Note: Battery operation not supported
As part of Mooer's MICRO series, the Groove Loop combines a looper pedal and digital drum machine in one tiny device. Conventional looper pedals function like specialised recording devices that allow musicians to create their own accompaniment by layering phrases - or "loops" - on top of each other. With the Groove Loop, Mooer has gone a step further by integrating a drum machine with a total of 16 drum grooves (eight groove styles with two variations each). When using the looper and drum machine simultaneously, the Groove Loop will play a single bar of metronome clicks to ensure that loops are recorded in time with the drum groove, the speed of which can be adjusted using the Tap Tempo button, while independent playback level controls for both the drum machine and the looper make the Groove Loop a breeze to dial in and adjust on the fly. With 20 minutes of recording time available, there is ample space to save the user's best musical ideas.
The Mooer Groove Loop features three operating modes: In "Looper" mode, loops can be layered in the usual manner, while "Drum" mode provides a backing groove. When used simultaneously in "L+D" mode, the looper is automatically synchronised with the selected drum groove. The desired groove style can be selected using the Groove Selector knob, while the speed is set using the tap tempo button. In this mode, users can put together a complete backing track in no time at all. The coloured LED at the centre of the tap tempo button flashes in time with the beat, and its colour indicates the current operating mode: Blue for "playback" and red for "recording". The main footswitch is used to switch between the Record, Playback, and Dub modes of the looper as well as to undo recordings. The Mooer Groove Loop performs best when operated in the amp's effects loop so that the drum groove is not distorted by the preamp!
Forget playing along to a boring metronome - the Mooer Groove Loop is the ultimate jamming companion that's ready to go at a moment's notice. The pedal is loaded with eight groove types with two variations on each style. The selection ranges from Metal to Jazz, and the Fusion grooves are even available in 5/8 and 7/8 time signatures. As mentioned above, the Groove Loop provides a count-in to ensure that the first loop is recorded in time with the drum groove when in “L+D” mode, and subsequent overdubs are then automatically synchronised with the beat. In all three modes, unlimited loops can be layered on top of each other until the memory is full. The housing is so tiny that the input and output jack sockets are offset on different sides of the unit. The pedal's "micro" format means that battery operation is not supported, but its moderate power requirement of 9V DC at 120mA means that pretty much every pedalboard will include the correct power supply.
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.
Despite the Mooer Groove Loop's diminutive size, its range of applications for everyday practice is huge. The ability to record chord sequences to solo over or record riffs to a drum groove before working on other elements of a track greatly enhances the solo jamming experience, and thanks to the Groove Loop's all-in-one looper/drum machine solution, bassists with a guitar in their instrument collection or vice-versa can create a full backing band in no time at all. Even after recording a loop, the drum groove can be changed using the groove selector control, which makes it possible to create fully-fledged arrangements. As loops naturally expose weaknesses in timing, users will find that the pedal can also be a great help in improving their sense of rhythm.