We've been treated to a number of Fender stomp boxes over the years - like the classic Fender Blender and BOSS collaborations like the '65 Deluxe Reverb - but the iconic manufacturer has never gathered all its tone tweaking know-how into one big bundle ... until now. The new Mustang Floor brings together dozens of effects, amp modeling and computer interaction into one rather attractive multi-effects unit.
The new Mustang Floor is said to be a natural extension of the company's Mustang amps, sharing the same LCD display and surrounding button layout as the Mustang III. It also shares much of the same feature set (minus the 12-inch Celestion speaker of course), with selection and control via nine stomp footswitches on the face and a solid aluminum expression pedal to their right. Users can also plug in an additional expression pedal for added control, if desired, and naturally Fender suggests its new EXP-1 model.
Players get 37 onboard effects spread over four categories (stomp, modulation, delay and reverb), a built-in chromatic tuner, and 12 different amp emulations ranging from vintage to modern Fender models. The effects unit features a modeling preamp with speaker emulation outputs that can be run direct to a PA system, and another with line-level outputs for use with a power amp and speakers. There's also an individual stompbox mode that allows players to bypass the signature tones added by the amp models.
Players can plug in some headphones for quiet practice time, with the option of adding in backing tunes from a media player via the 3.5 mm auxiliary input jack. There's one 0.25-inch input jack for the instrument, a send and return loop, MIDI in/out, and two XLR and two 0.25-inch outputs, both with level control and capable of being specifically programmed for use with a PA system, power amp or guitar amp.
The new multi-effects unit also features a USB port for direct-to-digital USB recording via the tone machine, and to allow users to interface with the Fender FUSE app, which is included as a free download. Using this software, players can get under the hood for hidden parameter control, deep editing, off-device preset storage, and load in free content from Fender, Fender artists and other users worldwide. The port also allows the unit's firmware to be upgraded.
The Mustang Floor ships with Ableton Live Lite 8 Fender Edition music creation software, and carries a suggested retail price of US$399.99.
