Testing Polyend Synth - Three Party

Founded in 2016, Polyend is a small Polish company that has made a name for itself thanks to its dynamism, the relevance of its products, and consistently well-positioned prices. This hasn’t been without its pitfalls, however, particularly after the COVID crisis, which led to component supply difficulties, leaving some users disappointed. To find out more, you can (re)read our test of Play+.

Principally known for its grooveboxes and sequencers, the arrival of this Synth is a small surprise. Yet this is not its first foray into the field, since in collaboration with Dreadbox, the company had already launched the Medusa, a hybrid synthesizer combining analog and digital technology.

This time, designed entirely by Polyend, it’s a different animal altogether. The Synth is a synthesizer, totally digital, with three parts and eight polyphony voices, taking four synthesis engines already seen on the Play+ and Tracker+ and adding four new ones. All at a very competitive price: €499 at the time of writing.

A clear and flattering presentation

Adopting the same form factor as the Play+ and Tracker+, the Synth is a black rectangle with rounded corners, measuring 28.2 × 20.7 × 3.3 cm (11.1 × 8.1 × 1.3 inches) and weighing 1.2 kg. (2.7 lbs) Its control panel is well-organized, clear, and ergonomic. Despite its very attractive price, the Polyend Synth doesn’t feel like a cheap instrument. Everything seems well-designed and solid, with well-anchored encoders and a pleasant feel for the various interface elements. We’re delighted to find Polyend’s customary switches — also present on the Tracker+ for example — which offer a particularly pleasant click.

At the top, from left to right, we first find a button dedicated to the Mixer and Effects pages, followed by another for Scenes and Presets, and just below, a clickable encoder for navigation. Next comes a clear, comfortably-sized color LCD screen, beneath which sit three buttons for switching between the three sections, as well as for making contextual selections based on what’s displayed on the screen.

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On the right of the screen, three encoders control volume, tempo and pitch bend. They are followed by three macro encoders, and then nine more, organized in three rows, dedicated to editing the various pages of the screen.

Finally, on the far right, six buttons complete the interface: four give access to the synthesis engine editing pages, a fifth is used to navigate between the sequencer, arpeggiator and modulation matrix, and the sixth is a Shift button, useful for secondary functions.

In the lower section, we discover one of the Polyend Synth’s special features, a configurable matrix of 60 RGB pads, sensitive to velocity and polyphonic pressure. This isn’t the first time a synthesizer has incorporated a pad matrix – the Hydrasynth Desktop springs to mind – but the Synth’s has some interesting features. We’ll come back to this later.

On the rear edge, we find the power button, a Reset switch and a USB-C port. The latter is used both for connection to a computer and for power. Power can come through an electrical outlet, a computer or an external battery.

Incidentally, there is no audio data transfer via USB. Unlike the Play+, the Synth cannot be used as an audio interface. There’s also a slot for a 16 GB MicroSD card for storing wavetables, projects, chord packs, presets, and more. It is also used for firmware updates. Note that the Synth refuses to operate if the card is not inserted.

All connectivity, entirely grouped at the rear, is one area where it seems that compromises were made to keep the price low. It’s limited to a stereo output and a MIDI input and output, all in mini-jack format. Fortunately, the device comes with a stereo mini-jack to two 6.35 mm mono jack adaptor, as well as a mini-jack to MIDI DIN adaptor.

The package also includes a 2m USB-C to USB-A cable, a 16GB MicroSD card, a MicroSD to USB-A card adapter, several power adapters for the various standards, and a 48-page A4 manual. The full user manual can be downloaded from the Polyend website. This is a good opportunity to check that the instrument has the latest firmware and, if necessary, to update it. The operation is simple and poses no particular problems.

The Synth was delivered with firmware 1.0.1. When the processor was heavily loaded, for example, when using several greedy synthesis engines (such as granular engines), crackling could be heard. This problem has been corrected with the installation of firmware 1.1.

Grip-in-hand: flawless ergonomics

On start-up, the perfectly legible screen displays the Polyend logo, while the pads light up with their pretty colors. The Synth is then immediately ready for use, resuming the last open scene. It comes with a set of scenes and presets (for both synthesis engines and effects), perfectly created by a selection of sound designers.

This set is a great way to get started. In fact, it’s a safe bet that many will be happy with it, limiting themselves to a few adjustments to suit their needs. Mainly geared towards electro, urban and ambient music, it quickly demonstrates the quality of the synthesis engines and onboard effects, in particular a very nice reverb. The sound is full-bodied, with a good output level. However, there’s a slight lack of presence at the lower end of the spectrum, whatever the synthesis used. This is by no means prohibitive, but it’s something to bear in mind.

The architecture of the Synth consists primarily of system preferences, such as MIDI settings, for example to configure the MIDI channel for each part, velocity preferences and aftertouch, which can be polyphonic.

Then come the scenes, which bring together tempo and clock information, pad matrix configuration, settings for the three synthesis parts with their sequencer/arpeggiator, their macro commands, and the mixer section and effects.

Voice sharing is also saved with scenes. You can, for example, assign four voices to the first synthesizer part for layers, three voices to the second for patterns, and one to the third to play bass.

Finally, at the last level of the architecture, we find the synthesizer parts with their presets.

The structure is easy to comprend, thanks to well-designed ergonomics. The nine context-sensitive encoders allow you to edit the pages displayed onscreen, most of which can be accessed via a direct access button or, for certain secondary pages, by combining with the Shift button. It’s all done quickly, and you soon get what you want.

The encoders have a welcome acceleration effect. The three macros can control up to five parameters each. Too bad there’s no way to individually reset parameter values (I couldn’t find one, anyway).

The pad matrix will delight those who are used to this type of game interface, and Push fans will be on firm ground. Keyboardists, meanwhile, can plug in a keyboard to use the Synth as an expander. The matrix can be configured in various ways to suit the user’s playing style, preferences and desires. It’s also possible to display only part of it and choose the color, offering the possibility of having a single-part eight-voice synthesizer.

One of the interesting features of the Matrix is its ability to manage chord sets. What’s more, it can be configured so that the chords of the three parts follow each other. Pressing a pad in one part, for example, automatically adapts the note to one or both of the other parts. This makes playing much easier and will satisfy musicians with little knowledge of harmony. The Synth includes a fine collection of chord packs, but you can also configure your own. Those unfamiliar with this type of playing will have to adapt a little, but you’ll soon get the hang of it.

The pads are pleasant and respond to polyphonic pressure as well as velocity. Unfortunately, the response to the latter lacks progressiveness. However, it is possible to assign a fixed value to them. A nice little touch: the pads act as alphanumeric keyboards when editing a name (for a backup, for example).

Synthesis engines: a welcome versatility

Let’s now look at the eight synthesis engines on offer, the first four of which were already present on the Play+, Tracker+ and Tracker Mini.

01 – Synth – ACD – DarkBass

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• 01 – Synth – ACD – DarkBass00:31
• 02 – Synth – ACD – Driift00:35
• 03 – Synth – ACD – Square Acid00:48
• 04 – Synth – FAT – LotusPad01:26
• 05 – Synth – FAT – Key00:59
• 06 – Synth – VAP – Eutow01:17
• 07 – Synth – VAP – Dreamchime01:00
• 08 – Synth – ACD-VAP – Drumbox00:23
• 09 – Synth – WTFM – Badland00:59
• 11 – Synth – WAVS – DinkyBells01:42
• 12 – Synth – PMD – Empty Pipe00:58
• 13 – Synth – PMD – Genrator Room01:42
• 15 – Synth – PHZ – Bright Sawtooth01:05
• 16 – Synth – GRAIN – Castle atmos01:42

The self-explanatory, virtual analog-like ACD motor is openly inspired by monophonic bass-lead synths, such as the Roland SH-101 and TB-303. Although it is possible to emulate these two models digitally, its architecture is closer to the former, with an oscillator offering Saw and Square waves, whose width can be modulated by an envelope and the LFO. A Sub, one or two octaves below the master oscillator, is also present, offering a choice of a Square, Pulse or Triangle, followed by a Noise. The filter is a classic low-pass with three positions: SV12, SV24 and RD3, each with its own, somewhat digital, personality. Only the SV24 really lets you enter self-oscillation, while the RD3 evokes the flavors of the TB-303's filter.

On the modulation side, this engine features two ADSR envelopes, one for the amplification and the other for the filter, as well as an LFO capable of modulating the pitch, pulse width and cutoff of the filter. This LFO offers the following waveforms: Triangle, Sine, Ramp Up and Ramp Down, Square and Random Sample & Hold. A multi-mode polyphonic glide is present, as on every synthesis engine offered (GRAIN’s is monophonic, however).

The FAT motor, still of the virtual analog type but with three oscillators, offers a return to the spirit of big vintage polyphonic synthesizers. While it excels in pads, brass, keyboards, big leads, and everything else you’d expect from this type of synthesizer, the grain remains relatively digital. As with every engine, however, aliasing is well under control. Three oscillators can be controlled via the two Engine pages. Unfortunately, these can’t be configured independently, and you’ll have to make do, for example, with a Timbre parameter to control the waveforms with a square sawtooth morph.

The filter offers three modes: a classic 24 dB-per-octave low-pass ladder, emulating the transistor ladder filter of Mougue, er, Mogue, well Moog, while the other two modes, OB12 and OB24, still low-pass, draw their inspiration from Oberheim. As for modulations, there are two ADSR envelopes and the same LFO as on the ACD motor.

The VAP motor, also a virtual analog type, is inspired by the Oberheim OB-8 and Sequential Prophet. Each of its two oscillators allows morphing between triangle, sawtooth, and square waveforms. In the latter position, the pulse width is adjustable and modulated via the modulation matrix. We’ll come back to the latter a little later.

In addition, each oscillator has its own seven-octave tuning setting, in semitone steps, while fine tuning is performed, surprisingly, on the mix of the two. A detune is present, as well as a sync. A Noise completes this Engine section.

The filter, with its 15 types (Low Pass MG 24 dB, Low Pass OB 24 dB, Low Pass OB 12 dB, Low Pass SVF 24 dB, Low Pass SVF 12 dB, Hi Pass OB 24 dB, Hi Pass OB 12 dB, Hi Pass SVF 24 dB, Hi Pass SVF 12 dB, Band Pass OB 24 dB, Band Pass OB 12 dB, Band Pass SVF 24 dB, Band Pass SVF 12 dB, Notch SVF 24 dB, Notch SVF 12 dB), offers great flexibility and helps to make this one of the most versatile engines in the Synth range. Three ADSR envelopes (Filter, Amp and Aux) and two LFOs follow. In addition to the settings seen in previous engines, these LFOs add tempo synchronization. 

Next is the WTFM, an FM motor with a relatively simple architecture. This apparent simplicity might suggest a reduced variety of timbres. This is not the case, as despite having only two operators and unfortunately no dedicated envelope, each works with wavetables and has its own feedback circuit. Oversampling is also present in the engine section.

To this is added the same filter as the VAP engine, with its 15 modes, as well as three ADSR envelopes (Filter, Amp and Aux) and two LFOs. In addition to the characteristic FM timbres (electric pianos, bells, electric bass, metallic sounds), these possibilities enable this engine to be extended far beyond, to explore dreamy digital sounds, for example, or aggressive ones.

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The WAVS motor is a wavetable model featuring two oscillators and a noise generator. It’s possible to morph between the two oscillators, each with position and warp settings, and modulable by one of the envelopes or LFOs via the modulation matrix. Each oscillator provides a tuning setting covering seven octaves, as well as a detune parameter. As with the VAP engine, fine-tuning is performed on the mix of the two oscillators.

A Retro mode is also available, slightly altering the synth’s sonic character. However, it doesn’t allow you to modify the transition between waves on a table, which always remains fluid and progressive. As such, it’s impossible to achieve the abrupt transitions typical of early wavetable synthesizers. However, by fiddling with the modulation matrix, it is possible to get around this limitation to achieve similar effects.

Wavetables are stored on microSD card in 16-bit mono WAV format, regardless of sample rate, and importing one’s own tables is possible.

Finally, this engine benefits from the three ADSR envelopes, the two LFOs and the 15-mode filter, identical to that of the VAP engine.

The PMD motor is based on physical modeling. The Exciter, accessible via the Engine button, represents the way an instrument is played. It can be a stick stroke, a string pluck, or any other sound excitation mode. This part has a direct influence on the attack and energy of the sound generated. Accessible via the Filter button, the Resonator simulates the resonant structure of the instrument, such as a vibrating string, a percussion membrane or a resonant tube. It shapes the timbre and dynamics of the sound, defining how the energy transmitted by the Exciter is filtered and amplified. The Exciter’s envelope is specific to this motor and varies according to the generator’s configuration. An auxiliary envelope and LFO complete this engine.

Usual to this type of synthesis, the PMD engine allows you to explore “organic-digital” sonorities, from resonant percussion to plucked strings, via more abstract and experimental textures. 

The PHZ motor is based on phase distortion, an uncommon yet interesting synthesis technique. Mainly used on the Casio CZs of the '80s, this synthesis was intended to provide an alternative to the FM synthesis of the Yamaha DX7. It was appreciated for its simplicity of implementation, which was far more intuitive than that of Yamaha FM.

In addition to textures that approach specific areas of FM synthesis, it’s also possible to achieve sounds that are relatively close to subtractive analog synthesis, such as synthetic basses.

Here again, both oscillators are based on wavetables. Both can be modulated via an X/Y modulation matrix. The filter, envelope and LFO section is the same as that of the VAP engine.

With GRAIN, it’s an absolute pleasure to discover a granular engine, quite different from that of the first Tracker (thankfully). As a reminder, granular synthesis involves scanning audio files to generate small sonic “grains”, which can then be manipulated, tuned, and modulated to create original, evolving textures. Samples are stored on the MicroSD card in WAV 16-bit mono, 44.1 kHz format.

The Engine page allows you to choose the basic sample, then it’s possible to define, for example, the density of the grains, their size, randomize their generation and placement in stereo space, etc.

This complete engine invites you to dive into its abysses and experiment.

The filter features Low Pass SVF 12 dB, Hi Pass SVF 12 dB, Band Pass SVF 12 dB, and Notch SVF 12 dB modes. Finally, three envelopes (Filter, Amp, and Aux) and three LFOs are available

Each part features a modulation matrix with six leads. While this proves useful, the number of sources and destinations specific to each motor is limited to envelopes and LFOs. As for destinations, they are more numerous, but certain shortcomings are regrettable, such as the absence of filter resonance.

All these engines and their multiple possibilities are engaging and stimulate creativity. It’s a pleasure to explore and program them. Unfortunately, processor power sometimes tarnishes the experience. When using greedy engines, such as WAVS or GRAIN, it’s not uncommon to see a CPU alert appear onscreen.

Effects, arp, and sequencer

A small effects section is present, grouping a modulation effect, delay, and reverb. The modulation effect creates the classic chorus, flanger and more, while the delay offers several modes: Single, Dual Tap, Triple Tap, Stereo and Ping Pong. Reverb features Natural, Plate and Warp algorithms.

Each of these effects has a sufficient number of parameters: eight for the modulation effect and nine for delay and reverb. Moreover, each effect is accompanied by a fine selection of presets (accessible via Shift+Engine), and it’s possible to save your own settings. While these effects are of a very high quality — particularly the reverb, which offers great depth — it’s a shame there aren’t more. A distortion or compressor, for example, would be welcome additions.

Effects are metered in the Mixer section, like a send effect, for each part. 

To bring all this to life, the Polyend Synth embeds either an arpeggiator or a sequencer for each part. The arpeggiator features the classics of the genre, such as octave range and internal or external tempo synchronization (1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64). In addition to the usual Up, Down, Up/Down, Down/Up, Order Play, and Random modes, it also offers Chord, Dyad, Triad, Inside Out, Outside In, Weave, Return, Double Return, plus parameters for swing, humanization and gate.

The sequencer, meanwhile, remains relatively limited. Although the instrument doesn’t claim to be a groovebox, the impossibility of editing notes after entering a sequence remains frustrating. When you know Polyend’s expertise in sequencers, this can only be regretted.

FAQ

1. What does the Polyend Synth bring to the table compared to other digital synthesizers?

The Polyend Synth stands out for its three-part multitimbral design, eight synthesis engines, configurable pad matrix and an interface designed for quick learning.

2. What kinds of sounds can you create with the Polyend Synth?

Thanks to its eight motors, it covers a wide sound spectrum: analog basses, rich pads, sharp leads, grainy sounds and experimental physical modeling.

3. Can the Polyend Synth be used as a USB audio interface?

No, unlike the Polyend Play+, the Synth does not support audio via USB, limiting its use to conventional audio outputs.

4. Is the Polyend Synth suitable for the stage?

Yes, with its compact size, intuitive controls and dynamic pad matrix, it’s designed for live use.

5. What are its main shortcomings?

Its limited connectivity (a single audio output), a processor that’s sometimes just right for the most demanding engines, and the impossibility of editing notes after recording are its main weak points.

Technical features

– Synthesis: 8 synthesis motors

– Polyphony: 8 voices

– Multitimbrality: 3 parts

– Control: Matrix of 60 velocity- and pressure-sensitive RGB pads

– Display: Color LCD

– Effects: Modulation, delay, reverb

– Arpeggiator & Sequencer: Available with several modes

– Connectics: 1 mini-jack stereo output, 1 mini-jack MIDI input, 1 mini-jack MIDI output, USB-C port for power and PC connection (no USB audio), microSD port (16GB supplied)

– Power supply: USB-C (mains, computer, external battery)

– Dimensions: 28.2 × 20.7 × 3.3 cm (11.1 × 8.1 × 1.3 inches) 

– Weight: 1.2 kg (2.7 lbs)