The MOOER 004 Day Tripper is a compact digital preamp pedal from MOOER, part of the company's micro preamp line. Mooer describes these pedals as sonically accurate digital recreations of the preamp sections of popular tube amplifiers, and the Day Tripper specifically "re-creates the most famous 30Watt guitar combo in history with exceptional attention to detail"1. A MusicRadar video review identifies the model behind it plainly: "The Day Tripper day and this one's based on the old classic Vox ac30"2. Delicious Audio calls it "The Vox-style pedal of the Mooer mini preamp lineup"3.
What it does
The Day Tripper gives you the preamp stage of an AC30-style circuit in a micro pedal. It includes a 3-band EQ, volume and gain controls, and a switchable cab sim that, per Delicious Audio's Griffin Jennings, "can be run directly into your recording interface or a PA"3. That makes it usable in two ways: as a direct-recording preamp with the cab sim engaged, or as a traditional preamp feeding a power stage.
It also has 2 channels with different gain levels, which can be switched between via the main footswitch in secondary operation3, so you can move between a cleaner and a driven voice on the fly.
Mooer designed the micro preamps "to be used with the upcoming MOOER power amp or in the effects return of any standard guitar amplifier"1. To use the Day Tripper with a conventional amp, run it into the effects return rather than the front input, since it replaces the amp's own preamp section.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of preamp drive3 |
| Volume | Sets overall output level3 |
| 3-band EQ | Shapes bass, middle and treble3 |
| Main footswitch | Bypass, with channel switching in secondary operation3 |
| Cab sim switch | Engages the speaker simulation for direct recording or PA use3 |
Where it sits in the Mooer range
The Day Tripper is model 004 in a series Mooer launched with "a set of 10 models, each based on a different popular tube amplifier from a range of manufacturers"1. Other models in the family cover different amp flavors, such as the Mooer 006 US Classic Deluxe and the Mooer 017 Cali MK IV. Mooer later expanded the concept with larger units like the Mooer Preamp Model X2, a dual-channel digital preamp pedal. For more on the category, see Preamp Pedals.
What reviewers said
A MusicRadar video review from 2017 demonstrated the pedal and identified its basis as the Vox AC302. In Delicious Audio's buying guide to Vox-style pedals, Griffin Jennings listed the Day Tripper among the "Vox in a box" options, highlighting its EQ, gain and volume controls and its switchable cab sim for direct use3.
Here is the MusicRadar demo:
Videos
MOOER Audio
Guitar Bonedo
Darek Wawrzyniak (Darius Wave)
Questions
What amp is the Mooer Day Tripper based on?
Mooer describes the Day Tripper as a re-creation of the most famous 30W guitar combo in history, and a MusicRadar video review identifies the model as being based on the classic Vox AC30. It is part of Mooer's micro preamp line, a series of digital recreations of the preamp sections of popular tube amplifiers.
Can the Day Tripper run direct into an audio interface or PA?
Yes. Delicious Audio's buying guide notes that the pedal includes a switchable cabinet simulation that can be run directly into a recording interface or a PA. Without the cab sim engaged, Mooer designed the pedal to be used with a MOOER power amp or in the effects return of any standard guitar amplifier.
How many channels does the Day Tripper have?
It has two channels with different gain levels. According to Delicious Audio, the channels can be switched between using the main footswitch in its secondary operation, alongside the gain, volume and 3-band EQ controls.
Sources (3)
- 004 - Day Tripper_MOOER Audio, MOOER Audio
- Mooer Micro Preamps & Baby Bomb 30, MusicRadar, 2017-06-02
- The 20 Best Vox-Style Pedals & Vox-In-a-Box Overdrives In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-02
