I’m, by nature, a skeptic. When one thing generates lots of hype, I typically reflexively solid doubt on it. Few results pedals in current reminiscence have created extra buzz than the Mercury X from the audio wizards at Meris, which has constructed its popularity making high-end guitar pedals. However after utilizing it, I can’t even attempt to fake that the Mercury X doesn’t dwell as much as the hype. It’s fairly costly at $599, nevertheless it’s the perfect reverb pedal in the marketplace, full cease.
That may very well be the tip of the evaluate, actually, however I do know I can’t make a press release that daring with out backing it up. The Mercury X feels each bit just like the high-end pedal it’s and I’ve no doubts it will simply survive the pains of tour life.
On the Flooring
Let’s begin by speaking concerning the construct: It’s rock stable. The 4 footswitches, 4 potentiometers and three push encoders are sturdy and have a very good quantity of resistance. The display is brilliant and viewable from any angle, and the Mercury X has mainly all of the connectivity choices you would ask for. It has stereo ins and outs, 5-pin MIDI out and in, an expression pedal jack and USB-C, although the latter is strictly for firmware updates proper now.
Clearly, the {hardware} is secondary. It’s the range and unimaginable high quality of the reverb algorithms (“buildings” in Meris’ terminology) packed into the pedal that make it the perfect out there. There are eight in complete, ranging out of your customary spring and corridor reverbs, to extra unique fare like “Ultraplate” and “Gravity”. No matter whether or not they’re extra restrained or actually on the market ambient washes, they sound unimaginable.
{Photograph}: Terrence O’Brien
Acquainted Favorites
I’m choosy about my spring reverbs. I typically discover that emulations are skinny and clearly synthetic in comparison with the sound of a conventional Fender amp. Even the true deal can sound low-cost and toy-like when not correctly applied. However Meris knocks it out of the park with a spring algorithm that’s convincing and plush at subtler settings, and whenever you crank it seems like your guitar is working via an impossibly massive spring tank with out seeming unnatural.
The 78 Room, 78 Plate and 78 Corridor algorithms are borrowed from Meris’ collaboration with Chase Bliss (one other relentlessly progressive guitar pedal firm), the CXM 1978. That pedal is, in flip, modeled on the Lexicon 224, an iconic digital reverb unit from the late ‘70s utilized by the likes of Vangelis, Brian Eno, Kate Bush and Speaking Heads. The distinction right here is that the CXM has three completely different variations of every of these algorithms, whereas the Mercury X solely has the “hifi” rendition. These are all unimaginable sounding as nicely, however not tremendous lifelike. As a substitute, they mimic the distinctive character of early digital rackmount items. With the peripheral results that Meris contains you possibly can actually lean into the lofi and imperfect nature of their inspiration.
Ultraplate and Cathedral come from Meris’ fashionable traditional reverb pedal, the Mercury 7. These are epic, within the truest sense of the phrase. Certain, you possibly can dial issues down and get massive, however not uncontrollable, reverb tails from them. However they arrive into their very own whenever you embrace the huge voids of their extremes. The Ultraplate particularly rings out nearly for an eternity even with the decay set to midway.
The final two algorithms, Prism and Gravity, are distinctive to the Mercury X. They’re the 2 most on the market choices. Prism is a “twin tank that permits you to construct your individual geometric rooms.” That description doesn’t actually provide you with an thought of what it seems like. I’d describe it as dense with reflections, and someway concurrently claustrophobic and large. Gravity is nearly granular in nature, it takes small chunks of your sound and smears them out over an infinity. If you wish to play huge ambient emo melody traces these two are most likely going to be your finest good friend (together with Ultraplate).
