NuX Mighty Plug Pro Review: Comparison with Mighty Plug

This is Yosh (@Yosh_Guitar), an ex-music store clerk. The Mighty Plug, the best cost-effective guitar headphone amp, has now been upgraded with more features and is now available as the Pro version. In this review, we will cover the pros and cons of the Mighty Plug Pro, as well as the differences from the original Mighty Plug.

Pros

Headphone Amp Compatible with Guitar and Bass

The Mighty Plug Pro can be directly connected to a guitar or bass, and by simply connecting earphones or headphones, you can enjoy a full-fledged sound. The ultra-compact body is designed to accommodate all jack shapes and not interfere with the arm of a Stratocaster.

17 Types of Guitar and 4 Types of Bass Amp Modeling

The amp modeling includes 17 types of guitar amps and 4 types of bass amp modeling. The list of amp modeling is as follows, which can cover all genres.

Name	Base Model
Jazz Clean	Roland JC-120
Dluxe Rvb	64 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Bass Mate	59 Fender Bassman
Tweedy	57 Fender Tweed Deluxe
Hiwire	1969 HIWATT
Cali Crunch	1978 Mesa Boogie MK1
Class A30	VOX AC30
Plexi 100	68 Marshall Plexi 100W
Plexi 45	67 Marshall Plexi 45W
Brit 800	1977 Marshall JCM800
1987 X 50	1989 Marshall 1987X 50W
Slo 100	1980 Soldano SLO 100
Fireman HBE	2005 Friedman HBE
Dual Rect	1985 Mesa Dual Rectifier
Die VH4	1999 Diezel VH4
Mr. Z38	2001 FR Z MAZ 38
Super Rvb	2008 Fender Supersonic
AGL*	AGL AMP
MLD*	MLD AMP
Optima Air*	OPTIMA AIR
Stageman*	STAGEMAN ACOUSTIC

34 Types of IR, Loadable

Since the sound becomes that of headphones or line outs, not only the amp but also the IR is adapted to add the sound of the cabinet speaker and reproduce the amp sound that is easy to get used to. In addition, it is equipped with 3 types of acoustic IR that can make an electric guitar sound like an acoustic guitar. It is good to use the single coil of the front pickup. In addition to the 36 models of IR that match the amp modeling, there are also 20 slots available for loading third-party IRs using dedicated software connected to a PC.

IR (* for bass, ** for acoustic)	Base Model
JZ120	Roland JC120
DR112	64 Deluxe Reverb 1×12
TR212	65 Twin Reverb 2×12
HIWIRE412	1969 HIWATT 4×12
CALI112	1978 Mesa Boogie MK1 1 x12
A112	VOX AC30 1×12
GB412	Marshall Greenback 4 x 12
M1960AX	Marshall 1960AX
M1960AV	Marshall 1960AV
M1960TV	Marshall 1960TV
SLO412	Soldano 4×12
FIREMAN412	Friedman 4×12
RECT 412	Mesa Boogie 4×12
DIE412	Diezel 4×12
MATCH212	Matchless 2×12
UBER412	Bogner 4×12
BS410	Fender Bassman 4×10
A212	VOX AC30
M1960AHW	Marshall 1960A HW
M1936	Marshall 1936
BUDDA112	BUDDA 1×12
Z212	Dr.Z 2×12
SUPERVERB410	Fender Superverb 4×10
VIBROKING310	Fender VibroKing 3×10
AGL_DB810*	Aguilar DB 8×10
AMP_SV212*	Amppeg SVT 2×12
AMP_SV410*	Amppeg SVT4x10
AMP_SV810*	Amppeg SVT8x10
BASSGUY410*	Fender Bassman 4×10
EDEN410*	EDEN 4×10
MKB410*	Markbass 4 x10
G-HBIRD**	Gibson Hummingbird
G-J15**	Gibson J-15
M-D45**	Martin D-45

43 Types of Built-in Effects

It has built-in effects such as noise gate, compressor, distortion, EQ, modulation, delay, and reverb, just like a multi-effect unit. The modeling source is several famous machines, which makes you feel a little profitable. The list of effects is as follows:

Type	Effect	Base Model
Gate	Gate	Noise Gate
Comp	Rose Comp	ROSS
Comp	K Comp	Kelly
Comp	Studio Comp	Studio
EFX	Distortion+	MXR Distortion+
EFX	RC Boost	Xotic RC Booster
EFX	AC Boost	Xotic AC Booster
EFX	Dist One	BOSS DS-1 Distortion
EFX	T Screamer	Ibanez Tube Screamer
EFX	Blues Dry	BOSS BD-2 Blues Driver
EFX	Morning Drv	JHS Morning Glory
EFX	Eat Dist	Pro Co RAT
EFX	Red Dirt	Keeley Red Dirt
EFX	Crunch	JHS Angry Charlie
EFX	Muff Fuzz	Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
EFX	Katana	Keeley Katana Clean Boost
EFX	ST Singer	Dumble Steel String Singer
EQ	6-Band	BOSS GE-6
EQ	10-Band	MXR 10 BAND EQ
Mod	CE-1	Roland CE-1 Chorus
Mod	CE-2	BOSS CE-2 Chorus
Mod	ST Chorus	MXR Stereo Chorus
Mod	Vibrato	BOSS VB-2 Vibrato
Mod	Detune	Stereo DETUNE
Mod	Flanger	BOSS BF-2 Flanger
Mod	Phase 90	MXR Phase 90
Mod	Phase 100	MXR Phase 100
Mod	S.C.F.	TC Chorus
Mod	U-Vibe	Dunlop Uni Vibe
Mod	Tremolo	BOSS TR-3 Tremolo
Mod	Rotary	Rotary Speaker
Mod	SCH-1	MXR Harmonizer
Delay	Analog	BOSS DM-2 Analog Delay
Delay	Digital	BOSS DD-3 Digital Delay
Delay	Modulation	Ibanez DML Modulation Delay
Delay	Tape Echo	Maestro Echoplex EP-4
Delay	Pan Delay	Ibanez DPL10 Stereo Pan Delay
Reverb	Room	T-Rex Room Mate Reverb
Reverb	Hall	Lexicon 224 Hall Reverb
Reverb	Plate	EMT 140 Plate Reverb
Reverb	Spring	Vintage Spring Reverb
Reverb	Shimmer	Shimmer Reverb
Reverb	Damp	NUX Damp Reverb

Bluetooth Audio and Dedicated App

By connecting with your smart device via Bluetooth, you can play songs from your device, such as YouTube, while simultaneously playing your guitar or bass.

Furthermore, by using the dedicated app “MIGHTY AMP”, you can make various settings such as sound making, saving presets, rhythm patterns, etc. Conveniently, you can do most things without having to connect to a PC every time, which is appreciated when you actually use it. After all, small hurdles can be a big enemy for guitar practice. It also has a built-in drum machine and jam tracks, which could be used for improvisation practice.

USB Audio Interface Compatible with Streaming

By connecting your guitar and earphone mic, you can set up a streaming environment with just one smart device. Furthermore, it even has a loopback function, so you can stream your guitar performance while playing songs from Bluetooth audio or a connected PC or smartphone. There is no other device of this size that allows you to stream so easily. Of course, it can also be used as a regular USB audio interface, so you can record for composing, making demos, and creating videos.

Preset Function that Allows Saving to the Device and Automatic Switching

The sound-making done in the app can be preset saved to the device up to a maximum of 7. Among the 7 presets, for example, you can save only 1, 3, and 5 to the Mighty Plug Pro, and when you press the button on the device, you can switch between only presets 1, 3, and 5 in order. You can also set it in advance to automatically change the preset during song playback.

In this screenshot image, there are marks attached to the timeline 1,4,2,1… These indicate that it will automatically switch to these presets at the time of song playback. In addition to the JamTrack and Artist Track built into the app, you can also set it with songs saved in your smartphone, which is a convenient feature not only for practice but also for videos.

Comprehensive On-Device Control Buttons

While the app features are plentiful and convenient, once you’ve created a preset, you don’t need to launch the app every time you use the Mighty Plug Pro. You can switch presets just with the device button, and there’s also a volume button.

Since it’s a device that allows you to practice and perform easily, the fact that you don’t always need to connect to the app and can play as soon as you turn on the power is a surprisingly appreciated feature when you use it every time, albeit modest.

Approximately 5 Hours of Operation with Built-in Rechargeable Battery

A rechargeable battery is built into the compact body. Charging is done with a USB cable with a Type-C connector. With a maximum operation of up to 5 hours under normal use, you won’t have to worry about the battery running out during practice. It should also be sufficient for live streaming.

Tuner Function Included

As of the update on April 3, 2023, a tuner has been added to the app. The tuner from the Cherub brand is included, and the following settings can be switched:

Mode: Chromatic/Guitar Standard/Guitar Compensated/Bass Display: Flowing/Standard A4: 430Hz〜450Hz The notable point is the Guitar Compensated mode.

This mode is a tuning mode inspired by the tuning method devised by James Taylor, a master of acoustic guitar. By shifting the tuning of each string by a few cents, you can maximize the resonance of the acoustic guitar.

In Guitar Compensation Tuning, the tuning is adjusted from the general standard tuning as follows:

1st string E -3cent 2nd string B -6cent 3rd string G -4cent 4th string D -8cent 5th string A -10cent 6th string E -12cent In Cherub’s GCPS mode, this offset is applied as the default preset for each string, and by simply tuning the guitar to match the mode, you can perform James Taylor’s guitar compensation tuning.

Cons

Sound Quality Depends on the Headphones

This applies to all equipment that allows you to play an electric guitar with headphones, but the quality of the sound depends on the quality of the headphones you use for playback. If you usually use cheap earphones, I strongly recommend investing in earphones or headphones that allow you to hear every detail of the music. In my opinion, cultivating such aural skills is directly linked to improvement.

Comparison with Mighty Plug

Specification	Mighty Plug Pro	Mighty Plug
Market Price	$109	$74
Number of Tones	Noise Gate: 1, Comp: 3, EFX: 13, Amp: 21, IR: 34, EQ: 2, Mod: 13, Delay: 5, Reverb: 6	Noise Gate: 1, EFX: 14, Amp: 13, IR: 19, Mod: 6, Delay: 4, Reverb: 4
Number of Preset Saves	7	7
Effect Connection Order Change	Available	Not Available
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
USB Audio Interface	Yes	Yes
Mic In Terminal	Yes	No
Loopback Function	Yes	No
Physical Buttons	Power/Mute, Volume +/-, Preset, Reset	Power/Mute, Preset, Reset
Latency	1.2msec (0.0012 seconds)	Not Disclosed
Dynamic Range	103 dB	Not Disclosed
Sampling Rate	48kHz / 32-bit	Not Disclosed
Size	81 x 41 x 30 mm	81 x 41 x 30 mm
Weight	70g	62g

The Mighty Plug Pro was released as an upgraded version of the Mighty Plug. Let’s compare the differences between the two models.

For a difference of only $30, the Pro model offers a greater number of effects and the ability to change the order of connections, optimization for streaming with mic input and loopback function, and the addition of a volume button on the device. Additionally, from the fact that latency and sampling rate have been disclosed, it can be expected that the sound quality of the Pro model has improved. Also, the Pro’s IR can change an electric guitar to sound like an acoustic guitar, which is a nice feature for those who can’t play an acoustic guitar loudly at home. The original Mighty Plug does not have an acoustic guitar IR.

Even the more expensive Mighty Plug Pro is much cheaper than a poor amp or multi-effect unit and is packed with more features, so if you’re unsure, I think you won’t regret buying the Pro.

The NuX Mighty Plug Pro is recommended for people who:

• Can’t play an amp at home
• Always play an electric guitar with an unplugged sound and are worried about the improvement
• Don’t understand the complexities of equipment but want to try streaming guitar easily
• Find it bothersome to open a smartphone app every time they practice guitar
• Want to use effects to create sound even in regular performances
• Are looking for a convenient multi-effect unit or USB audio interface
• Can’t play an acoustic guitar loudly at home and want to enjoy the sound of an acoustic guitar with an electric guitar

The NuX Mighty Plug is recommended for people who:

• Guitar beginners want to minimize expenses as much as possible
• Don’t care about sound creation
• Definitely won’t stream, so the cheaper, the better

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