HEADRUSH

T
he fl agship Headrush
may be a couple of years
old, but it set a new
benchmark for realistic
amp modelling at an
aff ordable price-point. The MX5
promises to take all the learnings
of the fl oorboard, and distil them
down to a compact, aff ordable
core. Does it deliver?
Our usual benchmark is
whether we can get a decent patch
going without using the manual.
This proves easy, thanks to the
touchscreen, and we’re up-and-
running with a great Klon
emulation into a pitch-shifted
delay in no time. Lessons from
their previous products, and
fi rmware updates in the
intervening years reveal a much-
improved UI that’s lightning-fast
to learn and quick to make edits.
Complex chains are a breeze, with
user-friendly tips for assembling
mono or stereo rigs.
Once we’ve found the right
output level, we fi nd it as realistic
as the larger Headrush, whether
into reference monitors, or
recording into a DAW. Disabling
the emulated amps, we run it into
a low-wattage EL84 tube amp, and
fi nd that it has no trouble pushing
the amp into saturation with its
overdrive and boost models. Like
the fl agship Headrush, the amps
and cabs are fl awless, and the
fl exibility of mic models is
a pleasant bonus. However, it
does suff er from the same issue
as the bigger fl oorboard. Not all
its eff ects are as inspiring to us as
the ones found in competitor units
from BOSS or Line 6.
The multi-function
footswitches are assignable,
making it easy to switch on and
off eff ects in the chain you’ve
assembled. However, this is also
where the MX5’s biggest drawback
lies. You can assemble chains of
almost arbitrary complexity, but
unlike the larger fl oorboards, you
can only control three eff ects in
a more complex chain.
With the MX5 you can use the
send/return loop to put in extra
standalone stompboxes you may
own. On a smaller ’board then,
the MX5 could be used as a digital
eff ect, amp and cab sim at the end
of a chain. You could use the MX5
to replace a Whammy, delay,
reverb and modulation, with
control over all four eff ects.
You could then place a standalone
distortion or boost in the eff ects
loop, and then have the MX5 also
provide a virtual amp and cab to
send direct in to a PA.
In conclusion then, the MX5
feels like a more powerful beast
than the full-fat fl oorboard did
on its original release. It’s priced
competitively, and can replace
several pedals on a compact
’board. For players assembling
complex but static chains it might
even replace a whole pedalboard,
but whether it can for all players
is doubtful.
Alex Lynham
1
TOUCHSCREEN
The 4” touchscreen
makes editing chains
a breeze.
2
EXPRESSION
PEDAL
The expression pedal
is assignable on
a per-patch basis,
and can even be used
to edit parameters
on the fly.
3
USB SOCKET
The MX5 can be
used as a recording
interface and re-amp
box via USB.
SCREEN:4” touch
screen
FOOTSWITCHES: 3
EXPRESSION PEDAL
LOOPER
AMP MODELS
: 50
CAB MODELS: 15
VIRTUAL MICS: 10
IRS: 300
FX: 65
CONTACT: Headrush,
www.headrushfx.com
AT A GLANCE
A MORE POWERFUL BEAST THAN
THE FULL-FAT FLOORBOARD
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
Photography Phil Barker
HEADRUSH MX5
Headrush make their play for the compact crown
£399
3
1
2
REVIEW
93
JUNE 2022 TOTAL GUITAR
TGR358.gear_headrush.indd 93TGR358.gear_headrush.indd 93 20/04/2022 14:4320/04/2022 14:43