Meris

109
JANUARY 2018 GUITARIST
Tech Spec
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Delay pedal
FEATURES: Selectable
true or buffered bypass,
tap tempo (quarter or
dotted eighth note),
1200ms max delay time,
switchable guitar,
synthesizer or line
levels, MIDI syncable
PRESETS: 16
CONTROLS: Time,
Feedback, Mix, Multiply,
Dimension, Dynamics,
Alt switch, Phase
selector, Tap footswitch,
bypass footswitch
CONNECTIONS: TRS
jack input (configurable
as mono or stereo),
standard outputs (L&R),
Exp/MIDI
POWER: Supplied 9V
adaptor
DIMENSIONS: 108 (w)
x 114 (d) x 51mm (h)
9
Pros: Well thought out combination of delay and
modulation, capable of myriad sonic variations,
full MIDI and pedal control of parameters
Cons: External gear needed to access presets
the taps bounce across the spectrum and
the twin phasers travel and regenerate in
opposing directions, creating a wide field.
Now, while all that may sound
straightforward enough, whole new
layers of complexity appear when you
get into modulating the six triangle LFOs
associated with the delay lines. Alt mode
for the Time knob and the Multiply knob
each allow selection of 16 variations
of LFO modulation for the early delay
taps and the later taps respectively. The
variations include different speed and
depth combinations, FM modulation and
dual pitch shifts – all layering in different
aspects of textural fairy dust. You can
call up floaty soundscapes, otherworldly
crystalline ambiences and constantly
shifting pad sounds that will evolve from a
single note or chord. While there’s plenty
of huge upfront effects, the humble Mix
knob is there to play its part and there’s a
world of subtlety to be explored in layering
some of those carefully constructed FX
just behind your dry sound.
There’s so much variation here that
you’ll definitely want to return to
certain sounds that you dial up and the
Polymoon’s 16 internal presets will let
you do that, although you can’t access
them from the pedal alone – you’ll need
to send the pedal MIDI Program Change
messages to get to all 16. Instant access
to four presets is also available by using
Meris’ forthcoming footswitch.
An expression pedal can control all
parameters simultaneously opening up
the way to a ton of performance options
Meris Polymoon
but as it can morph between two complete
settings of all of the knob values (primary
and secondary) you can, in effect, have
different ‘presets’ at heel and toe. Control
of all parameters as well as preset
switching is available via MIDI.
VERDICT
This our current favourite altered delay
pedal. With a cornucopia of sounds to
explore, the Polymoon is a delightful
confection of delay and modulation that
never ceases to amaze.
3
2
1
4
04 THE PHASER
BUTTON
Multiple presses scroll
through four options as
indicated by the status
of the two small LEDs –
bypassed, fixed 0.1 Hz
speed, speed linked
to delay time quarter
note, speed linked to
a whole note
02 MULTIPLY
KNOB
Controls the Pan and
Level of each delay line
– effectively the taps
get more complex as you
scroll through the six
available settings
03 ALT (HOLD)
Holding down this
accesses the secondary
parameters assigned to
each of the knobs eg early
or late modulation
01 THE
DIMENSION
KNOB
Seems to add repeats
around the repeats,
building up a denser
soundfield for larger
reverb-like ambience
GIT428.peds_meris.indd 109 30/11/2017 13:37