Road Tests MOOER Tender Octaver Pro Pedal Jade Australia | jadeaustralia.com.au | Expect to pay $229
Mooer have certainly made a name for themselves in the world of miniature effects pedals, but what happens when they want to deliver a larger version? In this instance, just a bigger housing was required essentially to fit more stuff in there, yet the team at Mooer still managed to deliver a unit that is not much bigger than most single effects pedals on the market. Mooer can offer more, but just because it needs to be bigger doesn’t mean it needs to be big. The Tender Octaver Pro is the result of the developers at Mooer building on the popular Tender Octaver pedal, but with so much more control and added sweetness, you’d swear it needed to be bigger to fit it all in there. In an era where everyone seems to be trying to cram more effects onto their pedal boards, any unit that comes undersized is always a blessing. Of course there has to be some sacrifices made to achieve this, and with the Tender Octaver Pro you get that in the micro knobs for controlling certain elements of the pedal. However, they will generally only need to be set once and left alone, so it is no great drama. The fact that the two soft touch switches are adequately spaced apart to allow separate engagement without hitting the wrong button is great. On such a small pedal, they have still managed to space it out so that you can work in a practical
manner. With all the inputs and outputs at the top of the pedal, you can squeeze this into most busy pedal boards quite easily. This pedal gives the user a lot more than the first version, with engagement switches for the effect as a whole and a toggle motion through the presets. Yes, presets. You are able to store four user defined settings in the unit that can be easily recalled and scrolled through, making this a far more versatile unit that any before. You also get independent level and tone controls for both octaves too, allowing you to really thicken the signal and achieve more of a harmonising effect. A smooth
control knob allows you to set the intensity of automatic volume swells, giving this that real ambient vibe that is all the rage at the moment in guitar effects. If you want a lot of variety in very little space, this pedal is going to achieve that. Octaves up and down as well as some wacky detuning and harmony effects when set at very close intervals. This is one pedal that needs to be heard to be understood. It won’t work in every song, but it will make your sound stand out, that’s for sure.
HITS • Separate Sub and Upper engagement • Easy storage of pre-sets • Able to accept an expression pedal for greater control MISSES • I didn’t like the colour, although you might say otherwise
BY ROB GEE
ERNIE BALL FlexTune Clip-On Tuner CMC Music Australia | cmcmusic.com.au | Expect to Pay: $38.95
Clip-on tuners are become staples of the gigging guitarist, particularly those with simple stage setups or who prefer playing acoustic. But in an increasingly crowded market and rapid developments in technology, what’s on offer has never been more competitive. Does Ernie Ball’s latest offering stack up to the rest? Thankfully, yes, but more than that, it also makes some impressive strides forward of its own. So, what’s in a name then? Ernie Ball has dubbed this little beauty the FlexTune because it offers more flexibility and options than other tuners in the clip-on category. Multi-instrumentalists are in luck here. The FlexTune works on guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, violins and more. To be honest, if you’re playing all those instruments during the same gig you either need to reassess the direction your band is heading in or hope there’s a big market for Arcade Fire tribute bands in the future. Regardless, this makes for a very handy addition to your home studio. Keep it lying around and you’ll be set for almost any occasion. Its dual-axis 360-degree arm swivels around all the way behind the headstock. This makes it easy to keep track of your tuning throughout the gig, without having a little black device protruding from the top of your headstock the entire time. It’s 46
a small difference, but once you get used to how discreet the FlexTune is, it’s hard to turn back. With both the arm and the display able to rotate, it’s also able to accommodate different playing positions. Whether you’re standing or sitting, you’ll be able to find the right angle that works for the situation every time. Other tuners can get confused when moving away from standard, but the FlexTune was also able to handle moving from EADGBE to open C# with ease. The 2” LCD display is large enough to properly see what you’re doing without being too cumbersome. Being a clip-on, it’s sometimes even easier
to see than a floor tuner as you’re able to maneuverer it to suit. Whether you want to tune at 440hz or 450hz and everything between, the FlexTune will get you there and get you there precisely. Even in noisy situations even on stage with a bass and kick coming through the monitors - this worked a charm. In a nice touch, you can also select between ‘mic’ mode or ‘clip-on’. I found no difference in tuning precision between the two, but for home environments I tended to stick to ‘mic’. Whatever your preference, it’s good to have the option to switch between the two at will.
Here’s the thing. No one’s pining after the latest tuner. They’re not the most exciting things to go out and buy. But the truth is, they’re absolutely essential. The first thing that separates pro players from amateurs – from someone wincing at your music to enjoying it – is whether you’re playing in tune. It’s a simple thing to get right, and the FlexTune aims to make it simple as possible. If a no-fuss, quality clip-on tuner is what you’re after, they don’t come much better than this. BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO HITS • Dual-rotating arm and display • Precise tuning to the cent • Alternative mic and clip-on mode MISSES • None mixdownmag.com.au