The sound selection you're showing is really good. There's a lot of whining about Polybrute not sounding great, but you prove those voices wrong over and over again.
Probably because many analog fans expect a "dirty and distorted" (or fat at best) sound, whereas this synth is capable of producing very clean sounds (a feat in itself), hence its nickname of "VST in a box". Blame it, too, for the numerous demos of uninteresting presets... except this one, that is!
@@HazelCaden (referring to non -modular hardware, not really comparing it to software or huge modular systems, although for me patch saving is essential) Unmatched in expressivity and has more options for play modes than the osmose. Fantastic dual analog filters, a wide range of timbres and sound shaping options. There's no objectively best when it comes to an instrument but that's why I said capable and not best. And still only within the bounds I specified at the top of my comment. Some hyperbole is said with the hope people will steelman me and understand that I understand there's nuance to my take. For analog, it has modulations that you normally would find on a digital synth. Deep architecture.
Absolutely Phenomenal. Cannot fault Arturia and all things Frederic Brun. Only around since 1999 and blowing conventions to be re-written. Phenomenal. x
@@d3tuned378 Most of the sounds I hear from the Polybrute, sound to me like hybrid synths such as the Summit or Super 6, is what I mean … The Polybrute, to me, is not a synth that oozes analog warmth and character … So many other characterful analog synths I would (re)purchase, ahead of it … But, it does have some bells and whistles that will appeal to people: the Morph function, tho’ not unique; the pseudo-Touché pad; the short ribbon strip; and now, the pseudo-aftertouch in the PB 12. Because of its bright nature, I think of it when I think of clichéd ‘outer-space’ soundtracks, and it would be one of the first synths I’d think of, if I needed that sound for a particular project (and the morphing and Touché pad etc would lend themselves to weird, sci-fi sound design). But those aren’t sounds I use regularly, and they could be covered well by hybrid synths such as those I’ve already mentioned. Just my impression of it, having tried it in person and listened to it a lot. YMMV.
@@kierenmoore3236 what you're saying is that you lack the imagination and chops to bring out it's analog warmth. Gotcha Pseudo aftertouch? It's literally more capable than the osmose. You seem very uninformed about synthesizers in general.
An inspiring review , with some lovely sonics. I think the colour scheme ( late 70s fitted kitchen appliance beige? ) might be a nod to its sonic uniqueness / seriousness. Nonetheless, it sounds good, and 12 voices bitimbrally, cannot be sniffed at.
yesss that's the vibe I get too. Slightly less, instantly great sounding than the CS80, but once you find the sweet spots the arturia might be even more beautiful with it's spatial panning and refined vibe
@@nicohollomanbiz Oh, no - I meant, the CS-80 had a classic and pleasing sound, by contrast to the Polybrute. Polybrute sounds like a hybrid synth, to me. It’s bright and lacking character, I feel. Check out a number of other comments here, too …
@@kierenmoore3236 I think the polybrute can sound plenty analog. I mean it IS analog. It does take some slight tweaking to get it away from it's stringy, bright, thin tone in its init state, but it's also easy to dial in a huge low end on the polybrute that sounds as warm as any polysynth. Yes it can sound hybrid I guess, and it can sound digital and it can sound classic analog. That versatility is a big part of the appeal.
Looks good in modulation and expensivity but the sound does nothing for me, just like the original. That is of course subjective, some people might love it.
Agree. It’s a(n at best) hybrid-sounding synth … with a fully-analog price tag … 🤯 Has some cool bells & whistles, but if the sound is m’eh, then who cares … 🤷🏻♂️
Good review. Just wanted to get your opinion on spending thousands on something like this or rather use midi keyboard with virtual synths? It’s all digital really
@@kierenmoore3236 it doesn't though. It's a fully analog synth besides the effects after. If this sounds digital to you, then it just means you can't tell the difference between the two anyway
@@NamelessSmile I didn’t say it wasn’t analog other than the effects … I just said it sounds bright like a hybrid/digital synth. I have plenty of warm analog synths; I know the difference. If you like a bright sounding synth, that’s fine. But you can get similar sounds from a hybrid.
@@kierenmoore3236 yes, I can see what you're saying, but it's nonsense. If something which is literally analog sounds 'digital' to you then you're clearly clueless about how each of those things sound. It just demonstrates that the technology used isn't that important and that your description is meaningless. May as well say it sounds 'pink' or 'horse' or 'bowl'
It really is a beautiful beast with tremendous possibilities... But, there is something about the sound itself that just doesn't do it for me... I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost like it doesn't have a distinct character, or a voice of it's own. Strange. I really want to fall in love with this one, but the sound just isn't doing it for me...
Sounds (at best) like a Hybrid synth, but at a fully-analog price … Plus, they settled on “jizzmop magnolia”, as the colour of their flagship synth … 😕 Can’t bring out a Noir version, fast enough …
@kierenmoore3236 Well, my Summit is a hybrid synth, and it out-sounds this one quite easily. I won't even compare it to the sound of the Andromeda, which simply obliterates it. After watching the video again, I understood that the PolyBrute 12 sound is not-memorable in any way shape or form, and I think that's what I reacted to the most. As soon as I am done with the video, I can't recall any specifics of the sound at all, and that to me is a big turn off, especially at that price.
Yes. It sounds like a hybrid … so just buy a hybrid, with probably even more voices/synth engines. You’ll have heaps left over for a touché and a ribbon controller, that you can use with any number of other synths/devices …
@@kierenmoore3236 I missed your reply until just now. you make great points. the filters sound solid. but the oscillators themselves aren't exactly standouts. I think that's why some folks say the polybrute sounds like a VST, or in your case, being so merciful as you clearly are, you said "it sounds like a hybrid." I do like the thing, though. the expressivity. the sound design aspects. but there is an analog "je ne sais quoi" that is doesn't quite embody.
@@doctorauxiliary Hey there. Same, I quite like it despite my reservations … but it has to drop down the list because of them. I’d wait for the noir (or almost any other colour) myself, tho’. 🙃🤷🏻♂️
@@kierenmoore3236 I'm cool with that strange, vanilla wafer, commodore 64 feel it's giving me right now. but I'm wondering... aside from the colors I just mentioned, & the extra big price tag (& I'm guessing that, like me, you kinda dig that hybrid sound), what are your other reservations, mister moore? (ps... did you grow up with vanilla wafers where you live?)
@@doctorauxiliary Well, the raw sound is my main reservation/the only one that matters. The filter/s and oscillators are everything to me, and it’s not tops in either imho. I don’t hate it, but there are just too many other synths I’d buy first. Also, I already own polyphonic synths (incl hybrid) that I would probably turn to instead for most things I do. If I loved the sound/s, the colour wouldn’t matter. Yes, the vanilla wafer reference works for me … only ever remember them being in packs with chocolate & strawberry wafers (fingers or squares), tho’. Very sweet!!
Nord Lead 4 has 7 impulse morphs via 3 buttons, yeah its not an analog synth but still that idea has been around for a long time. Arturia stuff is well made but I find their oscillators have a coldness to them, the filters also sound kinda meh. Would like to have seen a different combination of filters added for this beast so that it had a point of difference between it and the matrix and poly brute, Nick seems to make any synth sound good though.
I always felt that the original Polybrute had been somehow dumbed down feature wise so that it can be sold at a price that is lower than the Prophet 6 or OB6. Despite that the Polybrute 6 has been successful enough that Arturia are now confident that they can come up with a true flagship synthesizer. At 4K unfortunately it’s out of reach for me but I’ll be able to enjoy my original Polybrute for years to come.
The Polybrute 12 reminds me a lot of the ASM Hydraynth. It also gives me the impression that the keybed is ASM "Polytouch" (?) What I miss in the demos are typical analog synth sounds. Whether “moogish”, “Oberheim-ish” or “Prophet-ish”. There's nothing at all that reminds me at least a little of basic classic poly analog sounds. But maybe that's just left out of the video. And with all due respect to NIck Batt , he is a lousy Keyboard player :-)) (no offense !) All the Poly 12 sounds seem a bit monotonous to me in soundcharacter. And the 24 voice unisono examples are not convincing, very unspectacular related to 24 (!) analoge voices. Even if the sound quality is strongly limited here on YT, you can quickly tell the quality of the sounds presented. In this respect, so called classic analog sound character may not have been the focus for the Poly 12 either. But in terms of an analog subtractive VCO sound, nothing here convinces me at all. Especially as all the played presets are smeared with mediocre FX. I'm curious to see how the Poly 12 sounds when it's in front of me and played back via full-range monitors. I still do hope the very best 🤞🤞🤞
When I saw the Osmose synth and its harsh digital sound engine I wish that it is analog. So Arturia did it as close you can get with analog and it sounds gorgeous. Hope the keyboard will come to the Polybrute 6.
@@tattooguy413 I forgot about you opinion police 😱 … oh, wait: you’re not a thing … … … I’ll just reiterate my opinion, then - seeing as you keep bringing it up … I think the Polybrute 12 sounds like a hybrid synth and is way overpriced. Some people will be attracted to the bells & whistles, and I understand that … I’m more interested in the sound of a synth / it’s raw tone. The Polybrute sounds weak, and I would never pay good analog prices for something that sounded like a hybrid. That’s all … my opinion … Deal with it.
@@kierenmoore3236 Definitely pays to do your due diligence. I know of somewhere I can buy a new DSI Prophet 12 and Prophet X (both keyboards) at old prices.... 1. I'm skint. 2. the guitarist bit. I have several synths but rarely turn them on. Must be mad. Yeah, I'll go with that...
This thing is fantastic. It's definitely going on my short list of "if I win the lottery" synths. Would also love to see "poly full touch" on many more instruments, to make it available in smaller, cheaper devices.
@@EannaButler There are already some pretty great midi controllers with similar expressiveness, but a lot of it is lost when connected to regular synths. The synth engine needs to support it too, to get the full benefit.
@@ToyKeeper Are there? Yeah plenty of pad based Poly AT, but dedicated key based Poly AT midi controllers are still quite rare on the market AFAIK, even fewer with MPE. Happy to stand corrected.. Yeah the synth engine needs to support it, but support for these gestures is widespread nowadays in the domain of soft synths..
@@EannaButlerKorg Keystage and Native Instruments S88 mkIII are recently released controller keyboards with Poly aftertouch. I think Roland will also be releasing new controllers with MIDI 2.0 in the near future; hopefully they will include Poly AT.
Looking good Nick .... it's their flagship... sounds very good ... beautifull music as always... Ps: I caught Muse fever but your Arturia demo shows how high end Arturia has becom.... i mean the Unisson mode in stereo width and the filter is so good now ! and the full touch mode blows everything we'v ever known, making simple polyafter touch obsolete !
Lovely review. Thankyou. Covered all the points I was wondering about. Fully agree about sostenuto, probably not something everyone is familiar with as it's a grand piano pedal feature but super super useful on an expressive polysynth like this.
Wow! Quite an amazing machine. I'm not keen on how it looks. But, no doubting it's an utter BEASTOID of a synth, beyond the reach of mere mortals such as myself. As far as high synths go I still have the most GAS for the UDO Super Gemini. Looks and sounds incredible. And the enthusiasm of the CEO makes me want to buy one. Amazing device. What amazing times we live in for synthesizers. So many amazing things out there these days,
have always the feeling that playing some chords sounds in this synth more "compressed" than for example in the ob6 or prophets... like the the voices do not "play well" together. anybody same experience?
I've never been excited about a keyboard before. This feels like a legit keyboard for the 100 people in the world who actually know how to play synths in performance-y ways. The Osmose is a cool idea about a technical feature, and the synth engine is just a thing that's trying to cover all the bases it can. But this feels like an analog synth which has special aftertouch features not as a gimmick but as a necessary extra axis of modulation to be able to appreciate the mod matrix. I want aftertouch to feel like I'm using an expression pedal on every key and I can set the start/end of every modulation on every key (or at least every key per octave). This isn't exactly that but it seems closer than anything else. I mean that unison part was pretty badass but TBH I'm baked and I'm wearing good headphones so anything is going to sound pretty epic. But I really appreciate how good Nick is at both exploring all the best technical details and also making some good noises.
@Nick Batt For the $ I still cant understand why Arturia and Moog insist on small displays. Like I commented on another moog review site, my Behringer Deepmind 12 display is about 3 fingers high. And it cost me < than $900 Au. Moog cant use the excuse that its expensive to implement as they admit they do their parts in house. Its all well and good saying its sturdy for on the road, but try playing and squinting in a live stage...lol $7200.00 Au!!
Getting a mint (2nd hand) PB6, I´m always excited about how good the PB sounds. Ok, the PB12 is "a level above". But even the PB6 is highly recommended.
It's great synth but there is not enough to make me upgrade from the original. The sounds are the same and it is already an expressive tactile pleasure to interact with. The good news for those looking for some polybrute action is there are a few popping up on eBay and other reseller sites
For me the major advantage of the PB12 would be 6 voices in layer mode. But having enough others synths to layer with I‘ll also stick to my PB6. What slightly annoys me is the sheer weight of the PolyBrutes. The Prophet-6 and OB-6 also have six discrete voice cards like the PB6 and weigh just 9.5 kg. Why is the PB6 more than twice as heavy? Certainly not only due to the additional keyboard octave.
@@RayyMusik. That’s a lot of effort/haulage, for a synth that sounds like a hybrid (but is priced like a fully-analog). I guess the bells and whistles are distracting. 🤷🏻♂️
@@RayyMusik Yeah, good hybrid synths sound less digital than a hybrid sample player, like the Prophet X. Alamo Music Centre compared the Polybrute with the Summit, because they sounded similar.
@@kierenmoore3236 Thanks for posting that you don’t know the PX (which is a full-fledged synth as well). And yes, the Summit can sound excellent, i.e. very analog. Why this should mean that the PolyBrute does *not* sound analog will remain your secret.
Is there a GLIDE KNOB on this synth? I'm thinking of the Oberheim Poly Glide, ah...you can set the Travel Time of one OSC to be independent of the other OSC. Lovely effect.
It’s a very consistent across the range synth and sits nicely which is often an issue. Outstanding. Wonder how it mixes in groups and techno etc….well at least I’d assume. The original Polybrute had a chromey sort of tone when I tried it in the shop . Imagine layering this with CS80V"………
Very cool, super cool features. But in terms of sound... I am not sure really. You can tweak these out of a DAW. The sounds of an OB6, or any Sequential makes, you can't.
At 18:42 and for the next 30 seconds, that sound should be called Art Bell's Soul (for OG fans of Coast to Coast AM out there), as it definitely has that Cusco vibe... Gorgeous sound!
If you want more wonkyness than what analog accuracy can do, you can use the modulation matrix and use the voice source and assign it to each VCO pitch destination. You can also use the voice source to affect the envelopes parameters. This way you can have pretty drastic voices to voices pitch and envelopes timings variations.
You got some nice sounds, but to my ears once you have complex modulations and reverb and delay added it doesn’t sound very analogue anymore. Also that cheap tiddly little screen looks impossible to see, the menus look nice and simple but that not great if you can’t see it.
Doesn't even have multi-spectral binaural panning I mean this is 2024? And it's not even delivered by flying car. 2024 is letting me down so much. If only the oscillators had multifactor authentication. 🤔🧐😋
Methinks he doth protest the loveliness of the colour, too much … 😊 Never loved the sound of the Polybrute, thankfully - as I think I’d be a bit annoyed if I’d bought the og 6-voice … Hopefully the more interesting features of the Polybrute end up on some better-sounding synths.
Hope you get a Muse to review soon, Nick !! … none of the ‘launch-day Synth Mafia’ have mentioned anything about how “very hot” (according to at least one owner) it gets … also reports of other teething (hopefully just teething) issues, like overlay bubbles (possibly temperature related?), and firmware crashing … the latter of which pairs nicely with a 66 second [apparently now down to about 50 seconds, with the new firmware] (re)boot time: especially in a live context … 😬
Three years since I got the original Polybrute and at last it's become the synth it should have been at launch. The good news is with the latest updates you get a bank of Poly12 patches which still sound wonderful on the original with only 6 voices.
@@sonicstate Thanks for the question.. I habitually noodle on my guitar along with these synth demos, I checked the tuning against several plug in instruments and HW.. I do wonder if UA-cam might have altered the sample rate during transcoding? Does the posted video play in tune there?
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Hyped! Always excited for a new, big synth review from Nick.
The sound selection you're showing is really good. There's a lot of whining about Polybrute not sounding great, but you prove those voices wrong over and over again.
Probably because many analog fans expect a "dirty and distorted" (or fat at best) sound, whereas this synth is capable of producing very clean sounds (a feat in itself), hence its nickname of "VST in a box".
Blame it, too, for the numerous demos of uninteresting presets... except this one, that is!
Hoping for a Friday Fun with this. Think we deserve it.
One of the most capable synths ever created.
Is it?
@@supercompooper Yes.
@@d3tuned378 Might wanna take a BIG look at 3rd Wave 2.0. It's ridiculous.
why ?
@@HazelCaden (referring to non -modular hardware, not really comparing it to software or huge modular systems, although for me patch saving is essential)
Unmatched in expressivity and has more options for play modes than the osmose. Fantastic dual analog filters, a wide range of timbres and sound shaping options.
There's no objectively best when it comes to an instrument but that's why I said capable and not best. And still only within the bounds I specified at the top of my comment. Some hyperbole is said with the hope people will steelman me and understand that I understand there's nuance to my take.
For analog, it has modulations that you normally would find on a digital synth. Deep architecture.
I do love Nick Batt reviews. I'm not even in the market for a new synth, but his vids are always worth watching.
Thank you for presenting its true analog capabilities and not just boring presets like we see everywhere! 🙏🏼
Great review Nick!
Absolutely Phenomenal. Cannot fault Arturia and all things Frederic Brun. Only around since 1999 and blowing conventions to be re-written. Phenomenal. x
Everything sounds bright and hybrid, tho’. 😕
@@kierenmoore3236 not hearing this hybrid you speak of.
@@d3tuned378 Most of the sounds I hear from the Polybrute, sound to me like hybrid synths such as the Summit or Super 6, is what I mean … The Polybrute, to me, is not a synth that oozes analog warmth and character … So many other characterful analog synths I would (re)purchase, ahead of it … But, it does have some bells and whistles that will appeal to people: the Morph function, tho’ not unique; the pseudo-Touché pad; the short ribbon strip; and now, the pseudo-aftertouch in the PB 12. Because of its bright nature, I think of it when I think of clichéd ‘outer-space’ soundtracks, and it would be one of the first synths I’d think of, if I needed that sound for a particular project (and the morphing and Touché pad etc would lend themselves to weird, sci-fi sound design). But those aren’t sounds I use regularly, and they could be covered well by hybrid synths such as those I’ve already mentioned. Just my impression of it, having tried it in person and listened to it a lot. YMMV.
@@kierenmoore3236 what you're saying is that you lack the imagination and chops to bring out it's analog warmth. Gotcha
Pseudo aftertouch? It's literally more capable than the osmose.
You seem very uninformed about synthesizers in general.
Very nice review and sounds, Nick! 💙
An inspiring review , with some lovely sonics.
I think the colour scheme ( late 70s fitted kitchen appliance beige? ) might be a nod to its sonic uniqueness / seriousness. Nonetheless, it sounds good, and 12 voices bitimbrally, cannot be sniffed at.
If I could afford this, I‘d have a difficult time to decide between this and the SuperGemini.
Both - and a larger room ... ;-)
Both sound like hybrids, so 🤷🏻♂️ … whichever takes your fancy, I guess …
@@kierenmoore3236 soundwise i prefer the Polybrute, so maybe a used Polybrute 6 for me ?
@@kierenmoore3236what a boring commenter
Sounds fantastic, Nick!
The Moog One Destroyer
That's quite the synth, sounds gorgeous. Kind of has the smell of "a CS-80 for the new millenium".
The CS-80 has a classic, pleasing sound.
yesss that's the vibe I get too. Slightly less, instantly great sounding than the CS80, but once you find the sweet spots the arturia might be even more beautiful with it's spatial panning and refined vibe
@@nicohollomanbiz Oh, no - I meant, the CS-80 had a classic and pleasing sound, by contrast to the Polybrute. Polybrute sounds like a hybrid synth, to me. It’s bright and lacking character, I feel. Check out a number of other comments here, too …
@@kierenmoore3236 I think the polybrute can sound plenty analog. I mean it IS analog. It does take some slight tweaking to get it away from it's stringy, bright, thin tone in its init state, but it's also easy to dial in a huge low end on the polybrute that sounds as warm as any polysynth. Yes it can sound hybrid I guess, and it can sound digital and it can sound classic analog. That versatility is a big part of the appeal.
@@kierenmoore3236this synth has a classic, pleasing sound
sounds huge!
I was promised to get a first batch unit in July. Looking forward to it.
Very impressive looking
The original is still the centerpiece of my studio. An absolute modulation playground that you never get tired of exploring.
Looks good in modulation and expensivity but the sound does nothing for me, just like the original. That is of course subjective, some people might love it.
Agree. It’s a(n at best) hybrid-sounding synth … with a fully-analog price tag … 🤯
Has some cool bells & whistles, but if the sound is m’eh, then who cares … 🤷🏻♂️
@@kierenmoore3236if you can't get it to sound analog that's a you problem
It is beautiful
This could be the benchmark for non-reissue polysynths
Nice one Nick
N1N
Very very very nice!
Nick my brother are you trying to get me divorced my man i just put this in my cart at sweetwater
Oops. I can't take responsibility. 😁
dude the MPC resale isn't going to bring in that much!...go for a used original Polybrute and save a fortune in divorce lawyer fees
@@enochroot9438 😂 what about a haunted MPC? Is there a premium for that?
@@sonicstateill blame Daniel Fisher, keep the heat off you 🔥 🤫
Dreeeeeeeams can come true 🎵🎶🎛🎚🎹
Good review. Just wanted to get your opinion on spending thousands on something like this or rather use midi keyboard with virtual synths? It’s all digital really
This isn't digital
@@NamelessSmile. It sounds more digital/hybrid, than analog, though … just with a fully-analog price-tag …
@@kierenmoore3236 it doesn't though. It's a fully analog synth besides the effects after. If this sounds digital to you, then it just means you can't tell the difference between the two anyway
@@NamelessSmile I didn’t say it wasn’t analog other than the effects … I just said it sounds bright like a hybrid/digital synth.
I have plenty of warm analog synths; I know the difference. If you like a bright sounding synth, that’s fine. But you can get similar sounds from a hybrid.
@@kierenmoore3236 yes, I can see what you're saying, but it's nonsense. If something which is literally analog sounds 'digital' to you then you're clearly clueless about how each of those things sound. It just demonstrates that the technology used isn't that important and that your description is meaningless. May as well say it sounds 'pink' or 'horse' or 'bowl'
Ooh baby 👶 😍
Fantastic! Naysayers have sad, empty pockets 😎
It really is a beautiful beast with tremendous possibilities... But, there is something about the sound itself that just doesn't do it for me... I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost like it doesn't have a distinct character, or a voice of it's own. Strange. I really want to fall in love with this one, but the sound just isn't doing it for me...
The core sound just isn't that good. It's dead/distant.
And yes, the effects and UI make it very interesting, but still don't outweigh the sound.
Agreed. It seems…sterile.
Sounds (at best) like a Hybrid synth, but at a fully-analog price …
Plus, they settled on “jizzmop magnolia”, as the colour of their flagship synth … 😕
Can’t bring out a Noir version, fast enough …
@@kierenmoore3236 A massive 51 pound behemoth should make more than weak, subpar sounds.
@kierenmoore3236 Well, my Summit is a hybrid synth, and it out-sounds this one quite easily. I won't even compare it to the sound of the Andromeda, which simply obliterates it.
After watching the video again, I understood that the PolyBrute 12 sound is not-memorable in any way shape or form, and I think that's what I reacted to the most. As soon as I am done with the video, I can't recall any specifics of the sound at all, and that to me is a big turn off, especially at that price.
I want the polybrute 12.
is that so wrong?!?
Yes. It sounds like a hybrid … so just buy a hybrid, with probably even more voices/synth engines. You’ll have heaps left over for a touché and a ribbon controller, that you can use with any number of other synths/devices …
@@kierenmoore3236 I missed your reply until just now. you make great points. the filters sound solid. but the oscillators themselves aren't exactly standouts. I think that's why some folks say the polybrute sounds like a VST, or in your case, being so merciful as you clearly are, you said "it sounds like a hybrid." I do like the thing, though. the expressivity. the sound design aspects. but there is an analog "je ne sais quoi" that is doesn't quite embody.
@@doctorauxiliary Hey there. Same, I quite like it despite my reservations … but it has to drop down the list because of them. I’d wait for the noir (or almost any other colour) myself, tho’. 🙃🤷🏻♂️
@@kierenmoore3236 I'm cool with that strange, vanilla wafer, commodore 64 feel it's giving me right now. but I'm wondering... aside from the colors I just mentioned, & the extra big price tag (& I'm guessing that, like me, you kinda dig that hybrid sound), what are your other reservations, mister moore? (ps... did you grow up with vanilla wafers where you live?)
@@doctorauxiliary Well, the raw sound is my main reservation/the only one that matters. The filter/s and oscillators are everything to me, and it’s not tops in either imho. I don’t hate it, but there are just too many other synths I’d buy first. Also, I already own polyphonic synths (incl hybrid) that I would probably turn to instead for most things I do. If I loved the sound/s, the colour wouldn’t matter. Yes, the vanilla wafer reference works for me … only ever remember them being in packs with chocolate & strawberry wafers (fingers or squares), tho’. Very sweet!!
20:35 … breaking out into No Surprises here would have been 👌🏼
Nord Lead 4 has 7 impulse morphs via 3 buttons, yeah its not an analog synth but still that idea has been around for a long time. Arturia stuff is well made but I find their oscillators have a coldness to them, the filters also sound kinda meh. Would like to have seen a different combination of filters added for this beast so that it had a point of difference between it and the matrix and poly brute, Nick seems to make any synth sound good though.
I always felt that the original Polybrute had been somehow dumbed down feature wise so that it can be sold at a price that is lower than the Prophet 6 or OB6. Despite that the Polybrute 6 has been successful enough that Arturia are now confident that they can come up with a true flagship synthesizer. At 4K unfortunately it’s out of reach for me but I’ll be able to enjoy my original Polybrute for years to come.
The Polybrute 12 reminds me a lot of the ASM Hydraynth. It also gives me the impression that the keybed is ASM "Polytouch" (?)
What I miss in the demos are typical analog synth sounds. Whether “moogish”, “Oberheim-ish” or “Prophet-ish”. There's nothing at all that reminds me at least a little of basic classic poly analog sounds. But maybe that's just left out of the video. And with all due respect to NIck Batt , he is a lousy Keyboard player :-)) (no offense !)
All the Poly 12 sounds seem a bit monotonous to me in soundcharacter.
And the 24 voice unisono examples are not convincing, very unspectacular related to 24 (!) analoge voices. Even if the sound quality is strongly limited here on YT, you can quickly tell the quality of the sounds presented. In this respect, so called classic analog sound character may not have been the focus for the Poly 12 either. But in terms of an analog subtractive VCO sound, nothing here convinces me at all. Especially as all the played presets are smeared with mediocre FX.
I'm curious to see how the Poly 12 sounds when it's in front of me and played back via full-range monitors. I still do hope the very best 🤞🤞🤞
When I saw the Osmose synth and its harsh digital sound engine I wish that it is analog. So Arturia did it as close you can get with analog and it sounds gorgeous. Hope the keyboard will come to the Polybrute 6.
I wonder if it will, I imagine it's a significant portion of the cost of the hardware.
Sounds hybrid … but with a fully-analog price-tag …
Yes - waiting on controller versions, or nice-sounding synth engines to be attached to them … 😐
Hybrid sounds … at a fully-analog price …
✌🏼😎
@@kierenmoore3236 how many times are you going to spam this stupid comment? We get it already… 🤦🏼♀️
@@tattooguy413 Your pickup truck run over your dog then run away with your girlfriend?! lol
@@kierenmoore3236been working on that one for a few days eh?
Point remains: your dumb comment isn’t worthy enough to spam and no one cares. Cheers
@@kierenmoore3236 must’ve worked on that retort realllll hard. Fact still remains: your spammy comment is dumb
@@tattooguy413 I forgot about you opinion police 😱 … oh, wait: you’re not a thing … … …
I’ll just reiterate my opinion, then - seeing as you keep bringing it up … I think the Polybrute 12 sounds like a hybrid synth and is way overpriced. Some people will be attracted to the bells & whistles, and I understand that … I’m more interested in the sound of a synth / it’s raw tone. The Polybrute sounds weak, and I would never pay good analog prices for something that sounded like a hybrid. That’s all … my opinion … Deal with it.
Bland, no character, ZZz 😴
Amazing piece of technology EXCEPT every video I've seen of this keyboard sounds exactly the same, same shallow sounds same everything
At that price, I won’t even bother to watch the video.
stop making me wanna blow 6.5K on another synth would ya?
I'm a guitarist for gods sake....
6.5? What currency? 💲
@@sonicstate Aussie dollars.
I have seen someone here advertising it at $7400 though. I hope they don't start holding their breath....
We get royally screwed down here in Oz …
@@kierenmoore3236 Definitely pays to do your due diligence. I know of somewhere I can buy a new DSI Prophet 12 and Prophet X (both keyboards) at old prices....
1. I'm skint. 2. the guitarist bit.
I have several synths but rarely turn them on.
Must be mad. Yeah, I'll go with that...
Awful colour scheme
6:19 🥹
mmm... yeeeessss...!!
Ann Annie feels there
Not a fan.............. which is, nice and quiet! 😄
I see 😂 what you did there 😂
😂 Fan doesn’t bother me on my Moog One 😅
Yeah, I’m not a fan, either … 🤫 #shh #shhhh
@@kierenmoore3236 the original comment went over your head
Nick you are the best! Thanks for your work!
This thing is fantastic. It's definitely going on my short list of "if I win the lottery" synths. Would also love to see "poly full touch" on many more instruments, to make it available in smaller, cheaper devices.
They’d make a mint selling midi controller keyboards with that tech 🙏👍
@@EannaButler There are already some pretty great midi controllers with similar expressiveness, but a lot of it is lost when connected to regular synths. The synth engine needs to support it too, to get the full benefit.
@@ToyKeeper Are there? Yeah plenty of pad based Poly AT, but dedicated key based Poly AT midi controllers are still quite rare on the market AFAIK, even fewer with MPE. Happy to stand corrected..
Yeah the synth engine needs to support it, but support for these gestures is widespread nowadays in the domain of soft synths..
You got me with the "win the lottery" part...
@@EannaButlerKorg Keystage and Native Instruments S88 mkIII are recently released controller keyboards with Poly aftertouch. I think Roland will also be releasing new controllers with MIDI 2.0 in the near future; hopefully they will include Poly AT.
Looking good Nick .... it's their flagship... sounds very good ... beautifull music as always... Ps: I caught Muse fever but your Arturia demo shows how high end Arturia has becom.... i mean the Unisson mode in stereo width and the filter is so good now ! and the full touch mode blows everything we'v ever known, making simple polyafter touch obsolete !
nick... we love you, dude!!
This entire review is making me do filter mouth
(({{{[[[wW0Ww]]]}}})))
19:31 Sweet mother of Christ
That sound is absolutely gorgeous!
4:52 Magnolia. Just like your Nan's kitchen.
Its a great review Nick. So excited, I had this on order since my play at Superbooth. Skint yes....But years of happiness 100%.
Thanks Nick 👍
Lovely review. Thankyou. Covered all the points I was wondering about. Fully agree about sostenuto, probably not something everyone is familiar with as it's a grand piano pedal feature but super super useful on an expressive polysynth like this.
Yeah I think to free up the left hand for the mod controls would be great
The goat is back 🫡🫡
Lovely review, Nick. It sounds gorgeous.
the steiner-parker filter with the right noise color can do wonders.
Wow! Quite an amazing machine. I'm not keen on how it looks. But, no doubting it's an utter BEASTOID of a synth, beyond the reach of mere mortals such as myself. As far as high synths go I still have the most GAS for the UDO Super Gemini. Looks and sounds incredible. And the enthusiasm of the CEO makes me want to buy one. Amazing device. What amazing times we live in for synthesizers. So many amazing things out there these days,
18:30 "I think what this one has is, ah...
19:40 ...whhhh"
Great review ☺
How much this dang thing cost ? Surprise me please
About 3800 Eur, which is actually pretty good for analog synth. There are arranger rompler keyboards costing more than that.
Wow! The possibilities with the full touch keyboard and the morph are absolutely bonkers
Can use a touché with any number of synths, tho’ …
@@kierenmoore3236 Touche is a global control for all voices tho... this is like having a touche per key
have always the feeling that playing some chords sounds in this synth more "compressed" than for example in the ob6 or prophets... like the the voices do not "play well" together. anybody same experience?
Is it weird that among the many, many things i love about this, i think the pronounced cooling vents are my favorite?
I've never been excited about a keyboard before. This feels like a legit keyboard for the 100 people in the world who actually know how to play synths in performance-y ways. The Osmose is a cool idea about a technical feature, and the synth engine is just a thing that's trying to cover all the bases it can. But this feels like an analog synth which has special aftertouch features not as a gimmick but as a necessary extra axis of modulation to be able to appreciate the mod matrix. I want aftertouch to feel like I'm using an expression pedal on every key and I can set the start/end of every modulation on every key (or at least every key per octave). This isn't exactly that but it seems closer than anything else. I mean that unison part was pretty badass but TBH I'm baked and I'm wearing good headphones so anything is going to sound pretty epic. But I really appreciate how good Nick is at both exploring all the best technical details and also making some good noises.
Sounds like a hybrid, tho’ … at a fully-analog price …
@@kierenmoore3236 not really
@@d3tuned378 I think it does, most of the time. Which is fine… I just win’t buy one. Sorted.
@@kierenmoore3236 again that speaks to your lack of skills or imagination
Great review of an awesome ‘Sepia White?’ Synth Nick - iWant One ❤️✖️
I really like the vibe of the controls. It reminds me of a Nord Rack in an "all these little knobs and buttons do cool things" way.
I feel you!
My goodness, if I were a rich man... Great review, as always!
@Nick Batt For the $ I still cant understand why Arturia and Moog insist on small displays. Like I commented on another moog review site, my Behringer Deepmind 12 display is about 3 fingers high. And it cost me < than $900 Au. Moog cant use the excuse that its expensive to implement as they admit they do their parts in house. Its all well and good saying its sturdy for on the road, but try playing and squinting in a live stage...lol $7200.00 Au!!
Those teeth through the ladder filter, very nice
This is the best review I have heard and seen of this synthesizer. Merci 🙏 ❤
Mighty, mighty beast. Instant classic perhaps ?
I love how “instant classic” and “future classic” get thrown around, willy-nilly …
@@kierenmoore3236 it's not.
@@d3tuned378 It’s not an instant classic? I agree.
@@kierenmoore3236 your reading comprehension is poor and you are childish
How does it work with external clock and gear? No one discusses this very important issue. 👽
Getting a mint (2nd hand) PB6, I´m always excited about how good the PB sounds. Ok, the PB12 is "a level above". But even the PB6 is highly recommended.
Has anyone, apart from a few UA-camrs, actually got one of these? Date keeps on getting put back at retailers for getting stock.
Sweetwater has them in stock. Perfect Circuit had them in stock too and then sold out.
God when you started playing the self resonating filters I melted. I could live in that sound forever.
Absolutely
As soon as you say 'split' and 'layer' my mind immediately goes to the Bad Gear memes. That guy is a bad influence.
How odd! I think it would be hard to have this feature in a Bad Gear episode as its not bad gear!
It's great synth but there is not enough to make me upgrade from the original. The sounds are the same and it is already an expressive tactile pleasure to interact with. The good news for those looking for some polybrute action is there are a few popping up on eBay and other reseller sites
For me the major advantage of the PB12 would be 6 voices in layer mode. But having enough others synths to layer with I‘ll also stick to my PB6. What slightly annoys me is the sheer weight of the PolyBrutes. The Prophet-6 and OB-6 also have six discrete voice cards like the PB6 and weigh just 9.5 kg. Why is the PB6 more than twice as heavy? Certainly not only due to the additional keyboard octave.
@@RayyMusik. That’s a lot of effort/haulage, for a synth that sounds like a hybrid (but is priced like a fully-analog). I guess the bells and whistles are distracting. 🤷🏻♂️
@@kierenmoore3236 The PolyBrutes sound 100% analog. I have a hybrid (Prophet X) for comparison - difference like day and night.
@@RayyMusik Yeah, good hybrid synths sound less digital than a hybrid sample player, like the Prophet X.
Alamo Music Centre compared the Polybrute with the Summit, because they sounded similar.
@@kierenmoore3236 Thanks for posting that you don’t know the PX (which is a full-fledged synth as well).
And yes, the Summit can sound excellent, i.e. very analog. Why this should mean that the PolyBrute does *not* sound analog will remain your secret.
Is there a GLIDE KNOB on this synth? I'm thinking of the Oberheim Poly Glide, ah...you can set the Travel Time of one OSC to be independent of the other OSC. Lovely effect.
It’s a very consistent across the range synth and sits nicely which is often an issue. Outstanding. Wonder how it mixes in groups and techno etc….well at least I’d assume. The original Polybrute had a chromey sort of tone when I tried it in the shop . Imagine layering this with CS80V"………
Very cool, super cool features. But in terms of sound... I am not sure really. You can tweak these out of a DAW. The sounds of an OB6, or any Sequential makes, you can't.
This synth is like a Ferrari of all other synths ❤
At 18:42 and for the next 30 seconds, that sound should be called Art Bell's Soul (for OG fans of Coast to Coast AM out there), as it definitely has that Cusco vibe... Gorgeous sound!
If you want more wonkyness than what analog accuracy can do, you can use the modulation matrix and use the voice source and assign it to each VCO pitch destination. You can also use the voice source to affect the envelopes parameters. This way you can have pretty drastic voices to voices pitch and envelopes timings variations.
You got some nice sounds, but to my ears once you have complex modulations and reverb and delay added it doesn’t sound very analogue anymore. Also that cheap tiddly little screen looks impossible to see, the menus look nice and simple but that not great if you can’t see it.
Best!
Interesting synth. Ugly colour and why no hinge so you can angle the control area?
Doesn't even have multi-spectral binaural panning I mean this is 2024? And it's not even delivered by flying car. 2024 is letting me down so much. If only the oscillators had multifactor authentication. 🤔🧐😋
Beautiful sound but the synth looks...Anyway all a matter of taste. Thanks for the review Nick!
Yep. A guy I worked with wore a business shirt this colour. The boys in the office christened it “jizzmop”. Fetching …
@@kierenmoore3236 shirts are also a tatste ;-)
Can’t bring out a Noir-coloured version, fast enough … 🤢
Who settled on this horrible shade of “jizzmop”, for their flagship synth … ?! 🤢
Methinks he doth protest the loveliness of the colour, too much … 😊
Never loved the sound of the Polybrute, thankfully - as I think I’d be a bit annoyed if I’d bought the og 6-voice …
Hopefully the more interesting features of the Polybrute end up on some better-sounding synths.
Hope you get a Muse to review soon, Nick !! … none of the ‘launch-day Synth Mafia’ have mentioned anything about how “very hot” (according to at least one owner) it gets … also reports of other teething (hopefully just teething) issues, like overlay bubbles (possibly temperature related?), and firmware crashing … the latter of which pairs nicely with a 66 second [apparently now down to about 50 seconds, with the new firmware] (re)boot time: especially in a live context … 😬
Three years since I got the original Polybrute and at last it's become the synth it should have been at launch. The good news is with the latest updates you get a bank of Poly12 patches which still sound wonderful on the original with only 6 voices.
Best synth ever made.
😂
@@nagchumpalot🤡
I’ve read the Polybrute 6 had questionable keybed quality. How is this one? Is it Fatar?
Proprietary keybed … so, not Fatar … they’ve never used Fatar / always cheap out on their keys …
@@kierenmoore3236 That’s really disappointing, especially at a $4000 price point
@@AnomalyB31 Yep … between the sound, the price, and shortcuts like that (oh, and the colour, lol), I’m definitely not interested.
It sounds outstanding and I would get one but the….way it looks.. arrrghh will I be able to ever love it?
waiting for the 4 voices, small and affordable version
and waiting for the drumfreak
I can't express it any different than this synth "lives".
It’s so ugly.. 😂 But good synth
Who settles on “jizzmop magnolia”, as the colour of their flagship synth … 😕
Is ti bugging anyone else that the entire demonstration is about 1/4 tone sharp?
Is it? I didnt check the master tuning setting....
@@sonicstate Thanks for the question.. I habitually noodle on my guitar along with these synth demos, I checked the tuning against several plug in instruments and HW.. I do wonder if UA-cam might have altered the sample rate during transcoding? Does the posted video play in tune there?