MusicRadar Verdict
A fantastic choice for any level of player wanting a well-made, decent-sounding practice amp for home use, pre-show warm-ups, playing on the go or for making quick demos at home. You've got lots of options within the dedicated app, but it also works really well as a standalone unit, offering versatility and quality.
Pros
- +
Very good build quality.
- +
Easy to use with or without app.
- +
You get a lot for your money here.
- +
Useful practice features.
Cons
- -
A little more volume wouldn’t go amiss.
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What is it?
Mooer enters the fray here with a portable, 30W modeling amp sporting a bunch of handy features designed to make home practice fun and fuss-free. It does however have a built-in rechargeable battery that allows you to take the amp further afield and play without mains power for up to five hours, making it an ideal choice for buskers.
Unlike its smaller sibling (the Mooer SD10i), this model has quite a few controls on the top of the amp, making dialling in your tones the traditional way really simple. It’s a case of plug in, select your amp model then set your gain, volume and EQ. You’ve even got controls for effects too.
The amp really comes to life though when you pair it with the dedicated Mooer iAmp app which can be downloaded for free on your smartphone or tablet. In here, you can browse the selection of well-crafted presets, or build your own from scratch using the 49 amp models and 52 effects.
There’s everything from US-style clean combos to high-gain metal heads alongside a healthy range of effects that allow you to either augment your everyday tones or take a trip down a more experimental route.
It’s fair to say that Mooer, known for its wallet-friendly offerings, has introduced this amp to challenge the likes of Positive Grid – mostly notably its 50-watt Spark 2. When the two amps to go toe-to-toe, their features are similar, but not the same. Comparisons aside, how does the SD30i stand up on its own?
Specs
- Price: $227/£166/€189
- Type: Modeling combo
- Origin: China
- Output: 30-watts RMS
- Speaker: 2 x 4"
- Channels: 9 (49 amp types)
- Controls: Amp type, gain, bass, mid, treble, volume, chorus/vibrato, echo/reverb, preset button, tap tempo button, instrument level, audio level
- Connectivity: Jack input, headphone jack outputs, USB-C, Bluetooth
- Footswitch: Mooer GWF4 footswitch sold separately
- Weight: 5.13kg/11lbs 5oz
- Dimensions: 350mm (D) x 180mm (W) x 193mm (H)
- Contact: Mooer Audio
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
If it were possible, I’d give the SD30i six stars out of five for build quality. Not only does it feel well put together, it feels really premium. It’s a sturdy unit, and feels like it could withstand a bit of rough and tumble in the back of a car or trailer.
The power toggle switch has no looseness to it - something that you often find on budget amps, and the knobs all have a satisfying amount of resistance to them as you adjust the settings on top of the amp.
There’s also a strap attached to it (removable, should you wish) that’s even got a lovely feeling velour-style texture on the reverse that means when it’s on your shoulder, it won’t rub as you carry it. It’s not often you see these kinds of details on a budget guitar amp.
Usability
Usability rating: ★★★★½
While you can undoubtedly do more within the dedicated app that goes alongside this amp series, what I think might attract some players to the SD30i in particular is its functionality as a standalone unit. The knobs on the top mean that you can dial in a massive array of sounds without touching a smart device.
The amp selector on the left of the control panel offers nine amp types; all manner of clean, drive, crunch and distorted tones. You’ve then got a gain knob which means that within each of these amp styles, there’s a ton of range in terms of how much distortion you blend into your signal. Throw on top of that a three-band EQ, and you’re set to cover pretty much any style of music.
There are then two dedicated effects knobs that can be used simultaneously. One offers the option of going from chorus to vibrato – the former grows more intense before it changes to the latter as you turn the knob clockwise. The other lets you dial in delay (with a dedicated tap tempo button near it) or spring reverb. Again – these are just the controls on the actual amp – more effects can be used at the same time within the app.
There’s also a button that lets you switch between four different presets. When using alongside the app, you’ve got nine banks of four presets to scroll through, though you do have to use the app to move up and down the banks. It might appear logical that the nine amp types that you can select on the amp would scroll through the banks, but it doesn’t.
As well as this, there are loads of ready–made presets, split into genres plus you can make an account and access a ton of user–generated sounds via the Mooer Cloud
The app is easy to use and shows your signal flow with easy to read icons. Simply tap on a section – overdrive, amp, reverb etc to switch it on or off, and tap underneath to browse the various options you’ve got within that section. It’s really easy to build a sound from scratch, and a lot of the names are easy to recognise – Jazz 120, HWT 103, 65 US DLX and so on.
As well as this, there are loads of ready–made presets, split into genres plus you can make an account and access a ton of user–generated sounds via the Mooer Cloud.
As well as being a portable amp, the SD30i doubles as a recording interface too. Simply take a USB cable from the amp and plug into a computer or device and away you go!
Looping is another feature that might sell this amp. Built within the Mooer SD30i is an 80-second looper with unlimited overdubs. With the Sync feature selected, your loops will be trimmed neatly so that they’re more in time too, so if you’re playing along to one of the drum beats and you create a loop, but slightly over or undershoot tapping the 'stop record' button, it will trim the silence at the end. You can switch this feature off if you don’t want it.
No footswitch comes supplied with the amp, but you can buy the Mooer GWF4 separately which would undoubtedly make looping and channel switching a lot easier.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
There’s a ton of range here, so regardless of what style of music you play, you’ll be able to dial in a suitable tone. With 49 amp models and 52 effects to choose from, you’ve got enough to showcase lots of different sounds, but not so many that you’re overwhelmed.
You’ve got lovely sounding Vox and Marshall-style sounds that are dynamic and responsive enough to deliver a nice amount of crunch without sounding fizzy or harsh
Something like this is never going to compete with a proper tube amp, but you probably wouldn’t expect it to. That said, it responds dynamically to your touch, rewarding you with more gain as you dig in more with your pick. There are some nice clean sounds; especially when you pair them with reverb and delay. It being solid state, your signal remains clean even when you crank the volume.
There are some really usable low/mid gain tones too - something I think is often overlooked with some modelling amps’ presets. You’ve got lovely sounding Vox and Marshall-style sounds that are dynamic and responsive enough to deliver a nice amount of crunch without sounding fizzy or harsh.
There are of course plenty of sounds suitable for heavier styles too, alluding to the likes of Mesa MKV, Peavey 5150 and more. These unsurprisingly deliver lots of gain, but remain quite punchy and tight. There’s a fair bit of bottom end, considering how relatively compact the amp is. Does it compare to the punch delivered by something with a 12” speaker? No, but if you’re using this at home, out on the go or backstage before shows, then it does the job, and does it well.
If you’re opting for this over something like it’s smaller, 10W sibling then you'll probably be wanting volume. It does deliver on that front, filling the room with sound. I’ve definitely heard louder 30W solid state amps before, but if you’re wanting to get out on the street and be heard above the noise then you should be fine. You’d struggle keeping up with a drummer though!
Even with the volume cranked up, you still get a good sound - the amp and speakers have been designed in such a way that it can handle being turned up. It’s also really handy having separate volume controls for both instrument and audio levels, as it gives you more flexibility when it comes to balancing your guitar sound with any tracks you might be playing along with.
Verdict
The Mooer SD30i is an excellent, compact amp that provides superb value for money. If you’re looking for something to use for home practice, then its range of sounds and features like drum beats, metronome, guitar tuner and looper make it an invaluable tool.
The fact you can get five hours from its rechargeable battery and fairly decent volume projection also make it a worthy option for players who want to take their performance to the streets. Beginners will easily find their feet with this amp, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to experienced players too.
MusicRadar verdict: A fantastic choice for any level of player wanting a well-made, decent-sounding practice amp for home use, playing on the go or for making quick demos at home. You've got lots of options within the dedicated app, but it also works really well as a standalone unit, offering versatility and quality.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | Faultless. | ★★★★★ |
Usability | Lots of features to familiarise yourself with but an intuitive design makes it easy. | ★★★★½ |
Sounds | Could use more volume at max but the variety and quality of tones is superb. | ★★★★½ |
Overall | A top-tier practice option for the home that you can take on the go. | ★★★★½ |
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