Mosaic 12-String Pedal Review
#12string. #12stringguitar. #12stringpedal. #digitechmosaic. #mosaicpedal
Is it possible to recreate the sound of a 12 string with a pedal? Let’s find out. Here’s a quick and straightforward review of the DigiTech Mosaic Polyphonic 12-String Effect Pedal, the only pedal on the market that’s made specifically to recreate the sound of the 12-string. According to DigiTech, the algorithm is designed to process each string separately and can accurately replicate the doubled E and B string and the octave strings on a standard 12-string guitar.
I tested the mosaic with both an acoustic and electric, playing some of the all time classic 12-string riffs and comparing them head to head with an actual 12-string (a Rickenbacker 360 electric 12 and a Taylor 150e acoustic 12). You can judge for yourself as to whether the Mosaic is up to the task.
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00:00 – Intro
01:04 – Mosaic Specs
01:41 – Electric Guitar Demo
03:20 – Head-to-Head vs. Rickenbacker
04:55 – Acoustic Guitar Demo
05:19 – Head-to-Head vs. Taylor
07:20 – My Opinion
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#Mosaic #12String #Pedal #Review
Originally posted by UCzfCFS-vCB0h_QlMZlF9mSQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmb7bsz24OE
I have a Mosaic, and yes, for me, it was worth twice the price I paid. In a mix, it will be more than passable. At $189 for the pedal. No way to purchase 2 – 12 string guitars for that.
I use this in a Smiths tribute band for gigs when I don’t want to bring the real 12-string. It does a pretty amazing job. It’s certainly not a clear sound as the real one, but really adds to some songs when used subtly.
Maybe a good eq pedal would get it in a closer ball park. The 12 had strong mids and highs. The PRS pickup is producing a lot of bass frequencies.
Thanks for the demo but I don't think a Rickenbacker is a fair comparison. It's not set up like other 12-string guitars in that it has the string pairs reversed. Given that, NO pedal will sound like a Rick. A better comparison would have been a Danelectro 12-string.
they now cost $210 + tax … overpriced, not worth it IMO; a Small Stone Chorus sounds almost as good, & it only costs $80 ✌️
Okay. I have had a Mosaic for a few years. In a band setting it sounds just fine. The kicker to me, and I noticed it on your demos, is that the 6 string is so much easier to play. No fretting out like I heard several times in the demos on the Rick. I have played a Rick in my band several years ago and you have to fight it pretty hard, especially considering the way the octave strings are below the main strings. For three or four songs a night, it works fine.
Rickenbacker has first string normal and seconf is octave
This seems like one of the most challenging pedals for a pedalmaker to make, like one of the hardest things to get right, either this or a pedal that tries to make your electric sound sound like an acoustic. A gargantuan task. This is about as good as can be done at this point in time for sure, it does sound way better than some other devices that try to do this, but it's still one of those uncanny valley things where it just sounds very fake and out of place if you listen closely. Maybe this works totally well in a complete band mix in some situations.
With tremolo maybe
sounds okay but there is something about that does not fit completely into the natural sound of a 12 string and yes it is the oscillation is too exagerated
Good demo. Very useful comparisons. It wouldn't replace a 12 string in the studio but probably useful for gigs when only one guitar can be used.
By the way, is that a Gibson Goldtone behind you? If so, I designed that back in the late '90's.
You are spot on with your assessment of the Mosaic. I purchased one hoping to emulate the 12 string sound but in my opinion it doesn't compare. Especially if you work solo or even a duo, invest in a 12 string guitar, you'll be happier.
I hate to say it…but I like the sound of the mosaic & minimal reverb more than the actual 12 string. I think it is fascinating that its circuitry is able to distinguish between the same tone on one of the bottom four strings vs the top two, and double the actual frequencies on the lower strings but double the strings' same frequencies from the higher strings.
I would have thought that it would require a hexaphonic (coil for each string) pickup (which would yield 6 outputs from the gross pickup) to accomplish that…or, possibly it could be accomplished with a coil for the bottom 4 & another for the top two strings. But, mosaic is getting that effect from standard pickups. Pretty innovative.
And, while the pedal has a cost, it's way less than the cost of a good electric 12-string, and easier to play! I won't hesitate to get it!
For someone who uses 12 string on 20 percent of my songs and typically not throughout the entire song… it makes good sense to own this pedal. I can’t afford a double neck guitar.. and even if I could they are just so heavy and ridiculous.
Love the depth. I’d love Aqua Lung . J T or something similar. Thx .
Ii's not perfect, but I see the Mosaic as a substitute for a double-neck… when you just need a 12-string sound to pop out in parts of the song. Or when you just can't drag your 12 out to a show. Still, no substitute for the real thing.
I think even without compression, Rickenbackers sound brighter/treblier, everything makes them brighter. even more if they have the bright cap in the bridge pickup… also, Rics have the single coil bridge pickup right next to the bridge itself, while your regular guitar have a humbucker maybe 1 inch away from the saddles. and Rics also have the treble octave strings below the lower ones, don't they? don't know if the pedal is based on that, but it makes they differ from regular 12 strings. the closest comparison would be a 6 string Ric with the pedal against a 12 string Ric
Hmmm – the issue is using a humbucker-based guitar loses the single-coil sound, so it isn't going to jangle; a Strat or Tele might be more suitable
I have a Mosaic and my view is using more treble adds to the realism. In a mix or live it is a great effect.
Sounds good to me ????
The electric was really close. But it was not as organic as the Rick. A lot of people try with a chorus. But like the simulation with the acoustic, choruses tend to warble too much. Nothing actually sounds like a 12 except a 12.
Bill Gallerizzo
The Mosaic with the electric guitar sounds to me much better than the actual 12 string electric.
Thanks for a very helpful video. I've been looking to try one of these live for over a year, but can't find one and won't buy anything without hearing it first. Not sure if I've made a final decision, but this was a nice surprise.
Excellent, concise review! The A-B comps were great, and I appreciated your candor. I own two Mosaics as I love 12-string, and my early investigation of this pedal actually helped enhance my appreciation and vision of electric 12. Both of mine reside on electric boards; if I want more shimmer for acoustic 6 and don't have an acoustic 12 available, I use other effects like chorus and a touch of delay – see Phil Keaggy's use of these for a master's example. I think it boils down to expectations: the pedal comes pretty close for capturing electric 12, though not close enough to fully satisfy if expecting true sound. One limitation is that the octave unavoidably comes after the fundamental with the Mosaic, whereas standard 12 set up puts the octave first. The convenience is a big plus, however, as is another angle: not mimicking electric 12 so much as adding more dimensions to color or broaden sound. And unlike an actual 12-string, the on-off switch allows for adding (and removing) these on the fly. Overall, for those who love electric 12 but need the convenience, or want some additional possibilities for sound, I would recommend this pedal. I also find it works best to use with some compression before it in the signal chain. Thanks for your great work!
Being familiar with acoustic-electric 12-strings, but nothing high end, I think what's missing on the acoustic guitars with the Mosaic is the sheer octave dynamics of the 12-string.
For some reason on electrics it does a much better job of using the extra gain or whatever to deliver a 12-string sound. Still, there is clearly no way that this pedal will EVER
get you sounding like an actual Rickenbacker run through compression, etc. and the right amp. (preferably, a Vox) However, to get a good jangly sound out of a 6-string
electric I would use it for fun, at home, and maybe some gigs where it's not crucial to have a real Ricky or whatever up there. It's missing some of the acoustic like dynamics
of an "acoustic" 12-string, or even the likes of the Rickenbacker. It sounds more like a Danelectro 12-string, perhaps, which is fine. It's true 12-strings are a bloody pain in
the ass in terms of learning how to wrestle with the beast, as I call it: stringing one, setting it up, and tuning up and alt. tunings in particular are kind of annoying on a 12-string.
If you could cut some of that nonsense out on a 6-string electric, that would be nice. Still, it will never sound like an actual 12. Something about doing hammer ons etc.
on a real 12-string that is just unique to those guitars. I find dealing with my ac. electric 12 to be a lot easier than an electric one. I've heard Rickenbackers are notoriously
finicky and setup is everything, and even then, they can be hard to keep in tune, etc. For the $210 or so that I'm seeing them sell for, I don't think it's that great of a deal. You
can get even a cheaper 12-string, a decent Taylor or a Danelectro, whatever, that will sound fantastic if you run it through the right gear.
Again, perhaps even If I Needed Someone, which is I believe is played on an Electric 12-String. KEN AGAIN.
Thanks for the informative video! I was thinking along the lines of using my six-string acoustic on songs like: Sister Golden Hair, even 8 Days a Week (in A), LeRoy Brown, but since the reviews aren't so hot on the acoustic, perhaps I could try it with my Epiphone Dot Reissue – Maybe that'll suit the sound better. We'll see what I do! Maybe just play test it at home. Incidentally, Sweetwater is charging $219 for their Digitech/Mosaic. KEN C.
Great and informative video! Just purchased a used one, for the equivalent of $100, should arrive within a few days. I feel that it doesn't work well with the acoustic (in fact, the guy selling it also said the same), but I already have a 12 string acoustic, just got it for using with electric.
In this video, the Rick and the PRS sound very different, but I wonder if this is also due to the pickups of the guitars themselves? The rick sounds very bright, I feel this could be emulated by using a Strat or Tele with the pedal, and playing on the bridge pickup. Anyway, I'll try that when the pedal arrives here!
Hi, This pedal was from a group of DigiTech pedals, that came from piecing out the DigiTech Whammy.
I had one of these too.
I didn’t find it to be that good. It sounds very synthetic.
What I found that was better, was using the Whammy and interestingly using the root and 2 octaves up. It became a passable 12 string sound.
The Boss PS6 can do this too.
The prs has humbuckers, and the Ric has singles, of course the single coils will sound different. If you would have used an acoustic preamp/di the acoustic may have sounded better throuh the pedal. Most acoustics sound like crap through a regular electric guitar amp, they are voiced differently than an acoustic amp or pre.
I am owning the pedal. It doesn't sond like a 12 string. The octaves are organ like. Also the doubles on the two high strings do not work for me.
However I do not like playing a twelve string, so…
Great video! I agree totally with you. I own a Mosaic and was a little bit underwhelmed when I plugged it in. Not a lot different than using a phaser pedal in my opinion. Thanks
The Rick is a natuarally bright guitar whereas the PRS is far darker. A Tele or Strat would probably get closer to a real 12 string.
Oh hi mark
Thanks for this! As you say the mosaic is more of an organ sound, and doesn’t really do the 12 string sound as much… but it sounds awesome and very musical, and is more practical to turn any guitar into that type of sound… or sell it easily if you don’t like it, as opposed is buying a decent 12 string guitar.
I bought one a few years ago, total waste of money. If you turn it up in the mix, it sounds cheesy, when you have it lower in the mix it doesn't sound cheesy, but you can really can't hear it either with the whole band playing. Not recommended unless you want to buy mine, lol.
Well, I just purchased this pedal based on some other demos, then I watched this one. First thing I’m thinking is: I’d prefer to see a Rickenbacker 6 string through the Mosaic as a comparison rather than a humbucker equipped PRS. On the acoustic, yes – there’s quite a significant difference. For my purposes, I’m hoping the Mosaic will trick enough untrained ears with my little cover band that I won’t have to drag my 12 string along, or buy a doubleneck!
There's a definite artificialness to the pedal, but if I didn't know I don't know if I could tell the difference. I'd like to think I could though. Makes me think of sheet metal. 6 string Ric vs 12 string might be a little more fair a test, but whatyado.
This is the only review of this pedal I've ever come across. Although I have an electric 12 which I came across a few years ago, prior to that I often wondered how well this thing worked. Yeah, not impressive. Glad I didn't go for one.
They sound almost the same
IMO better to buy a lower end 12 string. This pedal just seems to barely disguise that it's a 6 string being played.
What would happen if you played
A 12 string… into a 12 string pedal ????
I would think if you already have a POG2 , that you dont need this.
I thought the acoustic 12 string sounded kind of dead and muffled through the amp and the Kahler with the Mosaic on it sounded really good through the amp. On the other hand the Rickenbacker 12-string sounded way better than the electric guitar with the Mosaic on it but it still wasn't that bad it still sounded pretty good