polyKB is a recreation of a very rare, very powerful polyphonic synthesizer released in the ’80s by a French company.
polyKB is a polyphonic subtractive synthesizer based on two waveform morphing, alias-free oscillators and a self-oscillating 4-pole low-pass filter.
The oscillators make a large part of the sound of this synthesizer but the filter, recreating a standard analog chip of the ’80s, with the help of a very complete modulation section, allow the polyKB to create “incredible and warm sounds, from gorgeous bass to slow evolving pads, through aggressive leads and thin crystal keyboards, without forgetting a wide range of special effects”.
The modulation section of polyKB acts like a matrix with five dedicated sources (LFO, ADSR, VCO, NOISE, VELOCITY) and five dedicated destinations (VCO 1 and 2 pitch, VCO 1 and 2 waveform, VCF frequency). To increase the sound design possibilities, six menus have being added, two for the sources, four for the destination, with which a wide range of modules can be chosen (Velocity, sequencer outputs, LFO freq, Filter res, VCO levels, to name but a few).
polyKB also features a powerful polyphonic sequencer. The sequencer can record and play 8 voices independently as well as the pitch and the velocity. To control the sequence, a 2 to 128 steps clock system allows a wide range of rhythms and patterns. Of course the sequencer outputs can be assigned as a source of modulation.
The polyKB offers:
- Two aliasing-free morphing oscillators: from triangle to pulse, through saw.
- One 4-poles, low-pass, self-oscillating filter.
- Two envelope generators (ADSR).
- Two MIDI-synced LFOs.
- One MIDI-synced Sample and Hold.
- One 128-steps polyphonic sequencer.
- One arpeggiator.
- Chorus and delay effects.
- Mono/Unison/Poly playing mode with up to 16 voices of polyphony.
- All parameters are MIDI controllable.
