Best Polyend Play+ Alternatives

Based on 2 reviews

Simply put, this thing is built for fun! Its case is made entirely of plastic, so it can feel a little bit of a toy at first. But the sounds? Ohh boy, you are in for a ride! If you have been loonking for that retro game sound, look no further! Anything, but a toy. It really feels like a gaming console, when it comes to the audio it outputs. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but thanks to the plethora of resources on how to handle this groovebox, you will be set in no time. The connectivity of this thing is what you expect as well. Easy to control with any external midi device. Heck, I have even experimented controlling this groovebox with my windsynth (AE-30), and have had a lot of fun! Naturally, it works like a charm with something more traditional (read: boring!) like a...

Based on 25 reviews

and the verdict is: it's an extremely capable drum machine that can find a home in any electronic setup *(what I use it for). It's clearly designed for both studio use and performance. Configurability is definitely it's biggest strength. -It plays well with other hardware, the assignable outs and external inputs are great to have. -Being able to bring audio/MIDI into a DAW is good. For example, I can split the audio into Kick, Snare, and a mix of everything else on another channel. Makes side-chaining in the DAW much easier. OK, so lets talk about the sound. -The ACB instruments are pretty great, watch some videos and decide with your own ears. I reach for them by default. -It's nice to have sample import but it requires a bit of preparation. I don't use them often. -The FX are good...

Based on 8 reviews

I got this little baby to see if I could get away from the computer screen for a while. And boy, it does deliver! It takes some time getting used to, which might also require some googling around. But once you get around that, it is a wonderful way of shaping ideas on a simple interface without distractions and endless choices. Sound is a little limited, but that's not the point here. Should you need to give a better "body" to your idea, use MIDI to drive external instruments (virtual or actual) and keep it as a sequencer. Some silly missing details do exist, such as the lack of 'backspace' key when you rename a pattern. It was removed in a firmware upgrade and never made its way back. But these won't get in your way of being creative, just annoy you in rare occasions. I do...

Based on 3 reviews

Bought this as a way of having every Roland Drum Machines in one. For that purpose it was great. Easy to tempo-sync to any DAW which really did it for me workflow wise and creatively speaking (Very quick to get down a basic beat without having to find samples and so on. Very compact in size and very easy to handle even though you can end up menu diving quite a lot. BUT nothing annoying really. As far as other uses than a drum machine I didn't really see the purpose of this machine. IMO its not suited for making much else than drum patterns (which it does well) I sold mine shortly after, when realising I'm more of a one-trick-pony kinda guy. The TR-08 for example suits me better. But its a very nice machine I would defo recommend it to anyone looking for an addition to their studio setup.

Based on 15 reviews

Not long ago there was a great disturbance in the Force, as if all the owners suddenly cried out in joy and were suddenly able to create more freely. Yes I am using puns to review this. I'm strong with the Force, especially after 3.0.5 Firmware update and the Force is with me. There is a lot to unpack here and a video will probably be a better medium for it. My main point here is that I thought I was buying a pretty capable standalone device, and It was good for what it was but now with all the updates AKAI transformed it into something much better than I thought. I can't wait to see what will be added in the future.

Based on 4 reviews

I have been testing this machine for a week and it is a piece of art. Its design, options and portability make it an ideal machine for live or creation anywhere, and it can be powered by a powerbank. The performance functions are super useful and allow to integrate it into a live performance with an efficient workflow. On the other hand, its parameters lock and sequencer make it a very fast machine for creation and having fresh ideas. Being able to export patterns by stems directly to file is amazing to me. I'm totally delighted with it!

Based on 3 reviews

I am in synths and grooveboxes for the past year starting from 4 Volcas and a SQ64 and NTS-1 and then moving to an Elektron Syntakt and an Elektron Octatrack. I am in my late 40s and I admit that I do have some money to spend for a hobby like this. Nevertheless, I have been still searching for a truly portable option. Well this device is just perfect for this and in many ways its beats the two time more expensive Elektron Syntakt while overall leaving too much to be desired from Elektron's workflow. No comparison with Volcas in terms of workflow, even though Volcas sound is unique. So my comparison and reference is these devices - please don't feel offended for your favorite brand if I am doing too many comparisons! The bad first: I understand that there are a lot of Quality Control...