GEAR REVIEW
MOJO HAND FX MR-O PHASE SHIFTER | Michael Hodge
KEY FEATURES
• Based on the sound of the original 70 ’ s Phase Shifter
• Four or Six Stage Phasing selector
• True Bypass
• Small Footprint
Mojo Hand FX makes all kinds of effects pedals . They ' ve recently released a new take on the original phase shifter pedal from the ' 70s made by a company that created lots of cool FX including the classic Echoplex EP-3 .
Their original Phase Shifter was not a pedal at all . It was a large AC-powered laptop sized unit that could be mounted to a stand . The Mojo Hand FX Mr . -O, is a digitally based recreation of this original Phase Shifter .
OUT OF THE BOX : Mr-O comes in a cardboard box protected by a cotton bag with a cinch-string-bag , perfect for covering a vocal mic . There ' s also a simple instruction sheet , a couple of stickers , and some optional stick-on feet .
The single-space pedal has a black matte finish with white labeling and a multi-colored logo . On top are three knobs : Speed , Depth , and Color . There ' s a button to switch between four or six stages of phase-shifting , and a footswitch with a yellow LED indicator . The ¼ " in and out are located on the sides with the 9vDC center negative BOSS style jack .
IN USE : Once upon a time , I had an original Maestro PS-1A phase shifter . It was so cool , but not convenient to carry around and set up . There are lots of phaser pedals , but Mr-0 stays faithful to the sound of this original . The original had only one setting with three separate speed switches : Slow , Medium , and Fast . Mr-O has a variable Speed LFO control that you can adjust to the song tempo . The instruction sheet suggests starting with all three knobs at 12:00 . It replicates the medium-speed setting of the original unit . The Color knob controls feedback regeneration and turning to the right makes the resonant peaks go from smooth to the extreme . The effect is similar to a Uni-Vibe but not as throaty . The Depth knob adjusts the amount of phase-shift and takes you from very subtle to super phase .
MY TAKEAWAY : As much as I ' m a fan of multi-FX pedals it ' s super convenient to have a small pedal that does one thing great .
Mr-O does a fantastic job of emulating that classic sound loved by so many . When I first plugged in , it was the perfect sound for Earth Wind and Fire ’ s " Sing a Song ". It ' s also nice for a fast warbly-like sound to accentuate arpeggio patterns . With a slow LFO , I love what it adds to beautiful verb-ey ambient pads and swells . Medium-speed settings give single-note picking parts more character . Overall , I love what the MR-O does , and I ' m enjoying it as a fresh flavor for worship guitar parts . It ' s a fun retro sound , and I think you will enjoy playing through it .
$ 149.00 MojoHandFX . com