Bad Gear - Dreadbox/Polyend Medusa
Vložit
- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Become a Patron and get access to music clips from the show, additional content, Bad Gear samples and even more AudioPilz madness
/ audiopilz
Welcome to Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools. Today we are going to talk about the Dreadbox/Polyend Medusa. Is this digital/analog hybrid synthesizer and collaboration between two of the hottest European synth manufacturers the ultimate sound design monster? How did it arouse so much controversy that even Benn Jordan felt the need to release a video defending it?
Chapters:
00:00 Intro tune
01:11 Overview Dreadbox & Polyend Medusa
01:20 Analog Oscillators & Filter
01:45 Digital Oscillators & Wavetables
02:38 Deep Synthesis Features & Oscillator FM
03:12 Modulation
03:37 Monophonic/Paraphonic Modes, 3 OP Frequency Modulation
04:00 Play/Grid Mode
05:01 What else???
05:37 Hate
05:59 Jam 1
07:03 Jam 2
07:57 Finale
08:27 Verdict - Hudba
Audiopilz: *slaps roof of YT channel*
Full Tracks, Extended Jams, Sample Packs: www.patreon.com/audiopilz
I helped beta test this and write the first draft of the user manual. This is an example of a piece of gear that might have come to market a bit faster than it needed to, and it would have benefitted from a more solid (and tested) idea of what it was supposed to be and deliver. The initial idea proposed primarily a Dreadbox synth with some Polyend sequencing capabilities (no grid), but it ended up mostly being a Polyend sequencer with the Dreadbox synth part only providing 3 of the 6 oscillators and the analog filter.
That being said, despite a semi-weak launch, Polyend came up with some great ideas, and the successive OS updates really helped pull this together. There are some great shortcuts for the UI and I really liked the work flow they kept developing and improving. Better still, I think both companies learned a lot from this, and they went on to make some even better products.
Thanks for the heads up!!!
This thing looks like when you have a school project with a partner you don't know, so You just make half a presentation on your own and then put them together at the very last second.
I got that impression too
This made me laugh hard. Great comment!!! ♥️
I had it… The base soundcharacter impression I got… This thing sounds bad, and you really need to work it very hard to make it sound good.
@@leNotstrom I really like the concept. The simple way to assign modulations, the grid, the sequencer, all great. But the sound...is not quite where it should be. Maybe it's that the stuff on CZcams doesn't show its potential, but the sluggish envelopes put me off for sure.
Why does that sound awesome though…?
Breh, glad the manufacturers are starting to give you your flowers while you are here. I don't like some particulars about Polyend myself, but I think the community can give them a thumbs up today for showing the AudioPilz some love 🎉
🎉🎉🎉
Hey Polyend is good re: Customer feedback and implementation of ideas, Novation good, (compliment of high order)
Polyend is a great company
@@atetraxx love the people over at Polyend
I'm sure it has hidden cheat modes which can do useful things like calculate tax returns, measure distance between black holes, and estimate the impact velocity of flying cheese.
It's one of those inventions that fell through the cracks in music tech. A Trabant with a Ferrari engine, and cardboard wheels. I'm sure someone somewhere is making fabulous music with this gizmo, but I'm more likely to spend my magic beans on exotic sorbets and Volcatinis.
Mmmmmmh, Volcatinis;)
@@AudioPilz Poolside is the ideal place for sipping Volcatinis. Prosit!! :P
Rotfl 🤣
What is volcatinis Sorry to sound stupid I just never heard of it
@@trix1227 They are exclusive pre-mixed cocktails made of powdered Japanese microsynths and cheap vermouth. The Illuminati occasionally provide a case to favoured influencers like Florian, to mix with the tears of their enemies..
actual best produced jams of any "synthfluencer" channel out there.
Thank you!!!
A modern classic. People will be hunting these ten years from now and I'm glad I managed to snag one before they were discontinued.
I think we might be onto something as well;)
same me!
straight up, im getting one just for that reason LOL. plus this thing looks dope
Finally, the drunken sailor sea simulator of my dreams. Not only can you create the dreamy sounds of the sea splashing up against your sinking ship, but you can add the sounds of throwing up and drowning as well. At 700$ however I will just put my mic in the yard and record cats hissing, and the local beach for the splishy sounds, and for the white noise, well - any analog input recorded digitally will do. Thanks for showing us the end of the polyendedtoosoon.
Lol, drunken sailor sea simulator...
Polyend's really demonstrating support for their customers by using their last unit to drive up secondhand prices. Bravo.
These are the nicest people!
Or a plan to get people ready for a new synth?
@@JamesRamboPearce Probably, but my version of the story is funnier.
@@dontcallmejon that's what's so nice about it!
Also, Polyend is extremely loyal to their customer base, pretty sure you could break the Medusa over the PR person’s head and they’d thank you for the valuable feedback. 🤙🏻
According to what they told me stuff like that actually happens;)
Managed to pick one up before most people realised they were discontinued.
Prices seem to be steadily increasing and I'm still not sure why Dread/Poly killed this thing. It's fucking epic.
I assume it wasn't so easy to maintain production of a piece of gear so complex
I find it odd as well.
@@AudioPilz that’s exactly what it was.
I haven't completely figured the Medusa out yet but I will never get rid of it. It is just fun to play.
Didn't even realize it was discontinued... or that people considered it bad. Sure, it's weird... but it seemed like a decent device.
Just yesterday I celebrated an anniversary when Medusa has arrived to my door. Since then I stopped to looking for a new synth. The reason is simple : this beast is giving me (sonically) a huge satisfaction (if know what that's meant) but also when I started to using pad as an expression MPE the instrument itself becomes way more organic.
Happy to hear that it works for you!
Honestly I thought I may give up playing other instruments for awhile and strap this thing on like a guitar 😹
I just picked up one of these a couple months ago. It really is bad... bad ass! Shamown!
Lol
You know it 😉
for 40 days and 40 nights it was on your side
Cool jams again and another great episode! Thanks Dreadbox and Polyend.
The 1010 Arturia music sample brutebox is a winner I reckon.
Thanks!!! Arturia, we need to talk!
This might be the earliest I've ever caught an upload 😱 this is gonna be awesome!
Nice!!!
Heh , love the random Harmor flash there . at some point , I'm going to have to sit down with a few drinks and re-watch all your videos with quick draw pause button to catch all the random awesomes that I've missed
That's the way to watch Bad Gear! The Harmor got Bass;)
Another quality edit. You're churning them out! Making it look easy.
Thank you so much!!!
You're a genius, love all the random stuff you edit in.
Thank you!!!
I've had Medusa for nearly 2 years or so, and honestly I love it, I couldn't believe the hate. It really clicked with me, and I really like the specific sound it has. I think it's one of these synths people will lust after in the future! Great overview!
Thanks!
Indeed
Same here! Love mine too but this presentation was quite honest and the points raised, valid.
I've been wanting one since it came out. Seems flawed but insanely powerful.
The flaws are part of its charm to me.
I love the visuals of your videos they always make me chuckle, even on a monday morning.
Thank you!!!
When you're really digging the bass in the second jam and you realise it's the trusty Rocket...
Rocket is great for that!
You can get really good bass out of the Medusa, just not the juicy variety - it's great for some industrial nastiness.
Truth in stock form but have you tried using external processing?
It has the bones except that it excels with nasty; I mean run this puppy through an eg or a nice tube bass amp or multi band compressor! No it’s not Dave Smith or Moog on it’s own but that’s the beauty, do we need more of the same tools that already exist?
Super episode and great tunes. I didn’t get this piece at all when it came out. Now I’m watching 50 polyend play videos in a row.
I still can’t trust any demo you make since you are an absolute wizard after you created actual music with the Yamaha su-10.
Thanks! However, the SU-10 is known for having actual use in music production (see Björk;)
You should see what kind of wizardry some people can squeeze out of the QY100
What a interesting piece. As ever, your jams were flawless!
Thank you!!!
Florian spoke truth to power about the Gaia super saw, so no overpriced mini synth review today.
I'm obviously not on the list for early mini synth access;) I can't blame them...
The new Apple synth is getting so much hate isn’t it ,2000.00 , as if
Yo the Nick Batt memes always kill me and they seem to come from a place of love and admiration which I also appreciate :) ALSO did you know he worked with Goldfrapp on their three best albums? Pretty sick
...and he was a member of DNA. What a legend!
It is a very old joke in the synthesizer world, funny nontheless!
I would love to see a 1010 sample brute. Great episode , especially the animated jam video . Totally epic .
Thanks! I want that one too!
The amount of work you throw at these episodes is mind blowing!
❤️❤️❤️
i won't lie, i did have a little giggle at your final remark about rolands "ah, nevermind".
As per usual, awesome content brother!
Thank you so much!!!
Maan, i love your background track (and talking over it)! It takes me to some good places in my head (and body)
Thank you so much!!!
@@AudioPilz I'll pick myself in hands and finally go to your website to get it))
Honestly I have always wanted one of these. They’re amazing for ambient drones and metallic weirdness for industrial nasty stuff.
Ideal for that!
Nailed it
Wow! Medusa meets poly and the rocket and turfs out a stone cold cool jam!
It’s a bit of a beast and very innovative - never heard of it until today.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you! Stick around!
The Medusa is one of my favorites.
👍
the Flashbulbs album using this is incredible.
Really interesting that after discontinued it’s starting to gain in price
Agreed, Benn can really make it sing
Awesome, which album is that?!?
Love the music from this video... I was going to suggest the Korg KaOssilator Pro, but you done did that already... great job on both videos!
Thank you!!!
Being an experienced sound designer, I guess, I love this thing. The hate-to-learn-an-instrument crowd loses its beer whenever something actually newish appears in the market - especially when it comes from companies these people don't recognize.
It can be challenging even for the more initiated...;)
I still love this thing, and the grid has become my favourite controller for my other synths as well! 🙌
Yeah, it's super expressive
I’ve been lazy and just too busy to bother however the rack Aria system 1 needs a friend 😹
Thank you for reminding me of this thought. The guy I got Medusa from did it the other way around and had little interest in the pads? Say what? No wonder I lucked out. 🥳☺️
@@frankstetka7206 Lucky for you!
Yet again an instrument I've heard about but never really knew what it was all about. Enjoyed the review.
Thank you!!!
That thing sounds awesome. I mean I'm sure I'd struggle a lot with it, but you really make it sing!
Thank you!!!
Love the Korg/Roland comment at the end lol. So true. As for the Medusa, I don’t know what to think. Seems like it should have the same sequencing options as the Beatstep pro, hence not needing one to get a jam going on. Companies really need to take sequencing midi control tips from Arturia and Elektron.
Thanks! The "patch per step" and step copy/paste functionality is pretty unique and makes it ideal for IDM stuff. Arturia is much more straight forward here
@@AudioPilz totally agree. I have the Keystep, Keystep 37, Keystep Pro, and Beatstep Pro because there workflow is so fluid and straight forward like that. It’s an investment I didn’t wanna make, but knew it would be worth it once I shelled out all that cash for them. The Medusa and Deluge just don’t seem to have that ez of workflow like the Arturia controllers do for me. In fact most sequencers don’t. I wanted to try out the Korg SQ-64 to see how it holds up but it’s not always easy to find a lender of this product, as any piece of gear. Regardless, I don’t see my self ever owning a Medusa, it’s totally worthy of your channel as a result. It does however make some very interesting noises that none of my gear can make.
Your last comment nails why I have held onto one. It really is unique.
@@frankstetka7206 yes, my buddy has one that he tried to self service and some how messed up the few rubber pads on the bottom couple of rows. Dumb ass, there was nothing wrong with it as he was just doing a screen upgrade or something lol. Now he can’t get the pads to sit right. They kinda sink in a little. I was thinking of taking it off his hands for really cheap. He’s disappointed in himself and doesn’t even wanna look at it lol. So I was thinking of getting it just for the sounds it can produce. I would probably have it properly serviced and at that point would offer it back to my friend for the sale price and repair cost. Almost got an OB-XA off of him like that years back, but it went to another friend. Regardless I do like what it sounds like.
What an epic episode, thank you as always Florian.
Thank you so much!!!
+1 on the 1010 samplebrute. I'd love one of those.
It would be so great!!!
I'd jump on a kickstarter for that... or perhaps this is a job for Uli!
Hehe, most underrated synth in a while, i use mine constantly
Nice!
@@AudioPilz as a bassist it's a perfect bass synth esp as you can get the grid to behave like a fretboard
That's second jam was amazing
And the last one 👌
Thanks!!!
another excellent video - you are the only channel where I always pause for every 1 frame meme / joke and i only get half of them
Thank you!!!
As always your jams are on point. Especially in stereo headphones, sounds great.
Thank you!!!
Great episode. Regarding the ending about Roland, it's great that they rounded the corners on their new little machines. Always appreciate a rounded corner for better inser.. well never mind.
Lolz
The new Roland mini boxes with the cameo at the end...surely a precursor to future episodes of Bad Gear ; )
Seems like I'm not on Roland's wishlist;)
This thing is amazing and one of a kind. I'm glad I splurged on one... even if I barely know what I'm doing with it. :)
Same here;)
The most fun thing I had was Medusa was abusing the oscillator allocation, so each loop through a sequence would hit the oscillators differently, especially when the oscillators are tuned to different notes or you're using sync or FM.
But the envelopes have all the snappiness of a wet sponge. And yeah, the fine tuning is pretty funny since every oscillator has its own idea of how to track pitch anyway.
The round-robin like allocation is it's greatest feature I would say!
pretty funny how just video, referencing Benn Jordan, came out just a few hours after Benn uploaded his utterly positive review of the newest polyend play!
He really likes the Play!
I'd 100% need to be medicated if CZcams stopped allowing pause & rewind during this show 🤯
Same here;)
nice visuals on the end jam.Nice music too
Thank you!!!
Thanks for another interesting demo.
Thanks for watching!
This thing has bass! WOW! And it has the perfect sound for "Disco Pogo" from the german group "Die Atzen" :D
Lol, Atzen, haven't heard from them for a while
I loved this synth. Didn’t realize how much until I sold it
I feel you❤️
I think the thing I love most about the Medusa despite being a limited run, especially the limited black editions, is that its latest firmware expanded its synthesis capabilities to have full FM.
I love that Polyend doesn't just make a new device and then ask for you to buy it all over again.
I had the pleasure of owning one, and despite its flaws, it makes a great synth, and its 64 MPE pads gets you into MPE software instruments really fast as a bonus.
Polyends update policy is unparalleled!
Great video 👍. At first I was thinking "this is too screechy" but in the jams it sounds exciting.
Thanks!
I was literally telling someone about how you review good gear on this channel 10 minutes ago, and BAM the video comes out!
Good and bad are close together in Greek mythology;)
Bad Gear means "BAD GEAR!!!" Period. It's as simple as that. It means it "ain't no good" and it's "trash." This means if a piece of gear you own ever appears featured on this channel in a video, then you wasted your money on it because it SUCKS and you MUST "throw it out." SELL IT OR TRASH IT!!!! Hehehehe. Just kidding.
On a serious note, a lot of really good gear has been featured on this channel with excellent demos included. I actually own some of the good "bad" gear featured on this channel and use it regularly.
„And Roland can show Korg how to…Oh, nevermind!“…LOL
;)
You got me with the wavetables!
❤️❤️❤️
Very nice tracker and medusa combo
Thanks!
Hysterical! Thanks for making me laugh a lot there. You have immaculate memetic comic timing. Props for that and for the depth of enquiry into that amazing but weird instrument. Superb
Thank you so much!!!
The Bad Gear magic curse strikes again...as soon as this dropped Polyend releases the Polyend play...no doubt to feature on an episode in 5 years time, see you then!
Maybe a bit sooner;)
Great stuff - just joined the Patreon! ❤
Thank you so much!!! See you over there!!!
Great show as always :)
Thanks!
another fantastic, informative and funny video. Thank you!
Thank you!!!
I look forward to these videos every Friday. I'm commenting because the YT maths will boost vids with more comments. LOVE the channel, as always!
Thanks! YT maths appreciation!!!
Synths I have owned so far featured in this channel: Roland JD-XI, Korg Electribe 2.
Looking forward for the Casio CZ-1 review!!
Not bad! Great suggestion, thanks!
Does this means we are getting a scathing review on the Aira Compact line? I'm here for it.
Seems like I'm not getting early access;)
when you put the sink picture when you said "sync" I almost fell off the chair hahah you are taking these edits to another level. And now I want one of these at a now elevated cost wink wink. That this is dope as shit. And your tracks are so killer.
Thank you so much!!!
I'm so influenced by this channel that when I watched the introduction video of Roland Aira Compact, I was expecting to hear "welcome to bad gear" 😅
That's a completely natural reaction;)
Thanks now I totally NEED a Soma Hydrasynth
Same here!
Proposal for a new device: Polyend Play. Sample based groovebox without internal sampler and without audio-in. Also no synthesizer engine and only mini jack connectors for MIDI and audio.
Already seen the videos. Let's see if Polyend sends one over after this;)
I get the hate, but it's a little unfair to complain that a SEQUENCER isn't also a sampler and synthesizer.
That sounds a lot like Model:Samples
You had me in hysterics by the end there!
😀😀😀
Hell yes! It's Friday! Time for a new Bad Gear video full of innowative original jams!
❤️❤️❤️Thanks!!!
Came for the “sink” again 🙇🏻♂️ entertain me everytime
Thanks!!!
You should make an album of some of your tracks and sell it. I'd for sure buy it. Very professional and listenable results on every synth you touch.
Thank you!!! Full tracks can be found on Patreon (shameless plug;)
Awesome video as always! Is there bad gear merch? I’d totally rock a shirt. 1 design could be just the logo on the front and the deluxe shirt could have logo on front and tons of the gear featured on the show on the back!
Thank you!!! Great idea!!!
Hard sync = picture of a sink?! Brilliant! You also killed me with the ‘Bob Moog quote’ about bells!!
Thank you!!!
Great video! This device reminds me of the (also-discontinued) Novation Circuit Mono Station. Grid-based controls, built-in sequencers, interesting oscillators and filters. I had a Circuit Mono Station for a spell and liked it, though I never got comfortable with a grid-based controller. Overall, I think we should give props the out-of-the-box thinking of the designers of these two (failed) synths.
Thanks! Absolutely, nothing but KUDOS to these guys!
There you have it! A suggestion for a next Bad Gear episode!
Agrreed. Also had a Circuit Mono Station and literally loved the synth part and hated the sequencer and weird mod matrix part so I just sequenced it externally but after a while I figured just sold it. If Novation made the CMS in a desktop/eurorack compatible form factor and the mod matrix into a semi modular patch bay I'd gladly double dip on this synth.
Oooooh, nice sneak in there with the Pump It Up Machine (you know it's Pump It UP because of the x-shaped pad. Dance Dance Revolution (as well as In The Groove) are only four pads, except for DDR Solo which was 6 pads and added up left and up right diagonal arrows to the traditional up/down/left/right. PIU was aimed at actually replicating dancing, and there are some insanely gorgeous freeform videos out there of people on Pump It Up Machines)
I've been watching a lot of videos on these recently!
Nice! New episode!
😀
Man idk, the first videos i saw about bad gear made sense to me, but now you are making extremely well made music with those devices, i think the name Bad Gear is too short for all the effort and awesome audio content you are creating hahahah 😄🤘 cheers!!!
Thank you for the input!!!
If you were to create a playlist of just the jams extracted from your reviews, I would not complain at all.
Thanks! Full tracks and extended jams can be found on Patreon (end of shameless plug;)
Holy cow the editing and jokes in this one were really great
Thanks!!!
Best synth Dreadbox has made. A collector item no doubt. Grab one now that you can
Agreed!
I pause and read every one of those memes. The time and effort you put into these is not wasted on me.
Happy to hear that, thanks!
The comedy meme inserts on this instalment was Genius.
Fair play AudioPilz.
Thank you so much!!!
Super cool jam at the end I love the way you used the robot vocoder funky bass thing in there.
But seriously sometimes I am really really impressed with the jams you come up with on these, you act like your just messing around but you know what the hell your doing and you crank out the quality content! You must have actual albums out, I want to go listen! Links please!
Thank you so much!!! Full tracks can be found on Patreon (shameless plug;)
My Goodness you are killing it bro, your tracks are insane good and well you keep reviewing the gear I tend to find attractive and pretend to learn how to operate 😹
I’m trying not to sound too much like a fan boy but uh 🙄 love the show-,good pace, humor and your compositions are dope.
Thank you so much!!!
It's been a couple of months and I'm finally getting my head round the Medusa now! It really does a lot of patience to figure out step by step. The only thing which I can't quite master to a reasonable level are the x, y and z axis aftertouch options on the pad but that's probably just my big fat fingers 😂
That thing is kind of a challenge...
My favourite colab is still the Roland SE-02. Yes the knobs are tiny, but the Studio Electronics sounds and Roland engine sound huge together.
This thing sounds REALLY good
I'm actively looking to get one of these. I love my Novation Mono Stations, looking to step it up. Having the grid and sequencer locked to a dedicated synth makes for sequences you just can't get any way else. Oddly the Novation Mono Station is rather overlooked as well. I truly don't understand why people aren't into this kind of combination.
If the Mono Station is not weird enough for you, definitely get a Medusa;)
I wasn't expecting this one to get an episode.
The kind people over at Polyend made it possible!
I own one and the only things I want changed are:
The ability to play the internal MPE capable synth with the provided MPE capable surface. You can't do this currently!!
The ability to play external gear while the internal synth is sequenced by the internal sequencer. Again for some bizarre reason this is not possible with the current firmware.
With these two issues fixed i would get so much more use out of it.
Interesting limitation, didn't think of that use case
The day Roland released the T-8 J-6 E-4, people already said this would appear on BadGear, didn't expect it so soon. 😄
Had to squeeze it in in the last minute;)
0:58 omfg that timbre wolf though 😂
A modern classic;)
@@AudioPilz I did some looking around and found a video by the guy who made it. The paint job improves the sound by about 60-70% I’d say 😉
Speaking of modern classics, I hope the synth gods deem the minilogue worthy of the Bad Gear treatment one day. It feels like it was made for this show!
Single mono output? That's staggering to me, lol. The last track/performance was simply incredible, by the way. :)
I totally understand where the mono output comes from but it feels a bit wrong. Thank you!!!
You won’t worry about that after hitting stereo effects at all.
Hehe like the „never mind“ at the end with the „Rolcas“.😁
😀 Thanks!
There are endless sonic possibilities with this synth, and it sounds great with external effects. It has its own mind and you must somewhat accept it for what it is and put some hours in. After that, it's a truly awesome machine.
Yeah, you really have to put some time in!