The Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 is a compact preamp pedal aimed squarely at Marshall tones. Sinvertek, a Chinese boutique builder, says it puts the tone of five of the most popular Marshall amps at your feet: the JTM45, JCM800, 1959 SLP, 1987X and JVM1. Guitar Pedal X described it as "a full amp circuit in pedal format, with 14 controls, three channels and 19 gain tones from clean to ultra-gain"2.
It is a limited edition. Production was restricted to 250 units, each built entirely by designer Mr Wu in three batches from October 2022 to January 2023, and it sold for $350 via the Sinvertek site through email and PayPal invoice32. As of November 2022, Guitar Pedal X noted the sold-out notice had not yet appeared3.
What it does: five Marshall amps in one compact preamp
The MGAT-1 is the fifth major iteration of Sinvertek's N5 series, a format that started with the first Sinvertek No.5 Distortion in 20152. Where earlier N5+ editions were Plexi variations on the N5+ drive with 12 controls12, the MGAT-1 moves to a new circuit platform: MGAT-1 stands for Multistage Gain Generator & Advanced Tone-shaping system platform 12.
Sinvertek's claim for the platform is a strong one. Delicious Audio reports the builder saying the circuit is the same as an amp's preamp circuit, with the same frequency response, dynamics and touch sensitivity as a real tube amp, and that the goal of 100% amp tone was finally achieved in the summer of 2022 after a circuit conceived about five years earlier1. Guitar Pedal X relayed Wu's own figure: "Wu can tell you responsibly that the tone similarity with Marshall amps reach 95%"2.
The three channels divide the Marshall range between them1:
| Channel | What Sinvertek says it does |
|---|---|
| CLEAN & CRUNCH | Designed according to the JTM45; classic early British clean and crunch tone1 |
| OD1 | Hard rock overdrive from the late 60s to the 80s, covering JCM800 and Plexi1 |
| OD2 | The high-gain tone of modern Marshall, from high-gain to ultra-gain1 |
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson compared the green channel with the JTM45's bright channel, and described the pedal's overall range as covering "cleans, Blues Breaker Style Overdrive, Brown Sound Distortion and Brutal Crushing Distortion"31. He also noted it goes beyond the Marshall reference points: "it gives you incredibly authentic flavours of all those key and legendary Marshall Amps - but it delivers even more beyond that"3.
One feature sets it apart from most preamp pedals. The MGAT-1 has a clean channel filter, which Delicious Audio calls the biggest difference between the MGAT-1 and other preamps: it lets the pedal be used into any clean channel of varying brightness, and can be switched off when connecting straight to a power amp1.
The controls and toggles
The MGAT-1 carries 14 controls, up from 12 on the previous N5+ edition2. Delicious Audio summarizes the layout as two gain and four EQ knobs, integrated by switches offering four tone and four gain options, delivering what it calls hundreds of sonic possibilities4.
Knobs3:
- Volume
- Gain
- Presence
- Treble
- Mid
- Bass
That is a four-band EQ, with Presence on top of the standard three3.
Toggles3:
| Toggle | Positions and what they do |
|---|---|
| GAIN STAGE | Toggles the channels in either direction, Previous/Next: CRUNCH [green], OD1 [orange], OD2 [red] |
| LOW END | How much bass goes into the circuit: TIGHT [middle] is the least, then MEDIUM [down], then FULL [up] |
| TOP END | MODERN [up] is sharper and more aggressive, suited to Dual Rectifier, 5150 and Soldano style tones; VINTAGE [down] is the classic Marshall feel; OFF [middle] rolls off brighter sparkly frequencies |
| GAIN STRUCTURE | Sets the degree of gain: LOW [up], MEDIUM [middle], HIGH [down]. Applies only to OD1 and OD2, not the CRUNCH channel |
The gain architecture is where the 19 gain tones come from. The OD1 and OD2 channels share a 3-level selectable gain structure and each has an independent 3-level selectable gain saturation1. Karlsson counts it out as "1 + 9 + 9 Gears - or 19 Levels of Gain!": one linear CRUNCH scale plus nine gears each on OD1 and OD23.
History: the MGAT-1 platform and the 250-unit run
The N5 series began with the Sinvertek No.5 Distortion in 2015, and the MGAT-1 Hyper Preamp is the fifth major iteration over roughly seven years2. The previous few editions had already been limited runs, and the MGAT-1 continued that pattern at 250 units2.
"The last few editions have been limited runs - and this is supposedly restricted to 250 units"
Each MGAT-1 was made entirely by Wu, in three batches from October 2022 to January 20232. Karlsson's own review unit was serial #2 of 2503. The pedal retailed for $350 through the Sinvertek site, with buyers contacting officialsales@sinvertek.com to arrange a PayPal invoice3.
The platform did not stop with the MGAT-1. Sinvertek later re-tooled the design as the MGAT-1 GE Golden Era, and in 2025 announced the SRAA N5 MGAT-5, a Real Amp Abstraction of the Soldano SLO. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry for the MGAT-5 notes that platform was "forged by Sinvertek after years of research in the field of tube amp overdrive"51.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing the pedal in November 2022, was emphatic about its range36:
"It can go from elegant cleans - to the most Brutal Crushing Distortion - and it does it all with a smile!"
He also compared it against his wider collection of compact gain pedals: "none really get close to the range and dynamics of the MGAT-1"3. Delicious Audio called it, like its sibling, "in all likelihood the most tweakable compact gain pedal on the market"1. In a later Guitar Pedal X roundup of Marshall-style pedals, Karlsson described the related MGAT-1 Golden Era DS99 as "a magnificent 14-Controls long-term favourite that has the highest gain range here and most shaping ability", calling it probably the best singular Marshall pedal in the selection, while noting it is single channel only6.
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Questions
What does MGAT stand for on Sinvertek pedals?
MGAT-1 stands for Multistage Gain Generator and Advanced Tone-shaping system platform 1. It is the circuit platform Sinvertek built to reproduce full amp preamp circuits in pedal form, with the same frequency response, dynamics and touch sensitivity the builder claims for a real tube amp.
Which Marshall amps does the MGAT-1 cover?
Sinvertek says the MGAT-1 puts the tone of five of the most popular Marshall amps at your feet: the JTM45, JCM800, 1959 SLP, 1987X and JVM. The CLEAN & CRUNCH channel follows the JTM45, OD1 covers JCM800 and Plexi era overdrive, and OD2 delivers modern high-gain to ultra-gain Marshall tones.
How many Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 pedals were made?
The MGAT-1 was a limited edition of 250 units, built by Mr Wu in three batches between October 2022 and January 2023. It sold for $350 through the Sinvertek site via email and PayPal invoice. As of November 2022 the sold-out notice had not yet appeared.
Who designs Sinvertek pedals?
Sinvertek pedals are designed by Mr Wu, who builds each MGAT-1 entirely by hand. The company is a Chinese boutique pedal maker, and Wu's stated goal with the MGAT-1 platform was to achieve what he calls 100% amp tone in a pedal.
How is the MGAT-1 different from the MGAT-1 GE?
The MGAT-1 GE Golden Era is a re-tooled version focused on the golden era of Marshall amps. In Guitar Pedal X's comparison of Marshall-style pedals, Stefan Karlsson found the GE had the highest gain range and the most shaping ability in his selection, calling it probably the best singular Marshall pedal, but noted it is single channel only, where the MGAT-1 has three.
Sources (6)
- Sinvertek N5 MGAT-1 Preamp, Delicious Audio, 2025-01-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2022-08-29
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2022-11-08
- 2024 Best Plexi Pedals & Marshall-Style Distortions: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-16
- SRAA N5 MGAT-5 by Sinvertek, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-11-21
