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Pros:
- Extremely compact
- Great sounding
- Easy to adjust
Cons:
- Limited selection of effects
- Would be better if the knobs were marked
The sizes of chorus pedals differ as taste. As you enter the market with the quest of finding a stompbox, you are exposed to all the shapes and sizes. You might come across the ones that take up whole real estate, and you might encounter the pedals that are smaller than you could have ever imagined. The latter category is often looked down on and many musicians do not take them seriously. However, such units should not be underestimated, since they have a lot hidden up their sleeves.
Even though they are tiny, they pack the punch and will leave you amazed the first time you perform with them. And let’s not forget how the majority of pedalboards look. They are overcrowded and hardly ever have space for additional devices. That is where such small enclosure comes in handy. If that is what you are searching for, then let me introduce Mooer Ensemble King Analog Chorus to you. This micro stompbox will make you reconsider your attitude towards tiny pedals, since it knows how to perform. Let’s not jump to conclusions and get to reviewing this bad boy. This way you will have the chance to make your own judgment and decide accordingly. Shall we begin?
Features
When you look at the shell of Mooer Ensemble King, you might not believe that it has versatile features. Of course, it does not have a bunch of knobs and sophisticated properties, but everything it offers is perfectly enough for day-to-day utilization. The enclosure is made out of metal, which means it can take a hit or two. This means that you should not have a heart attack every time you drop it accidentally or somebody steps on it fortuitously.
When it comes to the design, Mooer Ensemble King has baby blue chassis that is paired with black and white knobs. This color is very soothing and just perfect for chorus in my personal opinion. As I have mentioned a couple of times, this bad boy is small, probably half the size of a standard pedal. For this reason, it can only be powered with a 9V power supply.
This is quite natural and not a big deal, since most of us still lean towards adapters for gigs and even rehearsals. Ensemble King has a True Bypass footswitch, which guarantees to maintain the integrity of your signal and keep everything as natural as possible. It is comprised with analog circuitry that gives a special character to the effect and adds an organic touch. It has LED indicator which illuminates when the pedal is active. And of course it has single input and output for connecting it with the amplifier or the rest of your chain. Small, simple and beautiful – what else could we ask for?
Controls
As you have probably guessed, the control section is not a combination of multiple knobs and over-complicated switches. What we have here is a set of three basic knobs that allow you to shape the effect. Some might lack the ability to control some other parameters, but let’s be real – it would be impossible to incorporate anything more in such a small enclosure. Even though the encoders are rudimentary, they are still enough for fulfilling the purpose of the stompbox.
So we have two smaller knobs and one big encoder just in the middle of the pedal. The first one on the surface is Level, which modifies the volume of the effect and basically sets its amount. As you turn it clockwise, you increase the saturation of the chorus. Then we have Depth, which alters the intensity of the chorus and allows you to go deeper and deeper. And we also have Rate that changes the speed of modulation and its sweeps. Last but not least, there is a true bypass footswitch that activates or disengages the unit with a simple press. Judging by everything we have discussed so far, it is easy to conclude that Ensemble King is convenient to use, very easy to tweak even for beginners and overall rather user-friendly. What’s not to love?
Mooer Ensemble King Sound
Mooer Ensemble King Analog Chorus does an amazing job at creating the chorus of your dreams. Regardless of its size, it does not suck your tone and deprives it off its original qualities. It is just the opposite. It retains all your highs and lows and saturates them in sweet swirls of analog chorus. Though it might be surprising, Ensemble King gets on with bass like a house on fire. It can discern the bottom-end wonderfully and adds chorus without sounding artificial.
The effect itself has an amazing definition and spacious feel to it, which means you are dealing with multiple layers of goodness. This pedal is definitely not joking and is bigger in its capabilities than you would initially expect. The range of the encoders is quite wide, which gives you versatility and allows you to explore different shades of chorus with simple tweaks. And that is probably the biggest perk of this unit. On the whole, Ensemble king sounds great and can easily stand out in the mix. If you perform with a loud band, you will not have to worry about your effort going up in air.
Conclusion
Throughout my years as a guitarist, I have found one simple truth that has always shown me the way to move forward. And today I want to reveal it to you: the key to developing as a musician is being open-minded about the innovative units. That vibe has driven me towards the gear I own without which I would be a boring guitarist who only plays dull stuff. What I am trying to say is that you should not listen to the “stereotypes” that exist in music industry and listen to your own guts. That’s what I did with this pedal and I have never regretted this decision. Mooer Ensemble King is one of the best chorus stompboxes out there at an affordable price. Get it and enjoy every minute spent with it. Good luck!
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