Saarang Narayan
Inspired
So I bought the Mooer Tube Engine with a Mooer Preamp Live when they came out a few years ago just to check out what the competition is like. For those who're unfamiliar with the Tube Engine, it is a 20W Class A/B tube poweramp with a pair of EL84s. It's pretty much like an Orange Pedal Baby but with tubes. I have sold the Preamp Live since but kept the Tube Engine as a clean pedal platform. Recently received my FM3 and just for fun ran it into the Tube Engine and got pretty good results. I proceeded to try it with my Axe Fx III and was amazed at how clean and flat the Tube Engine sounded. Even though it is 20 watts, it stays clean throughout and doesn't go into tube distortion.
Further A/B'd the Tube Engine against the Matrix GT1000FX that I normally use with the Axe FX. Ran them both through a passive set of PAs, and a 1x12 with a Celestion V30. The only difference was how loud they could get with the Matrix being able to be slightly more louder. Sonically there was no difference. Also, this goes to show how amazing the Matrix GT1000FX is since it felt exactly like a tube power amp (but I've known this since I A/B'd it when I got it against the FX Return of a 120W Laney amp with 6L6 tubes, the kind that Tom Quayle uses).
Long story short, don't sleep on the Tube Engine. For about 300 bucks, it's amazing at what it does. The only downsides are that it only has mono input, but I guess that's true for even full-blown tube heads being used for the same purpose, and that the damn thing is pretty heavy compared to the Matrix which is light as a feather.
Further A/B'd the Tube Engine against the Matrix GT1000FX that I normally use with the Axe FX. Ran them both through a passive set of PAs, and a 1x12 with a Celestion V30. The only difference was how loud they could get with the Matrix being able to be slightly more louder. Sonically there was no difference. Also, this goes to show how amazing the Matrix GT1000FX is since it felt exactly like a tube power amp (but I've known this since I A/B'd it when I got it against the FX Return of a 120W Laney amp with 6L6 tubes, the kind that Tom Quayle uses).
Long story short, don't sleep on the Tube Engine. For about 300 bucks, it's amazing at what it does. The only downsides are that it only has mono input, but I guess that's true for even full-blown tube heads being used for the same purpose, and that the damn thing is pretty heavy compared to the Matrix which is light as a feather.