The MerisLVXis exactly the delay unit I have been dreaming of. Lucky for me, it’s also the delay unit that the folks at Meris have been dreaming up for over two years, and it's a masterclass in how to package a profound, deep, and powerful set of sonic tools into an easy-to-use box. It’s almost impossible to condense all ofLVX’sfeatures into one review. However, the most straightforward explanation is that theLVXis a true stereo delay pedal with a set of effects that can be placed anywhere in the chain and include modifiers that can be assigned to any parameter. Oh, there's also a looper.
TheLVXwas initially designed as a guitar pedal, but for the purpose of this review I will focus on its use as an outboard effects unit. TheLVXcan be switched between instrument and line inputs, though, like many guitar pedals with line-level inputs, that switch is more about allowing for more headroom than impedance matching. I was able to send audio to theLVXvia an aux send from my console, then feed it back to a line input, but the unit is happier with a re-amping box and a DI; a device such as the Meris 440 preamp and pedal interface [Tape Op#103] would make an excellent pairing.
The delay section has six different “structures:” Standard, Multi-Tap, Multi Filter, Poly, Reverse, and Series. It also has three timbral options: Digital, BBD, and Magnetic. In addition, there are five different types of effects (Preamp, Dynamics, Pitch, Modulation, Filter), each with its own variety of different programs called “Types” (for example, the Preamp section has Volume Pedal, Tube, Transistor, Op-Amp, Drive, and Bit Crusher Types). Each effect can be placed anywhere in the signal path: Pre+Dry, Pre, Feedback, Post. For example, you can put a swell and octave-up effect just in the feedback loop. You can put a saturated preamp in Pre Type, so your delay line is dirty, but your dry signal is not. You can also use theLVXas a multi-effects pedal without any delay by placing effects in the dry path. Indeed, many of those effects are incredibly compelling on their own, especially the modulation (Types: Chorus, Flanger, Dynamic Flanger, Cassette, Barberpole, Granulize, and Ring Mod) and pitch shifters (Types: Poly Chroma, Harmony, Micro Tune, Mono Chroma, Lo-Fi).
What really elevates theLVXis the modifiers. There are two individual LFOs, an Envelope Follower, a Sample and Hold, and a 16-step sequencer. Each one can be assigned to any effect parameter (or combined to a single parameter for some wild adventures). In addition, the rate of each modifier can be individually synced to any division of the delay time or can be completely independent.
Want the feedback of your delay to rise and fall in time, ebbing and flowing a self-oscillation on every bar? Assign one of the LFOs to Feedback and choose its note division. Want some chaotic rhythmic fuzz? Assign the Sample and Hold to the gain of the preamp. There are some no-brainers like tempo-synced LFOs assigned to filter cutoffs, but the possibilities are endless, and there isa tonof fun to be had. I’ve built whole songs around simple synth parts animated by theLVX. I’ve used this “pedal” to create space and texture around guitar parts, to weave some chaotic tension, and release it into background vocals. Compared to something like the Hologram Electronics Microcosm Granular Looper and Glitch pedal – which is unpredictable and maybe better suited to playing to/with, theLVXmanages to perfectly walk the line between an interactive, expressive instrument expander and a reliable “set it and forget it” effect.
The user interface of theLVXis well-conceived and well-executed. A pedal this deep can quickly become unmanageable. However, Meris did a fantastic job of making theLVXboth plug-and-playable while also keeping it deeply customizable without feeling like you are stuck in a bottomless pit of submenus. The sections are broken down around a series of circles, like planets orbiting a sun. The “sun” is whatever section you’ve selected (e.g., Delay), and the “planets” are the various parameters for that section (e.g., Feedback, Left Division, Right Division, Structure, Type, etc.). The only place the orbiting planets feel cumbersome is the multi-taps and multi-steps.
TheLVXis easy enough to program on the fly that even though I’ve saved a few presets that I come back to, the vast majority of the sounds I’ve achieved with theLVXhave been by starting with no predefined preset, building the chain from scratch to suit the instrument/mood/scene. One feature I’d love to see is the ability to use a MIDI control surface to jump to the page for a specific effect (i.e., send a MIDI CC that brings up the Filter section of the edit screen rather than having to scroll to that specific section).
In addition to the primary knobs (Time, Feedback, Mix, Mod), there are two encoders that are very easy to assign, providing quick access to tweaking or riding whatever parameters you might want on any given preset. There’s also an expression pedal input that can be assigned to six different parameters per preset. 5-pin MIDI I/O makes syncing tempos with your DAW a snap and also opens up opportunities for taking control of multiple parameters using a control surface.
I should reiterate that for this review, I’m essentially ignoring theLVX’sprimary use: as a guitar pedal. Though it has mostly lived on my console, I’ve also brought it to gigs and sessions on my pedal board, and it’s by far the deepest and most versatile delay pedal I've used. That said, this "pedal" is so exciting and inspiring as a piece of outboard gear that I can't help but think there's room in the market for Meris to make an innovative rack unit. In this way, they might take cues from the classic AMS and Eventide units by harnessing all the power of modern digital technology (and maybe adding the reverb engines they’ve developed for their own Mercury7 500 Series reverb [Tape Op#115] and the CXM 1978 collaboration with Chase Bliss). Until that day comes, theLVXis hands down the most exciting and inspiring pedal I’ve used as an outboard effect.
($599 MSRP;meris.us) Buy From Sweetwater! -Dan Knobler danknobler.com