Want to know how to control 3 external hardware synths with Polyend Synth? Can you use the granular engine as a sampler? Will there be a Synth+ released in a few months? Check out this livestream where I answer your questions and play some sounds: ua-cam.com/users/lived_oJImU_iLk
ohhh! I didn't initially realise this was a synth!!! This is a really nice price for this piece of kit! It's so cool that you can have three engines going at once!
It's very good just as a midi instrument. Add the granular and physical modeling engines in and it's a win. You've got better virtual analog than what Synth offers - that's it's Achilles Heal.
What you get for the price is excellent. If it had sample capability I would have considered going after it, but I already have the Deluge, which is a much higher price point. And this allows playing 3 synths with your hand at once. I have to look at the open source for the Deluge to see if it can do that (it can play many synths and kits at once, but in sequence mode). This is a pretty compelling product.
Argh; this looks quite fun. On the other hand, I think I've been playing with a LinnStrument for so long that the grid setups and the way polyphonic aftertouch is implemented would just frustrate me too much.
Can it be used to play/control external synths (3 zones of different MIDI channels and ports)? And if so, will it send PolyAT that older hardware can receive?
I don't believe it can but it might be able to - the documentation I got beforehand was preliminary and there were a couple of tricks I discovered not documented at all - yet.
It ought to be a firmware update away from supporting that if not already - why not if there is MIDI out - poly-aftertouch messages are not rocket science :)
You can do that kind of thing with a Novation Launchpad X if that's the main aim (can design your own custom layouts - I did a video demoing controlling two synth layers for a kind of 'fake MPE" using the X) , and it also has polyphonic aftertouch (per pad), but the wider layout on the Polyend synth does look quite practical for 2 part playing - and it has MIDI out, so probably will support that.
@@paulweyer4339 I don't seem to be able to even mention the video without my comment getting auto-deleted.. so you just have to search :) (Maybe the comments will appear later)
I use an MPC Live 2 and Hydrasynth Explorer as my live rig with my band, and feel like this would make a great addition as a controller/additional synth.
It’s funny I’ve been meaning to ask you what you thought about the polyend play+ synth since it has synths in it now. An wow a surprise, you weren’t kidding. Can’t wait to see what this bad boy can do.
There's some really cool features here. If you took some of the capabilities from this device and combined them with some of the awesome features of the Novation Circuit Tracks (like its great sequencer, drum/sample-player tracks, and ability to integrate external audio into the audio path), you'd have one incredible machine.
Some of the FM / phase distortion sounds have that old school front line assembly sound. There's no distortion effect though, for me that would be pretty critical to make industrial.
looks very cool ! well done polyend . The play is my favorite sequencer of all time and I've been looking for a companion to use for soloing and live improvisations this just may be it. Where is the affiliate link?
I would vote this, more because I keep seeing in my comments and heard from friends that SH4-d is not very stable and can CPU overload pretty easy. Osc Sync said he was able to get CPU warnings on his Polyend Synth but I don't think it ever stuttered, but watch his video for more info on that.
Lol, is polyend going to make people pay for chord packs like all the daft software producers that fall for that. I think it's a terribly unfortunate name to apply to a serious product. MIDI chord packs are a joke.
@@gavinpeters9531 no its built in the hardware thats the point, the new novation midi controllers have a version of that feature as well and i just makes them more useful
Nice overview, nice device (great job on the screen/UI and the pad interface for multi-instrument playing looks cool), but the sound is not doing it for me.
Feels like a jack of all trades, but not a master. Sequencer looks great, but not a Hapax, the filters are many, but the sound is not an OB6 or a Summit. For $500 though, it seems like a great box to take away for the weekend...
Dude you make it look super appealing. If my mc101 ever bites the dust, this thing could fill the void. It looks way more fun to play, especially that aftertouch, but the 101 does have drums, distortion, batteries, and my beloved random patch generator. I see you over there, random patch generator giving me that look... Just one more random patch, this could be the big one.
For truly 'all in one' you probably should be looking at workstation keyboards like the Korg Nautilus or Roland Fantom (if that's in the budget). SH-4D is pretty limited for sequencing, and the synth sound quality is just OK - but the drums part is pretty good - sequencing capabilities are limited.
Synthstrom Deluge does a heck of a lot, especially now with the open source, but it’s a much higher price point than this product. And I think this does some things better than the Deluge.
@@VultureCulture I've tried and struggled with grooveboxes personally, had the SH4D and got rid of it due to sequencer limitations and the synth sound being kind of aliasy. Had an Electribe 2 before, and that was also super limited. Actually I'm quite tempted by the Ableton Move - enough polyphony on 4 parts to do some simple ambient or synthwave type music + super portable (and sound good). Otherwise Digitone 2 looks pretty nice.. if you can get on with Electron workflow. The Akai MPC One looks like a solid choice now they have updated the UI - it can be had very cheaply on the used market.
It's the great OLED screen and 60 polyphonic aftertouch RGB pads plus the granular engine is hogging a lot of runtime. I have the suspicion that they're maxing out the CPU to be able to get to the price point of $500. I haven't seen any CPU overload warnings, but others have.
@@VultureCulture again my friend : why is modern gear lacking polyphony on such massive scale : I know many can do away with 8 -6 voices : but holy shit can we get like a 24 once in a blue moon you know? f**k ! Would you settle for a 4 cylinder Bugatti ? 😁😁😁 Cheers Brother 🥂
I'm really intrigued by the UI, the hands on sound design etc. But the sounds itself don't really do it for me as far as i can tell atm. Sounds sterile, digital...
Compare the polyphony and multi-timbral capabilities of Wavestate, Modwave and especially synthesis versatility of the new Multi-poly - I think that one blows this out of the water honestly (more expensive for sure, but way nicer sounding and tons more polyphony on 4 parts). This device has 8 notes polyphony at best shared between 3 parts. You can load your own multi-samples on Wavestate, and user wavetables on the other two. However those are quite a different proposition to this device, which is the only pad input based synth I can think of in the price range that is mostly focused on performance rather than sequencing (Otherwise to there are the Sonicware devices to consider and Ableton Move). It's an interesting synth for sure.
Nah. Im sick and tired of companies coming up with BS products and NEVER actually listen to customers/musicians. Instead, they, the companies, tell us what we need, and drip feed "new" products. All BS. Never buy into this BS. PS. Appreciate the video. My comment above is in no way a negative reflection on this channel or this video at all. Just fed up with corporate BS. Shanks
No thanks. Polyend always leaves customers high and dry. In 6 months they’ll release a v2. GAS isn’t helping you make music. It is actually driving you to create less.
@ v1 products will work. But it devalues the item you purchased and destroys any concept of resale value. Furthermore, when Polyend has too many products in market they are stretching their limited development resources so you will see fewer product updates for that v1 product you bought 6 months ago. Polyend’s product strategy serves its own interests and it doesn’t really focus attention on long term value for purchasers of their equipment. Just talk to someone who bought a v1 Tracker or a v1 Play or a Medusa. Companies like Polyend have good ideas but generally will leave you with a devalued piece of hardware in the mid term.
@LagoLhn Correct me if I am wrong but the hardware is for creating a music not resale. If it still does what you bought it for than you shouldn't care about other versions. I know people would like to buy product once and only upgrade firmware with new features but keep it real. You get knew phones every month and they devaluate your old phone but it doesn't change anything...
Want to know how to control 3 external hardware synths with Polyend Synth? Can you use the granular engine as a sampler? Will there be a Synth+ released in a few months? Check out this livestream where I answer your questions and play some sounds: ua-cam.com/users/lived_oJImU_iLk
It looks/sounds as if a Novation Circuit loved a Microfreak very much, did their special hug and had a baby.
Now we need a Polyend Drum with multiple drum engines and effects.
I would buy that instantly!
2nd that!
Yrp
yep exactly
@@billybartcody3591 They could have added at least 1 “Drum” synth engine and additional pad layout modes for that… Firmware update maybe?
ohhh! I didn't initially realise this was a synth!!! This is a really nice price for this piece of kit! It's so cool that you can have three engines going at once!
It's very good just as a midi instrument. Add the granular and physical modeling engines in and it's a win. You've got better virtual analog than what Synth offers - that's it's Achilles Heal.
Thanks for checking this one out VC! Are you going to get your hands on the Korg Multi Poly?
I reached out to Korg but I think the answer is a no 🤣
@@VultureCulture Typical Korg
What you get for the price is excellent. If it had sample capability I would have considered going after it, but I already have the Deluge, which is a much higher price point. And this allows playing 3 synths with your hand at once. I have to look at the open source for the Deluge to see if it can do that (it can play many synths and kits at once, but in sequence mode). This is a pretty compelling product.
That would be so cool if someone could import that type of functionality into Deluge. What a powerhouse that would be!
Argh; this looks quite fun. On the other hand, I think I've been playing with a LinnStrument for so long that the grid setups and the way polyphonic aftertouch is implemented would just frustrate me too much.
I could see that. I also don't think this would feel as premium as a Linnstrument.
Can it be used to play/control external synths (3 zones of different MIDI channels and ports)?
And if so, will it send PolyAT that older hardware can receive?
I don't believe it can but it might be able to - the documentation I got beforehand was preliminary and there were a couple of tricks I discovered not documented at all - yet.
It ought to be a firmware update away from supporting that if not already - why not if there is MIDI out - poly-aftertouch messages are not rocket science :)
This absolutely has my attention. Wondering if you could midi-out and use the divided grid to play multiple external synths
I'm going to experiment and see if I can do it. Report back to you during the livestream.
You can do that kind of thing with a Novation Launchpad X if that's the main aim (can design your own custom layouts - I did a video demoing controlling two synth layers for a kind of 'fake MPE" using the X) , and it also has polyphonic aftertouch (per pad), but the wider layout on the Polyend synth does look quite practical for 2 part playing - and it has MIDI out, so probably will support that.
@wavesequencer very cool. Got a link to that video?
@@paulweyer4339 I don't seem to be able to even mention the video without my comment getting auto-deleted.. so you just have to search :) (Maybe the comments will appear later)
@@VultureCulture just got around to the live stream. Thank you so much for showing off this feature!
I use an MPC Live 2 and Hydrasynth Explorer as my live rig with my band, and feel like this would make a great addition as a controller/additional synth.
Talk about the poly at glory!
How do you know what notes are you pressing?
It's defined by the scale in the grid setup menu.
It’s funny I’ve been meaning to ask you what you thought about the polyend play+ synth since it has synths in it now. An wow a surprise, you weren’t kidding. Can’t wait to see what this bad boy can do.
Looking at the synths is Play+ I can say Polyend Synth has the better engines. The 4 in Play are my least favorite
It is possible to save insert effects in a preset?
No, insert effects are saved at the Scene level. Kind of makes sense since all three layers share the same 3 fx.
@ ah tx! How is about Midi program change in for changing scenes?
There's some really cool features here. If you took some of the capabilities from this device and combined them with some of the awesome features of the Novation Circuit Tracks (like its great sequencer, drum/sample-player tracks, and ability to integrate external audio into the audio path), you'd have one incredible machine.
Yeah it does feel slightly odd that it doesn't go the extra bit with the drums. On the other hand the price would probably double lol
@@VultureCulture Agreed. And this is a great price point. Man that "follower mode" is pretty cool though.
can you do industrial with it?
Some of the FM / phase distortion sounds have that old school front line assembly sound. There's no distortion effect though, for me that would be pretty critical to make industrial.
looks very cool ! well done polyend . The play is my favorite sequencer of all time and I've been looking for a companion to use for soloing and live improvisations this just may be it. Where is the affiliate link?
It would be sick to connect a play to this and see how glued the integration is!
@@VultureCulturedon’t the play has the same synth engines?
The Play has half as many, and the ones in Play are the lesser ones, imo.
Can you sequence each synth from a different MIDI channel? It would be fun to control this with the digitakt.
Yes you can.
Definitely an interesting product at a great price point.
Pretty incredible
10:47 Mulholland Drive :D NICE
Twin Peaks actually! But Badalementi used the same Super JX rack synth preset "Soundtrack" for the Mulholland Drive score. Nicely caught!
@@VultureCulture LOL at least i got the composer right. RIP Angelo
roland sh4d or this?
+drums = sh4d, although the appearance is not very pretty
I would vote this, more because I keep seeing in my comments and heard from friends that SH4-d is not very stable and can CPU overload pretty easy. Osc Sync said he was able to get CPU warnings on his Polyend Synth but I don't think it ever stuttered, but watch his video for more info on that.
I hope this “Chord Pack” trend in hardware continues!!
Yeah it's so cool and honestly I couldn't have gone into it deeper without the video taking forever lol
Lol, is polyend going to make people pay for chord packs like all the daft software producers that fall for that. I think it's a terribly unfortunate name to apply to a serious product. MIDI chord packs are a joke.
@@gavinpeters9531 no its built in the hardware thats the point, the new novation midi controllers have a version of that feature as well and i just makes them more useful
Nice overview, nice device (great job on the screen/UI and the pad interface for multi-instrument playing looks cool), but the sound is not doing it for me.
Yeah the sound engines, aside from Granular and PM, are going to be very divisive. Feels very 90's, warts and all.
This is cool
kudos for piece of "laura palmer theme"
I'm glad you caught the reference!
@@VultureCulture big fan of the show since it was aired in my country back in the early 90s
@romannietoperz4675 where ya from?
@@VultureCulture from the country where polyend is from :v
Love it! 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱
So sick man! With the price of the Polyend Dreadbox Medusa being astronomical now this is real nice move.
Yeah it feels more expensive than that synth too - although of course we'd all love to have those Dreadbox analog oscillators
Rubbish 🗑. My Medusa would spank that thing. I paid £500 for a mint second edition and I would never sell it
Feels like a jack of all trades, but not a master. Sequencer looks great, but not a Hapax, the filters are many, but the sound is not an OB6 or a Summit. For $500 though, it seems like a great box to take away for the weekend...
Yeah that's a great way to think of it. Performance, form factor, expression - top notch. Not an OB6 lol
Strangely enough, it didn’t get to “Bad Gear” yet… 😂
Florian has bigger fish to fry rn 🤣
@@VultureCulturelittler fish, actually. He just posted the PO-33!
Dude you make it look super appealing. If my mc101 ever bites the dust, this thing could fill the void. It looks way more fun to play, especially that aftertouch, but the 101 does have drums, distortion, batteries, and my beloved random patch generator. I see you over there, random patch generator giving me that look... Just one more random patch, this could be the big one.
Random patch generators should be in every product. So amazing
Yo 😎
What would be your choices for the best all in one in hardware keybords, and also boxes? 😎
Probably the Roland SH-4D
For truly 'all in one' you probably should be looking at workstation keyboards like the Korg Nautilus or Roland Fantom (if that's in the budget). SH-4D is pretty limited for sequencing, and the synth sound quality is just OK - but the drums part is pretty good - sequencing capabilities are limited.
@wavesequencer anything else you'd suggest in the groove box territory cheaper than a fantom?
Synthstrom Deluge does a heck of a lot, especially now with the open source, but it’s a much higher price point than this product. And I think this does some things better than the Deluge.
@@VultureCulture I've tried and struggled with grooveboxes personally, had the SH4D and got rid of it due to sequencer limitations and the synth sound being kind of aliasy. Had an Electribe 2 before, and that was also super limited. Actually I'm quite tempted by the Ableton Move - enough polyphony on 4 parts to do some simple ambient or synthwave type music + super portable (and sound good). Otherwise Digitone 2 looks pretty nice.. if you can get on with Electron workflow. The Akai MPC One looks like a solid choice now they have updated the UI - it can be had very cheaply on the used market.
Why are these digital boxes are so polyphonycaly crippled?
8 voices ...... 🤔🤔🤔
It's the great OLED screen and 60 polyphonic aftertouch RGB pads plus the granular engine is hogging a lot of runtime. I have the suspicion that they're maxing out the CPU to be able to get to the price point of $500. I haven't seen any CPU overload warnings, but others have.
@@VultureCulture again my friend : why is modern gear lacking polyphony on such massive scale : I know many can do away with 8 -6 voices : but holy shit can we get
like a 24 once in a blue moon you know? f**k !
Would you settle for a 4 cylinder Bugatti ? 😁😁😁
Cheers Brother 🥂
neat
The pros/cons are well appreciated.
Love the psychopath comment at the end!!!
Hahaha yeah I think I'm going to start doing pros / cons this way - if nothing else it's a different kind of vibe than the usual pros cons list
VSTI in a box.
Every digital synth since 1977 has been.
heeeeyooo 😊🤙🙏
🙏🙏🙏
Apparently they quality control issues with their products.
I'm really intrigued by the UI, the hands on sound design etc. But the sounds itself don't really do it for me as far as i can tell atm. Sounds sterile, digital...
Yeah, the sound is the biggest issue for me too. It's *very* 90's. It seems like even the analog engines alias worse than an OG Virus.
@@VultureCulture Tbh. it sounds especially harsh in your video. In others, like Digiphex it sounds a lot better to my ears
Best value, yeah, so they can introduce a newer version of the same product in like 6 months for double the price 🙄
I have confirmed with the devs that they are NEVER releasing a Synth+. This is it.
This just devalued whole Korg synth range and made them obsolete.
I still think Korg takes the cake when it comes to the sound of their digital engines but Polyend just won the hands on performance market
Compare the polyphony and multi-timbral capabilities of Wavestate, Modwave and especially synthesis versatility of the new Multi-poly - I think that one blows this out of the water honestly (more expensive for sure, but way nicer sounding and tons more polyphony on 4 parts). This device has 8 notes polyphony at best shared between 3 parts. You can load your own multi-samples on Wavestate, and user wavetables on the other two. However those are quite a different proposition to this device, which is the only pad input based synth I can think of in the price range that is mostly focused on performance rather than sequencing (Otherwise to there are the Sonicware devices to consider and Ableton Move). It's an interesting synth for sure.
Nah. Im sick and tired of companies coming up with BS products and NEVER actually listen to customers/musicians. Instead, they, the companies, tell us what we need, and drip feed "new" products. All BS. Never buy into this BS.
PS. Appreciate the video. My comment above is in no way a negative reflection on this channel or this video at all.
Just fed up with corporate BS. Shanks
Lol, have you heard about op-z? It way more better value per money.
I mean, this instrument is about 3 synths being controlled at once with 60 pads and polyphonic aftertouch. Completely different than OP-Z.
No thanks. Polyend always leaves customers high and dry. In 6 months they’ll release a v2. GAS isn’t helping you make music. It is actually driving you to create less.
But would it make V1 non functional ?
@ v1 products will work. But it devalues the item you purchased and destroys any concept of resale value. Furthermore, when Polyend has too many products in market they are stretching their limited development resources so you will see fewer product updates for that v1 product you bought 6 months ago. Polyend’s product strategy serves its own interests and it doesn’t really focus attention on long term value for purchasers of their equipment. Just talk to someone who bought a v1 Tracker or a v1 Play or a Medusa. Companies like Polyend have good ideas but generally will leave you with a devalued piece of hardware in the mid term.
@LagoLhn Correct me if I am wrong but the hardware is for creating a music not resale. If it still does what you bought it for than you shouldn't care about other versions. I know people would like to buy product once and only upgrade firmware with new features but keep it real. You get knew phones every month and they devaluate your old phone but it doesn't change anything...
@ not if the hardware is underspec’d. Talk to a Play v1 owner if you’d like to learn more.
@LagoLhn I read those grupy whiners, they behave like a spoilt child...