NPD - NUX MG-30

[Mossman]

Well, it actually arrived over a week ago, but I hadn't had time to mess around with it much besides a cursory tour of the presets, but I started digging into it this past weekend, and all I gotta say is:

This. Thing. Is. BALLS!

All the superlatives you've been hearing about the MG-30? It's all true... ALL of it. It ain't no hype, yo. I've owned a lot of modeling amps and processors, and this is the best frickin' modeling I've ever heard! It sounds like a real amp... It sounds like a top-shelf amp... But moreover, it FEELS like an amp! I spent a lot of time obsessively A/B'ing the MG-30 and my beloved Super Champ X2 back and forth, and the sound and experience were so similar, I often forgot whether I was playing through the MG-30, or going direct into the SCX2. I constantly had to visually check to see which device I was plugged into. I've never played a Kemper, or a Helix, or any of those high-dollar modelers, and I probably never will, but I can't imagine how anything could sound better or more "real" than what I've heard out of this thing so far... I'm just amazed... and I've only scratched the surface.

I love Fender and Vox amps, so the first thing I wanted to hear was their Deluxe Reverb model, and it did not disappoint me. It sounds very convincing and detailed, and very similar to the '57 Deluxe model (my favorite) on the SCX2. But it sounded a little too bright and hot. It lacked the... I call it "shoulder" of a Fender amp. It's hard to describe... It didn't have that round, kind of underlying "girthiness" around the "edges" that a Deluxe (or any Fender amp, really) has. I first adjusted the EQ on the virtual amp, but that didn't quite get it, then I realized I could adjust the bias (!), which was set a little too hot in my opinion (in fact the bias of all of the Fender and Vox models were set a little too hot in my opinion), so I rolled that back a bit, and there it was... Sounded perfect. It felt like I had the real thing in the room!

If there is one thing that can be said about this unit, it's that it gives you ALL KINDS of control over the sound. WAY more than I've ever seen. I've always felt somewhat straight-jacketed with other processors and modeling amps, and got frustrated easily, but I feel as free as a bird using this thing. It's super intuitive, which is good, because their user manual is a joke. It's written well enough, but it doesn't really show you how to do anything. Fortunately, most of the stuff you can figure out on your own. For the few things I was still puzzled about, I just went to their website and got hip. Since it's so easy to navigate, the learning curve is shallow. It's a very visual interface, and there isn't a lot of menu diving, or pages of settings, or having to remember how to get where you want to go. Those kinds of things make me not want to use a device to its fullest potential. I actually enjoy using the "Quick Tone" editing software, and I feel equally comfortable using the controls on the device. That never happens. And I can't think of anything that you can do with the editor that you can't do with the physical controls. That also never happens. It's really nice to use something for the first time that works the way you expect it to. A way that makes sense.

At first I plugged the MG-30 into my interface and used my studio monitors, and it sounded really good, but then I plugged into the clean channel of the SCX2 and it sounded AWESOME... which I attribute to the bigger speaker and the tube power amp. I did a fair amount of fretting over whether I should get an FRFR cabinet, but I'm not worried about that anymore. If it sounds good, it is good, but with all the tonal control you have, I have no doubt you could make this thing sound great through anything. I can say without the slightest twinge of hyperbole that this thing could literally replace your amp .

I haven't even messed with the effects much, or the drums (though the drums sound very good!), or the IRs, or a lot of the other features, but I was so impressed with the amp sounds in this thing, I wanted to holler about it a little. I'm gonna leave it here, because it's pretty late, but I'll be back with more of my experiences and opinions.

Oh yeah... Pics or it didn't happen...

I know... I have cable management problems.

[ID10t]

Dang it I really wanted you to hate it, I hope you know what I mean.
And darn if you are not detailed and thorough in every aspect.
On one hand I wish you had an FRFR cabinet on the other hand I wonder how it sounds through a Monoprice amp.

[Rollin Hand]

Ok, so I read Mossman's review and thoughy " how much is this thing, like $699?"

Nope. $389. Canadian.

That's almost in no-brainer territory.

@Mossman, does it seem rugged? I know @Milkman had a hell of a time with his Headrush.

[Morrison]

Thanks for the feedback. Just bought one off reverb used/demo. Looking forward to trying this.

[Mossman]

Dang it I really wanted you to hate it, I hope you know what I mean.

Yeah, I get it... Nobody needs another thing to want. I really struggled over whether to buy it myself, but since I've been recording more, I've been wanting something that's easier to use than my Zoom G5n. I never really used the modeling on it much, because I liked the modeling on the SCX2 better, so I mainly just used it for effects, and I always felt like I was grossly under-utilizing the thing. If I were gigging, I'd find a lot more utility in this board, but as it is, It's too much gear for my needs (and it's too frickin' big!). I'm really glad I bought the MG-30 now, because I talk myself out of buying more things than I talk myself into. I could have gone either way.

And darn if you are not detailed and thorough in every aspect.

Thanks. I try to be as thorough as possible without boring the piss out of everyone... I'm never sure how successful I am at the last part.

On one hand I wish you had an FRFR cabinet on the other hand I wonder how it sounds through a Monoprice amp.

Yeah, I still have the FRFR kinda nagging at me in the back of my mind, just as a point of curiosity. But this thing sounds pretty good coming through my studio monitors. I would need to do some tweaking on the MG-30, because these speakers are very flat, but an FRFR would be just the same in frequency response. I don't think it would sound fundamentally (or noticeably) "better". Of course, it would have a bigger speaker (my monitors have 5.25" drivers), so it would sound better in that regard, but the only way that purchase would make sense to me would be if I were gigging as a bassist (which would most like to be the case if I found a gig), because then I'd buy the 12" Headrush and get rid of both of my bass amps, and finally have a rig that I can use at home AND gig with... and it would serve double-duty for guitar. But for just recording and playing at home, I think think the output options I already have sound awesome.

Actually, I haven't played the MG-30 through my Fender Rumble yet, but I'm assuming it's going to sound good. I'll keep you updated.

Ok, so I read Mossman's review and thoughy " how much is this thing, like $699?"

Nope. $389. Canadian.

That's almost in no-brainer territory.

@Mossman, does it seem rugged? I know @Milkman had a hell of a time with his Headrush.

Yeah, I would never spend that kind of money on a modeler/effects processor, but it would have been more of a no-brainer if this wasn't such a new product with only a handful of YouTube videos (which really don't give you any idea how anything sounds) to judge from. But I can tell you now... it's a no-brainer. I can't believe how much this device delivers for such short money... Oh, and did I mention? Not only does it come with all the stuff that you don't get with gadgets anymore (power supply, USB cable, 1/4" patch cable), but it also comes with an external foot-switch:

Yep, this pedal has a pedal... and it has a frickin' effects loop! And it does MIDI!

And yeah, I'd say it's rugged... The top and sides are made of metal. The bottom is plastic, but it's not cheap, thin plastic. I thought it was all metal when I first got it.

[Mossman]

Thanks for the feedback. Just bought one off reverb used/demo. Looking forward to trying this.

I think yo gonna like it.

[ID10t]

And darn if you are not detailed and thorough in every aspect.

Thanks. I try to be as thorough as possible without boring the piss out of everyone... I'm never sure how successful I am at the last part.

You're appreciated

[sabasgr68]

Great review! I´ll stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of your analysis. It´s good you´re liking it.

[Mossman]

Great review! I´ll stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of your analysis. It´s good you´re liking it.

It may be more than 2 or 3 parts... There's a lot of functionality to go through. I wanted to explore the bass amp models tonight, but it's too late to fire up a bass amp at any volume right now. I will say I'm slightly disappointed in some of their choices of amps to model. There's a tweed Bassman and a silver-face Bassman, which are fine by me. You kind of expect those inclusions, but then there's an Aguilar, which is a boo-teeky bass amp, a Darkglass, which is a pre-amp pedal, actually, and something called "Starlift", which I have no idea what it's supposed to be, but I suspect it's another pre-amp pedal.

No Ampeg SVT?! No Acoustic 360?! And for a more "modern" sound, a Markbass amp would be a more typical inclusion. If you could only have 5 bass amp models, those would be my choices, anyway. But this thing used to only have 3 bass amps until the last update. Maybe they'll add more in the future. If anything, this should at least have an SVT. That's a pretty stupid omission.