The Moog Minifooger MF Drive is an overdrive distortion pedal with a filter at its heart. Moog's reviewer-documented description has it employing "a Moog Ladder Filter, FET amplifiers, and classic OTAs to create its dirt", which sets it apart from a conventional overdrive or distortion circuit: the character of the dirt is shaped by sweeping and tuning a filter, not just by clipping. MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, summed it up as "an overdrive distortion pedal with huge variability and a unique dirty wah if you 'play' the filter with an expression pedal"1.
The controls
The MF Drive's tone is dialled in with interaction between the filter and tone knobs, and the gain knob sets how much dirt is in the mix1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Dials in the amount of dirt, delivering a wide range of sounds, from overdriven amp through to fuzz tone1 |
| Filter and Tone | The actual tone of the distortion is dialled in with interaction between the filter and tone knobs1 |
| Peak switch | Adds a +15dB boost at the filter cut-off, accentuating the filter effect1 |
| Output | Offers enough extra clout to use the pedal as a booster1 |
There is also a choice of two levels of range for the gain, to match the pedal's input to whatever is plugged into it1.
The Peak switch and the two-level gain range switch do different jobs: the Peak switch boosts +15dB at the filter cut-off, while the gain range switch matches the pedal's input level to the instrument or source plugged into it1.
Boost, bass and the filter
Because the Output knob has enough extra clout on its own, the MF Drive can double as a boost pedal, and the Peak switch's +15dB lift at the filter cut-off pushes that further1. The filter's lower settings are aimed elsewhere: Curwen found "loads of bottom-end here", noting that guitarists will not find much that's useful on the filter's lower settings, but those settings are just right for bolstering a bass1. Players hunting filter-based dirt for bass may also want to look at the site's bass pedal and filter pedal pages for comparison.
Power, bypass and expression control
The Minifooger series comprises five pedals, all with standard 9V battery or adaptor power, true bypass, and the facility to plug in an expression pedal for real-time parameter adjustment1. The expression input is what unlocks the pedal's most distinctive use: playing the filter with an expression pedal turns the MF Drive into what Curwen called a unique dirty wah, sitting somewhere between a wah and a filtered drive1.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's verdict on the MF Drive was positive on breadth and value: the reviewer's listed pros were a "diverse range of tones" and "decent price and build"1.
"The MF Drive employs a Moog Ladder Filter, FET amplifiers, and classic OTAs to create its dirt."
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Questions
Is the Moog MF Drive true bypass?
Yes. MusicRadar's review of the Minifooger range notes that the five pedals in the series, the MF Drive among them, are true bypass. The range is also described as 100 percent analogue with a high-quality signal path, so the pedal can sit on a board without colouring the bypassed signal.
Does the MF Drive run on a battery?
Yes. The Minifooger series runs on a standard 9V battery or adaptor, according to MusicRadar's review of the range, so it can be used without a power supply as well as on a pedalboard with a standard 9V supply.
Can you use an expression pedal with the MF Drive?
Yes. The Minifooger pedals have the facility to plug in an expression pedal for real-time parameter adjustment. MusicRadar's reviewer highlighted playing the filter with an expression pedal as a way of getting a unique dirty wah effect from the MF Drive.
What does the Peak switch do on the MF Drive?
The Peak switch adds a +15dB boost at the filter cut-off, accentuating the filter's effect. It is separate from the two-level gain range switch, which matches the pedal's input to whatever is plugged into it.
Can the MF Drive be used as a boost?
Yes. MusicRadar's reviewer found that the Output knob offers enough extra clout to use the pedal as a booster, and the Peak switch adds a further +15dB boost at the filter cut-off if you want to push the filter's frequency range forward.
Does the MF Drive work with bass guitar?
MusicRadar's reviewer found loads of bottom-end in the pedal and noted that while guitarists may not find much use in the filter's lower settings, those lower settings are just right for bolstering a bass, making it worth a look for bass players.
Sources (1)
- Moog Minifooger Drive review, MusicRadar, 2014-07-07