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What is it?
We are well into the days where digital rigs are every bit as normal as their analogue counterparts, with both amp modeling and capture technology being fairly commonplace. Less so though, is the ability to create and run amp captures in a pedal without the need to buy any extra gear, all within a fully featured and affordable multi-effects unit. This, however, is exactly what the Mooer GS1000 promises to be.
Building from the Mooer GE series of modelers, the GS1000 makes use of the same effects models with the addition of the ability to create captures, without the need for extra gear outside of a microphone. This is a lot of bang for your buck on paper, but is it too good to be true?
Specs
- Launch price: £399/€449
- Type: Multi-effects and amp profiling pedal
- Features: Onboard amp profiling, Bluetooth connectivity, software editing, AI-EQ, MIDI in and out, 350+ effects models, 120 sampling slots, 54 drum kits to play along to
- Connectivity: Stereo effects loop, USB-C, exp pedal, Inputs: XLR, 1/4″, Outputs: Stereo 1/4″, 1/8″ headphone out
- Power: DC, 9v, centre negative, 1A
- Dimensions: 240 x 166 x 20mm
- Weight: 2.7lbs/1.2kg
- Options: Rechargeable battery-powered version Mooer GS1000-Li (£449/€499)
- Contact: Mooer
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★☆
Picking up the Mooer GS1000, its plastic chassis gives away its affordable price point, but it doesn’t feel too flimsy. At 2.7lbs/1.2kg, it’s reassuringly heavy, the footswtitches feel sturdy, the knobs all turn with a satisfying resistance and the shining white finish makes for a sleek appearance.
Around the back of the unit are inputs consisting of a guitar, an expression pedal, and an XLR-in port. Also located here is an L and R balanced stereo output and a stereo effects loop by way of a ¼” TRS.
It doesn’t stop there, as we also find MIDI in and out, USB-C for operation as an audio interface, and a headphone jack. So, a pretty full and well-thought-out complement of I/O, although I would like to see an XLR out.
The screen is more than bright enough to work with, but the noticeably low frame rate of the start-up animation does not do the unit any favours on first impressions, and the touch screen feels a little plasticy under the fingers.
The biggest highlight for me, though, is the lights. With Need For Speed style, street racing appeal from underglow lighting reminiscent of the illuminations that adorned the underside of cars racing through the streets of over-the-top noughties films. It might just be the nostalgia, but it makes me smile nonetheless, so a win in my book.
All things considered, there are clear signs of money saved in places, but it still feels sturdy enough to be more than capable of withstanding the throes of a gigging life.
Usability
Usability rating: ★★★☆☆
I had four amps running with seven effects before it started, understandably, complaining
Competition is tough. A decade or so into this technology and a wide array of options to choose from, a smooth, easy-to-use experience is what we’ve come to expect from modeling and multi-effects pedals.
The signal chain works via the tried and tested block system, present in many other products. Routing is a little limited as the Mooer requires us to stick to four prescribed setups that can be tweaked a bit, but there is enough there to serve most needs. And there is plenty of processing power available – I had four amps running with seven effects before it started, understandably, complaining.
The DSP usage is neatly displayed at the top right, with input and output meters close by, plus an adjustable patch level indicated on the screen. Making it very easy to see and adjust what’s going on behind the scenes of the patch.
Putting this all to the test by constructing a gigable function band type preset, the effects and amps were easy to find and assign. There is a control mode view which allows for switching multiple effects on and off and once, and a Subpatch function for changing parameters within effects and amps with minimal tap dancing. All of which was fairly simple to set up, but did involve a little bit of manual diving.
I do however have some complaints. The first, and most problematic is the latency in adjusting parameters via the rotary knob. There’s a pronounced delay between turning the control and seeing the effect change, which makes for a frustrating experience, especially when adjusting parameters with a big range.
While still present, the lag is not as prominent on the touhcscreen, but the dials are quite small on the display, so adjusting this way leads to my fingers blocking my view of the dial, meaning a physical rotary knob without this latency issue would be valuable.
The pictures that represent the different categories of blocks (amps or effects, etc) are quite detailed, but also very small. The detail is then lost to the eye, and figuring out exactly what you are looking at upon first use is far from obvious.
This is an issue compounded by other small inconveniences, such as every effect under the ‘dynamics’ category being represented by what is clearly a picture referencing a Dynacomp compressor. This would be okay to represent compressors, but this category also contains noise gates and limiters.
Similarly, both pre-amps and entire amp rigs are represented by the same picture. Again, this just makes things a little tricky to figure out at first glance, but is something that I adjusted to after some use.
To the unit’s credit, there are a lot of effects and amplifiers stuffed in here, providing some great value for money. However, the lists of said effects and amps are fairly long and the touchscreen isn’t the most reactive when scrolling through at speed.
Addressing almost all of these points however, is the Mooer Studio software. With a simple download and an easy connection, editing presets from the software is a much more rewarding experience. If I were to use the GS1000 regularly, I would be setting up my presets on the software and making small tweaks on the hardware at a gig or rehearsal space.
Outside of the amps and effects, the Mooer GS1000 boasts an impressive suite of features, one of which is a looper. This is a good bit of fun, as the looper is well labeled, easy to figure out and benefits from a variety of drum loops via Mooer’s ‘Groove Station’.
What holds it back is a delay between pressing the footswitch to end your loop and the playback beginning, therefore adding a gap at the end of your loop and throwing it out of time. A little tricky to tell, it feels like it might be operating on footswitch release, either way, it makes using the looper difficult, unless you use the drum sync option, which solves this problem when playing to one of the beats.
Continuing the theme of a mind-blowing number of features, we also have Bluetooth connectivity. Often a pain to get working on such pieces of hardware, I can happily report that is not the case here. Turn on Bluetooth on your device, find the GS1000, click Pair, and go. In my experience with my Android device, it just worked. Easy as that.
The Mooer GS1000’s hero feature is the amp-capturing tech. Capturing my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, I put it to the test and find directions clearly laid out on the screen, making for a foolproof experience.
The process is incredibly loud – much louder than playing a guitar through the amp you are looking to capture might indicate, so some hearing protection and sympathetic housemates are needed if you’re capturing an amp at any sort of volume and plan on being in the same room.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
Where this process impresses further is the accuracy of the sound that has been captured. In my profile, the capture didn’t quite nail the high end, and was a little more mid-forward than the amp itself, but both these things are easy to adjust via the built-in EQ and resulted in a capture that, whilst still not quite perfect, is still notably close to the real thing.
Below, you can have a listen and judge for yourself. What you are hearing is my Fender Telecaster via the Hot Rod Deluxe through a Shure SM58, and then the profile, captured with the exact same setup. I could have gotten a better sound with a mic more suited to this, but as a means of testing the accuracy of the process, it served well.
The captures that are preloaded into the unit are a mixed bag. I particularly like the JCM800 profiles – all of them providing that coveted Marshall tone, particularly the Clean version, which I spent a lot of time with. The US TD capture is another highlight – pleasingly bright without sounding harsh.
Some, such as the ODS and UK30 captures, were mid-forward as you would expect, but with quite an unpleasant high end. Others, like the Rock Vrb clean, were too bass-heavy.
The conclusion here, much like other amp capture-based units, is that the quality of the amp models depends on how well the capturing process was done. Get a good one, and there are hours of fun to be had.
The quality of the amp models depends on how well the capturing process was done. Get a good one, and there are hours of fun to be had
Moving on to the effects, of which there are over 350 to play with, we can expect a good showing given Mooer’s years of experience in this area. The drives certainly confirm this theory, particularly with the Fuzz Department – a big, thick fuzz-stortion type sound that is endless fun.
The more classic gain sounds are well represented too, with a highlight of mine being the BE OD model, providing some hi-gain goodness in the Marshall ballpark, and the 808 coming a close second, giving off some pleasing Tube Screamer vibes.
With a lot of options here, there are some that sit within spikey territory, such as the Blues Crab and the OD25, and there seemed to be a general tendency towards a wooliness that would set in a little quicker than I would expect when using gain with the neck pickup of my telecaster.
Every drive only consisted of a Gain, Tone, and Volume control, so perhaps a fuller complement of adjustable parameters on the appropriate drives would quell these gripes.
Either way, with such a wide plethora of choices, these are minor things that are easy to forgive.
The modulations are also hard to fault
In need of no such forgiveness, however, are the reverbs. Possibly my favorite part of this unit, the Theatre setting in particular does a great job of enveloping the guitar in ambience, sounding present and connected to the sound, whilst staying out of the way of the player.
Similarly, the modulations are also hard to fault. Playing with my function band-style preset, I’m spending a lot of time enjoying the ‘70s chorus, going through Purple Rain–style chords with my Telecaster. The first Phaser on the list is a bit fizzy, but this is solved in other options, such as the ‘Modern Phaser’.
The harmonizer works well, attempting to catch it out with some flashy phrases, it tracks every note admirably. I also find the Doubler effect to be quite addictive, just adding a little bit of width to the sound.
No multi-effects unit is complete without delay, and included are all the variations you would expect. My go-tos for most setups are a roughly 300ms analogue delay for solos, and a dotted eighth digital delay for the more effect-based sounds. The Mooer is doing exactly as needed on both, with an analogue sound that darkens upon repeats and crispy clean digital that stands out perfectly for those delay sounds that need to be forward in the mix.
Unlike the drives, the delays, modulation, and reverbs all have a full complement of controls that offer all the customization and options that you could need.
Going beyond these classic effects, there’s also an ‘AI EQ’ that will apply EQ based on a genre and sound the user selects. It then listens to your tone and adjusts accordingly. Mooer recommends users try it in different places in their chain. Placing it last in the chain, I find that there is a tendency to boost bass to a level that is unusable on some settings.
At the front of the chain, the opposite tends to be true in that it often selects an EQ that results in a brittle and thin sound. Giving it the best chance I can, I start with sounds appropriate for the EQ I was choosing. However, to be blunt, it just doesn’t work particularly well.
This is an exciting idea that I can see being incredibly useful, especially to those starting out and learning about EQ, it just isn’t quite there yet. However, it is something that can be improved upon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there comes an update in the future that turns this into a valuable tool.
Verdict
It is hard to ask for more at this price point
The question, then, was, is the impressive list of features and specs on the Mooer GS1000 too good to be true? No, with sleek looks, a decent complement of I/O, accurate and self-contained capture tech, Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity, and some great sounds, it is hard to ask for more at this price point.
While there are a fair few compromises here, one of the benefits of these types of units is that a lot of the weaknesses I have noted here can be addressed with firmware updates. And even with these compromises in mind, we still have a vast array of usable features and an inspiring workstation for your tones.
Guitar World verdict: An impressive range of features with self-contained capture tech leading the way in an affordable package. While there are some compromises, the sheer amount of tech stuffed into this unit, combined with some great sounds, will result in hours of fun.
|
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Build quality |
A plastic chassis and a touchscreen that isn’t the best, but a generally sturdy feeling bit of gear |
★★★★☆ |
|
Usability |
Some great touches, and generally easy to use, but interface is laggy in places, and the icons could be better designed. |
★★★☆☆ |
|
Sounds |
Amp capture tech can get close with a little tweaking, and some fantastic effects, particularly the reverbs. |
★★★★☆ |
|
Overall |
A feature-packed and capable unit. There are some compromises, but this still provides good value for money. |
★★★½ |
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