Mooer pedals...

[BigBeatNut]

Originally Posted by Johno Dunn

Tried the GM without the blend this AM, and it sounded really good! Don't like the warm setting, looses the low end, but the hot setting is just what I'm looking for, tube amp grit. Just enough to cut through! I think it's a keeper for the Nano board.

Yeah, the warm setting was a non-starter for me. The hot setting is rapidly becoming my favourite distortion/overdrive.

[Shardik]

I am pretty sure about the Phaser. It is somthing I just need to have both for guitar and bass. The boost is really a candidate both for bass and guitar, and the active bass and treble controls was really a selling point to me.

I think this will work out, as long as the Phaser doesn't deviate too much from the original it resembles.

[8strings0hair]

OK, there's something that's bugging me, and no one seems to mind, so call me naive, but how come some of those pedals from the name/font to the circuit are clear clones of existing products and no one bats an eye...?

[smeet]

My impression is that they are imitations but not "clones" meaning they don't copy the circuit, rather they try to emulate the sound. But I don't know for sure...

[Johno Dunn]

Originally Posted by smeet

My impression is that they are imitations but not "clones" meaning they don't copy the circuit, rather they try to emulate the sound. But I don't know for sure...

And they are WAY smaller then the originals, which makes them really cool!

J!

[BigBeatNut]

Originally Posted by 8strings0hair

... clear clones of existing products and no one bats an eye...?

You mean there's no legal action that we've heard of from the makers of the originals ?

Or that we as consumers should be boycotting them (as I've heard suggested about Behringer) ?

I think the answer to both lies with the previous 2 posts. If the circuits are imitations not clones it may be hard to bring legal actions (I don't know much about Intellectual Property w.r.t. electronics though) and for us as consumers the small packaging makes them distinct from the originals, and importantly, this adds value, as opposed to Behringer mostly just simply making money from other peoples ideas.

[bongomania]

In international law, a circuit cannot be copyrighted. No legal action can be taken. Boss tried to sue Behr a long time ago, and the only grounds that were allowable in the case was the look of the product, because appearances CAN be copyrighted. Court found the Behr appearances were not similar enough to Boss, and the case was tossed.

Just as a heads-up, there is a specific mention of this topic in the rules of the forum, because of persistent flame-wars that crop up when talking about right and wrong on this subject.

[Shardik]

It is probably possible to protect a circuit design, but not through copyright rules, I think.

Patents, however, will protect this kind of design, once they are approved. That may prove to be a long process. That is also why many products are stamped with "patent pending". That is both an indication that something is probably innovative, and also a warning to the competition about the fact that using this may become illegal fast.

[8strings0hair]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Just as a heads-up, there is a specific mention of this topic in the rules of the forum, because of persistent flame-wars that crop up when talking about right and wrong on this subject.

Thanks for that Bongomania. Didn't want to stir anything up, just curious why no one mentioned it.

I personally always steer clear of clones, pay for my downloads, hold a fart if I'm in the elevator, and say thank you ma'am after sex.
...Not that this has any relation to this thread

[Darknut]

At this point almost everything is a slightly modded version of something else.
Very little original anything anymore.

[Shardik]

Today this arrived:



Just unpacked it. My first Mooer to arrive, and yes, it IS small.

Now I really look forward to hear what it sounds like.

[Johno Dunn]

Please review ASAP! I want one to go with my Green Mile and my Sweeper!

[Shardik]

Well, my Sweeper, Green Mile and Ninety Orange pedals have not arrived yet.

I haven't tested the Pure Boost thoroughly yet, but initial testing is promising. Ideally I would have liked the gain and volume knobs to be switched, but I guess I knew when I ordered.
Volume and gain works pretty much as expected. Both affect overall volume, and the gain add some grit. When cranked more than I expected, actually, and it seems that it has a useful sound to it. Haven't played around with the bass and treble much, but the pedal seems to be pretty transparent when the tone controls are on 12 o'clock, gain low and volume set so the pedal produces the same sound level if it is on or off. True bypass is what it promises. Seems like a good pedal so far.

[alainkills]

mooer should make a small and yet fantastic synth pedal for bass.. -nuff s.

[Josh Pelican]

I have two Reecho pedals if anyone is interested in grabbing one! I've never opened it. I would like to trade for a ShimVerb, one of the boosts, or maybe the Green Mile!

[Crabby]

I was in Tokyo in November anD spent a day checking out guitar shops. I came across a huge display of Mooer pedals that were being blown out. I knew nothing about them at the time but thought they looked well built. I seriously considered buying a few as they were about $50 each after the exchange rate. Kind of wish I had scooped a couple just as they were so small.

[Shardik]

I played around with the Pure Boost some more, and here are some more observations:

The bass and treble have a good and useful adjustment range in both directions.

The bass control is pretty badass, and this pedal can easily double as a bass boost. Seems like a great choice of EQ parameters.

The treble control is really in the treble range. It doesn't affect upper midrange much, it seems. My guess is that it operates at 5kHz or higher.

If you turn down gain, bass and treble controls all the way, and hope for a clean mid boost, the volume range doesn't allow much SPL boost, but you still get a little when the volume is cranked all the way. But this isn't an EQ pedal, and besides, an all mid boost is mostly used for some rock bass settings and I guess a little bit of gain grit is in order, then.

The pedal is quite capable of a scooped boost.

It is difficult to see the settings of the tiny knobs, and they are a bit fiddly to adjust, but I guess that comes with the tiny pedal territory. Apart from those tiny controls, the pedal seems solidly built.

With the gain knob all the way down, the pedal is not muted, and you get a really clean boost in that setting. The volume knob must past 2 o'clock to actually boost with the gain that low.

The gain adds a grit that IMHO is best suited for single note playing. Chords seem a bit messed up with the gain high.

If you crank the gain all the way (and back down on the volume a bit to get a sensible amount if boost), the feel is slightly synth like. If you add a bit of bass and a compressor I the feel is fat, overdriven synth, even though this pedal is not a synth pedal and you get only one flavour here.

I guess that concludes my observations so far. It is a great, little boost pedal, and definitely useful for bass.

And btw: I play 4 string basses tuned in D standard (DGCF), and didn't observe any bass loss. Can't say anything about how it works for 5 string (or more) players, through.

[BigBeatNut]

Nice review, thanks.

Originally Posted by Shardik

It is difficult to see the settings of the tiny knobs,

Easily fixed. Either improvise by using something handy like your better half's nail varnish, or else do a little internet shopping. I bought a 000 brush (meant for aircraft modelling) and a tiny jar of white fluorescent paint (meant for restoring speedo needles on old cars). Total expenditure 5 pounds (8 dollars ?) and it would have been cheaper if I hadn't bought the specialist paint. And with that I fixed 6 mooers and another pedal with the same knobs. Great investment.

[Johno Dunn]

Any one tried the Ensemble King (chorus) on bass?

J!

[Shardik]

Da Bass Sweepah just arrived in da house. What can I say... Oh yeah. Cool.

(A more nuanced review will maybe be posted when I have got some more experience with it. )