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
Hell yes! So happy to see you reviewing this dude. I think I might end up getting one ASAP after your demonstration of it. Been eyeing it for a bit, but was on the fence until now. >)
This might be my first synth. Im an older dude looking for pads (if they call them that anymore.) I used to use cakewalk back 25 years ago. I just cant spend a ton. I feel this really hits a bunch of boxes for me. Thx for the vid. Good luck to everyone who have been creative in the synth scene.
Beginner here, and I wanted to specifically thank you for mentioning that the screen can be helpful due to it nailing down the context of how to modify settings and what other scenes change to achieve varying sounds. I love the little asterisk on the Korg Minilogue -- but it takes a long time to adjust knobs after changing programs to say, "Oh, those are the setting that made this sound so different from the last one!" My gut was telling me the screen on this was a game changer for a amateur like myself, but I wasn't quite ready to lay down another $500 for a second synth until you confirmed what my gut was telling me. ✌🤟😁
Yeah the screen is phenomenal and really makes it clear what you're up to while you're programming. The synth is not free of menu diving but is about as good as it gets in terms of a 9-knob synth.
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.
I am on the fence buying one but what keeps me from doing that is the various mentions in forums and videos of bad trigger and velocity sensitivity of the pads. Most people fix that setting the pads to fixed velocity, but that seems contrary to the concept of this instrument. What's your experience with the pads?
I had zero trigger issues with my pads and felt like the velocity and aftertouch worked perfectly. Other units might have issues mine didn't have, and also, I'm used to vintage synths, which generally have pretty clacky key beds, so the pads felt really nice to me lol
Can you change the root note all together? Every demo is playing with C as the the root note. I'd like to see if it can play something like an F# minor scale and chords.
Just connect a midi cable from out of Synth to the in of your audio interface, create a midi track in your DAW, set the correct midi in and you should be good to go
They keep pushing out banger after banger! I’d love to see Polyend’s take on an ultra portable OP1 competitor. Sub $1000 and it would still probably blow the field away.
wow polyend nailed it - ive been deep into polyphonic at, mpe, performance orientated expressiveness - i love how they adalted the gridlayout with following functions - can this lovely thing send midi? if so, it is not GAS, it is a very wise decision to get it🙂
Yes it can! If you check out the link at the end of the video it'll take you to my livestream where I played three vintage synths at once with it! ua-cam.com/users/lived_oJImU_iLk?si=xSQB1JODrBrzahoP
Sounds very good. Even the most digital and harsh voices have a bit of warmth I don't hear in most synthesizers. To bad about the high end aliasing. Do all the models alias? A very capable instrument I want to try out. I am totally blind so probably won't be able to use it but I have to check it out. Your presentation is very good. Thanks.
Unfortunately yes, all the models alias. There's a bunch of menu diving in this synth, and I did get lost a few times, even being able to see, so I agree that this might not be the right synth for you. Good news is there's tons of vintage and modern synths that sound incredible and have knob per function control. Do you have any synths currently?
Sounding like the Novation Basstation / Circuit synth engine series. Which is nice, round and a little lively/bouncy. With some modes, can kinda hear the Parker Stiener filter chracter from Microfreak others are talking about- but more finessed. Versatile little beast! And of course, another stellar VultureCulture expert review!
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.
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.
Great presentation! I appreciate your distinction between a full workstation (like a MPC or Maschine+) and a synth with sounds, patterns and modulation. It certainly rivals any similar products at the same price-point as Behringer, Korg or Roland. $500 bucks is tight. Or light. Either way, it doesn't have a drum machine, but one can always pick up an old Yamaha for under $200 or even $100. They still sound good if you like old school. They had midi standards even way back then. Program changes, CCs, sysex, etc. Oh, one more thing - it isn't fair to compare it to a hydrasynth. Those things all operate the same way and are kind of far beyond the scope this product. I will say that a closer comparison might be to the Medusa. It's still better than most similar machines, having 3 digital + 3 analog voices, fully customizable. Kind of hard to find now, though. I won't be selling mine! Excellent job on this review!
@@VultureCulture Yeah. It's kindda f'd up tho. One of a kind. I can't get rid of certain songs because nothing else can do it. That's the downside, I guess.
I guess it's tricky because it doesn't have a clear distinction between its sequencer and its other capabilities. Kind of one of those "well, wht are you using it for?" type conflicts. It wasn't competitive because it made the user feel at fault. But that is the first thing that these companies should avoid. They avoided customer feedback and Roland didn't. Korg... who knows? I like most of their shit more than Roland's but.... opportunity is there to go bigger than volca. I have a System-8. That's pretty old. Still one of their best.
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 :)
They're very different beasts - obviously Venom doesn't have many of the modes in Polyend Synth like granular or physical modeling. On the virtual analog side I think Venom is more to my taste, it's much more capable of the aggressive, industrial type sounds I love.
This thing is so cool, got mine yesterday. The only things i noticed is a lot of CPU overloads, you practically can't use all synth voices at the same time. Also the pad velocity is absolutely unplayable. Every setting i tried feels kind of bad and buggy, it's only playable in fixed velocity settings (with a lot of cross-talk...) Hopefully (!) Polyend is providing an update asap!
I'm surprised! I never had any CPU overloads and found the pads quite playable. I'm used to pretty clacky vintage keys however. Thank you for letting me know!
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.
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 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.
Hey Culture Vulture, I cannot for the life of me get MIDI out working on my Polyend Synth. Midi in works fine but there's something I'm missing or my synth is busted. I have Midi I/O set to Jack #1, my other synth is listening on 1 (I tested with Arturia Keystep), I tested the cables (all are working). Am I missing something stupid or is my MIDI out jack not working? Thanks in advance.
Solved it, you have to use TRS MIDI cable that has Stereo design, a mono TRS cable will not work when plugged into the Polyend Synth. Most devices I own can take a mono TRS cable for MIDI but apparently not the Polyend. Good to know!
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.
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.
@@VultureCulture It's the other way around the Polyend has a known CPU issues when it's under load. My SH 4D is rock solid even Bo Beats prefers the Roland. Hopefully a update may render this.
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.
If you don't mind, could you please lock the focus on your camera to the device? It kept unfocusing while your hands moved, and we couldn't see the Polyend screen very well when we really needed to in some of your explanations. Who cares if your hands and beautiful rings are in focus, right? Thanks!
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.
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
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.
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...
Fuq. Polyend ha e their finger on the pulse. I really can't think of a groovebox with fm and pd. I cant believe im saying this but that alone is good enough for me. Hopefully the pd has a few envelopes
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...
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 🥂
This is an absolute waste of money... After you get done buying the effects you"ll need to get it out of it's generic sounds, you're well over a grand... Gee, what else could I buy with that kind money??? Nough said...
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.
I mean, I actually went pretty hard towards the end of my livestream on this one: ua-cam.com/users/lived_oJImU_iLk?si=FKAzRdUHNOxbv8zE I mean, I still think it's an incredible product at the price point, but I do have some gripes.
Harshness depends on whose hands it is in. And you can always increase release/decay, add distortion, and maybe some bass boost to thicken the sound more if you really want that. This doesn't have that godawful Casio/Medeli/Williams-Allegro thinness by very far. Just good, clear/mix-cutting, and full pro sound. There's a bit of creaminess to the sound, too, not something you'd expect at this price range. Reverb is unusually good for a hardware synth of any kinds and. Not that any of this matters, we are spoiled for choice on synths, everyone can go with whatever each individual is most comfortable and happy with.
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
Hell yes! So happy to see you reviewing this dude. I think I might end up getting one ASAP after your demonstration of it. Been eyeing it for a bit, but was on the fence until now. >)
If you get one let me know what you think!
This might be my first synth. Im an older dude looking for pads (if they call them that anymore.) I used to use cakewalk back 25 years ago. I just cant spend a ton. I feel this really hits a bunch of boxes for me. Thx for the vid. Good luck to everyone who have been creative in the synth scene.
This is not a bad first synth at all - it's really powerful, creative and innovative!
Tremendous video. Tremendous breakdown at the end, with the 'who is this for' bits. That was important to me. Thank you.
I plan on using that format for all my future pros / cons lists because I think it's more helpful.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
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?
i'm seeing your videos for the first time, great video, sympathetic guy, wish you all the best!!!!
Welcome to the channel! 🐱
Any other synths you'd like me to cover in the future?
It looks/sounds as if a Novation Circuit loved a Microfreak very much, did their special hug and had a baby.
Yes! Very Microfreak sound.
Do all the knobs send a midi number? Can you edit the knobs to whatever midi value you want them to send?
They do and I don't think so - but I could be wrong i'd have to look through the manual.
Can the Polyend Synth and the new Polyend Step (drum machine) be synced? That would be a fun combo.
That's a good question! I don't have Polyend Step so I can't confirm.
Beginner here, and I wanted to specifically thank you for mentioning that the screen can be helpful due to it nailing down the context of how to modify settings and what other scenes change to achieve varying sounds. I love the little asterisk on the Korg Minilogue -- but it takes a long time to adjust knobs after changing programs to say, "Oh, those are the setting that made this sound so different from the last one!" My gut was telling me the screen on this was a game changer for a amateur like myself, but I wasn't quite ready to lay down another $500 for a second synth until you confirmed what my gut was telling me. ✌🤟😁
Yeah the screen is phenomenal and really makes it clear what you're up to while you're programming. The synth is not free of menu diving but is about as good as it gets in terms of a 9-knob synth.
Outstandingly perfect demonstration and overview. Much appreciated!
I really appreciate that!
Welcome to the channel and I hope you check out some of my other videos / livestreams 🙏
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.
I didn't realize this was a synth either, I thought they were trying to draw attention to new synth engines for the Play or something.
I am on the fence buying one but what keeps me from doing that is the various mentions in forums and videos of bad trigger and velocity sensitivity of the pads. Most people fix that setting the pads to fixed velocity, but that seems contrary to the concept of this instrument. What's your experience with the pads?
I had zero trigger issues with my pads and felt like the velocity and aftertouch worked perfectly. Other units might have issues mine didn't have, and also, I'm used to vintage synths, which generally have pretty clacky key beds, so the pads felt really nice to me lol
Really good overview. Think I'm gonna get me one. Thank you.
Welcome to the channel! Hope you check out some of my other videos 🙏
Can you change the root note all together? Every demo is playing with C as the the root note. I'd like to see if it can play something like an F# minor scale and chords.
Yes, I show in the video that you can change the root note and scale. I left it in c minor because that's what the Blade Runner End Titles is in.
It looks super cool. How well do you think it would play with the Digitakt, compared to something like the Digitone or the new Digitone 2?
I haven't dived into the Elektron stuff so I'm hesitant to offer an opinion. If anything I think it's a more natural fit with something like tracker+
@@VultureCultureI’m confused. You have or haven’t? Typo? 🤔
Yeah a typo. I have *not* lol
Thanks for this video. How would I record the MIDI notes from the Polyend Synth in my DAW? Or, will I only be able to record audio only?
Just connect a midi cable from out of Synth to the in of your audio interface, create a midi track in your DAW, set the correct midi in and you should be good to go
@@VultureCulture Oh, I was hoping it could be transmitted via USB. My interface does not have a MIDI port.
@DYSTmusic huh it might be - I didn't even try that. Check the manual
WHAT IS THE USE OF SD CARD FOR SAMPLES,,????PLEASE
You can load your own wavetables and WAVs for the granular engine.
They keep pushing out banger after banger! I’d love to see Polyend’s take on an ultra portable OP1 competitor. Sub $1000 and it would still probably blow the field away.
wow polyend nailed it - ive been deep into polyphonic at, mpe, performance orientated expressiveness - i love how they adalted the gridlayout with following functions - can this lovely thing send midi? if so, it is not GAS, it is a very wise decision to get it🙂
Yes it can! If you check out the link at the end of the video it'll take you to my livestream where I played three vintage synths at once with it! ua-cam.com/users/lived_oJImU_iLk?si=xSQB1JODrBrzahoP
Sounds very good. Even the most digital and harsh voices have a bit of warmth I don't hear in most synthesizers.
To bad about the high end aliasing. Do all the models alias?
A very capable instrument I want to try out. I am totally blind so probably won't be able to use it but I have to check it out.
Your presentation is very good. Thanks.
Unfortunately yes, all the models alias.
There's a bunch of menu diving in this synth, and I did get lost a few times, even being able to see, so I agree that this might not be the right synth for you.
Good news is there's tons of vintage and modern synths that sound incredible and have knob per function control.
Do you have any synths currently?
Sounding like the Novation Basstation / Circuit synth engine series. Which is nice, round and a little lively/bouncy. With some modes, can kinda hear the Parker Stiener filter chracter from Microfreak others are talking about- but more finessed. Versatile little beast! And of course, another stellar VultureCulture expert review!
Thank you Jason 🙏
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
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.
I dont see why the Linnstrument software couldnt add these performance features...
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
Wait three months for the synth+ comes out
Great presentation! I appreciate your distinction between a full workstation (like a MPC or Maschine+) and a synth with sounds, patterns and modulation. It certainly rivals any similar products at the same price-point as Behringer, Korg or Roland. $500 bucks is tight. Or light. Either way, it doesn't have a drum machine, but one can always pick up an old Yamaha for under $200 or even $100. They still sound good if you like old school. They had midi standards even way back then. Program changes, CCs, sysex, etc. Oh, one more thing - it isn't fair to compare it to a hydrasynth. Those things all operate the same way and are kind of far beyond the scope this product. I will say that a closer comparison might be to the Medusa. It's still better than most similar machines, having 3 digital + 3 analog voices, fully customizable. Kind of hard to find now, though. I won't be selling mine!
Excellent job on this review!
I'm so jealous of your Medusa! Definitely a really cool synth I've always wanted to check out!
@@VultureCulture Yeah. It's kindda f'd up tho. One of a kind. I can't get rid of certain songs because nothing else can do it. That's the downside, I guess.
I guess it's tricky because it doesn't have a clear distinction between its sequencer and its other capabilities. Kind of one of those "well, wht are you using it for?" type conflicts. It wasn't competitive because it made the user feel at fault. But that is the first thing that these companies should avoid. They avoided customer feedback and Roland didn't. Korg... who knows? I like most of their shit more than Roland's but.... opportunity is there to go bigger than volca. I have a System-8. That's pretty old. Still one of their best.
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 :)
How about the Polyend Synth together with the Novation Circuit Rhythm? Or is there another, better combination (as a groove set)?
How did you get one already?
Polyend was kind enough to send me one before launch
Great review! I am amazing of your vocabulary to describe sounds..
Always try to keep it fresh and avoid overusing words like "warm" lol
How is it compared to the MAudio Venom?
They're very different beasts - obviously Venom doesn't have many of the modes in Polyend Synth like granular or physical modeling. On the virtual analog side I think Venom is more to my taste, it's much more capable of the aggressive, industrial type sounds I love.
The Polyend doesn't have a distortion effect and/or filter FM or cross mod modes?
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
looks like alot of fun to play. sounds wonderful
Yes! It's a huge step forward in terms of playability and the granular and physical modeling are really great
This thing is so cool, got mine yesterday. The only things i noticed is a lot of CPU overloads, you practically can't use all synth voices at the same time.
Also the pad velocity is absolutely unplayable. Every setting i tried feels kind of bad and buggy, it's only playable in fixed velocity settings (with a lot of cross-talk...)
Hopefully (!) Polyend is providing an update asap!
I'm surprised! I never had any CPU overloads and found the pads quite playable. I'm used to pretty clacky vintage keys however.
Thank you for letting me know!
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?
How do you know what notes are you pressing?
It's defined by the scale in the grid setup menu.
I really like it but I wanting a flagship think I’m gunnin for a muse but idk 🤷 what do think vc
Lots of great flagships out there right now - hard to pick just one
Why you keep mangling that plant?
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.
Polyend Synth is a game changer in the galaxy of gears ! i want to connect and midi clock my Polyend tracker to it and jam with rythmic parts...
I think the tracker plus synth is the ultimate combo. Really incredibly innovative and powerful workflow they've devised.
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.
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!
Hey Culture Vulture, I cannot for the life of me get MIDI out working on my Polyend Synth. Midi in works fine but there's something I'm missing or my synth is busted. I have Midi I/O set to Jack #1, my other synth is listening on 1 (I tested with Arturia Keystep), I tested the cables (all are working). Am I missing something stupid or is my MIDI out jack not working? Thanks in advance.
Solved it, you have to use TRS MIDI cable that has Stereo design, a mono TRS cable will not work when plugged into the Polyend Synth. Most devices I own can take a mono TRS cable for MIDI but apparently not the Polyend. Good to know!
@beedubs100 thank you for the info!!
Damn, I need one of these!
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.
Can you sequence each synth from a different MIDI channel? It would be fun to control this with the digitakt.
Yes you can.
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.
@@VultureCulture It's the other way around the Polyend has a known CPU issues when it's under load. My SH 4D is rock solid even Bo Beats prefers the Roland. Hopefully a update may render this.
It's a cool device no doubt but the presets while nice especially the modelling synth sound a little basic. It needs some drive or distortion.
Yeah it's definitely missing some grit, if you're looking for something a little more edgy you'll definitely want to run it through some pedals.
@VultureCulture I'm using a NUX MG30 Guitar modeling/FX unit for some weird sounds mate. 🤘
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.
If you don't mind, could you please lock the focus on your camera to the device? It kept unfocusing while your hands moved, and we couldn't see the Polyend screen very well when we really needed to in some of your explanations. Who cares if your hands and beautiful rings are in focus, right? Thanks!
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.
Definitely an interesting product at a great price point.
Pretty incredible
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! 🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱
You were sent this one for free?
Yes
Looks like a Polyend Play + Microfreak
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
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
$500 for the synth and $1000 for the pedals and VSTs needed to make it stop sounding like it is assaulting my eardrums with a screwdriver.
Imagine your poor little fragile eardrums watching you spending time and energy commenting about the synth that’s upsetting you so much
@@Efbe_ Are you defective?
@@Efbe_😂😂😂
This is cool
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!
I think this would compliment the Deluge, at least free up some deluge resources by providing similar high quality sounds.
Deluge has no velocity sensitive Pads or Aftertouch, or does it?
@ Deluge pads are not velocity sensitive
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
Aren't you in OP-XY team? ;)
What is OP-XY lol?
@@VultureCulture 👍👍👍
heeeeyooo 😊🤙🙏
🙏🙏🙏
Fuq. Polyend ha e their finger on the pulse. I really can't think of a groovebox with fm and pd. I cant believe im saying this but that alone is good enough for me. Hopefully the pd has a few envelopes
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!
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
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
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 🥂
@@EBMZEQUENZER He just answered you.
This is an absolute waste of money... After you get done buying the effects you"ll need to get it out of it's generic sounds, you're well over a grand... Gee, what else could I buy with that kind money??? Nough said...
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
does anyone ever dislike gear the manufacturer sends them? seriously. i don't mean "pros & cons" bcuz that's a cop-out. post the links in your reply.
I mean, I actually went pretty hard towards the end of my livestream on this one: ua-cam.com/users/lived_oJImU_iLk?si=FKAzRdUHNOxbv8zE
I mean, I still think it's an incredible product at the price point, but I do have some gripes.
Apparently they quality control issues with their products.
The interface and value look great, but it sounds pretty harsh and thin to me. Pass for me.
Harshness depends on whose hands it is in. And you can always increase release/decay, add distortion, and maybe some bass boost to thicken the sound more if you really want that. This doesn't have that godawful Casio/Medeli/Williams-Allegro thinness by very far.
Just good, clear/mix-cutting, and full pro sound. There's a bit of creaminess to the sound, too, not something you'd expect at this price range. Reverb is unusually good for a hardware synth of any kinds and.
Not that any of this matters, we are spoiled for choice on synths, everyone can go with whatever each individual is most comfortable and happy with.
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
VSTI in a box.
Every digital synth since 1977 has been.
Sounds shrill.
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...
No whait for "plus" version.
I confirmed with Polyend there will *never* be a Synth+.