Polyend Play

Expanding upon the flexibility and nature of grid-based devices comes Polyend’s Play, a 16-track groovebox capable of both sample and MIDI sequencing, performance, and much more. Play supports eight sample tracks and eight polyphonic MIDI tracks, making it more than capable to act as your sequencing hub amongst your studio or live-stage equipment. But if you’re just starting out, Play is also a great device to begin with, thanks to its inspiring 3000+ collection of high quality samples that offers immediate access to great-sounding instrument design to complement any setup.

Once set up with routing and sample selection, Play provides individuality to each track, be it step length, track speed, or even swing amount to get the right groove for any situation. The MIDI tracks not only send out sequenced note material but are fully capable of automating CC parameters on a per-step basis to bring your external devices to life. Play stores up to 128 patterns per project as well as 16 variations per track for a total of 30,000 track variations to choose from in one single project! This not only offers you amazing opportunities for remixing your own tracks live, but it also allows for multiple fully-fledged tracks to be developed within one single project.

The onboard sequencer provides a number of ways for you to design flexible and breathtaking tracks that move and flow however you’d like them to. On top of individual track specificities as well as track input, Play allows for each track to playback each pattern in a number of different ways known as play modes, injecting chance, randomization, and even ratcheting for making the most out of your sequences. If you’re lacking inspiration or are looking for a quick and simple way to add rhythmic material to your tracks, the Smart Fill option applies entire beats, random beats, or even Euclidean spreads to any area you desire for directed musical generation without thinking too hard about it. Not only can the sequencer easily copy and paste numerous levels of Play across tracks and patterns, but it can also quantize your tracks to a musical key via it’s scale filtering parameter—a great way to also add improvisation without hitting a wrong note!

Speaking of song-creation, Play is a stellar song-making device with customizable pattern chaining right from the 160-pad grid. Easily live record automation of track parameters or change individual notes on the fly, and pattern saving and recall is instantaneous for easy do-overs and changes needed to be made. Another feature that makes Play so lively is its onboard performance capabilities over effects, with both destructive and non-destructive means to inject filter sweeps, distortion, reverb swells, and many other effect stylings to create dimension and depth in your sequences. Master effects also add harmonic and spatial depth to the overall sound, and make it easier to tame elements to fit better in a mix or performance with your external devices.

Add Play to any setup thanks to it’s versatile I/O, be it with the minijack MIDI I/O with included 5-pin adapters, the minijack audio out with 1/4″ splitter cable included, or even the USB-C port that doubles down as a power source as well as a MIDI sync source with any computer or compatible device. With an included 16GB microSD card and USB adapter for loading any personal sounds for further creative endeavors, the Play is a solid sequencing and song-creation hub for beginners, veteran artists, and anyone in between!

Play Features

Sample and MIDI Groovebox
Eight internal audio tracks and eight polyphonic MIDI tracks
3000+ samples onboard for building tracks
Independent track lengths (up to 64 steps), speeds (BPM divisions), and swing values
Up to 128 patterns stored with 16 variations per track
35 track play modes, including Chance, Action Combo, Randomizer, and Step Repeater
Smart fill for placing entire beats, random steps, or Euclidean spreads in any length of track you desire
Copy/Paste controls can apply easy and fast data transfer from as small as steps and tracks to as larges as track pages and variations
Scale filtering for pattern management and key centers
160-pad sequencing and performance grid with 15 multi-purpose controls, 11 multi-purpose buttons, and one large encoder
Performance based effects for real-time, non-destructive processing as well as punch-in processing
Effects include tune, filter, overdrive, rearranger, reverb, and many more
Master effects for finishing your tracks (reverb, delay, sound enhancer, limiter, and saturator)
Customizable pattern chaining and live automation recording