Headrush MX5 - Guitar Amp & FX Modelling Processor with 4” Touch Display, Expression Pedal, Looper & USB Audio Interface for guitarists and bassists

It's got loads of amps and effects that are way too complicated for my brain and cover all the bases well as far as I'm concerned. I find the user interface excellent being a touch screen and knob combination. It was very intuitive and didn't require looking at the manual at all.Important to me is that I wanted a built-in, well implemented looper. This is something that most reviews and YouTubes don't cover. Line 6 (Pod Go, HX Stomp) don't do good loopers in theirs. The Headrush has a permanent, always available looper - at the time of writing, my understanding is that Line 6 require you to place a looper block into the particular patch you're using. This takes up a processing slot and has to be done on a per patch basis. It is also limited to a max of 80 seconds. The Headrush looper is always available and can record up 50 layers up to 5 mins per layer and a total time of up to 20 mins I believe. You're free to change patches between recording layers.It's not a multi-functional looper like BOSS RC-500/600 devices but is great for capturing ideas. It can be connected to the laptop to allow loops to be moved either way. It doesn't have any built-in rhythms like some such as Zoom but you could transfer a WAV or MP3 drum beat via USB and have it as layer one of a loop. You could play stuff through the AUX In but having something controlled via the footswitches is better IMHO. For example, the WAV or MP3 could be an entire song minus your guitar bit which you can then jam/solo over and capture your genius as a new loop layer.You can also record as either pre- or post-processing which, if set to pre-, would allow you to record the clean signal so then when you play it back it will play through whatever the current patch is. This would allow you to take your riff and try out different patches without having to play it again and again.Yes, I would have liked a few more footswitches but that's the way it goes (you could pipe in a MIDI footswitch for some extra control but that'll probably cost you half as much again). The software allows you a lot of flexibility in how you want to configure the footswitches e.g. on/off stomps, patch changes, scene changes, set list changes. I like having the expression pedal. It doesn't get used much but I didn't want to have yet another external expression pedal hanging around when the occasional funk fix is required. Auto Wah is always terrible so the only way to get good wah-wah-ing is to use a pedal in my view so having it there is great. The pedal is small but has a very good movement and weight to it. Very solid (and tension can be adjusted). The whole device is nice and compact, very sturdily built and fits in a gig bag pocket a treat (the sticky out ones, not the flush zip ones).Personally, I couldn't be happier and wish I'd bought it sooner.

Firstly, let me say I've owned the following: Mooer GE200 (twice, don't ask), Mooer GE150, Line 6 HX Stomp, Line 6 Pod Go, Hotone Ampero One. I now have the Headrush MX5 and will be sticking with that, unless I can suddenly find the cash to buy one of the big Headrush boards, which is unlikely, tbh. The learning curve on setting the MX5 up to yield a bunch of presets that work and sound great is nowhere near as a steep as the ones I've owned before. Line 6 gear is good, but Headrush beats it (for my money) in sound quality and flexibility. I play guitar in a band where I need, at most, 3 really good sounds - a chorus-y clean, a fatter, driven sound and a cut-through-the-rest lead tone. I've got those set up on the MX5 and believe me, I'm no tech-head who religiously reads the manual first. Setting up the signal chain and fine-tuning the elements until the sound is dialled in to the user's satisfaction is very easy and intuitive. And the best part is that the presets available online work across ALL Headrush gear, so unlike Line 6 where you can hear a belting tone on a Helix and can't port it across to an HX Stomp or Pod, there's a lot of great tones out there waiting. Dive in, you won't be disappointed.

I have a Helix that I have never got on with so thought I would try one of these.It is much simpler than the Helix but it sounds better to me. The touchscreen is great, really easy to use.If you can get by with the three switches then I think this is a great little device, if you want more switches then get one of the other Headrush devices with more switches as the midi implementation is not great for controlling from a midi footboard.

I’ve owned the pedalboard which has a seven inch touch screen the MX5 has a five inch which makes it a little fiddly you find yourself having to correct selecting parameter options (ok if you have thin fingers)The sound quality is very good compared to leading brands though the one I’ve used had a noise when you plucked a string that shouldn’t have been there? So it’s going back.Where these are better than other brands is the ease of use and functionality if you know fx pedals you’ll be creating your own sounds fast.I found the bigger board just too big but it has complete functionality whereas the MX5 you lack some options that in a live scenario you’ll miss. The Gigboard would be better.Buy it on Prime if you don’t like it send it back.

need to spend a little time getting used to using, as with other similar units. excellent sounds, judge with your ears not any inferred named types. use them as a guide only to get the sound you want. this is true of all these types of units. each RIG or patch is fully adjustable. i recommend switching off the noise gate on every RIG by clicking on " in " and removing it. the gate will affect any very softly played notes and cut them off. you can always switch back on for high gain settings. i'm pleased with the purchase and am slowly getting to grips with it not being used to this approach.

The item was fine but surplus to requirements due Headrush policy. Sent back . Paid £400 refunded only £320. Wouldn't buy a lettuce off this company. Very annoyed that simply returning an item cost me £80. Beware folks

I have used the Line 6 Helix and Boss GT1000 which also sound amazing, but for some reason, I like the sound and workflow better of this. They have somehow shoved the same capabilities of the full size unit into this….how? I don’t know, but I love it. Throw it in a backpack and go. My only niggle is the power adapter- it seems a little cheap and flimsy, so if you are using it for gigging, be careful!Editing is a breeze and in my opinion, this unit has the most useful presets out of the box. If you like using a looper, Headrush excelIn this department.All in all, a super unit!