Arturia PolyBrute First Impressions 👀

[@teftymusictech]

Just posted our first ambient session with the PolyBrute on our music channel. Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpzJeaWBnMqAeZo

[@JamesBermingham]

3:04 What a statement to banish any fears of 6 note polyphony. 👏👏👏 That would win salesman of the year award. 🥇

[@fuentessetneuf]

I may get the Polybrute as my first (maybe only) flagship synth. Every time I demo this at my local store, it’s so easy to have fun with this.

[@teftymusictech]

Yeah, super easy to program and mess with. I'd say one of the more unique analog poly flagships with the patch morphing and morphee expression.

[@symbiat0]

I bought the PolyBrute as my first flagship last year, just love it. Arturia just keep hitting it out of the park ❤

[@Trippsy05]

I'm a year late to this, but since Arturia put out the PB12, the OG PB has great second-hand prices. I just got mine for $1,650, and I was going to buy a $1,500 one, but it sold to someone else before I pulled the trigger. Waiting on it to be shipped right now.

[@K-ORA]

Wow, I never thought of it that way! 6 voice polyphony, just like a guitar and it's more than enough.

[@Pintosonic]

The modulation points can’t be changed between the a and b patches but the amount of those modulation points can change. So if you no longer want a modulation point just set the amount of the point to 0 in one patch and set it to a non zero value in the other patch.

[@SourJovis]

Nice video. Regarding the key bed of the Polybrute, I prefer it over my OB-X8. It's much lighter to the touch and the travel distance is shorter so it allows for faster playing. The after touch is much smoother. It feels like you're pressing a pillow instead of a button like in the OB-X8 or every other key bed I own. Regarding the sound, I don't think it sounds worse than my OB-X8, Prophet 5 and Subsequent-37, just a different flavour. Very stable in terms of pitch but the filters sound raw and lively. I never felt the Polybrute was inferior to my more expensive synths by more established brands. More bang for the buck, and the software implementation is unparalleled. Arturia gives you a free vst for sound editing, software updates and regularly offers free new presets. Sequential and Oberheim has a third party developer (Sound Tower) for the software editor, which you have to buy seperately, and it doesn't even work as well as the Arturia software. Moog offers free software editors and preset updates, but I have more problems to get Moog software to work than with Arturia.

[@a.j.hanenburg5189]

With the brute factor knob, try putting the filter on something other than all the way low-pass. On any other setting, with the resonance up a little and the cutoff doing stuff, it'll set that thing screaming. It's nutty. It's supposed to emulate the crazy feedback of an MS20.

[@teftymusictech]

Great tip!

[@dustinevans]

Love the Dark version

[@teftymusictech]

Yeah it's pretty sexy

[@mimikova390]

I have had my polybrute for a while now. I absolutely love it. Yours is prettier than mine.

[@teftymusictech]

Nice! I can see this synth becoming a studio staple for me. The expression alone makes it unique.

[@symbiat0]

I actually prefer the OG blue finish over the Noir 😅

[@jasonmalcolmgibbins]

As a long-time user of Polybrute, let me reassure you about the tuning issues. In my first month of owning it, I calibrated a LOT! But it has settled down, now I have not needed to calibrate for about 2 years.

[@enochroot9438]

My experience has been quite the opposite. Purchased the Polybrute on release and absolutely love it, But tuning issues have been increasing a lot, so much so that it is back in the shop for an in-depth investigation at the moment. The calibration and tuning routines aren't working.

[@maval4537]

@@enochroot9438 That's weird, I must have had a lot of luck with mine, then.I own it since two years now, and never had to calibrate although my studio is in an attic with a very badly isolated roof, so it's exposed to extrem temperature fluctuations...🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Reg-Edit]

My pollybrute is perfect after update to v3 I used to get crashes before

[@addLADN]

I love my Polybrute. I do agree that in some ways it does sound thin but routed into various other effects pedals make this sound like an absolute beast.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Farts sound good drenched in reverb, though … 😉

[@Rhythmattica]

As a old school vintage synth lover... And still having many in my arsenal.... This is the Synth ill be buying , in a modern era , considering its not a pete repeat.... I love seeing a Particular review that props up the Prophet 5 for analogue.. (Do they not know its digitally controlled, ?) , but blames the Ploybrute for lack of polyphony...as Its digitally controlled ? Typical idiots that blame vintage as a rip off, while spending alot on a name/brand. Presets should never be the be all / end all of any synth. This synth is spectacular.. Def my next purchase.. Also I heard the new FW 3 update adds as ton load of function.... No .. I dont work for arturia

[@samborn7120]

I want this synth.. Badly.. The Noir Edition. Thank you ❤️

[@Mista808]

Sacramento eh? I grew up in Sacramento and moved out of state in 2017. Had a studio over at the Sacramento House of Hits over off Fruitridge Blvd.

[@teftymusictech]

Hey hey nice! I use to live in Elk Grove.

[@Trottelheimer]

You did NOT lose your patch @26:30 , even though you went to the PRESET mode and changed to a different one - it was automatically saved in the snapshots, and you also did a manual snapshot during that saving-confusion :) So yeah - hold Settings and press Save to access the snapshots. There are 5 of them plus the current edit buffer. Every time you have an edited sound and then load another patch, a snapshot of your work is automatically saved as a protection against "patch loss". Also a single press of Save will store a snapshot which is nice for having a few versions of the sound to recall if you want. When you finally save your work, the snapshot are purged.

[@Trottelheimer]

The mod matrix slots can be completely different for the A and B sounds - only the destinations are common for A and B. To do that, you have to use the MORPH mode and select "Edit A" or "Edit B". This also lets you set switched parameters differently, like LFO waveforms, filter routings etc. If you just want a different A/B amount for a slot, that only needs using the Morph knob like for the other continuous parameters (knobs & sliders). The FX types and some global setup stuff, like the polyphony and timbrality modes, can't be morphed. I'm sure you've figure out that, and the snapshot/saving thing too, by now 👍 Posting this just in case, and so that the viewers gets to know about it.

[@justusandtherockets]

Yes!!! Finally 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@teftymusictech]

Loving this synth!

[@GerenM63]

I've had mine for a couple of weeks now, and yeah, it's a beast! The keyboard did take me a little be to get used to -- the key travel is relatively short compared to most other synths. And yeah, saving ... I've lost a couple of patches, too ... LOL! I was a little concerned about only 6 voices, too, just as I was concerned about only 5 on the Take 5, but really it's been fine so far. All-in-all it's really good fun, and it compliments my other synths (Take 5, opsix, wavestate, microfreak, and a couple others) really well.

[@teftymusictech]

You're absolutely right, the key travel is shorter. You've got some great synths! Take 5 is a beauty 🙌

[@GerenM63]

@@teftymusictech Thanks, yeah. And everything is almost "together" enough after moving my studio space to actually produce some music again! Cheers!

[@MrDschiesus]

i have a poly sitting right next to me and i also think in the premium segment there are other synths that sound better. of course that is always subjectiv but thats my take. at the time i bought mine the U.D.O Audio 6 was coming out and i love that sound. impressed me way more than the polybrute. others like oberheim better, others the prophet. however from all these the polybrute is by far the cheapest. you can get actually 2 polybrutes for one OB-X8. however the polybrute does sound good. not outstanding good for me but def really good. but i found out that the sound isnt the only important quality for me. what makes the poly so great for me is the super transparent and logic layout, (the U.D.O. for me in this is a complete fail), the playability with ribbon and morphee and crossfade AND the genius matrix. the matrix really is a strike of genius: you load up a patch and push the mod button and instantly on one glance see all the modulation that takes place. and just as easy it is to set up your own. for me that is still learning that was so super helpful to see what is going on and understand what the creators did within seconds. none of the synths ive had came close to displaying it so accesable. also its the best sequencer i ever had, making the process super transparent and easy to set up. also the seq and arp combination in the matrix is friggin great. i cant understand that other firms havent copied that yet the matrix is just awesome. then a real big one is the efects section! a lot o people might say they dont need it and they have the external effects and that is just fine. however: the arturia effects are extremely good (not like the bs you get w/ the deepmind for example). i use arturia effects a lot in the daw and having really good sounding effects on board with dedicated knobs again makes the workflow so much smoother. these are the big ones for me. of course being able to crossfade between to patches is cool but the layout and the matrix and playability are the biggest pros for me id say.

[@synthsamuraiproductions]

Epic

[@JeffHopkinsMusic]

Try the matrixbrute. It's a bass and lead power house.

[@PaulJohnsonUK]

I’d love for you to do a video explaining how to properly set up and use with Ableton. I’m finding when I record envelopes then play back it’s not a faithful reproduction of what I played. I feel I’m doing something wrong.

[@ParkerCharlesGabriel]

The Polybrute is a Juggernaut

[@JBlongz]

If you had to choose between PolyBrute and ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe??

[@teftymusictech]

That's a tough one. Could be different on each day I choose. Right now, PolyBrute.

[@maydaygoingdown5602]

Hi mate, how does it stand up against your Summit? Which do you prefer?

[@teftymusictech]

Definitely different tone. The Summit has a wider range that it can achieve due to the digital oscillators and effects. But the Summit lacks the morphing which makes every Brute patch incredibly expressive. I need more time with the PolyBrute 🙌

[@kierenmoore3236]

PRO 3 has morphing, too.

[@SmallWorldBigThings]

Polybrute..... 😍😍😍

[@teftymusictech]

😍😍😍 Indeed!

[@cronenbergj]

What do you think of it vs the Summit/Peak ?

[@teftymusictech]

Love my Summit. Different beasts honestly. I will say the expression level from the PolyBrute is very unique. I can't do the patch morphing on a Summit. But I get a wider range of sounds from the Summit. I might do a comparison vid in the future.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Sounds thin and bright, to me. I know it can do some heftier sounds, but that doesn’t seem to be its natural inclination.

[@Banoffeeee]

if they can up the voice to 7 will be very nice...most used piano voicing sometimes goes up to 7 voices

[@johnny5kmusic346]

Please sir... May i have some mooooore??? Lls Classic Oliver scene 😂 But please... more Polybrute content? I just bought the hydrasynth for a second time, have a minifreak, and all of Arturia's software... Just trying to justify paying so much for this keyboard. Say, versus a Jupiter X. I know... 2 completely different style synths, but those are my choices. Thanks 👍🏾

[@adamtitz2348]

I have all three. For Hydrasynth, I would choose Jupiter X for more sonic variety, or the new Synclavier Regen, which I plan to do.

[@teftymusictech]

More content on the way! We already have an Ambient track recorded (gonna release in a week or so). So I don't have experience with the Jupiter-X, but I do have experience with the Juno-X and the modern Fantoms. They're excellent keyboards and the controls feel great. If you want those Roland bread and butter sounds, then the Jup-X is excellent. However! If you want to make complex patches, then I'd pick something else. The modeled engines of the Jupiter, Juno, SH101 etc etc are limited so you don't get a bunch modulation options, you get a nice set of limited options like the original hardware. There's the ZenCore stuff, but it's pretty brutal to program anything complex on a Jupiter/Juno-X. The Roland boards won't do the PolyBrutes level is expression, though.... that patch morphing is fantastic!

[@johnny5kmusic346]

@@teftymusictech Thanks!

[@GuyVignati]

Great synth but really I can’t accept it has only 6 voices for that price. It should be at least 8… Would be great a new edition with more voices and polyphonic Aftertouch.

[@GirthUnitz]

Agreed! That was the dealbreaker for me as well. A future Polybrute Deluxe or whatever.. with 8 (or more) voices.. Take my money! :)

[@GuyVignati]

@@GirthUnitz glad to hear that you think the same 😃 Plus the poly Aftertouch would be invaluable for expressivity…just see how well it works on Hydrasynth

[@markkeneson6806]

And add audio inputs so that one can run external gear through the Polybrute's filters.

[@dannymolns3573]

When using both outs, do you plug them into two channels on your interface? Or can you use a Y cable to combine them and just use one channel on the interface? Thx!

[@teftymusictech]

Gotta be two inputs. Single inputs on audio interfaces don't act like headphone jacks, they're almost always mono inputs.

[@dannymolns3573]

@@teftymusictech ahh time to get myself a mixer then. Thank you!

[@Nazferot2]

$2500 + 6 VOICES = UGH HARD CHOICE

[@supercompooper]

This is the strangest programmable calculator demonstration I've ever seen on KZbin.😮

[@teftymusictech]

🤣 That's what I was worried about at first!

[@final_mile_music9713]

I have the original. It’s fabulous. But the keyboard feels a bit cheap/light to me. Everything else is great.

[@anthonyalexander7246]

If you compare the raw oscillators to say the behringer pro 8 or matrix 6.or nina . It does not have that magic sauce. A little vanilla, a movie score synth. Modulation is its strength, raw sound not so much, and that small shallow keybed. These companies seem to be in a world all by themselves. 2 steps forward 3 steps backwards.

[@ilovecatsandsynths9702]

If you “RTFM” about snapshots you might be able to get your patch back. Well, by the time you read this you’ve probably moved on and make 73 1/2 other patches… anyway, congrats on the synth! If you’ve ever played a full sized Hydrasynth or Hydrasynth Deluxe, how does the keybed compare?

[@teftymusictech]

Good call on the snapshots! I've got the Hydra Deluxe and they're definitely different. The Deluxe has this hard stop at the end of the key throw and it's noisy (physically). The PolyBrute has a slightly shorter throw and the end is soft and cushioned. That cushioned part makes it feel nice to dig into aftertouch. Ironic, considering the Deluxe is PolyTouch but the 'feeling' of the aftertouch isn't as satisfying to my fingers. I actually prefer the PolyBrute over the Deluxe keybed 🤔

[@validcore]

Just can't get past the straight up phone they made the touch pad look like.

[@teftymusictech]

🤣 You're not wrong

[@__cal29]

Have you played the full size hydrasynth? I know you had the explorer, but can't remember if you played the flagship version. Wondering how those keys compare to everything else you've tried.

[@adamtitz2348]

Hi, I have both and Hydrasynth Deluxe have keys about 2mm longer than PB, more harder touch feeling, near by oneself, solid. PB keybet function very softly, good for gliss or speedy solos, but very sensitiv for accuracy! More gaps inbetween keys, You see underneath metal plate, in future maybe dust...

[@teftymusictech]

Adam pretty much summed up my thoughts. I was surprised to see how the Deluxe has this 'hard' stop at the end of the throw given that the Explorer had a more gentle touch to it. It's like the plastic just hits a hard surface. The Deluxe is also really noisy in comparison to other synth keys because of this hard stop. I also feel like I need to push into the Deluxe keys more to get the PolyTouch activated. The PolyBrute's mono AfterTouch feels really good to me. Of course, take this with a grain of salt as my keyboard taste could be a direct opposite of yours!

[@enochroot9438]

@@teftymusictech I have both and found the sweet spots by adjusting the sensitivity parameters in the settings

[@Emil_m]

Well, guitar is a different instrument, 6 strings is all you can play “simultaneously”. A keyboard is unnatural with 6 voices. You have to be constantly aware of it as you play. Kind of sad they didn’t go for 12. It’s an instrument designed for polyphony and expressiveness, but then you can’t play it with two hands without note-stealing ruining it.

[@kierenmoore3236]

There’s a 12-voice version coming, apparently. Hopefully, with a better keybed, too.

[@Emil_m]

@@kierenmoore3236 nice! Maybe they could make one in a module version as well. Though I think the Morphe is interesting, I would probably end up just not using it and instead use an expression pedal. And I already have a MIDI controller for a keyboard. The touch ribbon is a nice feature though.

[@kierenmoore3236]

@@Emil_m Perhaps a module. Polybrute always sounded kinda thin/bright to me, for a VCO synth. I’ve heard it make thicker sounds, but it seems to me to tend towards the brighter-side. I’ve definitely preferred sounds on the Matrixbrute, and analog FX FTW! The Morphee is a Touché copy, and I’d rather not have it incorporated into one synth. Is the ‘ribbon’ controller made of actual wood?! That seems strange/less-than-smooth. Other synths have the morphing function, eg PRO 3. I think it needs 12-voices and Poly-AT to refresh it; I’ e heard the new version will have both, and multi-timbrality.

[@Emil_m]

@@kierenmoore3236 hmm, I prefer warmer/darker sounding synths as well, and based on demos on YT I couldn’t tell if PolyBrute fits my preference, 6 polyphony was a dealbreaker. Otherwise, in 12 I would just buy one and experiment with it and resell if it’s not “compatible” with my ears ;) There are relatively few synths on the market that I’m curious about enough to buy them. My criteria are: 1) save presets 2) straightforward interface, and mostly knob-per-function 3) analog with 12 voice poly

[@kierenmoore3236]

@@Emil_m Not too many synths meet all those criteria … except for one of my favourites: REV 2 16-voice You need to work a bit harder (or buy presets) to get great sounds from it, though - and you don’t buy any Sequential synth for the FX … What synths do you have on your shortlist?

[@anthonyalexander7246]

Mpc 61, is the worst keybed, I agree, the polybrute is shallow way to much and seems small. Not great, the korg vox continental is a dream keybed.

[@technodrone313]

that price tho lol

[@teftymusictech]

Definitely expensive!

[@adamtitz2348]

Maybe it would be better to read the enclosed operating instructions first, try it out and then do a video review, right?

[@teftymusictech]

If I wanted to create a full video review first, then yeah, but this is a first impressions as I clearly stated in the title and mentioned in the video (I also mentioned this wasn't a full review in the video). First impressions are important for people that don't own a synth and want to see peoples first experience etc. Also, I don't review things without doing full productions with them yet (unless it's a minor refresh to the hardware that I'm already familiar with)