XILS-Lab tackle the Polymoog with the PolyM virtual instrument
XILS-Lab have released a YouTube video of their forthcoming emulation and evolution of the Dave Luce designed Polymoog. I say evolution because it looks very much like a Polymoog that spent time on Cybertron, the homeworld of the Transformers. It’s called PolyM and if previous releases are anything go by this should be awesome.
PolyM
The Polymoog isn’t polyphonic in the traditional sense. It uses a “divide-down” method of generating all the notes and pitches using a small number of fixed-frequency oscillators. It was often used in organ and string synthesizers from the same era. The PolyM reportedly has two divide-down oscillators, each giving 71 voices – matching the notes available on the Polymoog keyboard.
Examining the video you can see, in the evolved double decker GUI, gain controls, filter glide, an FM section, shape modulation and a loudness contour (envelope). There’s a nice fat panel for the 24dB VCF. Then there’s a polyphonic VCF with an envelope and a whole bunch of resonators. The thing with the Polymoog is that it was primarily a preset synthesizer with 8 basic sounds consisting of strings, Piano, Organ, Harpsichord, Funk, Clavi, Vibes and Brass. The controls then let you mash the sounds apart in new and interesting ways.
Apparently, the PolyM will offer additional filter banks, modulation, effects and presets. XILS-Lab are skilled at emulating vintage gear but they are also masters of taking these things forward, of building in features that are so in-keeping that you often don’t realise they were part of the original. Their PolyKB III is a great example of that.
That’s all the information we have at the moment. We bring you pricing, availability and any more information once it arrives. You won’t find anything yet on the XILS-Lab website but here it is anyway.
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