The PolyBrute 12 is the even bigger brother of Arturia's flagship synth, the PolyBrute, and generates sound the same way as the original six-voice model. Arturia have doubled the polyphony, however, and in doing so multiplied the possibilities for handling layered, split, and unisono sound. Added to this is the new FullTouch keyboard, which features polyphonic aftertouch and MPE support. The PolyBrute 12 combines powerful analogue sound generation, digital effects, and extensive controller options, resulting in a synthesizer that offers endless possibilities for expressive musicianship – both live and in the studio. Sounds can be created quickly and accurately using the well-equipped panel, with a huge package of alteration and morphing options. The Arturia PolyBrute 12 can also be integrated directly into a DAW-based studio with its sequencer, arpeggiator, synchronisable LFOs, and the PolyBrute Connect control software.
The Arturia PolyBrute 12 isn't a copy of a 70s or 80s synth, but an original in its own right. It has two VCOs per voice, and its spectrum can be further varied and modulated via its metalizer, hard sync, frequency modulation, and sub-oscillator. The filter section, immensely flexible thanks to its 12dB Steiner-Parker multimode filter and a 24dB cascade low-pass filter, is equally useful for creating a rounded or a more aggressive sound, with adjustable "brute factor" and drive. Three envelopes and LFOs, as well as several playing aids, including a ribbon controller and Arturia's unique Morphée 3D controller, enable some phenomenally creative modulations. Another special feature is the morphing: Each preset has two sounds whose parameters can be incrementally morphed into one another via the control unit. Sound designers will soon find that the PowerBrute 12 offers an inexhaustible wealth of analogue sounds. The feature set is rounded off by an internal sequencer and arpeggiator.
The Arturia PolyBrute 12 is a synthesizer for keyboarders and adventurous sound explorers who want to play more than just presets. With its fully programmable Morphée unit, the ribbon controller, and the morphing function – as well as optional pedals – sounds can be altered to an extraordinary degree while the user plays, going beyond the options offered by its already lush user interface. Thanks to its twelve voices and flexible sound generation, the Arturia PolyBrute 12 has a colossal palette of pads, chords, and textures that cover a remarkably broad spectrum. Splits for practical live presets and layered tonality make even denser sounds possible. This level of complexity goes well beyond what one might expect for an analogue synthesizer, making the PolyBrute 12 ideal for ambitious sound programmers. Pads, chords, leads, basses, and FX sounds can be minutely, almost organically programmed to deliver a great variety of expression using the wide range of modulation options.
Arturia's success story began with software emulations of well-known analogue synthesizers such as the Moog Minimoog, Sequential Prophet-5, and Oberheim SEM. The popular software instruments included in the V Collection are still flagship products of the French developer today. Over time, Arturia has gradually expanded its range and now also offers a host of hardware devices, ranging from synthesizers and keyboard controllers to sequencers – so that the former software developer has also become a household name in the world of analogue synthesizers and other equipment.
The Arturia PolyBrute 12 features the patented FullTouch keyboard, which is not only playable with velocity sensitivity, but also offers polyphonic aftertouch and the unique option of being able to use the aftertouch as a modulation source during the entire keystroke. There are also pitch and modulation wheels, the ribbon controller, and the Morphée, which can be programmed to alter three sound parameters on its X, Y, and Z axes. The powerful modulation matrix allows modulation sources and destinations to be assigned with almost complete freedom, and has access to up to 64 links per sound memory. It’s hard to imagine how any synth could enable more freedom of musical expression, making the PolyBrute 12 equally at home in the studio, for sound research, and on stage.
PolyBrute Connect
PolyBrute Connect is a free software package, compatible with Windows and macOS, with an attractive, well-designed user interface; it offers great functionality for sound data management for the PolyBrute and PolyBrute 12 models. The software can be used as a standalone and in all widely-used plugin formats. PolyBrute Connect communicates with the instruments in both directions via USB, allowing continuous synchronisation of the sound selection and parameter settings. This means that parameters can be changed on the user's computer or via a DAW, and sounds can be conveniently renamed and sorted. It is also a more elegant tool for configuring the modulation matrix. Finally, the ability to save sounds directly in PolyBrute Connect as part of a DAW project is a great feature.