Polyend Play: A Thorough Look

A thorough look at the Polyend Play algorithmic/generative sample-based groove box and performance sequencer.
Get a Polyend Play
At Perfect Circuit: bit.ly/3ZDYab7
At Patchwerks: shrsl.com/3vvcg
00:00 intro
00:53 what is the play
01:08 importing samples
03:00 sequencer basics
04:39 fill: random and euclidian
05:35 fill: beats
07:41 sound parameters
09:59 randomize and chance
12:43 entering notes
14:31 delay and reverb
17:34 reversing sounds and parameter locks
18:19 chance for generative pitch
19:22 adding chord sounds
20:19 adding percussion and folder management
21:22 play modes
23:26 sound presets and limiter
25:40 saving and naming projects
26:04 patterns and variations
27:26 session save and recall for performance
28:42 performance mode
31:10 a note on loading and saving
31:45 final thoughts
Join me on Patreon and get access to music, presets, samples, and a great community: bit.ly/rmrpatreon
Take a lesson with me: rmr.media/education
Find my music here:
Bandcamp: bit.ly/2Kq617o
Soundcloud: bit.ly/2NOH9Is
Spotify: spoti.fi/2N40SoX
KZbin Music: bit.ly/3PZQ4ol
iTunes: apple.co/2pqh3SK
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2O9q1fe
Merch: bit.ly/rmrshirts
Connect:
Twitter: bit.ly/rmrtwitters
Website: bit.ly/rmrmedia

[@BennJordan]

Aye! Love you love your show! Great video, insanely thorough. 🤲🏻 Future Benn responding to the 34:45 portion a year after my initial review: The Play is very special to me because of its accessibility to those curious about getting into music production. The easy process of making a drum and bass beat that sounds good is a huge dopamine rush, but having the editable guts of it displayed for you in the grid makes it easy to experiment and see what happens if you move a kick or change the melody sample. I think the MIDI sequencer mode is probably the best thing about it that would be suited for those experienced with DAWless production. But the overall function (in V1.0 even) is incredible when acting as a gateway that's fun and encouraging to use. And I'm a bit batty-eyed when realizing that this accessibility was the entire calculated point of the device (while a lot of synth folks are still comparing it to the Deluge because...light up buttons?). Anyway, I couldn't really articulate that a year ago because I hadn't yet experienced my mom and dad playing with it on the kitchen table or traveled with it as my primary idea box. So I suppose I should correct myself - Naturally, at the end of the day, if you want the best device to *finish* a song for under $1,000, a laptop will be the obvious winner. 😅

[@RedMeansRecording]

🙏💯🙏

[@beanacomputer]

You two should start a synth-themed ice cream company called Benn and Jeremy's.

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

@@beanacomputer Better yet, an ice-cream themed synth and effects company. I'd like to see a Chocolate Swirl rotating speaker effect.

[@simonc8265]

@@jeffryarchambeau5441 floating raspberry arp

[@glamball]

Hi! I'm pretty impressed by generative music capabilities of Play. So, if all I want is just to play and have fun, and maybe at someday want to track-out my live session through main output so I can share it with friends, I should be just fine with Play, right? I just can't really use PC as a tool due to mental issues, despite having some downtempo ideas and covers on some trip-hop songs. I had MPC100, Korg Electribe 2 Sampler, Maschine MK2 and some Pocket operators in the past, but the most fun I had was with was Korg Monotribe: just having simple beat and sample&hold was pretty enough. Also, I like the Tracker, but Fill functions doesn't seem to be as much powerful as Play's. Plus Play have auto-scale for those like me who don't know even the basics of music theory. So even the extra you should pay for Play looks like a very good deal, right?

[@joelkulesha8284]

I love this new "idgaf" style the channel is moving towards. It's clear you're having fun with it and that's fun!

[@RedMeansRecording]

It's all I have

[@zayoBIM]

Second this - as someone in the market for these things now and then when I save up some cash, it's really helpful to hear someone rip on these companies for not delivering, and not just sheepishly praise them or gently offer half-hearted criticism. It makes me feel like someone is out there trying to represent musicians/hobbyists/idiots with money - I realize that's probably not your goal but I choose to take it that way.

[@_mickmccarthy]

Future Jeremy is awesome, you should do more collabs with him going forward

[@NoirEtBlancVie]

So, I’m happy I finally got around to watching this. I really liked what you said at the end about “finishing tracks with it”. So, I have zero issues with the Play, I’ve sorta let it mature while enjoying romps here and there, but hell no will I not finish music with it, BUT, it’s soooo fun and fast to enjoy, it’s like a music toy on crack, I just can’t stop playing with it when I start…. Finishing anything, no…not within the Play, that would take me actual work, and I like the Play for Plaaaaaying lol

[@rochefsky]

Love that you take the time to go back an update to be current with recent firmware... that's a ton of work for you!!! and we appreciate it!!

[@amosluyk]

Thanks man :) I really appreciate the honest and knowledgable reviews you do. Too many KZbinrs seem to be doing adverts rather than reviews, so your content is really valuable for those of us who need some honest guidance.

[@PleasantDiversion]

Future Jeremy deserves his own channel. (Uh huh).

[@teolandon225]

He'll get it one day, I'm sure.

[@joelkulesha8284]

It's like those people who make videos of themselves watching movie trailers. But better

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

Red Meant Recording

[@whentheleavesarefalling]

He already has it. It’s just not released yet. But it it is super awesome.

[@peladoclaus]

Future Morty is his real name

[@ToyKeeper]

The "good for 4-bar loops but doesn't really facilitate finishing songs" thing is exactly the reason why I've never been able to get excited about the Play. Its strengths and my music goals have almost no overlap.

[@armyofmeat]

Future Jeremy is so chaotic and I love this dynamic

[@fleetadmiralsidiqi1941]

I live for the reviews that upfront say everything won't be rainbows and unicorns. I've wasted enough thousands of dollars in the past on not having honest info. Thanks J!

[@Srcsqwrn]

This is great! I love when Future Jeremy pops in, and I really appreciate that the lighting it purple to tell when it actually is future Jeremy! I'll never be able to get a real synthesizer, but I still like learning about them through you! Let's hope that their future patches fix the issues you ran into. Thank you for the great videos, and the great music. I still listen to Hindsight a good amount since I bought it. Edit: I gotta say, I love the random future Jeremy pop ins at the start, and that outro is *chefs kiss*. "Get the fuck outta my house". Very fun, you always have a way to be a great entertainer

[@peladoclaus]

Appreciate that you explain if and how to do sets on the device. That is seriously a big deal to me. I gigged as a DJ for years and being able to perform live is a go or no go for me on devices

[@soffter]

this was a really honest and thorough look at this device, great work man

[@cloudlightmusic101]

Genius workaround for your yt goals, you’re a champion

[@GreatistheWorld]

I really appreciate how you’ve used hundreds of electronic music tools and still have the clarity to mention when the UI could be better(or is possibly bad) instead of just the raw functionality & features. You balance overview/critique/praise extremely well

[@fallprecauxionsmusic]

jeremy really nailed it here. after having the OG play a few weeks now, I find that everything that people say about it is true. it's a lot of fun. it's really quick to get some interesting stuff cookin'. I can build new & interesting grooves & soundworlds in an instant with this thing. BUT.... I've found that I can start the shit outa some stuff. but really hunkering down & finishing... I can do it, sure. but THAT is where the real challenges kick in. well... in fact, well before actually finishing. just taking a new & interesting idea & developing it... that's where the real compositional biz kicks in. & the play doesn't seem, at least not at this very early stage, to help me develop musical ideas & push through into the deeper phases of the compositional process. so... much like many other pieces of gear, I get some interesting stuff happening, but then I'm thrust into the "so, now what?" zone. maybe it's just me m but jeremy's points at the end of this vid have got me thinking maybe it's not just me. great breakdown, though. & I think the play is a really nice musical device. I just hope, along with the whole + line, it gets a few more things that it needs to be more complete.

[@IsraelFerrerCamacho]

I like all Past, Present and Future Jeremy. Best video about the Polyend Play.

[@bastian5304]

Love the outro! 😂 fantastic video as always.

[@SpaceTown]

i want to make my own video about the play at some point in the future because the device has perhaps the highest "I am excited to use this in theory" to "when I actually use it I don't make anything that I'd play out" ratio of any device I've ever owned your point about the play and how it doesn't necessarily aid in finishing tracks is what i'm still wrapping my head around! for the longest time I just thought I didn't get on with generative sequencers but I think there's a larger issue at play (pun intended) about the process of composition where understanding where to "go" with a track and breaking out of The Loop almost requires someone (or me, at least) to be invested in what brought me to the point of even having the 4-8 bar loop in the first place, since it's difficult to see where you can go if you don't know what got you there in the first place the play has always been great for noodling away and I thought it would be really great to add to a setup because my whole thing is "noodling, but live" but I just don't know if I get along with the way the play does generative stuff; the most fun I've had playing live is when I forget what I wrote and then remember in the moment and realize what I can do with it, but the polyend play puts things too far out of context for me imo

[@littlehelix]

I love the Polyend Play. In general very easy to understand, no menu diving. The features made me do beats I couldn't come up with on any other device. I think it's best not as a standalone only but with other gear, ...like a synth for example. Very unique and progressive device, I hope other gear manufacturer can learn something from it.

[@davidb7723]

Love your stuff. Please keep it up!

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

I come back here every time I need to be reminded of something I haven't tried yet.

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

Listened again today. Still more stuff to try!

[@jerem680]

What a tricky exercice, sell something you don't want to sell 😅😅😅thank you J you are Amazing.

[@damiensimper]

I really appreciate that your not just being another 'influencer' here!

[@krazywabbit]

Favorite part. The 'slide in tongue fx'. I hope to see this in version 1.3. (not time stamping where, so it does not hurt the watch time)

[@Skiddoo42]

With variations I think it is possible to create the kind of song dynamics you are speaking about, by making each variation about mute selections, rythyms and transpositions especially. I don't know, I'll try this later and see if I can prove that concept (hoping the mute thing works...). One thing I didn't hear you mention was the update to erase unused samples from the sample pool. This eliminates the problem you referred to with getting overloaded sample pools and to me it was the single most important feature in the last update. Otherwise, always great to see a pro like you digging into the gear I'm using, I learn so much and I'm really jonesing to dive back in now! Follow up: So no, performance buttons and global do not save into variations so far as I can tell :( But, you can make any knob changes and save them that way, including Note for transposition and any effects that can be accessed through the encoders. The mute thing is kind of a bummer though.

[@ahp00k]

Yeah, performance changes go away as soon as you leave Perform mode. And variations don't have any concept of muting.

[@tyranic1]

I would never dream of completing songs in any groove box period. I use them for idea's, inspiration, pleasant surprises that i export to my daw, a daw will always be better tool to finish mixes and master. This box is in my opinion the best inspiration tool out there. Hopefully a few more updates would make it more so.

[@mojodrum3215]

Definitely the play makes it easier compared to other grooveboxes l the way it generates ideas quickly.

[@dieter-4977]

Another great video on another great device that will never be available where I live :(

[@lemonberries]

The ending cracked me up😆

[@nachtaktiv]

Very nice and fun little box, although the missed the opportunity of induvidual outs or even a cue out. my other cons (on the software side, i'm pretty optimistic they will change and add a lot in the future): - no chance to get a track "back in sync" once you messed with the play modes, you have to stop the sequence - only one "chance" action per time - no possibility of color coding the rows or trigs (would be handy for live performances" - no ping-pong play mode and most of the modes only trig the first quarter of the sequence - midi-sequencing is weird because even the channel is parameter locked, would be cool to assign a fixed channel for a row - no filter envelope, no different filter types. the filter sounds rather bad for my taste - chance modes are not very well thought out, e.g. it's not possible to play it every 3rd time in 4 bars, skip 2 play 1 skip 1 is not possible. better copy the elektron way of doing it ;) - no LFO - a visual representation of the filter and the sample wave form would be nice (like on the digitakt) - the most of the performance pads sound not really good and it's a risk to push them randomly during a live show

[@LukeLendrum]

I had one for a few months and solid it because it simply does not work as a blank canvas in a live setting anywhere near as quickly or intuitively as the Deluge

[@rawalshadab3812]

That last few minutes raised an interesting question I would like to see a video about: What groovebox do you think has the best song-writing/ song completion capabilities and why?

[@RaverOperatorGeeza]

For me, the MPC One. It's the only groovebox I have! 😂

[@rawalshadab3812]

@@RaverOperatorGeeza I have a polyend tracker and a Novation Circuit. The tracker works for me for finishing stuff (structurally, because I still need to mix it on a DAW). I would want an MPC just to compare the experience.

[@sgsrules]

Probably the Deluge. It's the only groovebox that i've used that really doesn't have arbitrary limitations. Variable and endless track lengths. You want a track that's 666 measures long? go for it. Has subtractive, fm, and ring mod synthesis. Plays stereo samples of any length, you can load up whole stems or songs if you want. Samples are streamed from the card so you don't have to worry about ram limitations. They recently added wavetable support It has a live looper and can resample. If you don't like it's sound engine you can use it to sequence other gear. If you want to break out of the loop it has an arranger mode as well. It's also battery powered so you can take it anywhere. And finally their customer support is outstanding. I've had mine for 6 years and the amount of stuff they've added over the years is simply amazing. It's changed so much that I ended up getting a new faceplate with shortcuts, and I'm about to send mine in to get the 4 segment display (that many people complained about) replaced with the new OLED display that all new Deluges are shipping with. Most companies wouldn't offer upgrades like these, and would instead just sell a new 2.0 version.

[@RaverOperatorGeeza]

@@rawalshadab3812 nice dude, I know there's been some kickback on the MPC with recent updates, but it really is a great piece of kit! I bought a M8 tracker end of last year and really enjoyed using it for a quick track I made whilst learning the basics on it, but haven't had time to come back as I've been struggling cutting up an awkward song (plus life admin) the last couple of months. I didn't count that as a groovebox (my ignorance?) but do definitely agree you can make and finish tracks using only that! So yeah, I use those two and Koala Sampler! Edit: I'd love try try the Polyend tracker out still!

[@RaverOperatorGeeza]

@@sgsrules yeah I must say you are selling it to me. Sounds like a possible studio update for me in the future!

[@sgsrules]

Great content as always, I love your channel! I've been debating on pairing this with my Deluge and small synth setup for live performance/noodling/jamming. The polyend play would handle all the drums and atonal elements and the deluge would handle everything else. One of my complaints about the deluge is that it's easy to lose track of what track is what especially since you can scroll up and down. Offloading all the drums to a separate box could help organize things, make it possible to swap out my drums while keeping the rest the same and add some more immediate controls for live performance. On the flip side, adding a second sequencer to my setup is going to complicate things. I mainly produce breaks, dnb, and glitchy stuff so I was sold after watching Ben Jordan's video. Now I'm having to think twice about this, thanks Jeremy lol. Does this sound like a good idea, or am I falling prey to GAAS?

[@wiegraf9009]

Maybe try using the color select function for tracks on the Deluge to keep things organized? I like how the play is a bit easier to get into with different time signatures, but I feel like the fact that it doesn't behave in the same way as the Deluge would screw with my head a bit. I would maybe like a generative sequencer that's a bit simpler and stick with the Deluge as my main, or maybe the Deluge will get some more advanced generative functions!

[@akuro2685]

I totally agree on wanting feature parity between chance and randomize! I also wish they had more options of what could be chanced/randomized.

[@AlexCouch]

Thanks!

[@helius981]

Hey :) loved the video! I am trying to use it as a drum machine in my life set and would love to control the different levels of the channels. Do you know if there is a way to map those? I know it has cc in but I a a bit lost. Maybe you have an idea. Thanks in advance.

[@verbmusics]

I typically don’t comment on videos but that random kick pattern at 5:13 briefly gave off early Pharrell beat/Clipse vibes 😂 search Grindin. Snare was def off tho

[@combatrock]

"I'm not gonna go into it" -Goes immediately into it

[@DM78]

I love my Play, but I'm an old skool tracker musician, so I still think the Tracker is more effective for making the music I want to make. That said, the Play works better/faster/easier with my Eurorack.

[@IntertemporalTraveler]

Thanks for this review, in spite of some of it's flaws I think I'm still interested in it. It seems like it should have been called the Polyend Drum though. Looks like a beast of a drum machine. Any reason to expect that it will do badly in this role in my hardware setup?

[@duncan-rmi]

"I don't wanna hear that" 😂 I love my tracker- changed my whole workflow, vis a vis arrangements for other musicians to play with. the play, on the other hand, seems to be a mix/remix tool (so it's odd that they went mono samples without a way to import multisamples or groups of stems that are related- see the deluge demos from four years ago!) or for quickly generating loopy beats to impress your mates but not actually convey anything much musically or emotionally. my play is back in its box & headed for the used market, I'm aftraid. things like the 1010 blackbox are much more than they appear to be, while the play seems to be much less than it promises. the integration with the tracker has been done in reverse too- I want the tracker to have dedicated protocols for addressing the interesting features of the play, but instead you get this dumbed down remote control, by the play, of the tracker. time I blew the dust off the deluge & ventured up that steep learning curve again.

[@Luap-ls3ix]

Every review I’ve seen about this device made it seem like it was very intuitive. Is there any particular function or functions that had you searching through the manual to find?

[@RedMeansRecording]

The specifics of how it did that it did. Reviews lie. Or fib. Or smear.

[@lemelik]

Hey, great video. Please don't misunderstand this comment but, after seeing your video to the synth brands, I was wondering if you will be announcing which videos are paid production? You did mention they sent this unit to you, but you did not mention whether they paid you. Thank you.

[@DomDomPop]

Seems like a Deluge Jr to me, which on the one hand is nice because you could get this and a Polyend Tracker for $150 bucks more than a Deluge… on the other hand, it seems like the Deluge is a bit more refined in a number of ways, and if I already have a M8 anyway…

[@BinauralBae]

Question Would you recommend the Play for people who already have the Tracker? Never selling my Tracker because you know why, but this is more for people still suffering from acute gas

[@RedMeansRecording]

Lol. Just ask this in the discord.

[@paulschilling2996]

23:04 😍

[@Geneoart]

Gotta get those cyber banjos! 🤘

[@RedCloudServices]

Can this unit trigger external devices and also play it’s own or custom samples simultaneously?

[@audian666]

are those the Beyerdynamic DT 700 pro x headphones, and if so how do you find them?

[@RedMeansRecording]

They're ok. Not life changing. I still like my m50x the best

[@JohnDoe-yr5tg]

How do you compare it to the deluge I’m on the fence which one

[@slvrcross]

You sound sick hope you get better

[@jased8577]

❤

[@thehowlingterror]

Pity you didn't show the instrument during the entering notes section. Intentional?

[@NickBender]

Yup

[@bryanbytes]

Future Jeremy needs his own channel…. Red Means Reacting?

[@ShaighJosephson]

Just playback of imported samples is way too limitted and would require some form of sampler or DAW recorded samples to feed it... I went the other way with a Headrush Looperboard acting as an input mixer and loop creator feeding an Akai Force audio interfaced with Abelton... Got a deal on a new HR for $499 and a new Force for $800... I don't think the bang for the buck can be beat with what I paid for this combo...

[@bipedal_earth_roamer]

Does it have MIDI record similar to Digitakt?

[@bipedal_earth_roamer]

It appears it does.

[@Lainer1]

Sort of reminds me of the Linnstrom

[@NikolayTechno]

What headphones you use ?

[@NicChap]

That future self is quite amusing at times.

[@LostStylus]

Sooo, there is no way to make and 8 bar loop? Only 4 bar? I wish this was more like ableton's live session mode

[@Algoritmarte]

Mono samples?!? .... on a 2023 digital device?!?

[@harveytherobot]

That's A LOT of modern grooveboxes - OP-Z, Digitakt, RYTM MK2, Circuits... I don't get it.

[@GHar94]

Jeremy, show me more of your cyber banjo 😏

[@peladoclaus]

Future Morty!

[@finitesound]

Hasn't convinced me that it's better than my Deluge. They seem to have feature-limited it on purpose.

[@ToyKeeper]

It looks similar to a Deluge, and it makes music... but that's where the similarities end. They don't have much in common other than appearance. The video specifically addresses this, since a lot of people compare the Play to the Deluge even though they're not really comparable.

[@anonymous_friend]

Does the Hapax rule them all? I dont read manuals. 😂

[@briannhinton]

The folders just need kick, snare, etc in the name.

[@okinawa1312]

I don´t understand what´s so cool about having only eight channels?

[@RedMeansRecording]

8 is enough for most tracks tbh. It's a good limit.

[@iamrocketray]

@okinawa7528 Its 8 Audio tracks AND 8 midi tracks so it's really 16 tracks.😁

[@orbitfold]

Polyend really should hire a ui/ux person. I know it's expensive for a small company but they really don't now what they're doing. Same with their tracker.

[@harveytherobot]

What do you find wrong with the UI/UX? I think they’re both pretty intuitive. Do you think Elektron or other companies do a better job?

[@orbitfold]

@@harveytherobot I think Elektron do an incredible job in ui/ux? They have an incredibly consistent experience across their product range. Also all the synergies and happy accidents that happen due to the design philosophy and concepts are just incredible (e.g. misuses of everything being p-lockable). Once you learn one of their machines you know them all. Some do it worse, some do it better, polyend tracker I didn't think was a usable piece of equipment, mostly due to bugs and advertised features like resampling not working. But I remember the UI/UX being awful too.

[@EVILJAMARR]

I like this video but I do not like this machine. It seems like a struggle to play, pun intended. I don’t want to boss fight a groovebox. Edit: I will be very interested in version two

[@arobins74]

"cyber banjo" - LMAO

[@OscillatorSink]

You read the manual? That's cheating.

[@isaac.anthony]

Your secondary comments is like a rapper recording their own hype track, LoL

[@isaac.anthony]

i wish my MC707 had more randomization options, and a software UI

[@FairuzOsman]

Ngl this is the most confusing video I’ve seen

[@RedMeansRecording]

Cool

[@ob1quixote]

Yeah. Uh huh.

[@fakshen1973]

It only plays mono samples.... well... 2 minutes into the video and Polyend has made me nope-out of getting one... good job Polyend. No need to watch the rest of the video.

[@fallprecauxionsmusic]

they have GOT to give us a more efficient means it reversing steps. that's just silly to hafta do all that doing for that one, simple & otherwise obviously desirable effect. c'mon, polyend!!

[@averagepainter]

the play has been quite a disappointment for me. the fact that you can have every channel/instrument on every track (and especially by doing it by accident) is a dealbreaker. i have it connected to my eurorack via a polyend poly 2. my dream was to control various drum modules from the play. but you have to be super concious about where you type the hits on the play. otherwise you could get hihats on the kick channel and snares on the hihat channel. as there is no way of seeing which one was which because they're all plain white, you end up with a mess you try to decipher and to repair. doesn't it feel logical to set one track to usb output 1, the next track to usb output 2 etc. and everything you type into the respective track will always be in the correct corresponding output channel? the way it is now is frankly unusable for a live situation except super messy IDM where it doesn't make a huge difference. but even then... and just to clarify the scope of the problem: say you're happily listening to the awesome beat you've made and want to change the hihat by hand, meaning removing some steps and adding others. you can do that. but if you were adding steps to the kick earlier, you now add steps that trigger the kick channel into the hihat channel. oh no, a track with 5 random steps got 8 new steps for the wrong instrument from me and i can't remember where exactly i put them because every button is white. instead of a steady beat with some hihats being transformed into the same steady beat with more hihats i now have a beat that consists of kickdrums. time is passing. i have to correct the mistake, hit undo, long-hold a hihat step to "pipette" the correct instrument, time is passing, then i have to set the steps for the hihat again. is this the way people wanted it? i can't imagine a setting where this could be useful.

[@tatopo40]

soon all this plastic crap with knobs will end up in the dustbin of history. because unfortunately, thanks to artificial intelligence, all these beautiful songs will be composed in one minute. sad.

[@Unifono2012]

The boxes will still be more fun to the user

[@harveytherobot]

But the fun is making it. Not having the end product.

[@mattbrown-mb]

Looks like plastic - yes, but it is made of metal. Also AI communicates nothing, so won't replace musicians or artists 👍

[@RedMeansRecording]

Lol