This is not exclusive to iPads. Your audio over USB implementation is messed up with synth selection.
Hi @andrew-7286 , thanks for your comment. Yes, this bug still exists, we will notify you (as we always do) if a bug gets fixed, then it ends up in Archive . And yes, this bug is not about iPad, it exists in general. Thanks for your patience and for posting the workaround in the meantime, it helps other users also.
hello goodmorning
I am an unsatisfied play plus owner, and mostly for this reason.
I must also remark that i feel that advertising with âexperience seamless audio over USBâ is misleading and that it has mislead me. I had more bugs to solve, directly after aritival, so i did not send it back in time to the dealer for a refund. I can show the email on where i discussed returning the unit. I have used the device only a few times, mainly trying getting things to work.
Is there anything you can do to fix my problem, meaning taking the unit back?
Have a nice day
I.K.
Hi all @here , this issue is by design, please see more info about the same problem in Tracker and how to avoid it: USB audio breaks when loading new project, needs reboot - #7 by miropoly
Thanks for your patience and support!
Hello Miro, Not to be pedantic but are you are saying this issue is by design? As in you designed this amazing device to emit possibly ear damaging audio feedback on purpose if one doesnât connect the Play to the computer in an arcane and nonsensical way? Are you claiming this solves the problem? Are you telling me that your team of otherwise skilled engineers thought that the best way to implement USB over audio - even for just recording - was to force the user to use a series of undocumented steps and cross their fingers hoping the audio gods would bless them this day and let them perform one of the tasks the device is advertised as being able to do?
This is neither solved nor really acceptable for a $1000 device. For contrast I have a Roland S1 that is a fraction of the cost ($250) of the Play+ that seems to manage USB audio with absolutely no issue at all - I can, you know just plug it in and it works.
I would prefer if you simply acknowledged that due to either software or hardware limitations it is simply not possible. While this is not ideal it is much preferable to being told this was by design.
Due to the issue being exacerbated by changing synth patches I believe it is actually a software issue and could be fixed but your priority seems to be adding new features. I for one donât care at all about finger drumming but being to able to reliably record into a DAW is pretty high on my expectations for the device.
To be clear I love my Play+ but this buggy functionality has definitely taken the shine off to some degree.
I would suggest you remove the Solution tag.
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I 100% agree. It is super annoying how this disappointing bug is being sweettalked the advertisement text â experience seamless audio over USBâ is straight up misleading imho
Hi @andrew-7286 and @iv0 ,
Thank you both for your feedback. I completely understand how frustrating this issue can be, and I appreciate your patience.
When I referred to this issue as âby design,â it is simply a âtagâ we use in Backstage and I realize now that it needs further clarification: the current overall design of the device doesnât support seamless USB audio functionality in every possible configuration. We recommend using an aggregated audio device for both input and output, which should prevent the issues youâre experiencing. I believe this setup is also mentioned in the user manual.
But nevertheless, the USB audio functionality is not intended for tasks like creating and producing music, or doing sound design of presets. Instead, it is a substitute for transferring or recording finalized songs or a performance into a computer, which we believe it does well when set up as recommended. It is simply another way of bouncing or exporting your tracks.
While we understand that this may not meet everyoneâs expectations, we feel that the current design serves the productâs overall goals. I realize this might be disappointing, but we made this design choice based on the intended use and priorities for the device.
I appreciate your understanding, and I can certainly empathize with your desire for wanting more. If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to reach out.
Best regards
This is really not satisfying at all. The current âfeatureâ is so buggy that I donât think it qualifies as a feature. If this was described as experimental or beta I would be fine with it - with the understanding that at some point it would work as a fully functional feature. Also when this actually works itâs amazing - it makes the device so much more usable and makes up for some of its limitations (no LFO, reverb and delay settings being universal etc.). It makes the Play useful for sound design without the hassle of bouncing all the tracks. In short it shows us how powerful this device could be.
The question that is left unanswered is - is the USB audio like this because of a hardware limitation or is it due to an unwillingness to dedicate development effort to resolve the problem? Are new features more important than fixing bugs? Also if you connect it in the right order and ask for a blessing from the tech gods you can actually use it in the way you claim it is not designed for. I can load up stereo tracks for each of the tracks in the Play and I can sound design to my hearts content - getting amazing results I may add. If I mess up I can get potentially ear damaging results which is not great.
Let me describe this from a user perspective:
- I spend hard earned cash for this device with high hopes
- After using it for a few days and having a wonderful experience I decide to try out the USB audio.
- The device makes an intense static noise - did I just break it
- Worried I head to the forums and find out no the Play (and apparently the Tracker) are just super buggy when it comes to the USB connection.
- Now Iâve been told that Iâm doing it wrong - itâs not a bug itâs the intended functionality and there is no intention of fixing it.
To provide an analogy - this is equivalent to buying a Ferrari and discovering it makes a loud grinding sound in second gear and being told by the dealership that they built it that way on purpose because how long are you ever in second gear anyway and no they will not fix it. Overall you still like the fancy car and will still keep using it but every time you hear that grinding you will second guess your purchasing decision.
A small company like Polyend needs its users to evangelize its products. For instance on Reddit if user were to ask for a comparison between the Play and the Digikat I would feel the need to point out the buggy USB functionality and how this downgrades the usefulness of the tool. People often do research before making a purchase in this price point. This isnât a threat itâs simply the reality. The music community has only so many people willing to spend money on devices like this. I would much rather say how amazing Polyend is and how they listen to their users. Right now I feel like Iâve just been told to suck it up and get used to my device being hobbled.
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Hi @andrew-7286 , at the core of it itâs the hardware limitation.
Although Miro is correct there is a hardware limitation that might make this impossible to fix, we have decided to explore more potential solutions on this issue. I think first disabling Synth patch browsing via audio over USB to protect peopleâs ears is a necessary next step if it is not fixable another way.
We can also do a better job of documenting how the USB audio works and itâs intended use cases.
As for dropping USB audio when loading new songs - this is fixable by changing the buffer size in my experience every time.
Thank you for this response! I know you are a small team and have a lot of products on the go. Anything you can do to improve the USB audio experience would be appreciated.
No problem, we are exploring potential solutions now. It looks like it might be possible to fix if we reconfigure how USB audio is handled in the device, but that will take some time. I think the next Play+ beta will have some kind of USB audio fixes in there.
Hey @here, Thank you for your patience. After a closer inspection, we have decided to investigate this issue further. We are currently working on a fix and will keep you informed as soon as there are any updates. 
Once again thank you. I really appreciate the teamâs responsiveness. I love the Play and if this gets fixed the product will be perfect!
Is it just me, or is a device whose synth can only be programmed through a small text display menu, and at the same time can not browse preset patches, useless?
Yes i admit tgat i even forgot how exactly that display looks. Device went in storage after a few frustrating first weeks
cheers boys and thanks again for all the support you gave me here in those first weeks, after unit came basicly d.o.a.
happily looking at my DX7 and ESQ1 next to a poly800 
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Cool! ⌠and you could have gotten yourself even another synth with the money wasted on âplusâ
There are no tools fitting everyone. I never had the feeling i wasted my money. The more time you spend with complex equipment, the more itâs giving back 
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⌠given basic advertised functionality actually works 
If you ask me (sure you donât, but anyways), I never use the built-in synths if I go the USB route. There are way more capable and easier-to-tweak synths in the software world, esp. in Bitwig with all its crazy modulation capabilities. Donât get we wrong, the Play+ synths sound fantastic, but they only make sense in standalone mode, i.e. when the device is not connected to anything.