buttons or the four-button footswitch.
The actual Save button is one of four in an arc on the left of the display. The other three call up the onboard tuner and noise-gate functions and allow you to tap in a tempo for delay and modulation effects, like tremolo. Under the display are three small knobs, which access the three most important functions in any FX patch - just like tweaking the knobs on a stompbox, and very straightforward to use.
The large dial is for data entry and the four buttons on the right of this access editing functions for amp models, FX and utility functions like MIDI mapping and so on.
Fender have organised the Cyber-Twin's monumental range of tone into three banks. The Fender Custom Shop consists of 85 permanent patches complete with effects; Your Amp Collection is a permanent non-effects set of 35 amp models. You can take your pick from either of these two banks, change them to your heart's content and store your patch in the Player's Lounge bank, which has up to 85 slots available. The actual amp models read like a Fender hall of fame. From Tweed Champs to modern incarnations like the Prosonic and Roc-Pro.
Although Fender doesn't like the Cyber-Twin being compared to a digital modelling amp, this is one area where both are similar: you're presented with someone's interpretation of a particular amp, and it's up to you to decide how valid it is. Comparison is always purely subjective, and full of variables. We A/B'd the Cyber-Twin's Blackface Deluxe offerings with three real Deluxes - two original sixties models and a re-issue - and came up with four distinctly different sounds! However, with a few easy changes it was possible to make the Cyber-Twin sound as close to all three as made no difference. What is clear, however, is that without any extra ear candy to bolster things, the Cyber-Twin can sound as sweet or as wild as any real amp in its library.
Talking of candy, the cleverest bit of Fender's digital effects suite is that reverb doesn't form a part of it. Fender amps are almost synonymous with the reverb effect and the Cyber-Twin places this logically as part of the amplifier model, with inboard and outboard spring types available, as well as a selection of room, halls and plates. Reverb aside, there's all kinds of fun to be had with delays, choruses and wah-wahs (touch and manual), as well as wackier stuff like ring modulation and harmonising. We just loved the tape echo delay with bucket loads of analogue warmth and a wow/flutter effect that perfectly captured the old WEM Copicat - Hank Marvin fans, this one could be perfect for you!
If there's an effect you want that the Cyber-Twin doesn't have, then plug it into the send/returns, which can handle balanced or unbalanced, mono or stereo, and high or low-level signals.
Fender have gone to great lengths to give the Cyber-Twin the ultimate in live or studio flexibility. As well as a stereo pair of balanced, speaker compensated line-outs which can be summed to mono, there's the SPIDF, which can either output the direct guitar signal or the full effects-laden amp sound direct into your sound card. But if that sounds like overkill, the Cyber-Twin can still be used conventionally, and with a stereo power stage delivering 65W RMS per channel, there's plenty of power.
Verdict
We've seen a lot of high-powered digital amps lately and that word 'awesome' is beginning to get somewhat overused. But if ever an amp deserved exclusive rights on that word, the Cyber-Twin is it. Considering the almost limitless number of parameter combinations, the digital implementation is very well handled - dig as deep as you like, or simply turn a knob. And with its comprehensive MIDI spec, the control possibilities are endless.
The price puts it in a different league to most amps of this type, and because digital technology is relatively cheap and chip improvement so frequent, there's bound to be another 'awesome' amp appearing very soon.
Whether today's kids will look back at the Cyber-Twin in 25 years time with the same fond respect that we have for the Bassman or the blackface Deluxe, only time will tell. However, innovation is the name of the digital game, and at least for the time being, the Cyber-Twin reigns supreme.
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Abomination.
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