Mooer

TOTAL GUITAR DECEMBER 2021
94
L
ast year, Mooer’s
mini-pedal expertise
culminated in a pair of
powerful reverbs with
seven algorithms apiece,
the R7 Reverb and A7 Ambience.
These stompboxes divided reverb
users into two camps – traditional
or ambient – but now Mooer has
united both in the super-charged,
14 sound-strong R7 X2.
The X2 feels more premium
than its mini-pedal forebears,
with knurled metal knobs and
soft-touch footswitches – it adds
a second footswitch for infi nite/
hold, plus operation and individual
high and low-cut EQ knobs. Its 14
sounds are represented by seven
LEDs, divided into conventional
(yellow LEDs) and ambient
(purple), each of which has its own
preset: hitting both footswitches
together enables you to cycle
through the sounds, while you
can also operate the unit entirely
in preset scrolling mode.
The X2’s algorithms are
crystal-clear, with very few
artefacts except on ridiculously
long trails – they recall Devin
Townsend’s Ocean Machine, and
compare favourably with units
from Electro-Harmonix and
Walrus Audio. The pedal does
a good job with all the usual
reverb hallmarks, packing
lush modulated and roomy
hall settings, while there’s
a reasonably splashy spring with
adjustable length via the pre-delay
control. The glitched-out
uni-vibes of Shake and slow-
fl anged Dream make the pedal
a boon for ambient players, too,
and every setting can go fully wet.
There are quirks, however. The
infi nite function diff ers to many
similar pedals: rather than
sustaining one note or chord, it
stacks everything you play while
the switch is held down – not that
useful to solo over, but great fun
for blasts of ambience. What’s
more, moving between 14 presets
one by one isn’t ideal, and those
teeny LEDs make it hard to see
what sound you’ve selected.
Having fewer presets, with clearer
indicators, or even a small screen,
could improve the format.
Still, the quality and diversity
of the sounds kept us plugged
into the X2. Its ability to sculpt
algorithms via high- and low-cut
controls and deliver everything
from convincing room ambience
to shoegaze swells make it
a compact reverb worth pursuing.
Michael Astley-Brown
TYPE: Reverb pedal
CONT ROLS: High-cut, low-cut,
mix, decay, pre-delay, save
button, infinite footswitch,
bypass footswitch
SOCKETS: 2x input,
2x output, power
BYPASS: DSP bypass
with switchable trails
POWER: 9V power supply
(300mA, supplied)
CONTACT: Mooer,
www.mooeraudio.com
AT A GLANCE
CONVINCING ROOM AMBIENCE
TO SHOEGAZE SWELLS
TH
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OVERALL RATING
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
USABILITY
MOOER R7 X2 REVERB
The mini-pedal trailblazers double up for this feature-packed compact ’verb
£169
TGR352.gear_quick.indd 94TGR352.gear_quick.indd 94 04/11/2021 11:1004/11/2021 11:10