Strymon Mobius
Strymon is one of the most highly regarded pedal companies in the world. The Mobius is one of many great reasons why. Not only does it have a host of standard effects, all of which are incredibly manipulable and beautiful, but it contains a few unique effects that are sure to thrill and delight. As with some other pedals of this complexity, that this pedal is its own universe. It will take significant time to fully familiarize yourself with this pedal and its functions, but that time will be well worth it.
External Control: MIDI/EXP
Cost: $$$
HornFX Review
Interface: 3.5/5
The interface can be confusing, especially at first. The Mobius is difficult to manipulate on the fly if you are not using external controls like MIDI. Even though the lack of a mix control on some presets can be frustrating, and other parameters change from patch to patch without easily read labels, 200 presets are far more than enough to combat the pedal’s challenges with its controls.
Versatility: 5/5
This pedal does EVERYTHING. It even does some things that no other pedal can. Truly a universe in a box.
Clarity of Effect: 4.5/5
All of the effects the Mobius has to offer sound wonderful. It speaks with clarity and any intensity desired. Considering how many types of modulation effects this pedal produces, its consistency in effect clarity is impressive.
Complexity: High
Live application: 4/5
If you put the time in beforehand, this pedal’s 200 presets will be a huge asset to any live performance. Unlike its sister pedals the Timeline and the Big Sky, this pedal can take the place of many pedals, making its large size less of an issue. Even the challenges the interface presents can be remedied by using external Midi control. Modulation effects are a major staple of many horn players’ pedal boards, and this pedal fills the role of almost any other modulation pedal with ease. For those who are ready for a more complex pedal with a learning curve that is steeper than average, there are few pedals available that can be as valuable as asset as the Mobius.
Audio
The Mobius comes with a large array of presets that are pre-loaded in the pedal. Although this pedal is built for guitar players, many of these sounds work beautifully with horns. The clips below utilize these factory presets, most of which have not been altered. Those that have been altered have benefitted from the most minor of tweaks.
Phaser
Formant
Destroyer
Pattern Trem
Rotary
Chorus
Filter
Product Information
Infinitely Organic.
Some might say we’re driven. When our engineers lock themselves in our sound design labs for months on end, you might say we’re obsessed. We have been dedicating ourselves to forging a collection of the most organic, luscious, expressive, and versatile modulation effects ever heard.
It was an enormous mission—we painstakingly studied the nuances of the legendary modulations of celebrated tremolo effects, phaser pedals, chorus units, and more from the last five decades. We didn’t stop at faithfully capturing these warm and lush vintage sounds—we expanded their vocabulary with extended versatility and sonic possibilities never before heard.
Open Up the History Books of Music.
Mobius gives you twelve legendary, versatile, and inspirational modulation machines, all in an easy-to-use package. Go from mouthwatering vintage chorus sounds all the way to syrupy psychedelic phasers. Get classic, pulsating tremolos all the way to warbling crushed bits. Mobius opens up the history books of music and provides new sounds and inspiration for all of your musical ideas.
Studio-class modulation algorithms deliver meticulous and detailed modulation experiences
Twelve modulation machines to choose from: Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Vibe, Phaser, Filter, Formant, Vintage Trem, Pattern Trem, Autoswell, Destroyer, Quadrature
Five front-panel tone shaping knobs: Speed, Depth, Level, Param 1, Param 2 (Param knobs assignable per preset)
Additional menu-driven parameters deliver extremely flexible tone shaping options and versatility
200 easily accessible and nameable presets, save and recall at the press of a switch
Three rugged metal footswitches for preset selection, effect bypass, and Tap
LED display for preset info, BPM readout, and extended parameter control
Full MIDI implementation allows extended control for those with more complex rigs
Sturdy and lightweight dark blue anodized aluminum chassis
Stereo input and output
Expression pedal input with selectable control over any knob or combination of knobs, saveable per preset (also configurable as external tap input)
MIDI input and output
Pre/Post Mode for flexible routing, allowing you to put Mobius in two different places in your mono signal chain
Ultra low noise, high performance 24-bit 96kHz A/D and D/A converters
110dB typical signal to noise
20Hz to 20kHz frequency response
+8dBu maximum input level easily handles instrument and line signals
Premium analog front end and output section
Super high performance DSP in a compact form factor
32-bit floating point processing
True Bypass (electromechanical relay switching)
Selectable high-quality Analog Buffered Bypass
Selectable Tap Subdivision, saveable per preset
Optional Global Tap Tempo mode
Included 9V DC power supply (300mA required minimum)
Dimensions: 6.75″ wide, 5.1″ deep
Designed and Built in the USA
Product info from the Strymon website.