Polymoog VST

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If the last post made you want to play a Polymoog but you don’t have one lying around there’s only one software option available AFAIK: the Reaktor ensemble Polymojo.

This imitation is mainly a Polymoog Synthesizer BUT the blue buttons are from the cut down/preset version Polymoog Keyboard. It does not include the MODE-filters. Hence there is no fader for that in the Master/mix section.

The Polymoog is a bit difficult to understand as there are 3 different filter sections and also a signal direct from the oscillator without filter. One of the limitations of the Polymoog was the lack of polyphonic dynamic filters. The MODE filter is polyphonic but it’s not possible to control it by an envelope. There’s a 4 pole LP filter – but it’s monophonic. And there bank of 3 resonant filters but these are also monophonic. The keyboard can be split in two different ways to create more sounds variation over the range of the keyboard but it’s also makes it a bit difficult to program. Each voice has 2 oscillator BUT they only have one waveform each – saw and pulse respectively. Not very flexible and quite limiting when sculpting sound.

One quite unique feature of it’s time however contributed to the lush sound called Vox Humana which could be said to be Gary Numan’s signature sound. The 2 oscillators per voice have each a separate LFO for frequency modulation which opens for wide and lush sounds. Also the Pulse Width has it’s own LFO.

If you are a Reaktor user this is not to be missed: check it out

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