Polyend’s MESS gives you wildly creative effects sequencing£549 / $599 / €599, polyend.com
Polyend has never been one to follow the herd. From the world’s first standalone hardware tracker to its own novel synth architectures, this Polish company has a knack for reimagining what electronic music tools can do.
Its latest release, MESS (standing for Multi-Effect Step Sequencer), is no exception. More than just an effects box, the MESS is a cradle for experimentation through sequencing, modulating, and straight-up mangling audio in real time.
At first glance, MESS promises a tantalising blend of high-end multi-effects and step-based control that aims to offer something truly different. The real question is whether all this sequencing power actually translates into creative payoff — or if it just makes a mess of your workflow.
Image: James Langey
Getting started with MESS
Unboxing MESS, I’m pleasantly greeted by a weighty yet compact unit. The build quality feels premium: a beautiful brushed steel faceplate and a sharp, vibrant screen.
Two smooth, range-limited pots handle input gain and mix, while four infinite encoders handle effects parameters. Polyend has opted for clicky encoders rather than smooth for these, which I like — it makes it easier to precisely dial in effects, while sweeping the knob more aggressively results in a bigger step change for quicker edits. I was expecting a frustrating battle with the touch buttons throughout use, but they’re surprisingly responsive, requiring a light touch to activate.
There’s no power supply included, which feels odd at this price point. Those with dedicated pedalboard PSUs won’t mind, but synth- or keys-focused users might. Another minor stumble: the input is a single stereo jack rather than two mono jacks — presumably to save space for the EXP input — so you might need to think twice about cabling, depending on your setup.
MESS has four effects ‘lanes’, which can be routed in series, parallel, or dual parallel. You can leave effects static or hit the ‘play’ footswitch to run the sequencer.
I begin my MESS testing with guitar, flicking through factory presets to mixed reception. Some sounds are too weird, while others I’m not sure are doing anything much at all. On six strings, I’m not convinced. But this is when my mind begins to open — I wonder what this would sound like on drums? Synth? Even the mix bus?
I hook up a Korg Monologue and a Teenage Engineering PO-32 and continue down the rabbit hole, and MESS quickly reveals its aptitude for mangling drum loops.

What effects does Polyend MESS have?
MESS boasts over 120 effects, bucketed into various categories. Parameters for each are fairly simple, with two or three at most.
While there’s standard fare like choruses, reverbs, delays, and filters, I’m instantly drawn to the more unusual effects. Under the ‘Shaper’ category, ‘Rectifier’ and ‘Redux’ grab my attention, the latter adding a prominent downsampled texture:

That said, a little can go a long way. With the panning effect, I add depth and complexity to arpeggiated guitar chords:

Likewise, a humble low-pass filter does a lot of heavy lifting on a simple bassline:

Moving to MESS’ more unique tricks, the two Pitch effects add wonderful glitchy character, although there’s a touch of latency that’s worth keeping in mind for live performance:

The two ‘Spectralizer’ effects, Expander and Screamer, are the most unusual of the bunch. They don’t seem to do much until I follow the manual’s advice to try them on drums, creating warped, digital timbres that enhance an otherwise simple loop.

The various saturation types will likely leave guitarists wanting, and there’s a slight digital sheen to the reverbs — but on the whole, MESS’ arsenal of effects impresses even without any sequencing.

Sequencing effect parameters with MESS
Speaking of sequencing, this is MESS’ distinguishing feature. The sequencer is programmed using 16 touch buttons on the front, and it doesn’t take me long to get to grips with the process.
I love the step length feature. With each effects lane independent, MESS presents intriguing polyrhythmic opportunities. I have a lot of fun with this on various sources:

It’s easy to imagine MESS as a mainstay within my percussion workflow, and I could spend hours listening to its evolving, rhythmic modulation. You can also set probability for each step, injecting randomness into your sequence. On the whole, the process feels effortless, each tweak instantly rewarding you with shifting grooves and textures.
Melodic material is trickier — results are either too subtle or too chaotic, and it’s hard to find the sweet spot with many of the effects. I try Particle Sample and Tape Delay on ambient pads, adding pleasant movement and complexity, though things get a little unwieldy once I start sequencing delay time:

Despite the relatively streamlined sequencing workflow, sequencing pitched material often feels awkward. In this context, many effects resist truly musical modulation, and sequencing parameters from scratch quickly becomes a barrier to experimentation — though with future updates, the process could become far more fluid.
A few quirks cause further frustrations. Changing the lane’s effect deletes existing sequence data, which makes it impossible to quickly audition sounds. There’s no mute function for individual tracks either, instead requiring a manual workaround by riding the effect lane’s gain control. However, this function is being implemented soon in firmware Version 1.1.
Minor drawbacks aside, the welcome news is MESS’ firmware is still at Version 1.0, so there’s an opportunity for improvement. I’d love to see Polyend add some kind of ‘randomise steps’ feature in a later update to double down on its role as an ideas box in your setup, as well as a way to ramp/glide between sequenced parameters instead of hard step changes.
Image: James Langley
Alternatives to Polyend MESS
Ultimately, MESS’ price is probably the clincher for most buying decisions. At £549, it’s certainly not cheap. Given the myriad multi-effects on the market today, does Polyend deserve your hard-earned cash? Well, it comes down to use case:
Countless options from Zoom, Boss, and Mooer cost a fraction of the price and cover live performance or guitar-focused needs. You could even pick up a used Line 6 Helix LT for around £600, with deep preset/snapshot functionality and solid amp simulation. For instant audio transformation that forgoes MESS’ sequencing capabilities, boutique pedals like Hologram’s Microcosm or Chroma Console, and Chase Bliss’ Lost + Found deliver experimental sound design with more immediacy than MESS — and at a lower cost too.
If it’s mainly motion you’re after, the 8 Step Program from Electro-Harmonix brings step sequencing to any pedalboard for about £130, controlling other hardware via EXP or CV inputs. Tinkerers might prefer Empress’ modular Zoia. Its patch-building environment offers near-infinite possibilities, and with a built-in sequencer module, it can rival much of what MESS does — though you’ll need to build that functionality yourself.
Don’t overlook plugins. Cableguys ShaperBox 3, Sugar Bytes Effectrix, and Devious Machines Infiltrator 2 all cost around £100. They’re quicker and easier to use, though they lack the tactile immediacy of a hardware box.
With all that said, MESS remains a compelling purchase for many, especially given Polyend’s solid record of updating and improving its devices’ firmware.
Workflow quirks and the high price remain sticking points, but it’s an incredibly powerful box. The payoff for rhythmic content is often extraordinary. And with careful tweaking, it can reshape melodic input into rich, evolving soundscapes, too — though the path there is less straightforward.
Undoubtedly, MESS delivers moments of brilliance, but only if you’re willing to wrestle with it. It already feels indispensable for percussion-driven experimentation. For everything else, it’s a tougher sell — but with the right refinements, it could one day shine just as brightly on melodic material.

Key Features

120+ effects including modulation, delay, reverb, shaping, and more
150 factory presets and space for 1,000 in total
4 effect lanes per patch
Apply effects with or without sequencing
Tap tempo, bypass, and sequencer play footswitch controls
Assignable macro knob per preset
Sequence length and step probability for random variation
Single mono/stereo in, dual mono out
Expression pedal input
MIDI in/out via TRS Type B
USB-C port for USB MIDI to a computer
MicroSD card reader for storing presets and data
Dimensions: 18 cm x 12 cm x 5.7 cm
Weight: 0.93 kg

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