This update looks like it’s really improved the melodic side of Play with the Piano roll, i’m thinking of grabbing another Play, I always had fun creating loops and patterns and it was trying to use melodic sample oneshots that mainly let it down for me, but the update seems to improve this a ton from the videos i’ve watched.
Random+ is basically patterns for all sample types. A good video on the pattern fills: Having a chat: Polyend Play v1.4 - YouTube
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Does anyone have an strategy of the 8 track limit once you add polyphony with the piano roll?
Thanks
That jumper is ace !!
Yep. Use a Deluge instead 
Just kidding but this lack of Polyphony is just lazy implementation imho. A serious oversight. Why they made this arbitrary decision with a modern piece of equipment is mind boggling.
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That was sick. 
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I’ve had my posted for sale on some local groups and CL, but I think I will keep it. The new update addressed a lot of my prior complaints. I need to figure out how to use the Play over USB with my ipad and OP-1f. I’m hoping a USB-C hub powered by a battery pack will do the trick.
The strategy depends on the style of music, I guess? Where are you finding limitations? Say you use 3 tracks for chords, one for bass, maybe one for lead. That still leaves you the possibility to have up to 3 percussion sounds at the same time.
The main strategy is to keep in mind that “8 tracks” doesn’t mean 8 instruments but 8 concurrent samples. Then, if you really need more, can you plug a laptop or a synth and trigger up to 8 more concurrent sounds?
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I’ve been thinking about buying another Play since v1.4. I think I used mine twice then sold it, so I can’t really remember much about it, as this was fairly soon after release when I bought and sold mine. So, roughly how many single shot samples can be loaded in a project?
Tbh, I hated the sample bank limitation, loading times and extra steps needed to load individual samples from a pack that hasn’t been loaded, compared to say the Tracker and most other modern groovy boxes, and also having to put packs I own into new folders that are tagged properly but, maybe with the updates, I can live with those irksome limitations by triggering sounds in a daw. Maybe, as I still prefer sitting with just a groovebox to working in a daw for creating tracks, but it could be something I could use a lot if it works as well as I hope.
Is there another groovebox that can randomise patterns as well as a Play? The Maschine+ has Variations, but they never produce anything sounding good to me, so the Play is much better for that feature.
Torso T1? Though the workflow seems fairly convoluted.
The 404 would give you velocity sensitive pads. I’d say the question you need to ask yourself is do you want to program or play your music?
Thanks for your input. The T1 doesn’t interest me really as it doesn’t have a screen. i’ve also owned a 404 and that isn’t for me either, even though they’ve made it easier to use with the screen.
I think the question I often need to ask is, do I really need another groovebox now I have a few that I really love and gel with and a lot of others that are gathering dust.
I’m wondering if I was expecting too much of the Play when I had one, being a massive fan of the tracker and it not living up to the ease and simplicity of that for making music. Plus I quickly sold it, when i’ve hung onto others I don’t particularly like the workflow of, so, was it really that bad?
Because this topic has gone quiet, has the love gone out of the product just as it seems to have matured with v1.4.? I’ve since found the sample limit anyway and will probably keep looking periodically at Play videos until I decide whether to give it another chance or not. I certainly like the 1.4 update with the new pattern randomisation for bass and chords and the piano roll and might even get use out of it as an external sequencer, given the internal sample structure management is pretty crap.
I bought the Play at release and I feel that I had somewhat the same feeling/experience as you had using it seeing its downsides and I eventually sold it.
But I somehow really liked the easiness to make a random beat with it and always had the Play in mind…
After the release of version 1.4 I really got my antennas turned on it and was able to get hold of a new unit this week, and man;
-this machine really hits it out of the park with the new features!
I have been spending most of this weekend playing with the Play and making some great tunes (well according to me that is!) and this update takes it to a new level!
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Isn’t each midi track up to 7 note polyphony. I seem to remember something like that. Is the piano roll usable in midi? So I can do chords to multiple machines through midi and use the audio side for drums?
Alright, people, I’m new here. Please don’t toss any stones in my direction. I’m at a stage where I have downsized and am attempting to invest my focus on not having as many gear options. When I see something interesting I’m attempting to recreate the concept on the Octatrack or Digitakt. But I can’t help but be intrigued by the Polyend Play. In particular I am drawn to its quick performance abilities, such as changing up drums on the fly with quite a few options to keep it fun.
But then I get to thinking, “But I can load up eight loops on the Digitakt and set them to play in different directions, at various speeds, and all that jazz.”
What about the Polyend Play do you feel would add to what I am already capable of with Elektron? I get it. The interface is way different. I so do not mean to ask the obvious. I’d love to hear your thoughts. The thing just looks so dang fun.
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I have both the Play and the Digitakt (also some other stuff).
I have wanted to downsize for a while but I think both the Play and the Digitakt will stay - they are very different but very enjoyable in their own way.
I really like using the Play as a MIDI sequencer, the DT not so much. Sequencing melodic stuff with the Plays grid is so much faster than with the 16 step buttons on the DT. On the Play you can make an in key bassline in mere seconds. Also you can create variations also in seconds - just use one of the numerous play modes, transpose the track, add chance or randomisation. With the DT all of that would take a bit more effort.
DT is an amazing sound mangler. All the paramaters + LFOs + Ctrl All unlock crazy results really fast.
Play has very little sound editing capabilities. However the chance and randomisation features can work as “sound design”. Instead of p-locking parameters you pull from a big pool of samples. In theory you can also do that with the DT but with the Play it is so fast and seamless.
I find that composing long sequences/multiple patterns is more enjoyable on the Play. On the DT I find that I tend to get the stuck in the 4-bar loop. On the Play it is much easier to make changes after entering a sequence. The fact that you can make a selection on the grid is huge!
Both are very good at generating ideas but I am very bad at finishing those ideas, so I have decided to start learning Ableton and use that for recording in jams and hopefully arrange something from those recordings.
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Recent posts making me re-consider play … but can someone tell me this ?
Once you’ve ‘picked and placed’ your sample on a track, and then ‘picked and placed’ a different sample also on that track, can you then find out which sample is on which step ?
press and hold the button
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Didn’t know it was that simple. I looked for the answer before and everything I could find was pointing to it not being possible … maybe it was added in a firmware update ?
Hey try checking my polyend play playlist I try to cover everything and keep it simple!
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQvVnhG7o2yTfIAfDTX-IJ1ptsOqavqmP&si=_mxa1eOx1DKDWqC8
I show some extra tricks too!!
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I own the OT, DT and Play and can say that the Play is a great companion piece for either one of the OT or DT. There are serious limitations to the play, for starters no way to sample directly on to it, also sample manipulation is bare bones. The reason I enjoy the Play despite its shortcomings is its sequencing and performance abilities. Any combo between either of the Elektron boxes and a Play will work great.
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