The Hotone Ampero MP-100 is a floor multi-effects unit for guitarists, combining amp and cabinet modeling with effects and a built-in looper. Hotone positions it as an all-in-one floor unit, and it has been described as aimed squarely at the Line 6 Helix and LT models.1
Models and features
The Ampero runs on CDCM HD and Hotone's proprietary F.I.R.E. modeling. On board are 64 amp models with 60 cab models and over 100 pedal models to choose from, and the unit can handle up to nine effect modules simultaneously. A built-in looper is included as well.1
Firmware 3.0
In May 2019, Gearnews reported on Firmware 3.0, which brought two changes players would notice1:
- An external footswitch controller can be connected to the EXP 2 (EXP 2/FS) jack, with EXP 2/FS settings added in the Global menu.
- The Presence control of the Superstar Drive model was changed to a Drive control, which Hotone said gives a wider tonal range.1
What reviewers said
Gearnews's writer, who had followed the Ampero story since the previous year, put the Helix comparison plainly1:
"So is the Ampero MP-100 a Helix killer? Again, like I said last year this will all boil down to how good it sounds and how easy it is to set up."
A commenter on the same piece was more emphatic, saying that "from all the comparisons of the Ampero vs all the best, the Ampero smokes them all" and that they had bought the Ampero and the Ampero One and were done searching.1
The Ampero family
The MP-100 was the first of a line that has since grown. Hotone later released the compact Hotone Ampero and the smaller Hotone Ampero Mini, followed by second-generation units: the Hotone Ampero II Stomp and the flagship Hotone Ampero II Stage. For how the category has developed since, see Multi-effects Pedals.
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Questions
Is the Hotone Ampero MP-100 a Helix competitor?
Gearnews reported at NAMM 2019 that the Ampero was aimed squarely at the Line 6 Helix and LT models, and the site's writer asked whether it was a Helix killer. His view was that the question would boil down to how good it sounds and how easy it is to set up, rather than being settled on paper.
How many amp models does the Ampero MP-100 have?
The Ampero MP-100 carries 64 amp models with 60 cab models and over 100 pedal models, built on Hotone's CDCM HD and proprietary F.I.R.E. modelling, according to Gearnews's NAMM 2019 report.
Does the Ampero MP-100 have a looper?
Yes. Gearnews notes that the Ampero can handle up to nine effect modules simultaneously and has a built-in looper.
What does Firmware 3.0 add to the MP-100?
Firmware 3.0 lets you connect an external footswitch controller to the EXP 2 (EXP 2/FS) jack, with EXP 2/FS settings added in the Global menu. It also changes the Presence control of the Superstar Drive model to a Drive control for a wider tonal range, per Gearnews.
What did the Ampero MP-100 cost at launch?
Gearnews listed the Ampero MP-100 at an RRP of EUR 399 when it was announced at NAMM 2019, with Thomann showing it in stock within a few weeks.
Sources (1)
- NAMM 2019: HoTone Ampero, gearnews.com, 2019-01-23
