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Polyend has released Play+ Firmware 1.3, a major update that adds Dirt, a new synth engine for warped, waveshaped timbres; a redesigned patch editor for faster sound design; and USB mass storage for direct SD card access alongside additional sound improvements.

New in Polyend Play+ Firmware 1.3:

The Dirt synth engine is built around waveshaping and warping, with 13 waveshaper modes that combine modulatable waveshapers with flexible filter routing and gain-staging for a massive palette of overdriven timbres. The main oscillator can be warped before being fed into the shaper.

Features:

• Morphable Oscillator + New Sub Osc: Blend between five base waves (sine, triangle, saw, square, narrow pulse). Mix in a new slightly darker sub oscillator.
• Bi-directional Warping: Skews the waveform in two distinct ways for positive vs. negative values, creating complex harmonics.
• 13 shapers with pre/post-filter routing: From musical saturation to extreme destruction. Saturator, Overdrive, Diode Clipper, Asymmetric, Waveshaper, Waveshaper+, Fuzz, Exciter, Bitcrush, Rectifier, Redux, Redux+, Redux+Bitcrush—with pre/post-filter routing.
• Modulation & Macros: Animate Warp and Drive via the mod envelope, assign any Dirt parameter to macros and sequence parameter locks for evolving synths.
• Gain staging: Shape the sound with Pre-Gain into the shaper and balance levels on the Voice page.
• New patch editor (faster sound design)
• A 3×3 knob grid is used to control 9 screen parameters, turn a knob to adjust the on-screen value.
• Page through synth parameters with the main encoder for continuous editing.
• More immediate control over 50+ patch parameters—quicker to build, tweak, and perform.
• USB mass storage (easier content management)
  • Manage sample packs, patches, and projects directly from your computer.
  • Enable via Main Menu – Settings – USB Mass Storage Mode to expose the SD card over USB.
• Additional improvements
  • Perc engine kicks: Refined 808/909 kick engines for more accurate tone and feel.

Polyend Play + Firmware 1.3 Explained:

Play+ Firmware 1.3 is available now as a free update for all Play+ owners.

Polish music gear maker Polyend has been busy!

In addition to introducing the new Polyend Synth, the company has released a series of updates for their Tracker and Play devices:

Nov 6: Tracker Hotfixes (Official Release) 80

Nov 7: Tracker Mini Note Input Mode (Open Beta) 89

Nov 8: Play/Play+ MIDI Perform Mode (Open Beta) 78

Nov 9: Play/Play+ Finger Drumming Mode (Open Beta) 41

Nov 10: Tracker+/Mini USB Audio Recording (Open Beta) 57

Nov 11: Play+ 1.1 & Play+ 1.5 (Official Releases) contains important fixes and the Perc drum machine for Plus units.

“None of these updates are a send off for the device,” they note, “and we have update plans for all of them in the future.”

Visit the Polyend site for details on the updates.

Polyend Play+ introduces four synth engines, turning the sample and MIDI machine into a fully-fledged groovebox. Now you can furnish your beats with analogue-style and FM sounds, and there’s also multitrack USB audio streaming.

In 2022 Polyend announced the original Play, a fascinating sample-based groovebox and MIDI sequencer that was pretty much universally beloved by anyone who could get their hands on one.

The new Play+ model goes a significant step further by adding four built-in synth engines, giving you far more creative options.

The synths are powered by an upgraded processor, which has also enabled Polyend to add stereo sample playback and multitrack audio streaming over USB.

The list of synth engines kicks off with ACD, an emulation of a single-oscillator monophonic analogue instrument. FAT promises to deliver the “powerhouse” vintage warmth of classic analogue synths, while VAP is a virtual anlogue instrument with a dual-oscillator design and modulation matrix.

Finally, there’s the cheekily named WTFM, a 2-operator FM synth with wavetable-based oscillators and a 3x feedback system. That said, we’re told to expect more synth engines in future updates.

Polyend reckons that the switch from mono to stereo samples will take you on a “more nuanced and expansive sonic journey”, which makes sense, and Play+ comes with new stereo sample packs. These are in addition to the already expansive library of more than 5,000 samples.

The new multitrack USB audio support, means that up to 14 stereo audio tracks can be sent to your DAW separately, ready for processing in any way you like. This also gives you the opportunity to process individual tracks with external effects during a live set.

Despite these enhancements, Play+ is said to stay true to the spirit of its predecessor’s workflow, enabling you to sequence tracks on a 8×16 step grid. Parameters can be sequenced on a per-step basis, and there are multiple effects, play modes and randomisation options. There’s a new piano roll for building melodies, and scale filtering can force Play+ to input and output only notes that fit the selected scale.

Connectivity options include MIDI I/O, stereo line/headphone out and USB-C. A 16GB MicroSD card comes in the box.

Play+ can be ordered now from the Polyend website for $799/€799. Upgrades from Play cost $399/€399.