Last 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 the company 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 infinite/hold operation, plus 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-flanged Dream make the pedal a boon for ambient players, too, and every setting can go fully wet.
There are quirks, however. The infinite function differs 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 pedal worth pursuing.
Specs
- PRICE: $149/£169
- TYPE: Reverb pedal
- CONTROLS: 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 Audio
