Headrush MX5 | an Inside and Out Review with Playing
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- Опубліковано 27 лис 2024
- The Headrush MX5 FX processor is the latest guitar amp simulator from the company. Here I take a look at the inside and out of this brand new effects pedal and play too!
This is no quad cortex that's for sure but the Headrush MX5 is a low cost entry in to a very crowded sector of guitarists equipment so I bought one and decided to take a much closer look than what I saw in other reviews. So is this unit like the headrush gigboard even? or the Headrush Looperboard? And what about the Line 6 pod go? or the nux mg 30
Firstly you can see all about the quad processor inside. Much is made about that in every video I have seen and while it's true that the processor IS a quad design, you might be surprised about what else it's used for. Very surprised!
Strangely this MX5 FX effects processor does not have editing software available! Headrush in their wisdom have decided that the touch screen is all you will need. Maybe. But there are issues with that.
I also show examples of where the screen might be a disruptor against a smooth work flow process if you were using this unit in any professional way.
I have also offered a score based on my own opinion taking in to account how it worked for me and the results I achieved from my own playing and that of Levi Mckenzie and his comments.
Lastly I do show some of the tones of the MX5 digitally recorded and finish up with a couple of rock examples showing what I could get out of the unit by way of high octane metal and rock music.
Do bear in mind that this is NOT a tutorial about the pedalboard but rather a way for you to see the good and less good about this effects system that others never show you.
Link to Processor info: en.wikipedia.o...
This video is NOT a Headrush tutorial!
Thanks for watching and PLEASE do subscribe, ring the bell and thumbs up to help my channel a little... thank you.
(c) A B Mckenzie September 2021.
All Rights Reserved
All Trade Marks Acknowledged.
Visit tonymckenzie.com
#headrush #mx5 #ampsimulator #closeupreview #mx5played
Some might come on here looking for 'Pete Smith' as he purported his name to be from his August 22nd 2021 empty channel. Don't bother - he is clearly someone that created that channel to create trouble on this video review. He is of course now banned. And ANYONE that comes it in a similar way will be removed permanently. It's that simple really. So 'Pete Smith'... get stuffed... pork roll. Creating these video reviews cost me time and money - so show some respect for the channel and person creating them whether you agree with the review or not. Thanks.
Firmware version is displayed on page three of the global settings : look at 22:43
Much respect brother
No problem... and sometimes I just have to stop some of them...
Love the level of detail here. I get sick of reviews showing how great the reviewer is at playing rather than focusing on the product. Another great review.
Yes there are literally hundreds of reviews highlighting the playing alone. But those IMO are not really real reviews. No on bothers to show you what you buy in reality - and in some gear there is some real bad quality. This unit is pretty good. So most of not all my reviews do show the insides and talk about warranty as well as the using of the gear. It's pretty sad that those other types of reviews rarely actually show you anything except some guy playing gear that likely he never bought. You won't fond that on here very often (really rare) and that is intentional. Thanks for watching...
Tony I’m so glad that you actually purchase the stuff you review and that’s one of the reasons I love your channel you never let anyone influence your opinion you tell it like it is good or bad I agree with you people should take some of the stuff they buy apart and look at it some of the so called boutique stuff is real junk you proved that and I thank you for all your great videos.
Ricky, thanks for the very kind words... they are appreciated. Yes buying the gear is an important part of creating a review. I don't review gear to make a living as some do in fact. Neither though do I make money from music... sure I have some albums myself and Alan Bruce have created over the years and they have sold for sure, but there has been a massive sway away from buying music to 'streaming' music for a number of years and the $0.0001 of a cent per play is not helpful. I like making videos of gear and I ALWAYS try and create a genuine review with my own opinion based on what I have bought and what I see and hear. I am not perfect. But you know what, when there is something that I find and show it, and I get attacked for showing the product as it really was, then that tells me all I need to know about that product. And most reasonable sensible guys will probably see what I did when they watch a video. It has got to help guys out there and that is the real reason for creating genuine reviews from gear I bought as a customer! :) Thanks for watching too.
@@tonymckenzieofficial Aye, reasonable sensible persons will and do enjoy impartial , pragmatic and down to earth reviews :) Thanks again :)
I've had my Headrush pedalboard 4 years now and love it. IR's are the difference maker as well as taking the time to dial in the tone. No regrets with my purchase and with two FRFR112's it's perfect for any gig I'd do. Personal preference rules but time spent customizing, setting up setlists and dialing in tones, makes mine the only thing I need.
I'm sure that many guys are the same as you too! It's all about the result and the flexibility for gigs I think. The M5 worked fine for me with the one exception I mentioned really and other than that there is little to complain about. Good value but I wonder how it stacks up to the new Ampero Stomp? no doubt we will see when I review that :). Thanks.
I 100% agree, with fatherof3kidz.
I have Headrush Gigboard three years now, first I was like - it sounds little bit digital, than I loaded some IRs and I was literally blown out how uncanny close to my tube amp it sounded.
@@podfuk Which IRs do you use? Which can you recommend? I purchased my MX5 a few weeks ago.
It's good to see you back Tony and your reviews. Hope you get better soon. Best wishes, take care.
No reviews yet unfortunately (studio and house is a mess storing gear) but as soon as I can I will. And thanks for visiting... appreciated.
I have owned the full size Headrush pedalboard for a couple of years now, and I thought i may share some of my user experience. I choose the Headrush because it was by far the easiest to use with the iPad style screen drag and drop system and rotary knobs. Because it is so easy, I find it a fantastic tool for creating new songs and sound scapes. However we should remember the full size one has a much bigger screen and brilliant knobs on the side which make it a joy to use. I only had one genuine concern in my first month of ownership which was the sound itself (and that's a biggie), it sounded good, but I expected more.... after learning how to use it better, I discovered the sound is in fact brilliant, just ignore the factory preset rigs and go your own way. I have absolutely no regrets now and have been happy with my pedalboard and it has been the biggest influence on my creativity, new sounds steer you to try new things and styles of play, and this gives me the friendly interface I wanted... 10 out of 10 for me.
However, with a smaller screen and less user friendly hard knobs, I think this could be a lot less fun to play with. I'm sure it's very flexible and maybe can do everything my unit does, but if it's less user friendly, I doubt I would continue to use it... but that's just my opinion, and it may be different for others.
If you can afford one of the bigger units, I highly recommend you go for it, but if you can only afford the MX5.... Hmmmmm I just dunno.
its like $350..and the SAME power as the full headrush
Yes that seems to be true... thanks
I am about to buy one. with 4 cable method can you set certain pedal to "front end" the amp and others in the loop? Thats a make or break for me on purchasing it
Hey PLEASE do come back and let me know how you find the MX5 - that can help many... and thanks for watching.
@@timeiseverything4 Yes, you can.
I hope you kept it..It's an amazing unit...Solid Amp modeler I am using the FX loop using 2 H9s and a Poly Beebo..I really appreciate this review..Especially commennts about the processing chip and build quality...I am happy with it..got a stylus to help with the 4" Screen...again keep up on the unbiased reviews..Much thanks
Sadly I did sell it, but really to finance more gear to review - it costs me greatly to do it all. It's not a bad unit especially for the price... and the 'stylus' option solves that small annoyance of using fingers alone on the screen... the tones are not bad either and hey thanks for posting your opinion - its greatly valued because you own one ;-) Thanks for watching too.
You may not like his review, fair do's but you can't deny Tony's wit and delivery, now that's entertainment and not just a review, so don't take it personal guys.
The Peter Smith guy was basically a troll creating hassle (as they do) - his new account and his mouth betrayed him later. He is now deleted and banned and I won't miss that sort one bit. Thanks for the kind support about my review. You're right, either agree with the content or not (it's all subjective after all) but when someone is nasty I will stop them. Thanks...
I’ve had this unit 6 months. I’m happy. I use a stylus for complex editing. I definitely don’t want or need a pc editor. This has everything you need on the screen.
The Stylus certainly helps. On the larger Prime the screen problem does not exist because its bigger. Thanks for watching.
Hi Tony, just got my mx5 a week ago and stumbled upon your video. Really appreciate the time and effort you put in doing this. We need more people like you in youtube or the whole internet i should say. Hope you continue to do videos like this. Even though i don't agree on some points but some of these vary from user to user. Just like in my end, it sucks that it doesn't have the software but upon using the touchscreen, didn't have any problems and eventually liked it as it doesn't slow down my workflow.
Anyways, more power to your channel, will check out your other videos as well. And yes mate, i'll subscribe of course. 😅
Stay safe.
Coming up soon (wekend) a two hour review of the Headrush Prime :) Thanks for watching....
@tonymckenziecom Alrighty! Looking forward to it! 😃
Nice shredding, Tony! And a very in-depth and honest review. My wallet needs more reviews like this!
Ha I know what you mean. I'm bad for buying gear and there is lot's out there these days... problem is, until you own one it's a bit hard to tell from sales reviews whether the gear is actually any good for ordinary guys I always found. Most reviews are good at selling you the idea of the product, but sometimes the products don't always meet the then uplifted expectations. Some gear really is exceptional, but seems its getting harder to find these days. Thanks for watching and glad you liked this. Playing was simply a jam over a track looped. But the recording of the unit was direct from the unit using the stuff in the unit only... which makes some sense. I was disappointed with the internal wah's so used a Cantrell one externally.
Thank you for your review👍 It’s the first time when I see so many tech details and pictures of international hardware. In my opinion MX5 is absolutely amazing for beginners 👍
Glad i was useful to you - that's the intention :) and thanks for watching.
Absolute best technical breakdown of the latest processors I've come across from someone with some real knowledge and Common Sense. No pitch, no B.S. No10 minute Edited Solos, Thank You Tony ! Ever watch any Monarchs or Glasgow Speedway Bike Races ? Thought you might be in that vicinity ? I'm in south Orange County, CA. U.S. Cheers.
Hey thanks for those very kind words. I know far from everything for sure, but at least I always try and I think that goes a long way. Correct, I rarely (really rarely about 5 videos in 370) ever complete reviews where I have not paid for the gear myself and I sell nothing, I'm no dealer and I'm I guess an average player (some say mediocre - but I'm not under review!) so my experiences are probably what others would achieve too. I feel strongly that I always wanted to create reviews that tell it 'the way it is' and that can and does sometimes frustrate some that don't want people to see what I show for many reasons. I'm glad you liked this review. I liked the MX5 actually, but I was also surprised that there was no software... something I did not expect. I'm a bit 'south' of the Glasgow scene (in the UK) so sadly not. I love the 'technology' thing going on with music gear and my job (in reality) is involved with technology products - its one reason I have not retired, I really do love the stuff with most technology - I have been in to that since 1981 and by 1982 I was programming games at the time. These days (for a very long time) I've been in hardware primarily. But great fun and I rarely tire of it. Orange County... been there I think in 2004 and 2014 last time I went. But been to Dallas and Florida lots :) The USA is a great place and I sincerely trust that it stays that way... I get back there (hopefully) later in the year :). Thanks for watching.
Great video and really informative review!! The ARM chip inside is actually quite comparable to the top brands however. The Neural DSP for example uses a quad core chip clocked at 2 GHz while the Cortex A-17 here is a quad core clocked at 1.8 GHz. The power behind these chips are more than plenty for this application the limitations for these pedals lay in the software and that is where they put most of the $$$ in designing/building these modeling systems. I've found that Headrush tend to do a much smaller library of sounds compared to others on the market but they do the sounds they have very well. The articulation and response is quite impressive but I've just purchased yesterday so perhaps my opinion will shift over time.
As a neat side note the heat sink to CPU size ratio seen here is a quite common occurrence in PC world (especially with passive/no fan cooling systems such as this). The goal being the cooler you keep the chip the harder you can push it. And also prevents any (well mostly any) chance the system will overheat and begin to throttle or even shutdown.
I'm sure it might be. The SHARC is very common and the last one I looked at was $62 for one similar (if not the same) in the FX III. Thanks for the info very useful. Yes but the PC chips are substantially more powerful so NEED that cooling probably more than this. The Asus was quite fully when I found that :-)
I love this, launched less than a month ago and it's taken apart. Some of us just want the facts, not the marketing. Good work, sir.
Also, some might say it's "priced competitively", but i still think it's about 50 quid too steep.
If I review anything tangible I always show the 'inside and out' review because I think it matters. Also a discussion on warranty (which not a single one of them ever mention) and more. Thanks for watching this review and for your great post...
Superb Tony, thank you. It always terrifies me when i'm dealing with heat disipation parts, in my younger days i've taken heat syncs off without a thought of having heat paste or are the fixings torqued down to a particular tightness. Your reviews are valued, thanks for the time you take.
I doubt they are torqued down. They don't even do that on PC's with massive heat dissipation for some models and servers. The paste is essential. Thanks for watching too!
I have both Headrush units ,the large one and this MX5 , I gig with the MX5 and love it , the large one I typically just use in my live room for rehearsals. I don’t use this rig for tracking .
I also have the line six Helix and it’s a hassle compared to the awesome, simple to use Headrush UI. I would not be too afraid of the PCB bits ,most things use the these days.LOL
It’s an awesome powerful little unit for gigging in places with small stages and sets up fast.
Thanks for the post and what you think of the Headrush gear... helpful to many I'm sure, and thanks for watching.
First real review, suscribed!, gonna see all other reviews, real eye opener. Keep doing that excellent work. Cheers
Well I hope my review did not disappoint you. It's not intended to knock the product, but rather to hopefully show in a light that you never see on all those typical sales videos on here exactly what the unit is all about. I have also reviewed many similar units and you can check those from here: ua-cam.com/play/PL6E22694F35860D41.html which includes about 82 different reviews. Thanks for the sub and for watching. Appreciated.
I appreciate your perspective. It makes me give pause about this unit.
Well I try and offer an alternative to just sales videos from most others. Some agree and some don't, but that's OK. This was not really a 'bad' unit and it does sound pretty cool I thought... thanks for watching and the post.
Great playing at the end!!! You didn't rush it. I was in Taiwan, and South Korea, and both have fabulous people, places, and pulses.
Thanks. Yes I miss the days visiting those places. I tend wo go west these days...
Nice and informative review as always ! Those Rockchip processors are nothing fancy, but gets the job done i guess and thats what matters. They are in the most low cost Chinese Android TV boxes, we are talking 20-30 dollar devices, i recently bought a TV box but with a better processor although not more than about double the cost i mentioned. I like the big processor cooler, i wish that my TV box had something like that, but its more in the size of the processor unfortunately and it tends to get hot. Those footswitches looked surpricingly nice and sturdy, these devices usually have small circuitboard switches. Its great that you show the insides of the units, thats probably what i appreciate the most sice i am a service tech as well as a guitarplayer.
Oh, and i was very surpriced that here was a battery in the pedal, it seems more like a thing that one would have seen 20 years or more ago unless it was a PC. Nice looking Tokai Les Paul there BTW.
It did surprise me a bit that the pedal has a sort of Pi level processor though :). Yes - that cooler is a monster. In real life you wonder what's exactly underneath it before removing it. I always look for the stuff that might give aggro over time and the switches often do as the sockets... the switches reminded me of those old designs you see on very old wah pedals. The sockets... well I guess they can be changed. Great to hear you like to see the insides. I always think that's probably 70% of the product right there and it is an important consideration. Thanks for the info and of course thanks for watching.
Absolutely GREAT video. This is the Types of reviews Mechanically inclined lads wanna see. Cheers bro! Good stuff
Thanks again... I have a full playlist of effects, another for amps, another for guitars etc... check them out here: ua-cam.com/channels/uuNmrkOEmTPnz4Dcc-Hi5w.htmlplaylists that should work... thanks.
Great review thanks! Overall I think you were pretty positive about the unit, only drawbacks being the design choices of small screen and no computer app. I have small hands, no computer, and low patience for reading manuals. Looks ideal to me
Your'e spot on and overall it was not a bad device. The screen for me was not good though. Coming up is he Headrush Prime (nearly 2 hour review!) and there are lots of improvements and the screen is excellent among other good and bad things. Watch for it. Thanks for watching.
Sagging another product, that's awsome of you. Three for three of the videos that have showed up in my feed. For the price of two decent pedals, these little units are awsome. It's incredibly easy to use, and it's so versatile. I kinda wish these would stop showing in my suggested. There's a knob you can use over there if it's too figity and the biggest problem I see is you just didnt spend the time to actually learn how to use the piece of kit. A computer is only as smart as the input from the user. These are 399 in tbe US. You can barely get a a decent wah and fuzz for that.
Dear Mr Scott... I'm not 'sagging' anything? I went out, BOUGHT this pedal at full price, created a fair and reasonable review of the unit and posted it for others to watch. Whether you like the video and/or its contents or whether you can't stand watching a reasonable review of a piece of equipment I have to say is your problem and not mine. Telling me the obvious is not constructive in the least and likely I have seen, bought, used more musical gear than you have ever owned by a very long way. I write reviews with all kinds of results and conclusions - if the gear is subjectively good then I say so - how many videos would you like me to point you to where I say exactly that? I have literally hundreds and some of the finest musical gear in the world. However, what I don't do (unlike many that gain financially that you might watch) is to say that a piece of gear is good or great when in my opinion it is not always perfect. If it's less than perfect then I say so. I expect the gear to be perfect. After all, the money I paid was actually perfect and without a single flaw. BTW I can get a 'decent' wah for about $80 its called a Dunlop Cry Baby and remains probably one of the best valued and great sounding wah pedals on the market to this day. BTW This unit in the UK is FAR more expensive than you pay in the USA - you won't get one here for the purported $399. So my guess is, that when you pay the $600 equivalent that this pedal is in the UK your 'opinion' might change a little... or not. If you don't want to watch my reviews then please do let me say, I'm not in any way forcing you to do so. Alternatively, go and play some golf. Do I even care? Not at all. Thanks.
Hi Tony.
Someone sent me here and I'm so glad to see it's you. Love your videos sir.
This one has intrigued me.
Thanks my friend. Hope you're well sir.
Ha here I am :) same old me I guess... :) but I doubt the videos that only sell stuff might not have made this level of review. Thanks Hoosier Daddy and I trust you're doing OK there to in this currently mad world we live in. Regards... and thanks for watching.
Thanks for checking this out literally from the inside to outside! I've got the mx5 and quite happy with it so far 😆 it's my first multi effects unit and I wanted something small that I could grab and go as well as easy to use and this ticks all the boxes for me. There is a lot of tweaking involved when making your own rigs but they are so worth it as I found the ones it came with a bit bland. You also get a code for celestian ir's that are much better to my ears than stock ones. I've also run this to the front of my fender deluxe reverb and was happy with that to. Just have to remember to go to the global settings to change to amp.
I agree - not a single one of these types of devices sound perfect (some hardly close) unless you put effort in to the settings and match it carefully to your gear and guitar. Thanks for a great comment on how it works for you too... and for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial hope you feel better soon. Saw your post that you had covid.
Yes very hard work right now :( we're both at home and going through it... and totally bored as well. Thanks...
Have to agree with you about no editing software. Just ordered a unit and would like the option to edit on a nice big screen - simpler and more convenient. I'll see what I think of the interface usability but from what I can see so far it should be fine for most of my needs and I can at least back up rigs, etc. to my computer so that's one good thing. Nice to see a tear down of the box. As an ageing rocker all I can say is that kids today are the luckiest generation of guitarists around to have toys like this available haha. Back in my day thy were 'appy to 'ave a decent lead and 6 bloody strings ont guitar 😂😂😂
It's all good until you have to use it. Then the software matters. I just reviewed the Ampero II Stomp (not online yet) and that has same type of screen as this, but included very good software and I think that makes a big difference too. You are like me, I was the same and I remember paying for the first real guitar a Gibson SG special in 1971 for £4 a week until it was paid for from 'Kays' catalogue sales - the only way I could ever afford one. We're likely same era :) Thanks...
As an aspiring electronics engineer currently in college, ur insights and knowledge is very inspiring!!
Well thank you Wayne. I was a little surprised when I investigated the processor... an Arm design :) Thanks for watching too!
I wonder why you were surprised by it being an ARM design. Isn’t almost anything today built with ARM? Even Apples new M1 CPU.
Well there are other companies for example those that make the SHARC processor as preferred by some makers (think fractal audio) and those processors are quite low cost - last time I checked under $60. But I guess these as featured in this device are substantially less... and hence the choice maybe. Roland & Boss use their own proprietary designs it seems though these days too. Thanks...
I returned mine right away! I'm a stomper not a tweeker. Too much time and effort searching, adjusting, scrolling, tweeking, etc... I prefer my all analog pedal board with a switcher unit. My pedals also sound warmer, fuller, punchier, and not digital. Happy I returned the MX5.
This can be a problem with so many devices I have seen.. also from simple to use to 'genius' mode on some where you have to be a mad professor to use them. I always said simple but powerful and many guys like yourself are not tweakers for months. Thanks for your experience with it all... and thanks for watching.
Hi from Israel :)
Proper product review tony
This is how a product should be reviewed .
You do not know how many times before buying a product I look for pictures of pcb
And what components the product used
Especially nowadays in tube amps .
That most companies use substandard capacitors
It's also good for doing a mod like me
That in most of my equipment I make changes to the circuit
My fieldis is repair
And calibration of measuring equipment
Frequency generators
Tektronix oscilloscopes
Laboratory power supplies
Regards David
Oh man... I'm a simple guy :) but I know that if there's junk in there it cannot help longevity. Then I look at the purported warranty. Good companies offer long warranties sometimes, the bad ones... well less :) I agree with you that it's so important to see exactly what you're buying and it's why I started to create reviews of one kind or another to try and show what is in most gear. Some makers hate that... but they would :). Thanks for your very kind words and glad you liked the review....
Thanks Tony, valid points, nice take, no dealbreakers for me with this one yet (haven't got one mind you). What I'm sort of missing is the app and better MIDI integration. AFAIK it only sends out a program change per rig and only receives one plus limited control change messages for tap tempo and footswitch or block on/off (plus all looper controls which is nice). It receives time sync but doesn't transmit it.
MIDI in and out are not carried by the USB cable, only the mini jacks (5-pin DIN adapters are incl.) which means some extra cable clutter and points of failure. Anyone using it with mobile devices would also need a powered hub for both USB ports.
I wish the expression pedal could send out MIDI and more incoming control changes could be assigned per specific block, each on their own MIDI channel f.ex.
Stereo inputs would make it a better choice for acoustics as well, one channel for piezo, another for mic.
As an allround modeller, multif fx and IR loader it does seem very good value though and perfect form factor for my needs. In latest firmware there's a 2X IR per block feature added.
- all the best now
(lovely strat by the end there btw, thanks for showing that)
I'm reviewing the Headrush Core right now... watch that video coming presently. Thanks for the post of the various things you found - that sort of post is excellent. I can't easily follow gear after reviews much (time limitations) and I am very grateful for the update. Thanks for watching too.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I've tried a MX5 now, didn't leave me unimpressed.
The FX returns are stereo capable by TRS Y-cable and can be set as either line/instrument level as you probably also mentioned somewhere.
The FX-Loop block can be added anywhere in a rig as far as I could tell. Could be a gamechanger f.ex. for acoustic guitar outputs from both piezo and a mic. Or for running a very basic but useful solo/duo setup with guitar plus mic into a PA or FRFR monitor.
The touch screen control surface is clunky at first but the rotary dial with click button to select or confirm mitigates that to some extent.
Thanks for the info... Core goes on 6:00 PM today. The 7 inch screen is extremely good... I wonder how the Fender one will be? Thanks.
The battery is for the realtime clock not settings or storage.
This is actually a shockingly simple digital design. It's just op amp buffers, ADCs and DAQs, an SOC, and a bit of flash memory. That's not even a DSP ic. All their magic is in the software.
They basically turned an RPi into an fx pedal.
Thanks for the info on that battery. I agree it is a simple design but it shows the ingenuity of the developers could get such a lot form really little. :) They are not alone in the metamorphosis though. Thanks for watching.
Another great review! Thank you very much!!
Well thank you for watching... appreciated.
Just my 2 cents. I preferred the Avid 11 rack over my POD HD500 and today I prefer my HR MX-5 over my PODGo and it is so portable. I can get to usable patches quicker and it just feels better to me. I play it through a Tech 21 Power Engine 60 or my studio monitors. But hey, all this is subjective and everyone has different needs. I wish HR would come out with something new similar to the 11 Rack for a recording solution with a high grade mic pre being able to use on board DSP to track vocals and ect... with effects. At the time I got great results with my 11 Rack. The MX 5 should be usable as well.
Thanks for the info from your experiences - always welcome and thanks for watching.
Amazing review! Nobody else dares to open the unit and discover what's inside.
I have this for a year now and it actually does the job very well, the sound quality is great. After spending a few weeks tweaking and experimenting, I have presets that resemble old school funky sounds like no other device from this price range. Very realistic! So considering the cheap hardware, the price is mostly for the software.
Also, after some time of getting used to work with just the touch screen, you won't need any PC software. Just create your sounds with the device on your lap.
One thing I'm interested - when you opened it up, how does the expression pedal work? Is it mechanical or optical?
Expression I did not look too close as it was shielded inside... :( but it all looked reasonable stuff. Thanks for watching.
Woah… 6/10…nice to see honesty Tony…..great review!
Thanks Tommy. I was surprised about that processor... especially as they say that's the same on as in the top end pedal? Have you seen in one of those Tommy?
@@tonymckenzieofficial Strymon makes some pretty witty stuff man. BUT to a better degree. I shouldn’t even compare them as I like some of their pedals. The whole double tap two pedals to get a solo going or missing it would drive me beserk.
Every time I ever used any multi FX device, using them live was always failure.
Kicking plugs out, the stupid 4 wire system and levels…..eeeee Gad…..
This headrush build looks bad. The plastic sleeves on the the board mounted input/output jacks…..just plain suck.
That’s what you pay for? $499 USD….
Nah man.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I’ve seen some pretty shoddy chips in my time.
Strymon has some pretty sophisticated tech, at first glance one would thing is shoddy.
It depends on the pedal though.
The overdrive pedal they have is not to my taste and it reminded me of this thing you reviewed.
I sold it.
The riverside drive.
Oh I agree. The GE300 you had to set up a switch to switch the wah on because the pedal had no switch (if I remember correctly). On this device there is a wah, and I could have sat there and worked on it for an hour or two (but not enough time spare) and so I did what I would do in that case, I would grab a great wah and use that... which I did. I understand the thing about the plastic connectors and nuts etc. but to be honest Tommy there are many devices like that these days as you get lower in price. As I removed the board I noticed that the plastic nuts were not tight and I can guess why. But the unit is being squeezed down to a price I guess. Strymon is an old company used to trade as another name - but they are more expensive and maybe that's the reason for the better build.
I have not tried that pedal... but I'm not a massive fan of pedals - I do have some, but they only come out on occasion. It's a different thing in a studio than live though...
Thanks again for a great review. Still love my Helix. Doubt I’m going to buy at other Modeler till they stop updating it!
Ha I have a Helix Rack too :) Still a great unit. Remember this... Kemper is literally ten years old and still going ;-) Thanks for watching and glad you liked it.
@@tonymckenzieofficial Thanks for your speedy reply
I’m really spoiled by my Helixs! I’ve got both a Rack mounter up in my little home studio and a Floor that I tote around if I can ever get out among our fellow enthusiasts again!! I still think you need a Variax to truly appreciate all that you can do with the two together. I’m not sure why L6 (Yamaha) has apparently stopped pushing the Variax. I’m not prepared to to dump $3k on a USA manufactured model but for a few hundred dollars you can do all the upgrades you want and have a guitar that’s highly flexible and as good as any currently manufactured Strat Style guitar. A neck swap, changed Mag Pickups and you’ve got a killer axe. Wish I were across the pond and I’d drop one of mine off to you to try for a while. I think you’d agree.
Stay well and avoid the Coof!!
Doc H.
Another outstanding review.
Hey Jesse... good to hear you - and have a great new year there too... Thanks...
I always get a smile when I see someone with a certain age with that kind of chops, which you don't expect at face value :) Never forget the grey hairs and wrinkles once were young and may be able to teach you people a thing or two. Superb review btw, you get a subscribe from me with content of that quality.
:) Well, it gets harder as you get older and sometimes I'm better than others I guess. But often my own focus is on the gear. One thing I certainly have learned myself over the years of making video reviews since 2009 to now, is that when I get a piece of gear that really is inspiring, my playing jumps much higher, and when its not working 'for me' then the playing can even be mediocre... its all about that feel. I do intend to create a video showing my 'better' playing from many reviews and string them together naming the gear... it sounds like a plan :). Thanks for the sub, for watching and the post of course... very appreciated.
Hi Tony.I have a Helix floor,Boss Gt-1000 and a pod go.All good units in their own way but I have to say the Pod go is the one I use most.I never use the Helix or the Gt-1000 to their full potential so they are more or less wasted on me all be it for some studio work.Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the info. I did review the POD Go also... thanks for watching
Yeah... so i like the look of the pedal i think it looks really cool. Id definitely have fun with this at home noodling about on and id look forward to new updates etc. But i wouldn't take it seriously as a gig pedal as its far from the real stuff. Add to that collection and just have fun with it.
That's a reasonable view and thanks for sharing it. Thanks for watching.
Wonder if the Gigboard received the same old processor, most likely. Your reviews never disappoints!
thank you.
Honestly, I do not know. But they did say the same processor as in the high end Headrush gear unless I'm mistaken - that was on their website. Thanks for watching!
It's the same chip.
InMusic uses these chipset on lot of their brands, like Akai for example.
And it's known to brick, which causes the "rainbow of death" issue.
I'm trying to resurrect mine as the unbrick method is well known. (Already known in 2015 with the TV boxes).
Unfortunately, they unsoldered the USB OTG port used for that, and it's an smd part. And of course, the pinout is undocumented.
The "funny" thing is that the akai units equipped wit these SOCs encounter the same bricking issue.
That makes me now avoid every products sold by InMusic.
I'm probably sending mine back. My knees are too old to be on the floor editing. And all my gigs require using the expression pedal so I'm finding myself picking it up, editing, then back on the floor to try with my foot on the pedal, then back up then down.. up and down like a toilet seat. And I bought some IR's and still the thing sounds weak to me.
That is a very good point really, no one ever talks about those sort of issues, but on a pedal like this I see the point for sure... thanks for the post and for watching...
I ended up unboxing it again .lol not giving up yet... but my 2005 vox tonelab came with software so this is bizarre there's no software to edit for this
Thanks for the Really detailed walkthru. Very informative, i don't know if I have ever seen one like it, but, it was helpful to see the quality, or, lack of it, inside the unit. I have only seen the Boss GT-1 from the inside and that was because I threw it against a brick wall. I got a good look at that one inside and out. I have a Helix LT now but it is quite complicated to edit and use, but at least it has a PC app to make it easier. I think that may be the thing that kills the MX5 for me, but maybe they will add one in the future, I won't hold my breath for it. BTW, are you from Liverpool? you have distinctly liverpudlian, Paul Macca accent. Thanks for the video.
Ha Macca has the money... I have the accent. Not from there actually but I guess sort of... Staffordshire. The Prime had no software either... thanks for watching.
Muy buena reseña Tony. Brindas info sobre la MX5 que no se conocía.
Algo a favor de la MX5 es que aún hoy, en septiembre del 2024, sigue teniendo mejor looper y un midi in / midi out, que por ejemplo una "mejor" pedalera como la Pod Go no tiene, y un send / return stereo que la Nux mg30, de las mejores de gama baja, tampoco tiene.
Y sí, es frustante que aún hoy la marca carezca de un software de edición para computadora... para mí no tiene explicación.
Saludos!
Gracias por mirar... y tomarse el tiempo para publicar. Buen punto en el looper. El software de edición es una anomalía en mi opinión. Diferencia al MX5 de los demás pedales, pero de una manera no tan buena. Tampoco tengo ninguna razón por la que no esté allí y disponible. No es un pedal 'malo', pero podría ser mejor. Gracias por mirar también...
I have one and it's probably my favorite gear purchase of all time. I've been studying effects/amp modellers for a lot of this year and was always interested in headrush because the reverbs/delays just sounded better to my ears than what I was hearing on, say, the helix platform. I was just about to jump on a used POD Go purchase when I saw this thing had been released and my mind was blown when I saw the price for what's supposedly the same processing power of the larger more expensive units. Anyway, long story short I love the heck out of mine. As a computer engineer I wonder if there are multiple processors on this thing, maybe with that rockchip powering the user interface. But it sounds like you know your stuff and would have caught that if it were the case.
I find the interface to be really intuitive and easy to use with my finger... with a couple of caveats. 1.) I could definitely see it not that easy to navigate depending on your fingers. For me it works great. 2.) I don't like double tapping to edit a pedal. 3.) Some effects have multiple pages of parameters and for me this is where the interface starts to break down and not be very intuitive.
Also on the negative side, I've found a couple of bugs in the software which seems unusual. Also with some effects I feel that I'm maybe hearing what I'd describe as some aliasing (this was a complex signal chain though so I'm not really sure about the cause of it.).
Also, for me most of the presets sound terrible to my ears.
The devices of processors are likely more powerful in the Helix. Maybe. Yes I agree the touch screen is a great idea, but it's not perfect and there is really no 'back up plan' for when it's not right for a particular user. Even a rudimentary app would have sufficed but there is none... which is a pity. Remembering that this IS a low cost unit, it is a reasonable device but it all depends what you compare it to. Some alternatives are a bit less restrictive, while others cost 1/3 to 1/2 again more... so not really a comparable situation. For me, as I look at most of these types of device there are differences of course and I try hard to show that, but with the tones there is really a standard sort of vibe running through most of them with a similarity of tone but certainly not verbatim. As far as the 'pre-set's go there has been a quiet dislike by most people over the years for ALL pre-sets as supplied in most if not all of these types of units. IMO some of them are workable as I demonstrated in the video, but equally for me many of them were not for me or the way I play. The wah pedal on the pre-set I chose to use at the end was not good at all and as you saw I used the real deal wah and that worked perfectly for me. Overall though it was not a bad pedal and good value for the money. My current favorite pedal of this genre is the GT-1000CORE but not for reasons that some would consider. That unit can handle 24 slots and even after the sort of fixed stuff has still 16 free. I also don't use the amp sims because I have real amps, but as an effects unit that one does stand out... but at a price. Thanks for your info all great stuff and useful to many other guys too. Thanks for watching too.
Nice review Tony , a note to people using an external power amp , I made allot of mistakes when I got my MX5 , only because I didn’t understand some easy adjustments . I use my one in the effects loop send of my Marshall with a 4x12 cab , so the Marshall is acting only as a power amp, I couldn’t understand why my settings sounded rubbish compared to using headphones, it was simply because when selecting an amp then it automatically assigns a matching cab , but you must switch that cab off when using an external power amp, night and day difference . I didn’t like the unit for the first 2 days but now find it easy to use and good fun 😊
Yes great advice for anyone who is a little unfamiliar with the cab (IR) options. If you have a real speaker on there as @madalia1 said turn off the speaker sim in this unit. If you go 'direct' to anything with no speaker involved turn on the cab simulator (IR) bit. Great point and thanks for watching...
Gnarly playing dude
Variable... ua-cam.com/users/shortsM8j0oa6nWhE
Despite the fact that your presentation style grinds my gears no end, I really appreciate this review. It was honest and in-depth. And from what I could tell, you're basically saying that the build quality is great but the user experience is a bit hit and miss due to the size of the screen. I guess that's the pay-off for paying a whole lot less money.
Well Tony, I don't hold any issues that you don't like my presentation, that's a subjective thing. But maybe that's worth putting up with because nowhere else has anyone shown the things I have in my reviews. That's a horrible truth unfortunately and it shows the way of the world these days. I sincerely DID try very hard to create a review that is very reflective of the unit and to show the things that many other guys have told me they have issues with too. The point is Tony, whether you like me, my presentation or anything else, it seems to me that you did gain from watching this review and I appreciate you watching it. Some people don't like my presentations of course, but I do have 28,000 that do... Thanks for watching.
Hi Tony, I and 27,999 others really do like your presentation style,honest and unpretentious and literally uncovering things that no other reviewer does
Well those are kind words and are appreciated. That is what I always wanted to achieve, reviews that tell the truth or as near as I can get to that without having to sell, lie, cheat or indeed misrepresent stuff that most others seem to in one way or another where many reviews are concerned. 30069 as I type :) and thanks... appreciated.
@@tonymckenzieofficial Great work Tony, appreciate all the knowledge and insight you share
Dear Mr Ranger... THANKS! You get it!
The use of good impulse responses are the key to make these modelers sound good. The stock cabs are the weak point. This is the same for Helix to. Don’t judge the amp modeling based on the stock cab sims. Use a good IR.
Yes that's a good point. Headrush do supply the Celestion ones as a free download. You might agree or not that they are good or bad. I purposely did not download third party IR's because generally those are as subjective as the equipment and so I left that to the imagination of guys out there - but I did say in the review exactly what was used for the audio section which you are right is very pertinent... and thanks...
Can you suggest some source to get good free IRs?
There was one that I downloaded with 4000 IR's for free... just search the net - they are everywhere but as to whether they are good? That's another question... thanks.
I recently purchased one of these units. I was really expecting a lot (tone and effects wise) after moving up from a boss GT6 ... yes, you heard that right. This box has everything I was looking for ... the portable size, the touch screen, the stereo effects loop, all the amps, cabs and effects, plus the ability to load dual amps and cabinets and plenty of internal ir's, etc. I was also very happy that this unit has no app. (I didn't want one.) However, I am a bit disappointed in its sound quality. It seems to be a bit of a struggle to get a nice organic base tone to work from. The tones seem a bit crisp or strident. I'll keep working with it, but so far my Katana 100 Mk2 feels and sounds better. We'll see. Great honest review.
Thanks for the info. Try telling this to Pete Smith below who thinks the sun shines out of the MX5's bottom. Clearly not...and thanks for your opinion which others also do hold. Of course its all subjective on the tone and what some guy likes another might not. The wah was awful... just an opinion, but I guess that is also subjective :). Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I didn't expect it to be so difficult to get good tones out of it. I have made some headway though with about 10 (decent patches.) It's not just about the tone itself ... the tones also needs to feel and play right through the strings (boss actually has this down quite well.) The internal compressor models in the MX5 may be part of the problem. Headrush needs to model the Keeley 4 knob comp with the blend feature (it brings back the string feel.) I may try hooking my Keeley up to the MX5 and turn off the compressor models. I'm not giving up yet!
@@davidwoods358 Get yourself some IRs. They make a hell of a difference. Check out Doctor Macfarland and Greg Barth too! Its made my gigboard usable live.
Great review! Very informative
Thanks Cody...
Hi Tony, great review!! I’d like to ask if the cabs and amps of this unit are closer to a real amp sound, rather than the pods or even the HX Stomp? Cheers always!
Thanks for watching... well cabs are all pretty subjective really and whatever I would/could say on those is just an opinion of course. I did think this sounded pretty good and I did use the cabs to record direct with this unit... I don't think any are ever perfect, but for the price etc. this MX was as good sounding as most of what I have heard... and JFI I have a ampero stomp coming up next... watch for it...
WHERE TO FIND THE FIRMWARE VERSION (32:02) -
The Firmware version of all the Headrush pedals, including the MX5, can be found on the Global Settings page, at the very bottom edge of the screen... in microprint. That's where you'll find it, and seriously, you'll need a magnifying glass, as it's in the smallest font they could possibly have come up with to use.
EXCELLENT REVIEW...! (As always, Tony...)
I ended up getting a Gigboard, myself, for the very reason you pointed out... that tiny 4" touch screen was just too small (32:53).
My eyes aren't as good as when I was younger, and my fingers are far too fat to be trying to peck around on the smallest icons and menus they could manage to fit on that little screen.
The Gigboard costs a bit more, and, of course, I'll have to pick up a separate expression pedal at some point, but all 3 Headrush Pedalboards have the exact same menus, the same amps, the same cabs, the same effects, the same mics, and you can create and swap the same rigs, settings, and IR's between them... so, it's essentially 3 different versions of the same pedal, with the choice between them coming down to just a few cosmetic and operational features, really... and price, of course.
Between the Gigboard and the MX5, there are only a couple of very slight differences between them when it comes right down to it -
1. The FX loop on the MX5 is stereo, while it's mono in the Gigboard, if that's important to you (it wasn't for me);
2. The Gigboard has actual MIDI IN and OUT/THRU ports, while the MX5 has 3.5mm jacks that need an adapter to use MIDI with (which was important to me).
3. The Gigboard having an all-metal housing, while the MX5 is a combination of metal and plastic to save weight and make it more "portable"...
Aside from those differences, they both do exactly the same thing, have the same processor, have the same internal architecture, and do everything each of the others can...
So, the final decision for me came down to the size of the display screen (7" vs 4") and whether I could live without the convenience of having a mini-expression pedal integrated into the pedal itself... and after a few days of contemplating it, I decided that with my older eyes, the 7" screen was more important to me... like you, I often hit the wrong things on my older, smaller iPhone, and it would just be too frustrating to deal with that all the time on the MX5...
Thanks for the great review... it helped make my decision a lot easier... ;-)
P.S. One last thing -
I don't know about mac users, but for Windows users, you have to go to headrushfx dot com and download the Windows driver and install it on your computer, otherwise, when you connect whichever Headrush unit you have to your computer via the USB cable, it won't appear in your list of drives in Windows Explorer/File Manager. You need it to show up in your drive list in order to add new rigs, iR's, Setlists, etc. and to manually add/remove and edit them if you'd like to, as well.
Hey Glenn thanks for taking the time to post a really good piece of info for the MX5... all very useful. The screen, some have criticized that I raised the point, but I don't think that leaving out the things I had trouble with is the right way to make a video review. Great point on the driver too... I missed that! I have another unit for review presently the Ampero which seems very similar - there are (it seems) a number of pedals all sort of similar specs etc. and I might even make a vid after that showing the comparisons of each and list the good, the bad, and the ugly (me!) in there. Thanks again... great post - I always love to see when someone has thought and taken the time to do that. These days there are many that can 'mouth off' but oh so few guys that are great contributors.
@@tonymckenzieofficial - You bet, Tony... keep rockin' ! ;-)
Very informative. I know this is meant to be an ampless rig, but is it possible to use this with an amp and change amp channels with the MX5? For example, if I wanted to run this through my DSL40 and turn off the amps and cab sims, and just use the MX5 for effects, does the MX5 have the capability to change the amp channels?
Good question... but I only got to this: ua-cam.com/video/WzV3BQNywko/v-deo.html and never looked closer. Sorry. And thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial thanks. After some research I don’t believe that it can. The Headrush Gigboard can do it though.
The Arm processor is an old chip, as a sad nerd i found the following-:
The Rockchip RK3288 is an ARM architecture System on Chip (SoC) from Rockchip. It is the first SoC, in August 2014, that uses the 32-bit ARM Cortex-A17 processor. It is a quad-core processor with a NEON coprocessor and hardware acceleration for video and 3D graphics. It is used in a number of Chromebooks and other low-power, low-performance devices
The last few words say it all! it seems hard to believe that after all these years we are
still using the Arm processor.
I agree regarding the jack sockets, they will make you swear trying to replace them.
The lack of an app, and trying to use that touch screen will be a nightmare.
I think your rating of 6 out of 10 is about right, to my ears it sounded thin with a harsh
edge to it.
At least i now know to avoid this one.
Thanks for your excellent honest review Tony.
Thanks for the info on the processor... my guess is that because it's a budget product that they use that processor... but scarily they do say that its the same processor as their 'top end' pedal? I really don't know the answer to that. The app would be better if it existed for sure. Nothing complex... but at least something. They can do it of course but will they. The unit was recorded without ANY colouration except when I used a wah on the very last track. Now I do like the wah so maybe not the best way to judge the tone... but in other ways, that's exactly the same gear I used on lots of other stuff but just different gear being reviewed... so there are comparisons. From mine and Levi's point of view, we spent some time thumbing (or was that using the finger) through presets and dabbling around but settled on three or four presets in the end general concensus was that it was a bit toppy depending on the preset. I could have sat there for hours... but don't have the time to do that. However, the singular thing that anyone can take from the audio is this - that you ARE hearing what came out of the device. We did not record with something else and tell people it was this device ;-) which I have to say sometimes makes me question some 'reviews' I have seen of products. The Roland GT-1000CORE was better and more powerful, although it does cost more. The Line6 POD also had limitations compared to the GT-1000CORE. If someone is investing in any product like this, clearly important that the hardware is as good as can be for the money, but the work flow using the unit is equally important and the GT-1000CORE although a non coloured screen, is a better choice product IMO. Oh well, it was an interesting product for sure. I bought the expression pedal that did not arrive in time (expensive) so my guess is I'll be using that for something else or have to return it. Thanks for the post and pertinent points.
Thank you for the info, man. I was in a dilemma between MX5 or Ampero. Now I have the answer.
There's nothing wrong with using Arm, and there's not really 'The Arm processor' as it's a licensed architecture, not a physical thing. Also, what counts as low power for desktop computing is not really relevant here, the application is completely different. In a Chromebook this SoC is probably handling a lot more different tasks, whereas in this kind of product it has a much more focused task, i.e. doing the algorithm work. The audio interface will be separate chips communicating on a high speed bus running in the MHz range, the display might even be run by a separate driver chip as well. Given that it is obviously fast enough to run the algorithms, the chip is fine.
Well I certainly did not associate the ARM with a desktop. In fact I'm an 'ARM' architecture fan I guess - going all the way back with Acorn to 1980 personally. My point related more to the 'slots' that are available and useable all at once. This unit has a typical number I see in many of these low end devices between 9 and 11. Other devices are very similar but tend to use other devices like the SHARC processors. Many of those are old too now, but there they were in the GE-300... Quad processor and certainly no slouch. The Boss CORE uses their own proprietary chip that seems to handle up to 24 'slots' of one kind or another also. Clearly the ARM chip is fine for this device, but it was a little surprising bearing in mind I have yet to find it in any competitor's product (at this price) with similar use. Strangely this morning I was watching a video on here about the lady that developed the Acorn Atom (if you know that device) and then later BBC basic and more. Later of course the ARM processor was developed and although used back then was not quite as common as it is today (basically in almost everything :) thanks for this useful info... and for watching.
Amazing job! A new sub here from Mexico.
Hey thanks René and for watching. Check my other reviews many similar...
Great review and especially the tear down was interesting. Although I agree that the "cost effective" hardware seems like a bitter pill to swallow, the most of the work was put in the software to make all of this possible on this comparably weak processor, and that's an investment that needs to be calculated into the price of a device. And to be honest, this unit is a lot more powerful than the HX Stomp in the sheer amount of blocks as well as how much can be used in parallel.
That being said, the User Experience is a mixed bag for me. The killer feature of my Helix LT, for me, are snapshots and their ease of setup and assignment. The Headrush is a bit more flexible in the sense that you can even switch amp models and cabs (via presets) in scenes, but it is very tedious to actually set those presets up. And when you change a preset it changes in ALL Rigs and scenes that use those presets. This is an unnecessary headache, although it makes sense from a development perspective, much less so from a usage perspective if one is used to the line6 hx paradigms.
I will keep the MX5 as a travel, practice and "terrace" device, but the Helix LT will remain my main device for band rehearsals.
I understand your comments for sure re the firmware etc. But there are a number of devices in this sector of about this price range and some are better and some worse. I never did look at the 'Stomp' but I did look at the 'POD Go' which seemed reasonable for somewhere in the region re price. I personally have a Helix rack and that is (for me) just right. I did have a Helix floor but it took up too much space to be honest. The LT is probably smaller than the Helix floor and that's a good thing. Same OS etc. I agree the snapshots are brilliant and that's how I use mine with the floor controller.
It's not that the MX5 is bad or anything like that, I actually like the tones from it in general and with work I can see the potential of it. I do wish they had released an 'app' whether phone or desktop as that would have helped mitigating the 4" screen that I found a bit too small for some menu's and as always (ha as on everything) the next choice is the one you really don't want :)
When I was researching the MX5 I too was a little surprised that the processor was used by Asus too, but it does work and there's no getting away from that. My next review is an Ampero which it's also pretty low cost ad that should be an interesting review. I'm waiting for the studio to be completed and extended so I'm 'stuck' with nowhere top review currently, but I have the gear ready. Thanks for the info in your post and thanks for watching...
Yes I completely agree that the sounds are great, and I also miss an app to fiddle around with parameters and presets - ultimately I want to play guitar and not necessarily in front of a pc, and the Helix and the Headrush both let me do that, in their own (clunky) ways. Thanks for the reply and keep up the good work!
Great review Tony! I noticed the Boss EBand behind you, which I use, and I’m very happy with it. The EBand is a breeze to use and sounds fantastic. I thought about getting the Headrush MX5, but I think I’ll just stick with my EBand.
Ah the EBand... I had the earlier one too. It's a unit I use just for fiddling around on... or sometimes when I have built a guitar for testing outputs etc. But quite rightly, it does have some good features and the 'slowing down' of tracks is useful. Truth is though the MX5 and the EBand are different and you should think of them as that. Thanks for the info and well spotted on the EBand for sure :) Thanks for watching too.
@@tonymckenzieofficial I’m a new subscriber. I appreciate you sharing all your research! I still might check out the MX5. I’ll have 45 days to decide if I want to keep it or not. Thanks again, Tony.
Of course. It's never been my intention to suggest anyone should not look at a device... in fact they should. What's good for the goose is not always good for the gander. I merely try and show what I found in any product that other people literally never mention or talk about... if you were to check all the reviews online dated before this one, you will see that. No one mentions the points I raised really. And that is a pity, but I doubt any of them will as most are paid in one way or another by the maker or distributors. But you will have at least something to base your own consideration on and that I think helps people. Thanks for watching.
Ha! I was going to comment about the eBand, sat there behind Tony. I still have mine, the JS-10, and absolutely love it! It's almost always my go to, for a jam...and I've got a Yamaha THR10C, a Positive Grid Spark, a Mooer GE300, a Headrush and a couple of guitar combos (a Roland Blues Cube Artist and a Marshall Vintage Modern.)
But the JS10 is just so easy to use with all the backing tracks and the appropriate guitar preset for each one. I think I would part with everything else, before I got rid of the eBand! 😎👌
The JS-10 is a really great practice machine without the fuss, bother, you name it, of other gear. You plug it in, turn it on and away you go. Now, of course its all changed, read the book, read the book, read the book, what the hell's an IR, what's a slot, where' is the software, how do I, and you can go on and on. The JS-10 comes from an era where actually guitar playing (and learning the guitar too) is actually the reason to use one. Today? Ha they're all to busy being programmers :) Plug in the JS-10 and it's just so easy. You KNOW the JS-10 and that's why you'll probably keep it. Will Boss ever make another? Probably not, but like you, I do keep it there and one of these days I WILL review it, simply because there are many out there and it's so easy to just 'write it off' as some old piece of junk, which it certainly is not. I had the JS-8 before it :) Well spotted too.
Awesome and very unique review!! Have you ever taken a look at the Hotone Ampero?
No I have not... but like everything if I see one maybe I'll do that... a few have asked... and the NUX. Thanks.
TONY..please do this for the nux mg-30 if you can
If I find one.... on vacation next week.
I'm trying to see if there's any processor upgrade or effects algorithm upgrade between the Headrush gigboard and the Headrush core? ❤
I do realize this is a video on the MX5 but I figured maybe some of the information here could help me with my search😊
Well you're partly in luck... I did review the Prime and the CORE... well, better than nothing :) Here they are: Prime: ua-cam.com/video/NWI6-UZ53P0/v-deo.htmlsi=GhFcp07I1THWuHEZ and CORE: ua-cam.com/video/xfUbBmxhmKs/v-deo.htmlsi=-7L4L6_BALXv-yPM at least hope it helps an bit and thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial oh thank you I have watched these appreciate it so much and from what I can gather the prime and the core do have that same rock chip but I'm still just not so sure about the boards from the first generation of pedals such as the gigboard and pedalboard released around 2017-2018
I'm watching this video because I have narrowed down my choices between this MX5 and a zoom g5n. thank you for opening the unit and showing us what its made of, however I have no idea if these components are high quality or not. Please can you tell me after looking at this unit will it last for years? is it made of high quality components. my biggest concerns are the touch screen, if it goes out the unit is useless especially that there is no computer software for it to edit. thank you again
These are great questions Bilal... I think the unit overall is not a bad piece of gear really regarding the build. There did not seem anything that was extraordinary and the unit is pretty typical of many in this price range, although the build quality is certainly better than the Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp that I recently reviewed. The screen for me was a little small although other gear has a similar size. For me, the text seemed a bit smaller on this unit than others and I did show that it can be easier to end up with the wrong choice from touching the screen. There was no software you are right and I thought that was an omission - primarily because of the touch screen closeness of that text. It would have (might have) been less important had the touch screen not had erroneous results - and my fingers are small to start off with. But the MX5 was not a 'bad' piece of gear. On most of these units the touch screen would be expensive to replace if it indeed could be... and it's one reason I always mention warranty - it never matters until it does! But I don't really envisage many screen failures in the way you mention. I have honestly not tried the Zoom G5n pedal but will probably get around to it at some stage so I can't really tell you about the Zoom... sorry. Take a look around because there are quite a number of pedals in this specific price range and they vary quite a bit... I have a playlist with all the ones I have reviewed here: ua-cam.com/play/PL6E22694F35860D41.html and I hope you find what you're looking for. Have a great new year too...
@@tonymckenzieofficial thank you for all the shared info! I will do my research and check the other videos, thank you again and happy new year!
Thanks a lot for this video!!!! I really appreciate it and more over because I will never can see the unit from inside. I have a mooer ge 300 and really I love it. I don't know if you have the Headrush Pedalboard. If you have it, please give me your opinion about componentes, procesors and construction. Thanks a lot for your videos!!! 💪😃
I also reviewed the GE300 - a pretty interesting device. Sorry I don't have any other Headrush gear right now except for the expression pedal and I'll be looking at that at some future date... But the general Headrush build I thought was pretty OK really. Thanks for watching.
Does this unit have the same processor as the GigBoard? My son has the GigBoard and it sounds great live. I was thinking of this because I'm tired of lugging heavy equipment around (65 now).
I believe they use the same processor in the range... Thanks for watching...
Did you try this board? If so, how would you compare using it vs the larger screen gigboard? I have a kid playing with guitar, and I think this would make a nice, compact way for him to play around with many tones, learn via headphones and audio input, as well as looper...and for now maybe not need an expensive amp or pedals....
Tuner and 2 or 3 modest priced pedals and you've spent $400... then have to start working with power supplies, a board, patch cables, etc...
Anyway, let me know if you think the larger screen and 1 more switch is better, or this small and affordable unit with the mini expression pedal.
Cheers
I think you should mention the setlist feature… it’s the future. There is also no need for computer software. The sounds, to my tube amp collecting ears, are the most realistic of the brands. Granted I mic my cabs with a 121 and 57. This unit makes it sound like that… headrush has certainly knocked it out of the park here. I think I will buy one. I know Sweetwater is already sold out. Likely due to the perfect form factor for live gigging… you also have your gate set improperly here which makes the unit sound awful.
Yes the setlist feature is interesting, but it's really nothing new... for example I think Roland call the Live Sets (or something like that). The gate did grab a few times I agree. However, the overall tones were from the unit without external interference except for the wah pedal (on my last track) because the wah pedals internally were not really for me. I do think the screen (as you see in the video) is small and it is easy to have the wrong thing 'pop up' when you're trying to work. The way I think of this is like this, if this screen is 'OK' then why would they have a larger screen on the top model? Something does not add up re that aspect, and my guess is that portability does matter (hence the smaller screen) and in that case the software could be justified - particularly to ensure a great work flow for exactly when the pressure is on the most... at a gig. The big screen is 6.9 inches to this units more frugal 4 inches. That does have an effect. It's great that you get along with the MX5 yourself and I am sure that there will be many people that do. But please understand that I look for good points and less than good points when I review any gear - and also bear in mind that like you, I PAID for the unit I reviewed and am as such a paying customer. They could of course still make a simple app to make things easier, and if that existed then the work flow would be improved considerably. Thanks for watching and great to get your post as a user of an MX5.
@@tonymckenzieofficial the mx5 is so easy to use it’s incredible… you have zero pressure at a gig because when you play back in black you are on your back in black setting that you built for that song at home prior. When you play sweet child of mine you simply have those sounds already ready to go as you are using the foot switches to easily get to the next song. What pressure is left? Lol. Are you saying you can’t see the screen when you are standing in front of it? That’s an eyeball issue not an mx5 issue. Idk man, I think this unit may not be for you but I also think that the early sales and being sold out in the US shows it’s for almost everyone else. What an incredible little unit.
Eric, I'm not here to argue with anyone or anything like that, if I wanted to do that I can think of many other brands that are far better than you at that! :) It's pretty clear you have an opinion about the MX5 and your opinion is just as relevant as mine is, that is, if you bought and own one as I have. Why not go and create a video of your unit and exclaim to the world about the unit and your own opinion. The problem with all of this is that there are many subjective points surrounding even this topology of product let alone the operational procedures - and your operational procedures may well be different than others. That simple really. Thanks for the info no problem... by the way what will you do when that internal battery goes belly up at a gig? Just a thought that no one bothered to mention to you... Thanks.
@@tonymckenzieofficial yea for sure and I’m sharing my opinion here on the content you put out to the world where there should be many… not arguing at all. Simply disagreeing with you and making sure people are thinking about a few details you neglected both sonically and from a workflow standpoint… if your battery goes up I can tell you what I would do as a professional musician and just may do regardless, I’d have an identical backup just like I have with my guitars for when I break a string. For the price point of $400 it’s pretty easy to do that for most professional musicians.
Well I'm not always right - I just try to show what I buy really. On the battery that is a fair point... but most of the really 'pro' guys seem to go for gear that is far more sophisticated than this little pedal. That's no reflection on this pedal and I thought it is a reasonable device. But there are limitations on it and even though I don't really use modelers personally I know that an 11 slot device is somewhat of a compromise compared to devices for 33% more (equally as easy to fund for pro guys) can have 24 slots. But again it's just an opinion. I don't know of a single 'review' anywhere where they show the warranty, the processor, the battery, and so on and so forth and it's not Headrush, ALL of the companies making simulators are the same. It's almost like they don't want to talk about how robust the device is, or how long they warrant a device etc. and for any 'Pro' user or even bedroom user there is no mistaking that being robust and having longevity should be up there with everything else. Sadly, people often find out that stuff later at 15 months and no warranty, or when they have to buy two because of a battery.... and I'm sure many guys could think of other things. But as I said, it does apply to most gear especially in the music business for some obscure reason. It's almost like buying a car, and you don't know the maker, you don't know what sort of engine. you don't know the warranty and you're happy to buy it :) Sounds weird :) (and I don't mean the device). Thanks...
Ok, but what most ppl wants to know (AKA me), with a everyday careful use rather inda houz and inda stage, is it durable?
Well I would say that it is probably OK in that respect. Look at the quality inside and the housing as I tore it down. Hope it helps and thanks for watching.
Great review! I like how you talk about the technical side of things, and what's making the MX5 run 🤘 I completely agree with you on the screen size, and the lack of application. I'm one of those guys with big fingers, and navigating the screen took a bit of getting used to.
I pitched an idea to Headrush that they should create some sort of app, or VST plugins where you can customize your rigs in a DAW, and reamp if needs be, but hopefully they'll do something like that, because that would really make everyone's lives easier in recording, and creating tones with headrush haha
Thanks for watching and I'm really happy that you mention the usefulness of the points I raised for this device. I like the MX5 (some people seem to think otherwise) and as you said, those small points being enhanced in some way would make this MX5 really shine. There's no doubt it's fiddly for lot's of people - it does not massively subtract from the unit, but it can be frustrating for some guys. My fingers as it happens are small, but for larger fingers it matters IMO. I'm sure they could create a simple app for the guys that like that sort of thing - especially a SIMPLE app and nothing complex then this unit would take a massive leap forward in usability. Thanks for the input... appreciated.
Glad to see you pitched them something so obvious. You just recommended they hire an entire software team and spend months developing an app and then years supporting it, wondered why they didn’t think of that…
Hi Tony, How do you hard reset a Headrush MX5?
I had mine for one day, now on startup the bottom three lights along the foot switches flash and then .... nothing. Nada. The LCD doesn't illuminate at all. Seemingly dead. Off/On does nothing. Only if I remove and insert the power and then the On switch do I get a sign of life - but just the above three light before it goes black
I had it for one day. About 45 mins of gentle use. :(
Do you know what might have caused this? Any way to recover from this?
Did you see the crash on the video? That was easy to create :) all I did was to edit a patch, then just unplug it. When I turned it back on the unit asked me... recover or not! if not then revert to the backup - which is actually what I did. You're not supposed to though I guess. I never did find a 'factory reset' for the MX5 - there probably is one but I did not see it in the docs. If you find it then just post it here... great point. And thanks for watching.
Honestly looks just like everything else made since 2000. A bunch of surface chips set on a pcb and wave soldered. I would think too as far as the heat sinks concerned, I doubt their in the business to spec more material than is needed especially when they are trying to price these to undercut everyone else that doesn’t have big umbrella company money floating them. I’d assume heat must have been a real big issue in the long run. Maybe for those instances when it gets left on for a week straight and forgotten about. Anywho thanks for the inside images of the unit 👍
I generally agree... and some is made 'better' and some worse, but other than a bit of ram changing and processor(s) the only real differences appear as software. This was not that bad a unit, but the screen I found to be hard work because of the size, whereas the Headrush CORE was far superior overall and easier to use too. Thanks for watching.
Tony I am first to admit I am a stuck in my ways fart, analogue everything and tubes. I could never imagine owning that thing
Ha I love tube amps too. You know that I'm sure. But it IS good to have an open mind right. If I did not, then I would never even create videos of this sort of gear. I don't mind some of it and I even own a number of different units that I kept because they are workable. But I do sell a lot of it later if I can't get on with it. Trust me, there are other amplifiers coming that are tube based and I am sure that some of those that will be arriving you will love :) But its always worth looking at this stuff - and it will improve, just how far I can't say, or indeed how long before we can call it an 'equal' to the analogue amps out there. Thanks for watching.
100% agree ,that touch screen size would be a nightmare on a dark stage and to many drinks , and semi large fingers ,happy days not..great info thanks..
Yes even as you saw I was careful... but the screen is just not that good re the size. I have chipmunk fingers too... :) Thanks for watching.
You can just lock the screen for gigs.
Correct you can. But when it's unlocked you really need nimble fingers ;-)
it seems that all these units have batteries, that being said in your opinion which one of the many that you have dissected would be the easiest to replace.
Great question and one I had not considered really. Probably that Fender unit for the clock battery (if that's the battery you mean) as once the bottom is off its easy, but having said that there are many others similarly easy... what a great question! Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial thanks, you would think that the manufacturer would have provided an access door for the replacement. Because opening the back will probably void the warranty!
I have not seen a single unit where the penny battery is easily changed. And, my guess is that warranty would not be void under UK law as clearly penny batteries are user changeable...
do you find the Pod Go better or is a few pedals into an amp easier,thanks
Well personally I think they are all pretty similar in many ways. Each device I have checked out (and that is many) all have the plus and minus. Personally I tend to use pedals. Why? (remember its just my own preference and nothing to do with the review) Well I only ever use reverb, delay and a wah... and rarely chorus. For me personally that's so simple and there's no faffing around with menu's etc. But there can be a benefit if you use lots of effects and for example if you record etc. Thanks for watching.
Its a 4" screen - a larger screen would have pushed the price up don't you think? I mean its a touch screen. Its actually a bigger screen than most mid priced multi fx units.
Indeed it is, but the real problem was that the text (just my opinion) was too small for a touch screen as they were fitting too much on the screen and it became difficult to choose the right thing. Someone pointed out that you can get one of those screen pointers, but thats another thing to lose... thanks for Watching.
Btw, how about reassemble Quad Cortex? Thanks
I have not looked at the Quad Cortex.... yet ;-) Thanks for asking....
First, this was a fantastic review, taking the thing apart and everything. About it looking "cheap" for having an cell phone/Smart tv processor, I think there's an important thing to consider:AD/DA and software. By what I saw in their webpage, it's a linux machine. And I can't make a Linux computer way more powerful than an ARM do what it does, first because the AD/DA sucks unless you buy dedicated hardware, and second, Linux audio subsystem kinda sucks. So, I believe that they made their own thing about the audio treatment, and then: the DSP software itself. I guess they didn't use open source effects, right? This is where the real value is - or is not - depending on your opinion.
Yeah, the plastic is a boomer, and the lack of an app to set the damn thing is a huge mistake, specially on the mx5. But yet, I'm inclined to buy an gigboard, it's more solid and has an usable looper, which sucks on the majority of the pedalboards. The GT-1000, e.g., is limited to 38 miserable seconds. What were they thinking?
These are all very interesting points and generally probably correct. Other makers are using similar stuff and I don't want to knock the product really, but I did think that the points I raised in the video were genuine concerns. Arm processors are used so much these days, and even in the UA Dream 65 amp pedal there they are... and that pedal was incredibly good. I think your comment of no editor is a key aspect that I found a concern, and also of course the touch screen that did not behave. True I could have bought one of those little screen wands, but then I could buy 100 as I lose them everywhere :) I did not check the software internally as that's hard for me to do... For me, the usability, (which includes adequate processing power), the features such as slots available and things like simplicity all matter when I look at any of these types of devices, some are entirely too complex for their own good, some are lacking in hardware and some even sound less good than others. A feature like the looper can be essential for some users and irrelevant to others but I always believed that helping people make 'informed' decisions when it comes down to getting any product does overall contribute to the viewer in making the right decisions for them. As you say a 38 second looper is probably hardly worth the effort. Great post... and thanks for that - always nice to hear this stuff... and I don't know everything by a long shot... but at least I try. Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficial No, thank you for all the information provided, I subscribed and watched some of your videos, you're really helping people to make informed decisions. Which is rare nowadays. Thanks again!
Talking about processor sizes, one might make bricks if they were to see how tiny high end computer chips really are.
Oh I agree and come from technology background going back to 1981. But they have certainly more power than the proc in here. Having said that many companies are of a similar vein these days... it does the job I guess.... thanks.
Thanx For Quelling The Hype! Maybe Just Needs a Finger Tip 'Stylus' Provided 'jk' '\😶/' Plus Maybe 'Updates' Can Help the Miniscule 20 Sec Looper Time to At Least 45 Sec' Per Save? Ampero's at 40sec! And a Desktop App _ Great Video! Thank You Tom Mackenzie🎸
🇬🇧🇺🇸
You know that's a very good point for sure and one I really did not consider... so kudos for that... While I could often use the small screen there were times that it was just a little too small. Thanks for watching.
I went and purchased the MX5 and returned it for the very same reasons as you have stated in this video. You would think the touchscreen would make it easier to use BUT as it turns out it actually makes it harder as the screen is far to small to be useful and turns it into a hindrance and also NO editing software? I purchased the POD GO and I am much happier with the unit and it is far more enjoyable to use with the extra Footswitches and good old fashioned knobs. The POD GO edit software also works as intended and is nice to use. At the end of the day all these digital things (At this price point) sound about the same more or less and it just comes down to ease of use and sorry to say but the POD GO blows the MX5 out of the water. Just because the MX5 is new does not make it better in any respect and if you have the chance to use both units for yourself you just might come out with the same outcome. I have even thrown it in front of my VOX AC15 C2 using the amp out on the POD GO just for the effects after you disable the Cab and Amp IR's and it works well also. For the money I think it is hard to beat!
Yes - there are some guys that criticize me for pointing this out (they are like that sometimes) but as you say it IS difficult. I also reviewed the POD Go also on my channel and it is a different product really. I don't really mind the MX5 but honestly if the screen becomes a problem there's no 'fallback' to software. Of course the POD Go is quite different and still made pretty well too. Thanks for your opinion post. I think that in general the simulations of amps ARE reasonably similar in most if not all the units, it's more the IR's etc. that help the tones along. As for the effects, again, you know, a reverb is a reverb and most of the audience would not give a flying fig (or even know) at to what reverb it was... Great post and thanks.
Boss GT 1000 core has 24 blocks, but only 3 are kinda free choosing. For example, in the GT you have one reverb block and that's all, even the selectable 3 blocks does not allow you to select Reverb. Same goes for the Delay , you have ONE master delay, and 4 super basic delays. I don't think it's a good comparison, MX5 has 11 blocks, but are completely free to be selected from any type of effects, even 11 reverbs eventually.
Concluding, it's clear that boss went for the "24" blocks mainly for a marketing point of view, rather then other. Crazy to think that you have like 4 eq blocks fixed, 2 noise, etc
I thought 16 were more usable than on most of the other low end units I have checked... and Boss might well have gone for the marketing angle on the CORE which is a great point and the screen on the CORE is not IMO good... functional, but just. This screen is not bad but maybe a tad small for me. Other than that it was not bad. I miss the software functionality though :( and the Boss stuff now works :) - on the GT-1000 when I looked at that some first release that was not good, but it did improve.
The Boss CORE costs more... and that's really a disadvantage too. But it should still be considered along with the POD Go and one or two others out there - its a section of gear that seems to have lots of competition these days... previously all higher end but now it's all dropped in price. Thanks for the points... all good and very useful and thanks for watching.
Interesting and informative, Tony, as always. I was wondering why you hadn't reviewed the HeadRush Pedalboard and surprised to hear that you didn't rate it, when you played through one.
I picked one up last week, after a LOT of research and comparisons to the Helix LT. In every demo I've seen the Helix sounded much brighter and more "brittle" than the HeadRush. I think the amp models, although fewer in number, are better on the HeadRush, too. Of course, with all thse amp modellers, they sound markedly better when you load some decent impulse responses into it.
Looking forward to seeing you...and the chopstick...very soon! 😎👍
Well, I saw the original Headrush when it was very first released and I agree it was a quick look, but at the time I did not really like the sounds... I had previously an Eleven Rack and to be honest that was (for me) not that great either - so I was rather shy at buying the Headrush at the time. But like all these types of gear (amp sims etc) they all improve over time. The GT-1000 I had (again when it first came out) was at best not for me. I wanted it to be great... but it let me down really. More recently I reviewed the GT-1000CORE and the tones were far from how they were on the GT-1000 when that first came out as I remember them. Likely this MX5 is improved too over the original pedal. And yes you are right re the IR's. Those filters change the tone considerably, but you do have to spend time on them for sure. Now leave my chopstick alone :) - who knows how it will all pan out in the new 'workshop' (I'll call it that) and maybe the chop stick will get the chop :) Thankls.
So the .rig files are JSON so an editor might be possible ;-)
Thanks for the info.... and for watching.
Not exactly, the main problem is synchronization. You need to modify the file then send it to the device, then apply it, it will cause your operation out of sync. The actual app should send a command to the device to modify parameters from memory directly so you can get real-time sound feedback
*Tony tell the Queen I said "hello."- 👋😁*
Ha... I pop around next week when Harry is not in the UK ;-)
7:05 a battery of CR1220 type
7:26 heat sink
9:30 processor (a quad core DSP)
Rockchip
RK3288
ARM Coretex A17 cores
Thanks again... you were busy :)
Never liked the boss overdrives their clean is great headrush to me is one of the better plus the price with the footswitch. I play fractal but this is a backup
Yes the clean on Boss is extremely good... as on many digital devices really. But the distortions on many of them out there vary a lot I think really. This was not a bad sounding device, but rather I did think there was some compromise relating to the text on screen size when using the touch screen. Thanks for the post - good info for anyone considering the device. and thanks for watching.
Mx5 doesn’t draw 3mA really. And It powers fine with a Truetone C6 Pro (1600ma max) with one of the outputs set to 12v and using the truetone converter plug that’s included in the truetone box… wich makes the mx5 kind of pedalboard friendly.
Well my point is that the power supply is a 3A power supply. And there are not too many PSU's for pedal boards that offer that for a single outlet. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can tell you that they absolutely would not supply a 3A power supply if a 2A would work - reason being that the power supplies when you buy them are costed according to the ratings - I have bought tens of thousands of them. I'm not saying you're wrong Mikael either... it was an observation as I looked at the PSU as supplied. If you have other info on that it would be useful indeed. And thanks for pointing that out too and watching!
@@tonymckenzieofficial I’m not saying you are wrong either :D your not. This is what they do. The actual draw of the unit itself is another story. My HX Stomp for example draws around 880-970 something mA. They (Line 6) also supply a 3A rated power supply much like the Headrush one. Why they are not upfront with the actual draw of the units is also another question, but in my experience Line 6 at least has been supportive to the idea of powering the HX Stomp with pedalboard power supplies wich makes sense as HX Stomp was created with pedalboards in mind. Thanks for a good video also, cheers.
Well it is a good point and maybe someone out there can get a meter across it which would help with guys wanting the unit on their PSU they use in their floor deck. Yes and it is good to post this sort of thing. I only take a cursory look at the stuff like that. Thanks....
@@tonymckenzieofficial Maybe they are actually thinking of customer experience ,and are down rating the transformer's load for reliability?? probably not ,oh well..
That IS a possibility of course, if it was me I would not want to use all the 3A coming out without spare amperage involved. But... from what I see with the stuff I have worked with, generally power supplies seem to be rated at what the unit needs and little or if any more. The costs between the amperage ratings in production for switched mode PSU's is not dramatically different on the higher rated PSU's, but equally if you are making thousands then it could be substantial cost. It's good to know from this maker that they seem to supply PSU's that are not the cheapest out there... all good really.
Without playing he gives it a 6/10
He did play but you can't be bothered to watch the video. Typical....
Just when the MX5 comes to my house I see this video :(
You should be fine the gear is not bad... and think of this video as telling you the parts that others might not have... and thanks for watching.
I just assumed you could do computer based editing... Why would they not integrate that? That's insane
So did I! The Ampero it seems can and might offer more or not. Review as soon as I can make them again!
Firstly I'm no relation to Pete.
I thoroughly enjoyed the review and yes I am a Headrush Gigboard user. but I feel the fact that you stressed it wasn't a "how to" video, would lead you to some of the drawn conclusions.
So for instance the fact the processor is used in a tv box, and other devices. Is that as big a negative as you imply it to be?. It may indeed mean it's cheaper to purchase than some others, but that's surely the economy of scale? It has to be remembered that whilst this chip was developed in 2014, the original pedal, the engine of which is the same as used in the MX5, came out in 2016.
If you want to know what version of the software you're running, check the manual. It's actually dead straightforward.
The deal breaker for you seemed to be the size of the screen, but if you use a stylus made for the job, then that "problem" quickly disappears.
Your comment about the length of the warranty was interesting. There have been issues with the Pedalboard and the Gigboard, where boards have failed. Headrush acknowledged this and I know of many who've had, sometimes second hand boards, repaired for free.
My criticism of the MX5 would be the same as that of the Gigboard. Not enough switches for live work. I use mine for live gigs and switching between modes is a pain, that said I added a midi controller I could take that problem away. Or I could buy a Pedalboard. All the best and keep up the reviews.
That's fair enough Geoff and we all have our own opinions of course. The warranty was less than some competitors. The lack of software IS a shortcoming - they might resolve that or not. But a lot of guys when playing guitar and setting up honestly from what I see don't have 'hanging around' those little stylus - but that is a good point to bear in mind and maybe one I should have mentioned. On the main processor I always mention those on EVERY system I see - this one even based on the 2016 date you mention makes that particular design near enough 6 years old and you'll know that in the processor and chip markets that IS a long time. But the unit is not that bad, and I said so. For me, the processing power determines the number of effects etc. in the chain. Take the GT1000CORE (it's higher price I know) and that with their own custom processor supports around 24 items in the chain... which is an awful lot more than in this unit. That in itself is not really a criticism, but more of an observation - many people don't need the processing power as far as that, but it's still a valid point I should mention when trying to offer a very fair and as genuine review that I could possibly make - and honestly, I don't have anything against this or any other maker really. The little MX-5 is not a bad device really, but I have always thought that showing the things when I can that others NEVER do in their sales and dealer videos is a good idea to help people. Thanks for taking the time to post too - because that offers other opinions and views - I'm certainly not always correct in everything and those other opinions made in posts are always welcome... check out some of what others say on this video - it is quite interesting in itself... and thanks again for the post and for watching.
In the mx5 can u run parallel effects?
There are three signal paths you can have. First the straight through one (pretty obvious), The split signal path (which BTW does show on the screen) which is basically the parallel one, and lastly the split with a join later down the tree: This one splits immediately from the input whereas the other parallel one could be anywhere. Lastly of course don't forget the stereo or mono option for the output. Very useful, but crowds the screen a bit. Thanks.
Not sure if Im keeping my mx5 yet but you lost me at Boss JS10. Its like a little karaoke machine for guitar. Great for the knob twisters I guess but Ive always hated Boss digital distortions and katana all bees in a box to my ears.
Not really true. The JS10 can be used to learn much lead guitar as one feature was slowing down the tracks etc. You have to remember how old the original design was (JS8). Of course now its very different these days with so much gear doing so much more. On the older stuff there was no IR filtering etc. and ha you're right, to me the old stuff DOES sound sort of chain saw quality :) On the MX5 it sounds OK really, its 'shortcoming' for me was the text too close for a touch screen and no software at the time... that might have changed though... I have not checked of late. Thanks for watching - appreciated and for that post!
@@tonymckenzieofficial thanks i took time off playing seriously raising kids for 20+yrs and missed the js8 and 10 cycle completely. I missed the daw and ir train. I get it but dont want to sit in my office at the pc to jam. My peavey Ultra60 and 6505 heads still sound best to me but the Spark40 is a cool practice amp models are pretty authentic at room volumes and i just got this mx5 as a gift but Im running it into fx return of my Peaveys and feel like maybe i need an frfr and use the cab sims to get the best out of it? Im on the fence about it i didnt want to invest in the frfr dont play out and really like the Sparks tones and gui. Thanks for the honest review.
Very good points... the amps always sound better to me somehow and the 'feel' is different when playing through them - even with the frfr stuff (just an opinion). Its why I still have loads of amps because each one has a particular value and individual tone. There are many products out there that all claim 'greatness' in the digital world of course, and I have used (or own) many of them from the top end down to the lower stuff, but I still think as far as the actual tone and that feel, the amps still win. Of course it will improve in the digital stuff so I keep on watching it all :). Kemper is in its 10th year old and nothing has been updated from what I see... so is that a ten year old tone? its an interesting question and I'm honestly amazed that they have not updated the hardware along with the software updates ever since. Its a weird subject on the digital stuff. Thanks...
@@tonymckenzieofficial i geuss the better the processors get the more they smooth the digitized sine waves replicating the analog sine waves but i always feel the non note ambient sounds like fret hand squeeks between moving chords and sometimes palm muting sound weird thru modelers Ive tried.
The processors handle more 'blocks'. You will see on this device (if I remember right) there are about 9 or maybe a few more, but for a Boss GT1000CORE there are up to 26. So the processing power becomes a feature of achieving more tones... and really little to do with actual power... (its not a car :)
Just bought one last night. I really hope it holds up better than my Pod Go wireless. Worst experience, most unreliable piece of hardware I ever had. The sound completely cutting out mid-song is 100% unacceptable 🤬
Ouch sounds like you had issues with the POD Go. That device was also made pretty well from what I saw in my review? What failed do you know? Would be interesting to hear... and thanks for watching...
I’ve been waiting for an expelliamous(?), or something from Harry Potter for the past 5 min 😱😂
Don't like my reviews? Don't watch them. Just go and watch the sales videos. Thanks.
You sound like one of those players that think the presets will sound good. They never do, you have to adjust the eq to your pickups, amp, and speakers. A Tele's single coils will sound much brighter that modern humbuckers.
I don't personally believe that. But here's the argument... you take these massive companies, Line 6, Fender, Kemper, Roland Boss, Fractal Audio... and not one of them can create decent presets? To be honest it is a little hard to believe given the wealth of those people and their long term knowledge. There are few if any that are actually great, save for the (example) Kemper player and Kemper that can simply play back what was captured - I have some captured amps on there since about 2014 or so, and they STILL sound perfect when downloaded and installed. Good point and thanks for watching.
This cat sound ;DDD I've played it like 5 times back. laughing at the monitor like stupid :DD
Ha it was me :)
what was the amp? 15:11
You mean that little practice thing in the background? Boss JS-10 practice gear that can slow the track to learn down.
$429.99 in the USA.
Thanks... and for watching.
I wonder if it even cost them $50 to make? A $400 raspberry pie. I think I'm going to stick to software amps and my laptop.
This pedal WILL have certainly cost more than that to make. It's only the processor that is used in the Asus board. Don't be too harsh on the unit, it was not by a long way all bad. Thanks for watching.