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wwhhhaatt « chewy »
Published on 06/23/11 at 07:57This is a very tweakable analog Phaser built by some very talented people.
1/4" input and output
drive and output controls to match your signal for unity or overdrive
6/12 stage selector
lo/hi speed selector
LFO out to send the LFO to other gear that can take CV signals
controls for sweep, amount,resonance,and rate all of which have rear mounted 1/4" stereo jacks to send control voltage and exp. pedal signals
There is a rack mount kit available to neatly house three Moogerfoogers
UTILIZATION
Hooking up the Phaser is as easy as any other pedal. You get your input/output hooked up and set your level knobs so your bypass signal is even with the effected signal. I generally set my input signal so it hits the red when I strum hard and then adjust the output to match my bypass signal.
Getting a sound going can be as simple as any other phaser as the knobs are pretty self explanatory but once you get into all the rear CV jacks the process gets a bit more involved. Moog does a great job of explaining how all the jacks work in the manual and trust me you want to read the manual.
SOUND QUALITY
I typically use the pedal in my guitar set-up but occasionally hook it up to keys and synth. It sounds excellent with both.
I have not found another phaser capable of the thick sound this box creates. The standard phaser sound is worth the price alone and then once you get into all the craziness with the CV stuff it's just a whole new world of sounds. I prefer the 6 stage phasing and lo speed setting for general use and keep the resonance somewhere in the middle. This gets a great but not overbearing sweep that adds a perfect amount of movement to your sound. Setting the resonance higher gets closer to a sweep sound you would get on a synth and setting the speed higher can get you all the way into ring modulation territory. The ring modulation sounds were a great surprise to me as I don't use that sound enough to warrant a dedicated pedal.
I also own the CP251 which is Moog's control device. It can send all kinds of control voltages allowing you to achieve wild sounds from sample&Hold to complex wave forms that swirl the sound in a dizzying fashion. I highly suggest that box to anyone who owns more than one Moog pedal.
The only issue some people seem to have is the preamp. The preamp is always active whether you have the effect on or are in bypass. This can add some noise to your signal if you are not careful with the settings and what kind of boosts/drive pedals you place after the Moog. For me it has not been a problem and I use this pedal in-front of a high gain amp. There is a little coloration of your signal as well but not enough for me to worry about it. Stick it in a bypass loop box if it bothers you.
OVERALL OPINION
If you just need a simple phase sound this might not be for you. The sound quality is excellent but the size and price may be too much if an old Phase 90 will work for you. Personally I don't think I will ever sell this box as it's the first Moog product I bought and it got me into all of their pedals. I did not own too many phasers before this one but none of them can get close to touching the sound of the MF-103.
1/4" input and output
drive and output controls to match your signal for unity or overdrive
6/12 stage selector
lo/hi speed selector
LFO out to send the LFO to other gear that can take CV signals
controls for sweep, amount,resonance,and rate all of which have rear mounted 1/4" stereo jacks to send control voltage and exp. pedal signals
There is a rack mount kit available to neatly house three Moogerfoogers
UTILIZATION
Hooking up the Phaser is as easy as any other pedal. You get your input/output hooked up and set your level knobs so your bypass signal is even with the effected signal. I generally set my input signal so it hits the red when I strum hard and then adjust the output to match my bypass signal.
Getting a sound going can be as simple as any other phaser as the knobs are pretty self explanatory but once you get into all the rear CV jacks the process gets a bit more involved. Moog does a great job of explaining how all the jacks work in the manual and trust me you want to read the manual.
SOUND QUALITY
I typically use the pedal in my guitar set-up but occasionally hook it up to keys and synth. It sounds excellent with both.
I have not found another phaser capable of the thick sound this box creates. The standard phaser sound is worth the price alone and then once you get into all the craziness with the CV stuff it's just a whole new world of sounds. I prefer the 6 stage phasing and lo speed setting for general use and keep the resonance somewhere in the middle. This gets a great but not overbearing sweep that adds a perfect amount of movement to your sound. Setting the resonance higher gets closer to a sweep sound you would get on a synth and setting the speed higher can get you all the way into ring modulation territory. The ring modulation sounds were a great surprise to me as I don't use that sound enough to warrant a dedicated pedal.
I also own the CP251 which is Moog's control device. It can send all kinds of control voltages allowing you to achieve wild sounds from sample&Hold to complex wave forms that swirl the sound in a dizzying fashion. I highly suggest that box to anyone who owns more than one Moog pedal.
The only issue some people seem to have is the preamp. The preamp is always active whether you have the effect on or are in bypass. This can add some noise to your signal if you are not careful with the settings and what kind of boosts/drive pedals you place after the Moog. For me it has not been a problem and I use this pedal in-front of a high gain amp. There is a little coloration of your signal as well but not enough for me to worry about it. Stick it in a bypass loop box if it bothers you.
OVERALL OPINION
If you just need a simple phase sound this might not be for you. The sound quality is excellent but the size and price may be too much if an old Phase 90 will work for you. Personally I don't think I will ever sell this box as it's the first Moog product I bought and it got me into all of their pedals. I did not own too many phasers before this one but none of them can get close to touching the sound of the MF-103.