Moog no longer makes its Moogerfooger effects pedals—at least not in hardware form. But the company just released a collection of plug-ins (Mac/PC) featuring emulations of seven Moogerfooger pedals. We were fortunate enough to get a chance to check them out in advance, and they’re not only well-designed, but sound excellent.
The original pedals, designed by Bob Moog, were based on effects from Moog modular synths. According to the manufacturer, these plug-ins provide faithful re-creations of the original pedals. The controls are mostly the same, with a few exceptions, but all the essential parameters from the pedals are included.
All seven feature Drive and Output knobs, input-level LEDs and on/off switches labeled Active. Most have Envelope or LFO LEDs to monitor the strength of those signals.
What’s more, each has a virtual CV section that allows you to modulate various parameters using a variety of sources, including the left or right audio input, or the signals from the Envelope, LFO or other parameters of any Moogerfooger plug-in open in the session.
The individual plug-ins include:
The MF-101S Lowpass Filter. Like the original, the MF-101S gives you modulated filter and envelope-follower effects. You can control Amount, Follow Rate and Mix on the Envelope side. For the Filter, adjust the Cutoff, Resonance and whether it’s 2-pole or 4-pole.
MF-102S Ring Modulator. Its two main sections are LFO, featuring Amount, Rate and waveshape controls, and Modulator. The latter includes Mix, Lo/Hi and Frequency controls. It also gives you a switch to turn on and off LFO sync.
MF-103S 12-Stage Phaser. Capable of dramatic phase-shift effects, the plug-in’s main sections include an LFO, featuring Amount (including settings labeled Stun and Kill), Lo/Hi and Rate controls. The Phaser section is where you can adjust Sweep and Resonance and switch between 6- and 12-stage operation. Like the MF102S, this pedal includes an LFO Sync switch.
MF-104 Analog Delay. Great for authentic analog delay effects with plenty of modulation opportunities, thanks to its built-in LFO and the CV section. Delay controls include Time and Feedback knobs and a Short/Long switch. The LFO side gives you six selectable waveshapes, and Rate and Amount controls. The MF-104S offers buttons for LFO Sync and Time Sync.
MF-105 MuRF. The acronym stands for Multiple Resonance Filter Array. This plug-in offers an 8-band resonant filter and a sequencer that can create some wild rhythmic effects. The Animation (sequencing) section provides Mix, Envelope, Pattern and Rate controls with LFO On/Off and Frequency Bass/Mids switches. The Filter section offers a slider for each of the eight bands of the filters. Additional switches include Reset and Sync.
MF-107 Freqbox. This plug-in (and the pedal it emulates) applies modular synth functions to your audio. The VCO section includes Frequency, Sync and Waveform controls. The other parameters include knobs for Envelope Amount, FM Amount and Mix.
MF-108S Clusterflux. In addition to having an inspired name, this plug-in also can create a range of modulation effects. It does so with a Bucket Brigade Delay (BBD) and a multi-waveform LFO. The Delay section gives you Time and Feedback knobs and a switch that toggles between Flange or Chorus. The LFO section includes a six-way waveshape knob, along with Rate and Amount controls. The MF-108S also features an LFO sync button.
Almost as astounding as the sound of this plug-in collection is its price: Until the end of the year, you can buy this collection for only $149. After that, it rises to its regular price of $249.
