The Meris Enzo is a multi-voice instrument synthesizer in a compact stompbox, built to track your guitar and turn what you play into synth tones: tight monosynth leads, complex chord polyphony, or multi-note arpeggiated patterns1. It arrived late in 2018 and quickly made a name for itself among synth pedals, with Delicious Audio noting that it "stole the show with its new technology" and was voted "Best Pedal of 2018" in the site's aggregated chart of YouTube charts2. It is designed and built in California by Meris, with DSP work led by Angelo Mazzocco, DSP Engineer/VP1.
Under the hood it is a hybrid design: a premium analog signal path feeding 24-bit AD/DA conversion with 32-bit floating point DSP1. The synth engine is what Meris calls a "Colossal Multi-Voice Dual Oscillator Synth architecture with selectable waveforms"1.
What the Enzo does: a multi-voice synth for guitar
The Enzo is a true multi-voice synthesizer in a box, as Pedal of the Day put it in its 2019 review3. Meris describes it as a multi-voice synthesizer that will track your guitar for tight monosynth leads, complex chord polyphony, or multi-note sequenced patterns1. Beyond guitar, the pedal is not limited to six strings: Pedal of the Day found that "Enzo works and plays nicely with other musical endeavors, including vocals, drum machines and even other synths"3.
The synth voice itself is a dual-oscillator architecture with selectable waveforms, and the pedal also carries a filter section, a delay and pitch shifting, so the synth engine sits inside a broader effects toolkit1. Expression pedal control and stereo outs round out the feature set3.
Poly, Mono, Arp and Dry modes
The Enzo's four modes decide how the synth engine responds to your playing13:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Poly | Multi-voice synthesizer with polyphonic chord tracking1 |
| Mono | Single-voice dual-oscillator synth with monophonic tracking1 |
| Arp | Turns your chords into sequenced patterns linked to the tap tempo1 |
| Dry | Disables the synth; the filter, delay and pitch shift can be applied to the input signal1 |
Dry mode is the one players sometimes overlook: with the synth engine switched off, the Enzo becomes a filter, delay and pitch-shifter for your ordinary guitar signal, which makes it useful even if you never touch the synth voices1.
Controls and hidden Alt functions
Like other Meris pedals, the Enzo packs secondary parameters behind its knobs, accessed through Alt functions3. The main controls, from Meris's product page1:
| Control | Main function | Alt function |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch | Changes the pitch of the synth or dry signal in half-step increments | Portamento: smoothly glide from one synth note to another1 |
| Filter | Filter control | Select between 6 filter types1 |
| Mix | Adjusts the balance between dry and wet signals | Delay level: sets a single delay tap from Min to Mid; past the midpoint blends in a second stereo tap1 |
| Sustain button | Increases the sustain of synth notes | Compresses the input in Dry mode1 |
The multi-function EXP jack on the rear opens the pedal up further: it accepts MIDI, a preset switch, an expression pedal or a tap switch, using compatible expansion hardware that is not included1. MIDI in and out run over TRS through that same jack, so you need a compatible MIDI-to-TRS conversion box to connect a standard MIDI controller1. Presets are available via an external 4-Preset switch or over MIDI1.
History and the Enzo X
Meris announced the Enzo in 2018 as the latest addition to its effects range, with MusicRadar reporting the launch of the "tricked-out" multi-voice synth pedal4. It shipped late that year and became one of the most talked-about pedals of the season2.
In February 2025 Meris followed it with the Meris Enzo X, an upgraded version of the original5. The Enzo X is a physically bigger pedal, one and a half times wider than its predecessor, in a golden casing5. It keeps the same selectable True Bypass (Relay) or Analog Buffered Bypass as the original, but moves MIDI to standard 5-pin DIN jacks and carries stereo input and output with separate jacks for each67. Where the original Enzo has four modes, the Enzo X offers five synth modes, including Mono, Polyphonic and Dry Processing modes, with a six-voice poly synth and modules covering ambience, modulation, filters, drives and more7. Guitar World reported that the Enzo X's six polyphonic voices can be used simultaneously8. The original Enzo remains in Meris's range at $299.001.
What reviewers said
The Enzo was one highly anticipated pedal when it was released, as Pedal of the Day recalled, and the review called it "this magnificent gold beauty," a true multi-voice synthesizer in a box3. The gold finish is a translucent coat of vibrant gold over brushed aluminum1.
"Enzo works and plays nicely with other musical endeavors, including vocals, drum machines and even other synths."
Delicious Audio's round-up of monophonic and polyphonic synth pedals noted that late in 2018 the Meris Enzo "stole the show with its new technology," and that it was voted "Best Pedal of 2018" in the site's aggregated chart of YouTube charts2.
Of the Enzo X, Premier Guitar's reviewer concluded that it is more than a noise machine9:
"it's a very capable instrument in its own right"
Videos
Knobs
Meris
The Pedal Zone
Questions
Is the Meris Enzo true bypass?
It offers selectable bypass: you can run it in True Bypass (Relay) or Analog Buffered Bypass. The relay switching disconnects the circuit entirely when bypassed, while the buffered option keeps a buffer in the signal path, which can help over long cable runs.
Can the Meris Enzo save presets without a MIDI controller?
Not from the pedal alone. Presets are available via an external 4-Preset switch or over MIDI, both connected through the EXP jack with compatible hardware, which is not included with the pedal.
Does the Meris Enzo work with bass?
Meris describes the Enzo as a multi-voice instrument synthesizer, and reviewers noted it plays nicely with other musical sources including vocals, drum machines and other synths, so it is not limited to guitar. No bass-specific specification is published.
What do I need to use MIDI with the Meris Enzo?
MIDI runs in and out over TRS through the EXP jack, so you need a compatible MIDI-to-TRS conversion box, which is not included. The same multi-function jack also accepts a preset switch, an expression pedal or a tap switch with the right hardware.
Is the Meris Enzo stereo?
Yes. The Enzo has stereo input and output, and the delay section blends in a second stereo tap once the Mix knob is turned past its midpoint.
Sources (9)
- Enzo - Meris, Meris
- Best Synth Pedals For Guitar In 2025 (Monophonic & Polyphonic), Delicious Audio, 2025-02-21
- Meris Enzo Multi-Voice Synthesizer, Pedal of the Day, 2019-03-08
- Meris introduces Enzo, “the ultimate synth pedal”, MusicRadar, 2018-09-06
- Meris Enzo X Synth Pedal, Delicious Audio, 2025-09-30
- 10th Anniversary (Limited Edition), Meris
- Enzo X - Meris, Meris
- Meris' Enzo X may have revolutionized guitar synth pedals, Guitar World, 2025-02-24
- Meris Enxo X Synth Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2025-07-21
Peter Holmström
