The Mosky CLASSIC AC-30 is an analog preamp and distortion pedal built to evoke the sound of a Vox AC30, the British amplifier known for its chimey top end. It belongs to Mosky's CLASSIC Series, a line of amp-flavored pedals, and its speaker simulation is built into the circuit rather than added as a separate cab sim stage12.
What it does
The pedal models the AC30 amp voice and pairs it with a speaker simulation tuned to that amp's cabinet. For a player, that means the pedal is meant to go straight into a power amp, audio interface or headphone setup and still sound like a mic'd guitar cabinet, not a raw distorted preamp21.
Mosky's design goal for the series is a smooth, even response:
"Built in speaker simulation is an integral part of the CLASSIC Series circuitry"
RockBoard's PedalPedia describes the intended result as a tone "as would be achieved by a multiply-miked cabinet, without the peaks, valleys, and notches associated with single miking"2. In practice that is a claim about how the pedal sits in a mix: one consistent tone rather than the narrow frequency peaks a single microphone position can produce.
Circuit background
RockBoard's PedalPedia lists the CLASSIC AC-30 as based on the Tech21 SansAmp Character Series Liverpool, a preamp known for its own AC30-style voicing21. That places the pedal in the family of compact analog amp-modeling preamps: a single small unit that carries the amp character and the cabinet simulation together.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Preamp, distortion2 |
| Circuit | Analog2 |
| Voicing | VOX AC30 style1 |
| Speaker simulation | Built in, CLASSIC Series circuitry1 |
| Power | 9V DC, center negative2 |
| Current draw | 10mA2 |
Where it fits in Mosky's range
The CLASSIC AC-30 is one of several Mosky distortion and drive pedals, each aimed at a different amp or circuit flavor. The same maker's range includes1:
- MOSKY PLEXI-M DISTORTION and Mosky PLEXI Distortion for British plexi-style tones
- Mosky CLASSIC M-SHALL, another CLASSIC Series model
- Mosky RED BROWN Distortion and MOSKY CRUNCH RED Distortion
- Mosky Mini Crunch Distortion and MOSKY CRAZY TONE Distortion
- Mosky Black Rat, Mosky Mini Muff and Mosky FUZZ DISTORTION
For the wider category, see Distortion Pedals, Preamp Pedals and Speaker Simulation Pedals.
The AC30 name on this pedal refers to the amp voicing it models. It is a Mosky pedal, not a Vox product; Vox's own compact take on the same amp is the amPlug 2 AC30 headphone amp, which Vox describes as providing "the AC30 top boost sound"3.
Power
The pedal runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 10mA2. That is a light load by pedalboard standards, well within what a typical daisy-chain supply output provides.
Videos
Wittawan Virojtrirattana
Yobz Pedaliction
The Pedal Picassos
Questions
Is the Mosky CLASSIC AC-30 analog or digital?
It is an analog circuit. The pedal is a preamp and distortion design in Mosky's CLASSIC Series, and its speaker simulation is built into the analog circuitry rather than done by a digital modeler. It runs on a 9V DC, center negative supply and draws 10mA, so a standard pedalboard power supply handles it.
What does the speaker simulation do on the CLASSIC AC-30?
Mosky describes the built-in speaker simulation as an integral part of the CLASSIC Series circuitry, with each model tuned to match the speaker and cabinet of the amplifier being modeled. On this pedal that means an AC30-style speaker character, intended to give a smooth, even response like a multiply-miked cabinet rather than the peaks and notches of a single microphone.
Sources (3)
- CLASSIC AC-30 SPEAKER SIMULATION_Hand-Built Effect Pedals_Products_mosky pedal, moskyaudio.com
- CLASSIC AC-30 by Mosky, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- amPlug 2, Vox Amps, 2025-08-08
