Always innovating, Ashdown raises the bar again with the LB-30 2.N, a 30-watt, all-tube head that offers a choice of conventional speaker outputs, or on-board IR emulations of 6 iconic Ashdown cabinets for direct injection into the PA or recording console. Housed in a stylish, retro all-metal sleeve and sporting Ashdown’s iconic illuminated VU meter, the amplifier uses an ECC81, ECC82 and 2XECC83 preamp tubes, with four EL84 tubes in the power section. Inputs for Active and Passive basses, plus Gain Trim, Volume and Output Level controls, enable players to set up for a wide range of tones from clean and punchy to warm and growling. Tone shaping comes courtesy of Treble, Hi Mid, Lo Mid and Bass rotary controls, and FX loop Send and Returns also feature on the front panel. The LB-30 2.N also includes the addition of on-board Impulse Response emulations of six classic Ashdown cabinets and microphone set ups: the ABM-810H-EVO IV, ABM-410H-EVO IV, ABM-210H-EVO IV, ABM-115-EVO IV, RM-212-EVO II and the CL-310 DH.

On stage, the mic’d cabinet emulations can be sent direct to the PA, while the cabinet on stage acts as a monitor. And in the studio, the LB-30 2.N can be used without a cabinet, with the speaker emulation output connected directly to the recording console. Cabinet emulations are selected by a rotary control on the front panel, while program changes and more sophisticated editing of mic placement, etc. are facilitated by MIDI and USB ports on the back.