Mooer Micro Preamp Live

The Mooer Pre Amp Live is an impressive product.
Basically it is a 3 bank by 4 presets emulated guitar pre amp with control buttons similar to a traditional guitar amplifier. You have 12 preamps at your feet at all times, and access to In this respect it strikes a nice compromise for users who wants easy recall and reproduction of predefined sounds without having to navigate menus and complex routing systems. You can connect a computer but you don?t have to. Even if you don?t like computers, do yourself the favor of backup up your sounds to one. It takes 1 minute. Or use the app for your phone.
Most surprisingly none of the 50 included pre amp sounds is a let down. Mooer have resisted the traditional trend of factory presets being exaggerated highlights of certain effects. Each preset out of the box is usable as-is. Of course tweaking is easy so this is just a comfortable starting point.
The pre amp is carefully designed with a serial and parallel routing scheme which offers perfect integration with an existing favorite amp or direct studio recording.
A Tone Capture feature lets you copy and simulate the EQ profile of other equipment. This is simple and works nicely but note that it is only an EQ profile. It is not an amp simulation that mimics the distortion and dynamics. If for example you profile a fuzz pedal you will not get a fuzz signal, but the tonal characteristic of the fuzz signal compared to your clean guitar signal.
Much more could be said, you get a simple midi controller and can control the unit via midi. You can choose cabinet types, microphone type and placement and there are two outputs with individual choice of whether to use cabinet simulation. Great design. When changing parameters the changes in sound are convincing. Even though it is called a ?pre? amp there is actually also power amp simulation where you choose the characteristics of common types of power amp tubes.
Grab your guitar and you will learn the ins and outs of this product within two hours.
My only minor beef with getting started was a misinformation in the manual about how to upgrade firmware and the absence of a midi implementation chart. I found another manual version and Mooer sent me the midi chart within hours.

I've bought this pedal as a backup for my AX8 and Kemper rig, and I must say, soundwise with a decent IR (altough the bulit-in cab sim section is really great), it can really hold up with those pricier machines. The preamp models are really good and dynamic. The connections make these pedal suitable for using it in professional gigging environment.

Editing is a breeze through the editor and also via bluetooth, using a mobile phone.

The Mooer Micro Preamp Live is a feature-packed, pedalboard-friendly preamp modeler designed for guitarists who need flexibility, portability, and pro-level tone shaping in one compact unit. It’s ideal for both live performance and recording setups.

Key Features:

Stores up to 12 user-selected preamp models across 3 switchable banks (A/B/C)

Built-in Tone Capture allows users to replicate the EQ profile of real amps

Onboard cab simulation with IR loading support (up to 20 third-party IRs)

Full stereo FX loop, pre/post boost switches, MIDI in/out, and noise gates

USB and Bluetooth connectivity for editing via desktop or mobile app

In Use:

Players appreciate its versatility – from high-gain metal tones to sparkling cleans (with the right IRs). Many users report excellent results when using it direct to FOH or into a power amp and guitar cabinet. The Tone Capture feature is particularly praised for its ability to “clone” favorite amps or pedals.

Presets can be switched easily with the 4 footswitches, and the interface, while packed with features, remains intuitive after some initial setup.

Pros:

Huge range of usable amp tones in a compact housing

IR loading and Tone Capture open up custom sound possibilities

Excellent I/O for integration into complex rigs

Great for fly rigs, silent stages, or backup solutions

Impressive value compared to larger, more expensive modelers

Cons:

Not ideal for players seeking vintage-style, edge-of-breakup tones

Requires some tweaking to get the most natural-sounding clean presets

Build quality is solid, but not as rugged as touring-grade gear

Steeper learning curve for beginners unfamiliar with digital routing

Final Verdict:
The Mooer Micro Preamp Live delivers exceptional tonal flexibility and professional-grade features at a very reasonable price. While it may not fully replace high-end modelers for tone purists, it’s an excellent tool for live guitarists, gigging musicians, and home recordists looking for compact power and control.