The Bananana Effects QUIMERA Polyphonic Synthesizer Sampler is a real synthesizer packed into a pedal, one that follows your guitar or bass rather than asking you to play like a keyboardist. It tracks your input in real time and re-synthesizes your playing as you play, keeping every nuance of your touch and phrasing1. In form it sits in the multi-effects and synth pedal territory, but it is a full synth and sampler engine rather than a pitch effect bolted onto a drive pedal.
What the QUIMERA does to your sound
The pedal offers three sound sources: a Basic oscillator engine, a morphing wavetable synth, and a sample oscillator with multiple playback modes. The sample oscillator is what makes it a sampler as well as a synthesizer, letting your playing trigger recorded material instead of only generated waveforms1. On top of the synth engine sit 14 essential effects, and you choose one effect from each of four categories: Drive, Mod, Delay and Reverb1. That means a single preset can stack, say, a drive into a modulation into a delay into a reverb, all inside the unit.
Because every parameter is saved per preset and instantly recallable, Pedal of the Day's reviewer noted you can build a finished sound using the QUIMERA alone, without pairing it with other pedals1.
Tracking engine and latency
The heart of the pedal is Bananana Effects' proprietary tracking engine. It samples your input every 5 ms, then analyzes it and sends pitch and envelope data to the oscillators, which is how the pedal follows chords as well as single notes1. Everything runs on an ARM Cortex-M7 processor, which the review credits with ultra-fast tracking, synth processing and effects all running on one chip1.
After pitch tracking, your signal runs through the oscillators and effects, yet total measured latency remains 12.5 ms. The reviewer put that figure in playing terms1:
"That's like standing ~4.3 m from your amp."
For a player, that comparison matters: 12.5 ms is the kind of delay you already experience standing a few meters from your own speaker, so the synth should feel responsive rather than detached from your fingers1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the QUIMERA on 13 March 2026. The reviewer's verdict1:
"this sonic marvel is one of the most unique all-in-one units I've come across, and makes sounds straight from outer space and beyond"
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Questions
What does the Bananana Effects QUIMERA do?
The QUIMERA is a polyphonic synthesizer and sampler built into a pedal. It tracks your guitar or bass input in real time and re-synthesizes your playing, keeping every nuance of your performance. Alongside a basic oscillator engine it includes a morphing wavetable synth and a sample oscillator with multiple playback modes, plus 14 built-in effects, so you can build a finished sound using the pedal alone.
How much latency does the QUIMERA have?
Pedal of the Day's reviewer measured total latency at 12.5 ms, even after the signal passes through pitch tracking, oscillators and effects. The reviewer put that in perspective by comparing it to standing about 4.3 meters from your amp, which is within the range players routinely deal with on stage.
Is the QUIMERA polyphonic?
Yes. Bananana Effects names it the QUIMERA Polyphonic Synthesizer Sampler, meaning it can follow and re-synthesize more than one note at a time rather than only single-note lines. Its proprietary tracking engine samples your input every 5 ms and sends pitch and envelope data to the oscillators.
What effects are built into the QUIMERA?
The QUIMERA includes 14 essential effects arranged in four categories: Drive, Mod, Delay and Reverb. You choose one effect from each category, so a preset can combine drive, modulation, delay and reverb at the same time alongside the synth engine.
Can you save presets on the QUIMERA?
Yes. All parameters are saved per preset and are instantly recallable. According to Pedal of the Day's review, that means you can build a finished sound, from the synth engine through the effects, using the QUIMERA alone.
Sources (1)
- Bananana Effects QUIMERA Polyphonic Synthesizer Sampler, Pedal of the Day, 2026-03-13
