Polyend Drums Debuts At Superbooth 2026
At Superbooth 2026, Polish developer Polyend has introduced Drums, a hybrid drum machine that blends analog voice design, digital synthesis, sample playback, advanced sequencing, and flexible I/O in a performance-oriented hardware instrument.
Polyend Drums is a hybrid analog and digital drum machine, designed to offer both classic percussive tone and modern production flexibility.
Built into a single-piece aluminum chassis with custom metal knobs, its four analogue drum voices are based on modern SSI chips that produce two VCOs, an additional noise source and a third digital oscillator that can be used for creating layered sounds or set up for frequency modulation. Each analogue voice also packs a multimode VCF and envelope-controlled VCA.
The remaining voices can make use of a variety of digital synthesis engines or samples. According to Polyend, options include “more than forty instruments, each with its own sub-mode mutations, giving users hundreds of sound options to choose from.” These digital tracks also have access to eight individual LFOs to provide modulation.
For sequencing, Drums makes use of what Polyend calls its “most intuitive sequencing system so far.” This involves a combination of fills, probability, micro-timing, parameter locks, pattern chaining, generative tools and multiple track play modes. Drums can also save and recall up-to 64 patterns, 64 drum kits and 48 song arrangements.
The instrument features an advanced eight-track sequencer, with deep per-track control and generative tools, a performance-ready control surface including an XOY fader for real-time morphing, and integrated effects arranged in send, insert, and master chains, in the words of Polyend, “effects part of the rhythm rather than something added only at the end of the signal chain.”
Connectivity includes individual audio outputs for channel separation, stereo audio inputs for external processing, multiple MIDI ports, USB-C, and a dedicated headphone output. It is available in both black and silver designs.
Under-the-hood, Drums makes use of a dual-core main CPU with auxiliary processors handling peripherals and analogue control. Audio processing is 32-bit floating point at 96 kHz, with 24-bit/96 kHz DAC and ADC conversion for audio input and output.
“Drums is a return to the fundamentals that defined Polyend from the beginning,” says Polyend CEO Piotr Raczyński. “We wanted to build the drum machine we would want to use and own ourselves. Something uncompromising in sound, materials, and workflow. Like our earliest instruments, Drums is made in small batches, with close attention to every detail, and built to stay relevant for decades.”
Features:
- Eight independent sequencer tracks with deep per-track control, probability, micro-timing, parameter locks, pattern chaining, and generative sequencing tools
- Four analog voices based on modern SSI chips, each combining dual analog VCOs, a dedicated noise source, and a digital oscillator for hybrid layering or precise FM
- Multimode analog filters and VCAs shaping each analog voice for percussion or tonal sounds
- Multiple digital synthesis methods alongside sample-based instruments
- An instrument library containing over forty instruments with individual sub-mode mutations
- Eight independent LFOs for modulation
- Integrated performance tools including kit switching without stopping playback and the X0Y fader for real-time morphing between states
- Three groups of effects: shared send effects, track-specific insert effects, and a master effects chain
- Eight individual audio outputs for separate track processing
- Stereo audio inputs that feed the effects processor for external sound shaping
- MIDI In, Out, and Thru jacks plus USB-C for MIDI and system connectivity
- Dedicated headphone output for monitoring
- Dual-core main CPU with auxiliary processors handling peripherals and analog control
- 32-bit floating point internal audio processing at 96 kHz with 24-bit/96 kHz DAC/ADC conversion
- Single-piece aluminum body with custom metal knobs and precision-built hardware
- Capacity for storing up to 64 patterns, 64 sound kits, and 48 songs with arrangement options
Drums is available for reservation now via a refundable $500 deposit, with the first run of units due to ship in around three or four months. The retail price will be €/$2,699, and Polyend says there will be quantities available at launch.
Visit the Polyend website for more information.
