AMT M-LEAD

The AMT M-LEAD is a compact preamp pedal made by AMT Electronics, part of the company's AMT Bricks series of devices¹. According to AMT's manual, it emulates the Marshall JCM800, which the maker calls the "forefather" of the majority of amplifiers created for heavy styles². Both the M-LEAD and the M-lead PLUS are listed as available now¹³.

What it does

As a preamp pedal, the M-LEAD is designed to stand in for the lead channel of a JCM800-style amplifier, whether feeding a power amp, a cab simulation, or a recording setup. AMT's manual describes the circuit as capturing the amplifier that most heavy-style amps trace back to². The pedal carries a parametric pre/post EQ, giving players control over the tone both before and after the gain stage⁵.

It also includes what AMT calls special CTRL A and CTRL B connectors, which let the pedal control other devices or be controlled by them, so it can sit inside a larger switching or MIDI-controlled rig¹.

The M-lead PLUS

AMT also makes an M-lead PLUS version, which shares the CTRL A and CTRL B connectors for controlling or being controlled by other devices³. The Plus adds an IR cab simulation, with one impulse response (IR) serving both left and right channels per preset⁶. That makes it a self-contained preamp and speaker-simulation stage in one unit, where the standard M-LEAD would typically be paired with separate cab simulation.

Where it sits in the AMT range

The M-LEAD is one of several lead-voiced preamps in the Bricks line. Others include the AMT Bricks P-Lead, the AMT Bricks X-Lead, the AMT Bricks Vt-LEAD, the AMT Bricks R/S-lead, and the AMT Bricks F-Clean for cleaner voices. For more on the category, see Preamp Pedals¹.

Joe of the band Evil Invaders, discussing AMT Bricks preamps, said: "I really found the exact tone I was looking for in a compact preamp pedal that's built like a tank."⁴

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