What is the Bass MuRF? Think of it as a graphic equalizer whose frequencies change gain based on the patterns of an internal sequencer. It is also one of those rare pieces of equipment that inspires creativity. From the classic Moog design to the outlandish yet totally usable sounds, the Bass MuRF provided me with hours of seemingly endless entertainment.
I started with some guitar (yes, into a bass pedal). In seconds (after reviewing the incredibly informative and easily-digestible user manual) I had some funky wah-like sounds working well with a chiken-pickin riff. A few clean open chords and some tweaking of the knobs and switches (no menus to navigate on this beauty), and the track was washed in some great rhythmic movement.
I next tracked some bass direct, as well as running the MuRF through my Ampeg SVT’s distortion channel. Coming out stereo of the pedal splits the filters left and right and creates an amazing sense of space. Bass frequencies really make this pedal work and the result is positively thumping. It was as though I had a trap kit playing along with me. The wall of distortion from the SVT coupled with a fast Rate setting sent searing harmonic synth arpeggios blasting into the recorder. I finished up running an old Roland XP synth with a pad patch into the MuRF and again the percussive pulse of the pedal came through in spades.
Other points of note: you can run four expression pedals to this live to access most of the parameters in real time (perfect for live gigs). A momentary switch can be plugged in to synchronize the Rate of movement to your tunes with the tap of a foot. The build quality is superbly robust - it feels as though it could survive a direct mortar round. This pedal is perfect for the musician who wants a new effect to add percussive and tonal texture - bassist, guitarist, or keyboardist (I'm sure even a flute would be fun). And you get wood paneling.
