1 week Ago By Sam Roche
’s new offering might be the most simplistically named synth ever, but its comprehensive set of features is anything but. Introducing the Synth, a multi-engine polyphonic synthesizer aimed at sound designers, performers, composers and those simply looking to experiment. Featuring eight unique synth engines – and able to play three simultaneously – the Polyend Synth is built around an intuitive grid-based interface designed to make playing “natural and easy”.
These eight synth engines consist of both modern synthesis methods and recreations of “iconic instruments and classic tones”, Polyend explains. Highlights include the PHZ engine – which draws inspiration from the classic Casio CZ-101, while introducing “new algorithms of phase distortion, resulting in unique sounds that cannot be found elsewhere. The ACD engine, meanwhile, is based on the Roland SH-101, offering “acid-laced tones that are simple to dial in yet expansive in range”.
Also featured is the VAP engine, which channels the Sequential Prophet-6, “encapsulating its spirit in a digital format”. Other engines include PMD, which provides “organic textures”, GRAIN, which “takes granular synthesis to new heights”, WAVS, which features a two-oscillator system allowing users to load custom wavetables, and WTFM, which “adds wavetables to an FM architecture”. As Polyend explains, while multi-timbral synths often require a sequencer to trigger multiple sounds, the Synth’s Smart Grid feature enables real-time playability.
It includes three independent sequencers or arpeggiators that respond to your playing. Additionally, users can assign a synth patch to one of three chord modes, enabling single synth pads to trigger chords. In Chord Mode, two synth engines can be set as followers, which adjust their notes according to the current chord guided by a scale lock, which keeps everything within a set scale to retain musicality.
“Our goal was to develop a device that merges complexity with true playability,” says Polyend founder, Piotr Raczyński. “Synth is designed for musicians who want an accessible but sonically rich experience.”.
