Arturia PolyBrute 12

Expanded Polyphonic Panache — 12-voice Analog Magic

Arturia’s original PolyBrute made waves for its voltaic combination of iconic analog character, versatile armature of sound design tools, and versatile expression capabilities. The PolyBrute 12 takes up the mantle of fusing hallmark analog sound with multidimensional articulation, expanding upon its predecessor’s foundation with a titanic 12-voice architecture and Arturia’s state-of-the-art Full Touch MPE technology — a staggeringly detailed gateway to unrivaled expressivity that has Sweetwater’s synthesists fascinated with the latent potential of this 61-note synth. Ladder and Steiner-Parker filters are supplemented by trios of LFOs, envelope generators, and digital effects slots that expand upon the aural offering of the original PolyBrute, with detailed sync, FM, noise, PWM options to bolster the dyad of diverse VCOs. An onboard modulation matrix supports up to 64 connections, while the iconic Morphée XYZ pad and onboard ribbon controller let you get hands-on with unrivaled nuance. With its robust arpeggiation and polyphonic-sequencing possibilities, the included PolyBrute companion plug-in, and a pedal-accommodating suite of connectivity options, the PolyBrute 12 is a portal to unprecedented sonic sculpting, empowering you with a synesthetic approach to synthesis that lets you seize your sound like never before.

Next-gen expression: Full Touch MPE and beyond

Of the myriad ways the PolyBrute 12 expands upon the foundation of its sonic sibling, none may be as versatile and exhilarating as the integration of Full Touch MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) technology. Each of the PolyBrute 12’s 61 keys becomes the site of unrivaled in-the-moment expression as Full Touch tech meticulously tracks the position, touch, and pressure of every note through immense, malleable sensitivity and complex yet intuitively accessible modulation possibilities. Thanks to the keybed’s velocity sensitivity and polyphonic aftertouch, alongside the matrix-capable Morphée XYZ pad and ribbon controller, the Full Touch MPE seamlessly merges multiple realms of detailed expressivity for complete three-dimensional control.

Iconic analog texture meets cutting-edge control

Across its dual-oscillator design, multitudes of wave shaping are right at your fingertips, with multiple waveform options, flexible FM modulation, dynamic Sync capabilities, pulse-width modulation, and a sub-oscillator. Moreover, the onboard Filter FM can be triggered via the onboard VCOs, noise generator, or both, morphing between, while numerous noise colors are available along a continuous spectrum of real-time adjustment. Its dual-filter design augments further sound-shaping opportunities with a multimode ’70s-style Steiner-Parker filter, as well as a 24dB/octave Ladder filter. Through careful tweaking, Arturia expanded the Steiner-Parker formula to enable continuous highpass, bandpass, and lowpass modes but retaining the hallmark squelch and strike of the original’s ability to keep amplitude values consistent as resonance is adjusted. Kick up the Brute factor for some extra oomph. Thanks to the details of the 4-pole Ladder filter, hefty basses, searing leads, and lush pads are easily dialed in. Plus, like the PolyBrute before it, each VCO can be assigned to one or both filters, enriching the stackable possibilities of its predecessor via 12 voices of sonic deliverance.

Malleable modulation, matrix madness, and more

The PolyBrute 12 continues the depth of design afforded by an onboard modulation matrix, featuring 32 destinations and 64 connections that are endlessly rearranged through a 12 by 32 array of backlit soft switches. While flexibility abounds through the matrix, the PolyBrute 12 is outfitted with a trio of ADSR envelope generators and a triptych of LFOs, offering flexible velocity, delay, waveform, sync, curvature, symmetry, and retriggering options. What’s more, mod-wheel behavior, timbrality, aftertouch, and Morphée behaviors can be instantly toggled across several choices.

Ferocious FX and spatial attenuation

Spatialization tools found throughout the PolyBrute 12 are optimized for numerous dimensions of composition and performance, with a triad of digital effects slots rife with customization. Hall and plate flavors of cavernous reverb complement bucket brigade and ping-pong delays. At the same time, the modulation effect can operate in chorus, phasing, and additional modes, thanks to onboard presets for all three types of effects. New to the PolyBrute 12, Arturia’s introduced a multimode distortion, arming you with an armada of texturization possibilities. Furthermore, stereo imaging can be adjusted manually or modulated through multiple means, supplying an additional dimension of space-shaping attenuation.

All-in-one compositional capabilities

The PolyBrute 12 comes loaded with composition, playback, and rhythm tools. Its Motion Recorder captures every nuance of your playing, including Morphée, ribbon controller, and Full Touch MPE flourishes across its 12-voice polyphony, granting untold potential to its one-shot and looping flexibility. Sequencing and arpeggiation are more potent than ever, capable of per-step key, accent, and slide modifications that are bolstered by the synth’s 12-voice capacity, 64-step polyphonic performance, and up to three tracks of parameter modulation.

A seat at any synth setup

Whether you want it to pilot your performance or supplement your setup, the PolyBrute 12 pulls no punches in keeping you connected. Its trio of pedal inputs comprises two expression jacks and one sustain jack, opening further doors for expression, detail, and nuance. For MIDI integration, USB-MIDI is available via the onboard USB-B port, while 5-pin in, out, and thru ports ensure seamless interoperative integration, while a Sync I/O further expands these possibilities. When you’re ready to transcend the physical realm, the PolyBrute 12 is bundled with Arturia’s plug-in version of the synth, allowing you unbridled access to virtually all of the synth’s inner workings, providing distinct vectors of sound design for DAW-based setups, as well as designing presets that can be loaded back onto your physical instrument.