The company at the forefront of practice amps is back with another updated box of great tones and features. With this one, they want you to take it to the streets.
DISCLAIMER: This product was provided to me by NUX and I got to keep it, but they have no say in the things I mention in this video/review nor do they get to see the post/video before it is published.
Features
- 8 watts with 6.5” FRFR speaker.
- 6,3mm microphone input.
- TSAC-HD (White-Box) Amp Modeling algorithm offers realistic playability & feedback.
- 512 samples IR resolution. (36 premium built-in IRs and 18 user slots for 3rd party)
- 7 presets slots.
- GATE, EFX, AMP, IR, MOD, DLY, RVB effect blocks.
- Patch Level function for each preset.
- Drum machine.
- Intuitive MightyAmp™ APP & Mighty Editor™ edit software(3rd party IR loader).
- USB-C for desktop editor, uploading your custom IR’s, installing updates and USB audio strearming.
- 8 x AA batteries give you up to 8 hrs of playing time.
- Dimensions 240(L)X 166(W)X 220(H)mm
- Weight 2.96kg
What is NUX Mighty 8BT MKII?
The Mighty 8BT MKII is the updated version of the NUX Mighty 8BT. It comes with a 6.5” FRFR (Full Range Flat Response) speaker that allows you to use the included IRs (impulse responses) to mimic the sounds of different guitar cabinets. You can power the amplifier with the included power supply or 8 AA batteries for up to 8 hours of playing time.
The amp also comes with a plethora of different amplifier models, pedals, effects and acoustic amplifier modeling and acoustic IRs. Yes, you can actually use this amp with an acoustic guitar as well or make your electric guitar sound like an acoustic.
There’s also a 6.3mm input for a dynamic microphone with dedicated microphone level and reverb send controls, so you can, for example, use the amplifier for small troubadour gigs and busking.
As with all other NUX practice amps, you can control the amplifier using the smartphone app (iOS/Android) or use the desktop editor (Mac/PC).
The USB-C port on the back of the amplifier not only allows you to use the desktop editor to edit the sounds of your amp and install updates, but you can also use the amp as an audio interface and record your guitar and bass tracks on your computer without any additional devices and do reamping. The amp also supports something called Loopback (Loopback signal includes PC’s playback, Bluetooth audio, AUX IN signals.) that allows you to use the amp for livestreaming with your mobile device.
Using the Mighty 8 BT MKii
The control panel on the amp gives you few tone shaping options, but to fully unlock the features of the amp, I recommend you connect it to your smart device or computer. Once you’ve saved your rigs, you can scroll through all 7 of them with the preset button on the top of the amp or you can go back to the editor and select the ones you want to scroll through. (demo of that in the video above)
Desktop Editor vs Mobile App
To put it simply, the NUX desktop editor focuses more on shaping the tones, uploading your custom impulse responses and recording, whereas the mobile app is more about playing and using things like jam tracks. Most of the features are available on both apps.
Using the amp with electric guitar
I don’t want to be Captain Obvious here, but the amp sounds good. Compared to the smaller practice amps NUX has in their range, the Mighty 8BT sounds bigger and feels like a ‘real’ amp to play. The listed system latency of 1.42ms isn’t noticeable, and the amp feels ‘real’ to play for someone who grew up playing tube amps. NUX has partnered with Choptones to provide the amps with some great sounding IRs, and I definitely hear the difference. Gone are the days of dull and muddy-sounding small amps that make you want to throw them into a lake 5 minutes after plugging them in.
The different amps not only sound different but feel different to play as well. It’s obviously not a huge room-filling sound you might have experienced with a 4×12 and a Dual Rectifier, for example, but it’s still a lot of fun.
Using the amp with bass guitar
It didn’t come as a surprise to me that the amp was lacking a bit in the low end when using it with a bass guitar, it’s a 6.5” inch speaker after all. But the good news is, the bass still sounded good! Switching through different bass amps and cabinets made the amp mimic some of the more legendary bass rig sounds well enough that I forgot what I was doing and played all five bass riffs I know over and over again. For a practice amp this size, it did a convincing job acting as a bass amp. The selection of bass amps or bass cabinets isn’t huge, but it covers the basics well.
Using the amp with acoustic guitar and acoustic IR’s
The amp comes with a few acoustic guitar IRs, so I decided to try those both on my acoustic guitar and my tele as well. You can hear how those sound in the video above. Basically, instead of using an amp and a cabinet as part of your rig, you just take out the amp completely (or use the included acoustic amp) and replace the cabinet with an acoustic guitar IR. That way you can either change the sound of your acoustic guitar or make your electric guitar sound like one. Both setups worked well and give you even more flexibility on what you can do with this amplifier.
Is the NUX Mighty8 BT MKII good and worth the money?
Overall, I think the amp strikes a great balance between the physical size of the amp and the sound it produces. It gets loud enough to annoy your neighbors but is also a lot of fun playing with headphones.
The amps, cabinets, and effects all sound good and convincing enough that you forget you’re playing a small amp.
It sounds okay when used as a Bluetooth speaker, but if you’re mainly looking for something to listen music on, this amp might not be the best choice. But other than that, it’s a recommendation from me.
If you’re interested in acquiring one of these amps units and suppor what I do, you can use the affiliate link below:
►►Get NUX Mighty 8BT MKII at Reverb: https://reverb.partnerlinks.io/mighty8btmkii
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