Mooer updates its Drummer and Looper Pedals - both Mini / Micro II and Compact X2 varieties
I’m a big fan of both Mooer’s Micro / Mini and X2 series, while I think NUX has stolen a march with its Mini TRS Stereo pedals - that Mooer has yet to answer. Mooer is still though the archetypal Mini Pedals Brand - with so many great examples in that diminutive format - including fantastic gain, modulation and utility pedals - and the formidable Micro Preamp Series.
Here we see new generations of the Drummer Drum Machine and Looper Pedals - each featuring 7 ’Parts’ in the larger more feature-rich editions - noting that the ’Looper’ variety here is quite a different pedal to the fairly similarly named ’Groove Loop’
Obviously the larger pedals give you stereo output and considerably more features and options - while the Mini / Micro editions are still formidable and potent in their own right. The new style of Mini Pedal legends gives those pedals a more imposing look. And it’s not often you get Mini and Compact versions of the same effects all being launched / released at around the same time.
I own about a dozen Mini Mooers of various stripes - and each of them does a fantastic job, while to date I only have one of the X2 Series - or namely the X2 Model X Preamp - which rounds up a load of Mooer’s Micro Preamps into a single enclosure - and those presets / algorithms mostly sound very analog in style with no noticeable hard or brittle Digital artefacts - some require some finesses on the dial in - but nearly all those varieties can sound pretty spectacular.
Here follow the individual details for the quartet featured in the above visual :
Micro Drummer II Drum Machine - $103 / £81
Controls - Type : Pop / Funk / Metal / Rock / Blues / Jazz, Level, EQ/Speed, Pattern 1-8, Button - Red : Fill Off / Blue : Fill On, Engage Footswitch / Hold For Tap.
The Micro Drummer II offers 48 grooves across 6 different music types (Pop, Funk, Metal, Rock, Blues, Jazz) with 8 different rhythm types for each, allowing users to create and experiment with a variety of beats and styles. Extra functionality is included to keep grooves and beats interesting such as 'Fills'. Users can add variation and complexity to their drum patterns on the fly with the FILL function, while the TAP TEMPO function allows for easy BPM setting.
In addition to its extensive rhythm library, the Micro Drummer II includes two different EQ presets to adapt to different playing situations. Whether recording in a studio or playing live on stage, users can customize their drum sound to suit their needs.
FEATURES
- 6 different music types, 8 different rhythm types for each, 48 grooves in total.
- FILL function for adding variation during play
- TAP TEMPO function for speed setting
- Two different EQ presets for different situations
Micro Looper II - $103 / £81
Controls - Level, Bank : 1-3, Threshold, Slot 1-16, Auto Rec - Red : Off / Blue : On.
The Micro Looper II is a powerful and compact loop pedal that provides an impressive 480 minutes of recording time spread across three Banks.
Featuring three Banks and 16 slots per bank, the Multi-Saving-Slot Micro Looper Pedal offers users up to 480 minutes of recording time, with each slot providing up to 10 minutes. The pedal also includes unlimited recording layers / overdubs, allowing musicians to easily create complex and layered loops.
With its AUTO REC function, the Micro Looper II automatically starts recording as soon as an input signal is detected, making it easy to capture spontaneous musical ideas without having to press any buttons.
For me this is worthy getting pretty much just for that Auto Record function - as unless you're Pete Honoré or another of those looping giants - you will often get the timing a split second wrong on the startup - so much easier if the pedal simply senses and knows when to start recording!
FEATURES
- Multi-save slot micro looper pedal
- Three saving banks with 16 slots for each bank
- Up to 10 minutes of recording time for each slot, 480 minutes in total
- Unlimited recording layers
- AUTO REC to start recording automatically when input signal is detected
Looper X2 Stereo Looper - $169 / £144
Controls - Structure / Parts x 7 : Intro / Verse / Middle / Chorus / Bridge / Inter / Outro, Fade : Off > 55 > 10s, Threshold : Auto Off > -24dB > -6dB, Play : Infinite > 0dB > +6dB, Rec : Infinite > 0dB > +6dB, Save Button, Song 1-11, Rec / Play / Dub Footswitch, Stop / Clear Footswitch, Press Both for Mode.
The Looper X2 is the culmination of over a decade of experience - developing easy-to-use standalone and combination pedals. The Looper X2 supercharges practice sessions as well as live performances by empowering the player to start jamming as soon as possible.
The Looper X2 is a dual-footswitch operated looper pedal aimed at providing fast loop creation with no shortage of space to save your favorite tracks and samples. With 11 song banks, each bank featuring 7 save slots, the Looper X2 provides a total of 300 minutes recording time (2.5 mins per slot in bank 1-9, 10 min each in bank 10, 11). Each slot also corresponds to common song structures as to make organizing sections and tracks easier, as indicated on the front of the pedal. Save slots and recorded tracks can also be managed using the specialized editor software that can be downloaded for free, and is compatible with Mac and Windows PCs.
Additional features of the Looper X2 include a FADE knob for controlling and toggling the Fade-Out function for each loop. Users can also toggle an Auto Rec function to start recording a loop every time a guitar signal input is detected by employing the THRESHOLD knob. Additional knobs include separate volume level controls for Recording and Playback, as well as an 11-option knob for scrolling through the song banks. The dual footswitch setup offers familiar Looper controls and for users desiring more control, the Looper X2 also supports an external footswitch that can perform a variety of operations like cycling through different parts of the current selected song bank. See the manual for more information on compatibility.
The Looper X2, like with other X2 devices, includes Stereo I/O and a ¼” External Control out for connecting a footswitch as well as True Bypass to stay quiet when not in use.
This again has that smart 'Auto Record' feature which is also found on the Mini. I use my Ditto+ a lot for when testing out new pedals - and I feel the Auto Record could make the smaller Mooer here a new favourite of mine for that particularly purpose!
FEATURES
- Dual-footswitch stereo looper pedal
- Up to 77 save slots for a total of 300 minutes record time
- Auto Record function
- Fade Out function allows tracks to fade out naturally after playing stops
- Saving options are based on the structure of songs, allowing quick recording and playback anywhere
- Two footswitch modes allow players to switch between 7 different tracks while playing
- Compatible with external footswitch controller
- Specialized editor software for import/export of audio tracks and updating firmware
Drummer X2 Stereo Drum Machine - $169 / £144
Controls - Parts : 1-7, EQ Focus : Lows > Mids > Highs, Speed : 40 > 120 > 260, Level, Genre : 1-11, Save Button, Pattern : 1 - 11, Play / Stop Footswitch, Tap / Fill Footswitch, Press Both for Mode.
This is Mooer's first standalone drum machine pedal as part of the ever-growing X2 lineup of enhanced classics. The Drummer X2 is a powerful practice and live performance tool that provides players with a fully customizable groove station featuring 121 different drum grooves, 11 song banks, and a full array of EQ and parameter adjustments that can be made on the fly.
The Drummer X2 lets guitarists employ the popular drum grooves from 11 different genres of music (Pop, Funk, Blues, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Fusion, Punk, Latin, Country, Reggae), with 11 different groove variations from each genre. Favorite grooves and tempos can easily be saved in one of the 11 song Banks, each with 7 customized rhythm slots so they can quickly be recalled later. For fast cycling through presets, the Drummer X2 also supports external footswitches. In addition to the SPEED, GENRE, LEVEL, and PATTERN knobs, the Drummer X2 also boasts an EQ knob for making quick adjustments on the fly and for increasing compatibility with FRFR and non-FRFR devices. Timing can also alternatively be adjusted by utilizing the TAP TEMPO function with the right footswitch or external footswitch.
The Drummer X2 features a two-footswitch UI for fast toggling on/off, scrolling through drum grooves, and queuing up a fill using the FILL function, triggered by the right footswitch, all handled comfortably while playing. Specialized editor software is available to easily manage presets and update firmware and can be downloaded from the official MOOER website. Like with other X2 devices, the Drummer X2 includes Stereo I/O and a ¼” External Control out for connecting a footswitch.11 different musical genres with 11 different grooves from each style.
FEATURES
- 11 customized song banks for fast playback
- Each song bank has 7 customized rhythm slots, switched via a footswitch
- FILL function for adding variation during play
- TAP TEMPO function for speed setting
- Support external footswitch control
- Specialized editor software for preset management, firmware update
- EQ knob for quickly adjusting tone for various output devices and environments
