Polyend Synth: Multitimbral Polyphonic Synth With 8 Engines to Blow Your Mind
Don't call it a groovebox, this is synths all the way down.
3,7 / 5,0 | 
Don’t let the plain name fool you: Polyend Synth packs 8 synthesis engines into a tabletop grid-based instrument with 3 sequencers, chord modes, and more. Is it getting hot in here?
Polyend Synth
A year ago this month, Polyend launched its Play+, an upgrade of its popular groovebox with four new synth engines. It seemed like the obvious move for Polyend to put those digital synths into their own instrument, and that they have – in a sense. Three have made the crossover, with five more engines joining plus a bunch of other cool features. Folks, meet Polyend Synth.
Eight Synthesis Engines
A tabletop, grid-based instrument, Polyend Synth may look like its other grooveboxes but this one is definitely a “synth,” as the name suggests. First of all, there are no drums. It’s just synths and synths and synths, all the way down.
Here are all eight:
- PHZ: Eagle-eyed owners of the Tracker+ may have noticed that documentation mentioned PHZ but it was nowhere to be found in the instrument. It makes its debut here. What is it? It’s a phase distortion engine like the Casio CZ-101 and adds new PD algorithms.
- ACD: You may remember this one, a Roland SH-101-inspired synth, from the Play+.
- VAP: This virtual analog engine “channels the timeless warmth of the (Sequential) Prophet-6, encapsulating its spirit in a digital format.”
- PMD: This physical modeling engine apparently has roots in techniques from Mutable Instruments. Maybe it has some Rings DNA?
- GRAIN: As you might expect from the name, this is a granular synthesis engine and works with user-loaded samples. It also features a unique Burst mode for “rhythmically synced grain production.”
- WAVS: A two-oscillator wavetable engine, it supports importing of user wavetables and features a Retro mode for extra aliasing.
- WTFM: Wavetable and FM, together again.
Eight Voices of Polyphony
Rather than use the engines one at a time, Polyend Synth invites you to control three at a time. Yes, it’s multitimbral, with eight voices of polyphony, plus a paraphonic mode in GRAIN.
You can play the synth engines in a number of different ways: by assigning three across the 12 x 5 grid in Smart Grid mode and playing them with the pads with polyphonic aftertouch; via the three independent sequencers or arpeggiators that respond to playing in real time; or the three chord modes.
The chord modes sound particularly interesting. Two synth engines can be set to be “followers,” which change their notes according to the current chord played. There are scale locks to help keep everything within a set scale. The followers can react to changes even when using chord packs drawn from multiple scales.
Synth Effects
Polyend Synth also offers a selection of effects. These are grouped into three sections, modulation, reverb and delay, each with a selection of sub-effects, like chorus, phaser and flange under modulation and tape-style analog delay.
Price and Availability
Polyend Synth looks like a whole lot of synth fun in a single package. It also sounds great. Dare we say digital is the new analog?
“Our goal was to develop a device that merges complexity with true playability,” said Polyend’s founder, Piotr Raczyński. “Synth is designed for musicians who want an accessible but sonically rich experience.”
Polyend Synth is available now from Thomann* for $499 / €499.
More Information
- Polyend home page
- All about Polyend
- All about synthesizers
- All about grooveboxes
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2 responses to “Polyend Synth: Multitimbral Polyphonic Synth With 8 Engines to Blow Your Mind”
Better wait 6 months for them to release the Polyend Synth+ and buy that instead
nice!
At that price point, there’s a lot going for it (some useful videos already out there as a showcase). It could do.with some more outs to take full advantage of the multimbral functionality (either/or via USB and physical outs), and some extra voicing could be handy too.