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Meris Enzo Synth Pedal
- Thread starter Phagor
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- synth pedal
Looking forward to it!
Spent a little time having a listen to the clip posted by the OP. The bass related video (9 mins worth) is at 05.40 to 14.50:
Enzo vs FI
A few observations so far (IMO etc etc):
Where I'm landing with this, having now seen how fiddly it is to scroll through settings on the above clip, is that for live use this is absolutely going to need a midi controller. Just check the YouTube clip at 12.25 when he is trying to engage the ring modulator. NO WAY are you going to be wanting to do that live! So we are realistically looking at a "two-pedal" solution and a budget of > $500 (that's in the UK, I appreciate it will be lower in the US). A used FI can typically be picked up for quite a lot less (although tbf they don't come up very often used and don't tend to hang around too long before being snapped up).
I'm still struggling to hear anything like the variety of sounds that the FI offers, on the above clip, but that may change with more better video clips (from Proton Lenny
)What it seems to be able to do as a basic filter doesn't, for me, go much further than the SA Manta or even the MXR BEF. The 99 presets on the FI put it in a different league for ease of live use for the gigging bassist.
If the Enzo has tighter tracking than the FI that is a plus (although I'm personally really happy with the FI's tracking), but its other USP, polyphonic capability, for bass is less important than on guitar as it's not often that we are required to play chords on bass. And it's perhaps important to remember that this is primarily a guitar pedal that bassists are looking to use, whereas the FI has been designed and voiced with the bassist in mind.
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I'm just really hoping the filter has a good feel to it, and plays with a clean non-synth sound well.
If you think the Enzo is fiddly, wait till you try an FI. I also dont know how you came up with $500 for a Meris? Enzo is $299 new, and MIDI boxes are as low as $50. For either the FI or Enzo you need a MIDI controller. FI are in the $400 used area, maybe as low as $350. I really dont believe the choice between these two is cost, its useability when you are actually playing it - does it sound like the sound in your head, a cover tune or something you can make music with.
For me, they way the Meris Mercury7 instantly had me making music was huge for me. I was buying an effect, but I got something waaayyy more. When I had the FI, it just didn't do that for me and I was happy to part with it. It sounds decent, and would work well to cover some old songs. I'm trusting in the Meris experience to help me achieve the sounds in my head being played. The only two other companies that have made pedals that do this for me are Iron Ether and Moog, and this will mix perfectly with them. (at least effect like filter, delay, reverb, chorus related pedals, lots of great tone shapers out there...)
If you think the Enzo is fiddly, wait till you try an FI. I also dont know how you came up with $500 for a Meris? Enzo is $299 new, and MIDI boxes are as low as $50. For either the FI or Enzo you need a MIDI controller. FI are in the $400 used area, maybe as low as $350. I really dont believe the choice between these two is cost, its useability when you are actually playing it - does it sound like the sound in your head, a cover tune or something you can make music with.
For me, they way the Meris Mercury7 instantly had me making music was huge for me. I was buying an effect, but I got something waaayyy more. When I had the FI, it just didn't do that for me and I was happy to part with it. It sounds decent, and would work well to cover some old songs. I'm trusting in the Meris experience to help me achieve the sounds in my head being played. The only two other companies that have made pedals that do this for me are Iron Ether and Moog, and this will mix perfectly with them. (at least effect like filter, delay, reverb, chorus related pedals, lots of great tone shapers out there...)
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Ah I was basing on UK prices where (with taxes and shipping) the Meris costs $420!! I would love to pick one up for $299 new (maybe time to get my US cousin to make a trip back to the UK
)I'm actually fine using the FI live without a MIDI - it does after all have 99 presets. And getting patches set up on the FI ready to use via the PC editor isn't too difficult. Obviously you're not going to want to do that on the fly.
bruh idk where you're lookin', but gear4 has them at like £317Ah I was basing on UK prices where (with taxes and shipping) the Meris costs $420!! I would love to pick one up for $299 new (maybe time to get my US cousin to make a trip back to the UK
I'm actually fine using the FI live without a MIDI - it does after all have 99 presets. And getting patches set up on the FI ready to use via the PC editor isn't too difficult. Obviously you're not going to want to do that on the fly.
Ah I was basing on UK prices where (with taxes and shipping) the Meris costs $420!! I would love to pick one up for $299 new (maybe time to get my US cousin to make a trip back to the UK
I'm actually fine using the FI without a MIDI - it does after all have 99 presets.
Sure, but you do need to program it to get to some of the cover tune sounds, the stock ones fall short. So a MIDI to USB interface is needed, but could be borrowed, or done by a friend with a PC and MIDI cable. So, yup, I see your point, and it is a good one.
I reluctantly bought the spare box... but now I have it and that made buying Enzo too easy.
This actually brings up an interesting preference - I really do like pedals that have both MIDI and a flexible control port that accepts Control Voltage. Strymon big boxes have this... Either way, I'm looking forward to getting this integrated.
I was looking for them in the same place as you
£317 = $$ ? I think you'll find it's approx. $420
In USD the total cost (I believe, for MIDI Bluetooth control) will be right around $445 using the setup I posted earlier and will be going with.
That in theory, gives you incredible control unless you want a footswitch to change presets during songs. If that is not an issue, you will have (hopefully) the ability to control all knobs and sub-knobs on the Meris from your iphone (via bluetooth adapter) and store the presets using the TouchOSC app.
I believe I found a Meris MIDI I/O. Just ordered it, and they claim it is in stock on the vendors website and should ship Monday. So I am hoping to have everything arrive in a week or so. From reading peoples impressions here, it seems rather important to have the ability to save presets from the get go. I am hoping that I can with Touch OSC.
If they can start porting preset control over companion apps in the Apple Watch, this could be an incredible way to change presets on the fly with no phone required. I am hoping that is the next step because having preset control on my wrist would be so much better than needing to use my phone live.
Either way, it is still amazing to be able to control all of these features remotely and not having to memorize knob settings and hope for the best during a board dive mid-set.
Fingers cross that this all actually works. I am taking of leap of faith here in Meris. Never used their stuff before.
That in theory, gives you incredible control unless you want a footswitch to change presets during songs. If that is not an issue, you will have (hopefully) the ability to control all knobs and sub-knobs on the Meris from your iphone (via bluetooth adapter) and store the presets using the TouchOSC app.
I believe I found a Meris MIDI I/O. Just ordered it, and they claim it is in stock on the vendors website and should ship Monday. So I am hoping to have everything arrive in a week or so. From reading peoples impressions here, it seems rather important to have the ability to save presets from the get go. I am hoping that I can with Touch OSC.
If they can start porting preset control over companion apps in the Apple Watch, this could be an incredible way to change presets on the fly with no phone required. I am hoping that is the next step because having preset control on my wrist would be so much better than needing to use my phone live.
Either way, it is still amazing to be able to control all of these features remotely and not having to memorize knob settings and hope for the best during a board dive mid-set.
Fingers cross that this all actually works. I am taking of leap of faith here in Meris. Never used their stuff before.
This is probably a dumb question, but has anyone figured out a way to adjust the output volume? I know there is a mix knob to go between wet and dry. And I understand there is a way to change the input volume for guitar/line-level. But how do you adjust the volume of the synth signal? From my experience with other synths, the settings of oscillator, filter, and such can REALLY change perceived volume, especially live.
looks at £ looks at $ looks at self looks at £ looks at $ looks at self......I was looking for them in the same place as you
£317 = $$ ? I think you'll find it's approx. $420
well im a dumbass
i think there might be something in the global settings ? i had an ottobit for an afternoon and kinda remember there being output volume in the global settings
Well I might be better at £:$ exchange rates and making sure I'm using the right currency when I'm on a US bass forum, but I bet your bottom $ you're very probably the better bass player and I know which I'd rather be!
From what I've seen, you can't. It's all in the mix knob, and I'm really hoping they don't have a mix knob like the Mercury7 that goes to equal volume, then cuts the dry, I'm hoping there is some blend between synth louder and dry cut. Either way, I'm planning to use a spare EQ with volume after the synth, or an MF Boost.
This is slightly unfortunate. Getting levels right is so difficult when it comes to matching with dry bass levels, especially live. Hard to match low end with all the extra upper end content.
_Angelo_
Commercial User
I'm so glad you found a MIDI I/O. We are making more of everything (I spent most of the yesterday keeping the production lines going), so availability issues should hopefully smooth out soon.
And thanks for taking the leap of faith! Since '99, my full time job has been creating algorithms / designing sounds / writing embedded firmware for musical instruments; so I got you covered.
In preparation of everything arriving, I would work on making a simple layout in touchOsc that gives you access to the 16 internal presets. I'm here to help, you can always give us a call or contact us at [email protected] if you get stuck on anything.
another thing, which might be a bit of a pain to do, is in the PaE vid Nick said the midi adapter thingy allowed you to tweak more stuff, so there might be something there maybe ?
Really hoping @_Angelo_ can chime in regarding firmware updates in the Meris boxes - theres a bunch of "improvements" that would make live use and use in general a bit easier.
_Angelo_
Commercial User
The Enzo's Mix will definitely let you set the dry level to be louder than the synth.
Is there a way to adjust the volume of the synth. I don't think I'll be using my dry signal much at all to be honest. But having a punchy bass sound is going to take more volume than a sweet pad sound for instance. I think in that example the pad would be too loud, and the mono bass patch would be too quiet if there isn't a way to adjust output volume.
Is there a way to make the taper of the mix pot allow boost on the synth side? Something like full ccw 100% dry, 10 o'clock 50/50 dry wet blend, 1 o'clock 100% wet, then full cw be 100% wet with a 6db boost? Or something like that.
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Ouch!! - I'd completely missed that this pedal doesn't have an adjustable input level and more importantly an adjustable output level. I guess I had assumed that, as with pretty much all higher end pedals, you'd have that as a standard feature?
How do you even get to set your clean bypass to the same level as the engaged signal? What if you're using basses with differing pup outputs? Have I missed something obvious, or is the volume input / output going to be tricky to adjust on the fly?
Starting to look like this is going to need: (1) Midi control in pre (2) Enzo Meris (3) EQ with volume control post, which seems to be exactly what Alien8 is proposing to use.
