Rate brought me back to a recognizable
Chorus swirl with a robust low end.
Even at more radical settings, the analog
circuitry of the Cluster Flux does a great job
of preserving the original tone of the guitar,
though the high-sustain qualities of humbuckers have some advantages over single-coils.
The more sustained the input signal, the more
the Cluster Flux can contort into a more
bizarre version of the original signal. Holding
single notes on the Les Paul and pushing
the LFO Amount and Rate controls with a
Ramp wave yielded synth-like qualities that
did justice to the kings of krautrock. With the
addition of a separate delay and compressor
pedal, the effect was akin to something gone
beautifully amiss in a mad scientist’s lab.
Much of the value of the Cluster Flux lies
in the six waveform options. And in some
ways this is the key to experimentation and
some of the more unusual applications of
the Cluster Flux. For example, one control
configuration may work well with the Sine
wave, but become awkwardly jarring with
the Ramp wave. You’ll have to dedicate
some time into exploring these nuances and
guiding the controls, or you may get lost
in the water. However, a little patience and
imagination goes a long way with this little
toolbox. And getting lost (if you have the
time) is really half the fun.
The Verdict
You’ll certainly get what you pay for with the
Cluster Flux. It contains two highly useable
effect platforms that can give you beautifully traditional oscillation sounds, color a
quiet whisper-tone, or stir up a whipping
sonic-downpour. And it’s a beautiful piece of
US-made, analog craft. With a price tag of
about $550, I suspect most of Moog’s business
will come from analog-synth fanatics and high-end studios. But it’s a source of delicious and
traditional oscillation tones too, and a perfect
unit for home recording with its ability to handle any range of instruments or vocals (just listen to how a bass guitar can become a wizard’s
staff behind this thing). And given how extraordinary the output from the Moogerfooger can
be, it may be worth a concerted listen—and a
few hours of hands-on investigation— if you
have the cash to spare.
Rating:
Buy If...
you can’t decide between the vin-
tage flange of a Leslie, or a sonic
voyage to Mars.
Skip If...
you don’t foresee enough use for
these effects to justify the price.
Moog Music
Street $550
moogmusic.com
or use a mobile device to hear
audio clips of the pedal at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/dec2011
DRIVE HARD.
solidgoldfx
visit www.solidgoldfx.com to see what we’re up to!
email: info@solidgoldfx.com call: 514.509.5084
