Rockman Returns! MXR Tease New Pedal for NAMM 2025
The official launch of the MXR Rockman pedal is scheduled for 23 January
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MXR has confirmed via Instagram the long-awaited return of the iconic Rockman headphone amp, this time in a compact, pedalboard-friendly format.
MXR Rockman
The MXR Rockman has been teased via the official MXR Instagram account and is due in time for NAMM.
The news, teased in the cryptic Instagram post, has ignited a frenzy of excitement among guitarists. While the post didn’t explicitly mention “Rockman,” the unmistakable blue slider-equipped control panel and signature font left little doubt in fans’ minds.
1980s Classic
The original Rockman, a brainchild of Boston guitarist Tom Scholz, revolutionized guitar recording in the early 1980s. Renowned for its crystal-clear cleans, soaring harmonics, nuanced modulation, and gritty crunch, it became a beloved tool for countless musicians.
While MXR previously reissued the Rockman in headphone amp form, this marks the first time the legendary amp has been adapted into a versatile stompbox. This move allows guitarists to integrate the Rockman’s unique sound into their existing rigs as a compact pedal.
X-100 – Classic ’80s Tone
Those original X-100 headphone amps were used by bands, including Def Leppard, to get that much-loved ’80s guitar tone.
What We Know So Far
Based on leaked information and MXR’s teaser, the pedal promises to recreate the sonic essence of the original faithfully.
Key features are expected to include four tonal presets, offering a range of sounds from sparkling cleans to aggressive distortion and calibrated compression for enhancing clean and distorted tones with dynamic control.
The bucket bridge chorus is also a massive part of the 1980s sound of the original, so we expect that and mono and stereo modes.
We will have to wait until the official unveiling on 23 January to see all the specific details of this new pedal, but it sounds like a hit.
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