You could bypass the analog side by not placing any analog instruments on the device. This kinda answers the other question on track order - Any instrument can go on any track, scatter effects, or put any of the 4 analog drums on any of the 8 tracks.
The analog voices use modern SSI chips, industry-standard analog components, and are designed in-house. Each analog voice has 2 analog VCOs, analog VCA and filter/envelope set along with a noise source and an optional digital oscillator/vca/filter per voice.
There are multiple models, 13 analog drums in all(full list coming soon) with some really unique drums, each with around 6-10 mutations. Mutations differ per instrument model but can be different sounds, such as a sine wave base kick switched to a saw or square.
Not sure I understand what you mean by compatibility with Play/Tracker - like pattern or sequence compatibility?
As for accepting Mess effects - like the presets you create on Mess? I don’t believe that would be possible.
Answered the first part above, thank you. As for the manufacturing process - everything is waiting for the final memory chips right now, but to speak on it broadly…I don’t know where to start. A lot of the pre-manufacturing work is in testing. Just a lot of testing. Emission testing, encoder durability testing, switch durability testing, audio fidelity testing, thermal testing, power testing. Building jigs for testing, then building jigs to test the testing jigs. So you can measure thousands of knobs turns, thousands of cable inserts, connector abuse, etc.
Anyway, all that is done! So now it’s just software testing. We have some pretty cool footage of some regulatory testing a while back that I’ll try and post up.
thank you so much for our response! was really looking forward to the Q&A as i’d really like some insight on my initial questions, so i’ll repost here:
what is the session/file management is like when you connect it to a computer?
will there be some type of export settings for tracks and specifically, to what exact file extensions if so?
can you record your live sets on the unit itself?
any kind of ableton integration?
how long can samples be? can you warp them? chop them? timestretching? etc
Those are pretty specific things that I’ll have to confirm first so answers may change… But no Ableton integration that I know of, samples are probably only 1 shots, no chopping. I don’t think there is any live recording or track export, besides recording parameter changes. File management is similar to USB mass storage via Play+/Synth with specific folders for songs, etc.
Not like the play punch in effects no. It is very performable but in a different way in my opinion. We should make a seperate video specifically about performance but as a knob per function style device a lot of the performantive aspects are just turning knobs and it sounding good + X/Oh/Y crossfading and adding fill with the fill button.
power demand is definitely heavier than other Polyend devices. It uses a barrel power supply at 12V, center-positive, 4A. So it isn’t USB-C power. I think Tracker+ was 500mA so about 8 times the current requirements. I don’t think anyone has tested but I’d have to check with an electrical engineer.
Bummer on Mess effects. Really feel like Mess, Endless, and new gear (even old gear) would benefit from some measure of a shared ecosystem. In the early days it seemed like it was something the Drums would have.
I am really bummed that we still don’t have an analog video demo.
The analog question was more about if not used to they use power? If I went all digital vs using analog will I be consuming less energy? Or are the analog circuits always engaged in some fashion for analog drive, filter, etc.
okay better answers, all this might sound a bit dissapointing but the goal of Drums is really to offer a focused Drum machine workflow, and you gotta experience it first!
It’s via USB mass storage - like a pendrive
There is no type of stem export.
No internal recording.
There is no limit on an individual sample, just a total memory limit. No chopping, time-stretching, or any other sample edit functions. No sampling, either.
I agree, and the Endless player on Mess is pretty close to finalized, but for Drums something like that is always a future possibility with firmware updates. There is a lot of headroom in the device for different updates in the future too.
thank you for the response! in number 4 you say no limit to individual sample but then also say “no sampling either”. i understand theres no time-stretching or edit functions but i’m a little confused. can i add my own samples to the device or no?
It does replace an instrument on a channel; however, if you put an insert effect on track 1, it creates an input channel there too to send the audio input into a track.
Its kind of muscle memory for the knobs, but I’d say very forgiving. Iso plays more club sets than anyone at Polyend, and he says he’d be comfortable playing clubs without preparing anything at all. There is an LED that shows the knob parameter you are tweaking above each model, so you know what you are turning.
There are a lot of repeat/ratchet options kinda like Play.
Is the Drums “zero latency” - or is there an “analog drums only” zero latency mode? Is there an option to compensate for latency in the external sync settings (ie a negative delay)?