Sound Quality
To describe the Mooer Preamp 019 you could definitely say it
is ‘amp-like.’ A true preamp with cab
simulation (which you can turn off), the sound is authentic, rich and
dynamic. The Clean channel is crystal
clear, no matter the 3-band (treble, mids & bass) EQ settings. Using a lot of treble does not make it harsh
and using a lot of bass does not make it muddy.
Overall you can achieve some great classic rock lead tones on Channel 2
(high-gain channel), whereas Channel 1 (clean) works well for both undistorted
passages and when you want to integrate your favorite distortion/drive/fuzz
pedal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTcfhbyqWNo&t=1s
The cab simulation aspect is impressive, as
well. Often I use a different brand of
cab simulator when reviewing gear (recorded direct to DAW), but the built-in
cab sim in the Preamp 019 sounded superior and a better match. On a related note, although I have used a
different preamp when testing pedals, I found the Preamp 019 produced equal, yet
different results. What I mean is, when
driving a fuzz or distortion through the other brand of preamp, you would get a
particular sound (obviously). When
driving those same pedals through Preamp 019 those pedals, too, sounded very
good, yet very different. This makes sense since every preamp has its own tonal
characteristics and the same dirt pedal can sound very different with different
preamps. Since Mooer has 20 different
preamps in its repertoire, it could be an addictive and enjoyable trend in
‘chasing the tone.’ In a different
review I’ll be looking at Mooer’s Preamp 020 (based on the Bruno UG30) and I
will include how pedals sound through that amp.
Reliability/Durability
Measuring
9.35 x 4.2 x 5.2 cm (DxWxH) or 3.7 x 1.7 x 2.0 inches and weighing 160g,
Mooer’s Preamp 019 requires a 9VDC power supply with 300mA to function
properly, which is a lot of power for such a little guy (then again… it’s a
preamp and they push a lot of power).
The pedal feels heavy for its size, and so I presume the chassis is
steel. The footswitch is solid in feel,
but has a soft switch-over (no hard clicking) to turn a Channel on or off or to
switch between Channels. The footswitch
is somewhat close to the other knobs/controls or the LED light, but the switch
is set quite a bit higher to prevent any foot-stomping mishaps. The EQ, Volume and Gain controls are small,
but appear to be of good quality; and their pots turn smoothly, as well. The input/output, including the power supply
input, all are located low on the pedal (toward its base), thereby providing
more clearance of a stomping foot.
Price/Value
Mooer has established itself in the effects and
audio industry over the past few years, and with this being the first review
I’ve done on one of its products I can see (and hear) why. Now, the Preamp 019 is considered by Mooer to
be “a faithful recreation of a 1967 50 Watt British classic, sampled from the
personal collection of Tracii Guns in 2017,†and I’m not one to argue otherwise,
nor do I have the experience to challenge that notion. What I can say is that this little pint-sized
pedal delivers an enormous amount of tone that sounds very real and dynamic,
just like an amp/cab should... all for $119 Canadian. And having
reviewed other ‘Marshall-type’ gear, the Preamp 019 does have that
characteristic in spades. You get crisp
cleans, the overdrive channel is very warm, yet punchy (with a ton of harmonics
and dynamics) and the tone quality continues to sound great as you roll off the
guitar’s volume. Although you can run
the Preamp 019 direct into recording software or a board, it also was designed
to be put through your amp’s effects return – in doing so, you not only get
your amp’s sound, but when the Preamp 019 is engaged you resort to a Vintage
1967 Marshall 50W Head! In fact, this is
how all the Mooer preamps are designed to work, thus offering musicians an amp
sound they like at a fraction of the cost and size (weight!).
General Comments
The
UK Gold PLX Preamp 019 operates very much like an amplifier. You have a basic 3-band EQ (treble, midrange
& bass), with volume and gain knobs.
The footswitch offers a dual operating mode, which I’ll describe
later. The LED button also serves a few
purposes, as I’ll explain. So far, much
of this is straight forward – tweak the EQs and the amount of volume/gain
desired (although keep in mind that a lot of Gain actually sounds pretty darn
good when you roll back your guitar’s volume).
The most advanced part of this pedal is the footswitch and the LED
button. The footswitch can turn the
pedal on and off, whereas the LED button allows you to select Channel 1 (clean)
or Channel 2 (overdriven). However, if
you hold down the footswitch for 2-seconds it then switches between Channel 1
and Channel 2 without shutting anything off.
And if you hold down the LED button for 2-seconds you engage the cab
simulation (which is highly useful when connecting direct to a soundcard,
powered monitor or P.A., and without the need for a guitar amp or speaker cab).http://mooeraudio.ca/product/micro-preamp-019-uk-gold-plx/@mooeraudio#mooeraudio
Reviewer's Background
Brian
Johnston is a guitar gear enthusiast who likes to develop reviews and demo
videos on stuff he likes. His YouTube
channel is CoolGuitarGear.