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Meris Enzo Synth Pedal

#101
Alien8 said:
Let's keep this thread focused on the Enzo. There is more than enough FI info in the other threads that can easily be found.

The Enzo's flexibility from the onboard controls, and its huge filter section are what appealed to me the most. MIDI implementation, even though you need an outside box like the Disaster area, Empress, Meris and probably Chase Bliss options is implemented well. A basic MIDI user can easily tune presets and morphs without the need for added software connections.

I was hesitant with the Mercury7 getting a MIDI box just for it, but I'm glad I did. Adding this box is a simple TRS cable. Playing music and being able to dial in a sound quickly without a computer is key for me, so having an interface like the Meris provides is perfect. Having a couple presets in memory is helpful as well, so its a good balance.

Sound programming in any synth pedal should take a bit of time and have a learning curve if it's a full featured system!
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As I said, I apologise for it being slightly off topic. Not everyone is as good at searching for stuff as others so I thought I’d just offer a helpful link to the video and leave it at that.

I totally agree with you on being able to programme sounds without the use of a computer - it’s a much more immediate process and, for me, more satisfying, less distracting experience. It’s part of the reason I returned my Minitaur and bought a Subsequent - having some features only be accessible via PC was a pain.

I can’t wait for Enzo stocks to arrive in the UK.
 
#102
Quatschmacher said:
Forgive me if you’ve already done this but as a starting point, check out this video in which the player demonstrates the 99 stock presets of the FI:


Obviously it’s capable of many more sounds than these when one uses the editor.

Apologies for the slightly off-topic response.
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Ok i will. Dont even worry about it being off topic. The reality is that we should be comparing these two pedals. There are not many demos of the enzo out there and they are currently tough to track down. Additionally the Fi and enzo are in the same price point and are probably best in class right now at what they do. I look forward to someone getting both and comparing them.

As a knob tweaker i also agree that being able to dial up tones with only knobs and no computer is incredibly appealing.
 
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#104
AngelCrusher said:
Don't even worry about it being off topic. The reality is that we should be comparing these two pedals. There are not many demos of the enzo out there and they are currently tough to track down. Additionally the Fi and enzo are in the same price point and are probably best in class right now at what they do. I look forward to someone getting both and comparing them.
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^^ Exactly this.

The FI has been pretty much the unchallenged "top of the pile" bass synth pedal since it came out in 2016. The [Enzo + Midi] is coming in at a slightly higher combined price point and should be able to go "head to head" with the FI and while it's not a clone of the FI, you would want it to be the significantly better option in at least some areas and to know what these are, right?

It then becomes a much easier decision as to which is going to be the right pedal for what you're hoping to be using it for, or indeed whether it's worth considering getting both :)

I think / would hope that there's room to have that discussion on this thread also? There's at least a couple of us who would certainly appreciate it.
 
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#105
My point being, the only similarity between the two is a few sounds. The FI goes beyond in memory and detailed programming, while Enzo goes beyond in user interface, filter options, poly, arp etc. From what I have heard the Enzo tracking also trumps the FI.

Lets go mess up the FI thread with Enzo comparisons too!
 
#106
Alien8 said:
My point being, the only similarity between the two is a few sounds. The FI goes beyond in memory and detailed programming, while Enzo goes beyond in user interface, filter options, poly, arp etc. From what I have heard the Enzo tracking also trumps the FI.

Lets go mess up the FI thread with Enzo comparisons too!
Click to expand...

No objections from me to folk doing that.

Interested in you saying that the Enzo has the better user interface? There you go! By comparing the two you're already getting me to delve more deeply into the Enzo! :)

The tracking point is going to be absolutely key for many of us; from comments earlier in the thread I was getting the impression it was going to be other way around.
 
#107
This thread is great. Its not messed up at all. These are not $100 pedals, they are big investments and i like hearing the comparisons between the 2. Also lets face it - barely anyone has this pedal yet. Its not exactly blowing up with reviews.

So far we have had the maker of the pedal pop in make custom demos for us. If that is messed up, i dont want it to change.
 
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#108
So , finally got to mess around with Enzo again , this time I recorded some sounds

I used the split option and recorded 2 tracks simultaneously - panned the clean a little to the left and wet to the right ... at some point did some fast phrasing to test the tracking did some open E and eventually did quick recording of 3 different tracks with only wet sounds ...

Bare in mind that it is very intuitive to your play , and I played gently (and not do well) to avoid noises that will make my wife come over with a big knife (it’s late and it’s a small apartment)

Hope you enjoy....

Dropbox - Enzo.mp3


This is just scratching the surface with the sound options ... and I love it !!
 
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#112
Alien8 said:
This demo did it for me - close to the end. The bass tone is what has been in my head for years. The Juan demo made me say meh.

I love that you can use the sustain knob to get a longer and louder note, or be able to chop it up.
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Yup... I want one bad after watching that video. A guitar play i play with just got one... and it sounds like a game changer to me.
 
#113
Alien8 said:
This demo did it for me - close to the end. The bass tone is what has been in my head for years. The Juan demo made me say meh.

I love that you can use the sustain knob to get a longer and louder note, or be able to chop it up.
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Agreed, that's great tone that I haven't fully found in the FI yet. But here's my devil's advocate: can it punch through a mix like the FI can? Maybe he just mixed it poorly or differently, but it didn't punch like synth bass does.
 
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#114
bassvirtuoso said:
Agreed, that's great tone that I haven't fully found in the FI yet. But here's my devil's advocate: can it punch through a mix like the FI can? Maybe he just mixed it poorly or differently, but it didn't punch like synth bass does.
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Something important to remember here, and its a pretty big one - playing a synth DI sounds very different from playing a synth through a bass amp. The lows get cut pretty hard through a bass amp, which helps it cut a mix much easier. We haven't heard many demos (only Juan's farting around) through a bass amp. The low end contour between a bass guitar and synth can be very different, and in many cases is the difference between sounding like a synth or sounding like a bass playing synth - something that neither of these pedals has an issue with. The waveforms generated are true synth sounds - as is the Iron Ether Subterranea, tho voiced a bit differently.

Also, many of these demos we have heard are full songs with many Enzo parts to show its ability to cover ground. In a synth heavy mix it's pretty easy to mesh, rather than stand out.

I'm certain that the FI can get way wackier sounds that are still musical. The FI is also a much more in depth synth engine, EQ; way more going on under the hood. That's honestly cool, but I'm not into computer tweaking to go there. Most of the user base has done a decent job of creating patches that cut, and each of those has some EQ tweaking that can only be done in a loud mix with a computer hooked up (or a MIDI app that has been programmed to interact specifically with the FI - like TouchOSC or MIDI Designer). The same can be made for the Enzo, it just won't be as in depth, which I think is kind of the point.
 
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#116
I have done some cursory listening to both the Enzo and the FI demos. I also owned a Deep Impact (and a Unibass) back in the days when they were affordable.

The demos of both Enzo and FI sound great. But the FI (first impression) gives me the same feeling as the Deep Impact did, it feels like it's triggering samples rather than sythesizing sounds (I know it's not, but it has that feel to my ear). The demos of the Enzo feel more organic for some reason, as if it's really responding to the player's touch.

I like some of the sounds I hear from the FI a LOT. But that "triggered sample" feel bugs me.
Am I totally off base here? If anybody has played both, I'd love to hear what you think of this.
 
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#117
smeet said:
I have done some cursory listening to both the Enzo and the FI demos. I also owned a Deep Impact (and a Unibass) back in the days when they were affordable.

The demos of both Enzo and FI sound great. But the FI (first impression) gives me the same feeling as the Deep Impact did, it feels like it's triggering samples rather than sythesizing sounds 1(I know it's not, but it has that feel to my ear). The demos of the Enzo feel more organic for some reason, as if it's really responding to the player's touch.

I like some of the sounds I hear from the FI a LOT. But that "triggered sample" feel bugs me.
Am I totally off base here? If anybody has played both, I'd love to hear what you think of this.
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Agree. I always got that vibe with the FI. The Enzo seems more like an analogue synth in terms of response, and that is why I think people are excited. I know Pedals and Effects says that it has barely any latency.

The biggest thing for me will be if it translates to a mix. What I mean is that when I play a synth bass line on a record, it almost sounds mixed before any EQ or other effects are applied. Huge lows and really nice, contained presence in the highs makes Synth bass super easy to hear in a mix without being overpowering. The issue with a bass guitar is it really is more of a midrange instrument and as a result, has a tighter bandwidth in a mix compared to the wide spectrum that a synth bass can take up. So the pedal will really need to sit right to have the effect that I am looking for.
 
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#118
smeet said:
I like some of the sounds I hear from the FI a LOT. But that "triggered sample" feel bugs me.
Am I totally off base here? If anybody has played both, I'd love to hear what you think of this.
Click to expand...

I had the Deep Impact and FI, I know exactly what you mean. IMO it is mostly a feel thing with the way the tracking/gating work and it is more apparent on some patches than others. I ended up getting rid of the FI because it couldn't do polyphony and I really just wasn't using it all that much. I think I'll use the Enzo a lot more since I can use it on guitar.
 
#120
ilansgroove said:
So , finally got to mess around with Enzo again , this time I recorded some sounds

I used the split option and recorded 2 tracks simultaneously - panned the clean a little to the left and wet to the right ... at some point did some fast phrasing to test the tracking did some open E and eventually did quick recording of 3 different tracks with only wet sounds ...

Bare in mind that it is very intuitive to your play , and I played gently (and not do well) to avoid noises that will make my wife come over with a big knife (it’s late and it’s a small apartment)

Hope you enjoy....

Dropbox - Enzo.mp3


This is just scratching the surface with the sound options ... and I love it !!
Click to expand...

Wow!! I love your demo track. Very well done. It can take some time to master all of the Enzo's different modes, but from the sounds of it you have a handle on things!
 
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