We’ve got used to the fact that music gear is always made by Japanese or American engineers or, well, sometimes by British, German, French and Swedish brands. Eurorack instruments are a long story – it’s an autonomic branch which minds its own business launching mainly limited series of modules for specific purposes. Anyway synthesizers (keyboards, desktops or rackmount units) and drum machines made up the biggest part of all the released electric musical products of the past years. That’s why the announcement of Polyend SEQ draws our attention: it’s a polyphonic step sequencer (!), not a budget one (far from it) and created by Polish (!) developers.
The main parameters of the new device: 32 steps, 8 tracks, 256 pattern storage. In fact each track is one channel or one voice which gives the module an 8-voice polyphony. The developers of the new sequencer devised a Song Mode and promise to add a Pattern Chain option in near future.
Polyend SEQ is a hardware digital sequencer encased within the aluminum and wooden housing, and not just wooden – we’ve got oak panels here. The device features a good range of integration options – 2 MIDI outs, MIDI Thru, MIDI in, USB to PC and a foot controller jack.
In addition to the new sequencer the developers offer a MIDI-to-CV Eurorack module which will help the instrument fit the modular family. And it’s quite a smart move which guarantees that with all the sequences created on the SEQ you can easily control Eurorack systems (as well as analog and VA/ AM synthesizers) through CV outputs.
If you can find another standalone sequencer like this one featuring similar functions then let us know in the comments. Besides the all-mighty Sequentix Circlon (only rackmount version) and a power-couple offering similar functionality - Elektron Octatrack and Pioneer Toraiz SP-16 – which are actually samplers, there’s nothing else of the kind on the market.
SEQ and POLY converter are available now for pre-order for US $999 and $399 respectively. We expect both of them to ship in April 2017.