Vox Amps expand their miniature amp line with the new Mini5 Rhythm IV, with new ivory finish and metallic front grille.
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Like the other Mini5 Rhythm amps, it utilizes the same amp and effects modeling technology from the company’s popular Valvetronix line.
This lightweight and compact amp is designed to provide guitarists with a wide range of tones for practice, and since it can run on battery power, you can plug your guitar into this portable amp virtually anywhere.
The Mini5 Rhythm IV has 11 amp sounds that carry the same sound as the bigger Valvetronix series, but tweaked to work with lower volumes. It also has eight built-in effects and multiple rhythm functions. There are quite a lot rhythm patterns available for practice, it’ll take some time to browse through all 99 patterns. For something so small, it packs a hefty amount of additional functionality that include mic input, AUX input, and a nifty dedicated E-string tuner.
Thanks to improvements in digital audio processing, even small practice amps can now have inspiring tones. Vox utilized their years of experience and technology to develop 11 amp models that support a wide range of music and playing styles. As expected, the amp knows how to simulate the Vox AC30, and it has enough presets and controls to reproduce high-gain tones as well as clean ones.
Another interesting addition to the Mini5 series is the built-in VOX original “Bassilator” circuit. The company says that it “covers the ultra-low-frequency overtones that cannot be obtained via EQ. This is particularly effective for high-gain models and produces an intensely heavy sound that seems unthinkable from an amp of this size.” You can also switch the wattage to three levels: 5 / 1.5 / 0.1W, which means that you can go full volume while still remaining at practice volume levels. These features will help address the thin sounding tones associated with a low volume amp, beefing up the sound without disturbing others.
On top of the modeled amps, the Mini5 Rhythm IV also comes with essential effect types including Delay/Reverb, Tremolo, Flanger, Chorus and Compressor. There’s a total of eight effect variations that should be enough for practicing conventional and classic tunes.
As implied by its name, Vox equipped the Rhythm IV with 11 built-in rhythms that include metal, rock, R&B, and many more. With nine variations for each rhythm style, the amp can literally give you quite a lot of patterns to work with – up to a total of 99 patterns all-in-all.
Finally, the Mini5 Rhythm IV is a battery powered amp that can run on six AA batteries for up to 19.5 hours of operation at 0.1W power setting. This makes it viable for outdoor practice and performances, and when used indoors, you can opt to use the included AC Adapter. The amp also comes with a carrying strap to make it more portable.
The Mini5 Rhythm IV is expected to retail for around the same price as the other Mini5 amps, which is $160. An all ivory version is also available called Mini5 Rhythm DI is also available. For more information, head over to Vox Amps.
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