Polyend Play
This performance groovebox is a powerful and complex beast. Let’s explore some of its top capabilities
Most electronic musicians are likely to find Polyend’s latest groovebox, Play, significantly more intuitive than the Polish brand’s last instrument – the esoteric, retro-inspired Tracker. Whereas Tracker is based around a numerical sequencer that runs from top to bottom, Play’s sequencer moves from left to right, arranged – at least on a basic level – into eight 16-step tracks. Because of this, any user with a little prior drum machine knowledge can get up and running quickly. That said, those trying to apply standard sequencer fundamentals to Play’s workflow will quickly realise that this isn’t quite as simple a machine as it first appears.
As explained later, Play’s sequencer lets each step be assigned its own sounds and parameters. You can treat Play’s eight sequencer tracks like a classic groovebox, where each houses just one type of sound – kick, snare, clap, etc. There are certainly benefits to this approach; using the function buttons to the right of the interface, each track can be easily edited as a single set of sounds and the 16 variation slots can house fills, breaks and alternative versions of your pattern.