The Mooer Pitch Box is a very neat little pedal that allows musicians to change the pitch of their guitar or bass at the touch of a button – without having to retune their instrument. It has a huge four-octave range (i.e. all the way from two octaves below the base note to two octaves above). The layout is extremely simple: A control for adjusting the note to the desired pitch, and a switch to toggle between three different effect types: Harmony, Pitch and Detune. These seemingly simple features combine to produce an immensely varied range of sounds, from a sweet-singing chorus to bombastic riffs, all of which makes this pedal a great point of entry to the whole world of pitch-shifting.
Constantly having to change or even retune instruments mid-gig can get pretty tiresome for a guitarist, and the constant interruptions can break the spell for the audience, too. That's assuming bringing along a number of different instruments even an option. The Mooer Pitch Box puts an end to all that hassle: At the touch of a button, the device's Pitch setting can be used to drop each of the strings down by a whole step (e.g. to play a song in D standard). Harmony mode, which adds an extra note, can effortlessly simulate the sound of a 12-string guitar, for instance. In addition to these more practical applications, the Detune mode offers a completely unique sound, reminiscent of a chorus: A detuned signal is internally added to the original note. Each gradation on the control knob adjusts the pitch by five cents, allowing creative musicians to choose everything between a subtle, shimmering chorus and extreme detuned chaos.
The Mooer Pitch Box is a reliable - and affordable - introduction to the immersive world of pitch shifting, and its three different settings are clear and easy to use, so that even beginners will soon know their way around while still having access to a wide range of features. Equally, experienced and experimental guitarists and bassists who like their sound to break from the norm will find an exciting variety to play with here. Modern riff playing benefits hugely from the additional tone in Harmony mode: For example, a guitarist can set the pedal an octave lower, then dial in a high-gain or fuzz sound to instantly make their riffs sound significantly fatter. That extra boost will soon come to feel indispensable, however! This is also a great approach for building a sound suitable for a loud, heavy two-piece, just guitar and drums – less is more, after all!
Mooer is based in the Chinese city of Shenzhen and has been making products for guitarists since 2010, which include compact single pedals through to multi-effects units and compact amplifiers. The company initially produced a range of mini pedals before making perhaps its most significant breakthrough in 2016 with the sophisticated Ocean Machine delay pedal, which was designed in collaboration with Devin Townsend. Mooer's product range now also includes solutions that feature amp modelling, IR-based speaker simulation, and matching equalisers, and the company's focus remains firmly on the use of digital technology.
The Mooer Pitch Box is a hugely versatile pedal that, as well as being a useful little tool when playing on stage, also offers guitarists easy access to everything from lo-fi chorus sounds to thunderous riffs, enabling unique forms of musicality, from experimental sounds to expressive solos. It's a great way to give practiced riffs that special something, or to create entirely new, wild sounds, so it represents something of a secret weapon for pedalboards. Speaking of pedalboards: In the signal chain, a pitch shifter like this should ideally be as far forward as possible, as this is where the tracking is most accurate. The pedal can only be operated with a suitable 9V DC power supply (not included here, but virtually any standard pedalboard power adaper can be used).