TASCAM - Model 16 Mixer / Interface / Recorder

Play Your Heart Out

The phrase "too much of a good thing" is an all-too-common sentiment with grooveboxes, brimming with so many features that feels more like an exercise in technical prowess than in creating an actual instrument. Fortunately, Polyend has done their homework. This sampler/sequencer chimera is a masterclass in sandbox music making, offering over 30 sample kits right out of the box alongside eight audio and eight polyphonic MIDI tracks, all presented with an intuitive interface that seamlessly functions on and off the stage. Explore a mountain of playback functions across 35 different play modes, along with randomizer and step repeater functions. Customizable pattern arrangement lets you map your sequences anywhere on the grid for live performance. Add in robust onboard FX plus versatile MIDI functionality and a 64-step sequencer, and you're just beginning to scratch the surface of this sample-sequencer sanctuary. What are you waiting for? Let's Play.

Polyend designed their Play groovebox to be a top contender for your setup's mission control, combining ergonomic management modes with a fortress of functions and MIDI support to be easily integrated with the rest of your instruments, onstage or in the studio. Intuitive controls allow for quickly re/arranging data, such as tracks, steps, pages, variations, and patterns, alongside custom pattern chaining. There are 30,000 possible track variations via 128 patterns that hold 16 tracks, and each individual track holds 16 variations. Construct polymetric and polyrhythmic sequences with the hugely flexible track length (1-64 steps), variable bpm per track, alternate playback modes, and swing values – all independently manageable. Thanks to Play's MIDI capacity, connect an external controller with assignable CC mapping to individual knobs, per track, with equally flexible output management, including chords, arpeggios, pitch bend, clock data, program and bank changes, and more.

Entering the grid

Play's slick, rugged form factor may seem intimidating at a glance, but the 128 color-backed button pads are mostly for show, in a manner of speaking. Really, the large number is about maximizing your available space for triggering sounds, sequences, and anything else you want to map, all from a static grid. The right-side 4 x 8 comprises a control grid, mute, solo, variation, select, and keyboard note inputs. Rest assured that the remaining face buttons and knobs are more direct. The upper-left-most constellation addresses the split-screen display, allowing you to preview parameters and toggle between upper- and lower-screen functions. A total of 15 touch-capacitive knobs fill the center that can also be double-tapped to swap to their subordinate functions. Finally, the remaining six square buttons let you handle copy, paste,

One of the Play's expert design choices is how it can seamlessly undulate between being a studio instrument and a performance piece. A dedicated performance mode allows you to lock in your production and make non-destructive changes to your sounds and sequences, including tune, filter, overdrive, rearranger, reverb, and delay effects. Mastering FX include reverb, delay, sound enhancement, limiter, and saturation. The fun doesn't stop with audio, however, as MIDI options abound, including live recording of automation and change to individual step values on the fly, scale filtering, and more. Out of the box, Play is loaded with over 3,000 samples and 35 sample kits, providing plenty of room to experiment with the FX suite.

Tech talk

Polyend's I/O provides a degree of modularity that makes it so useful in any setting. MIDI ins and outs are handled via 3.5mm jacks, and Play is packaged with a MIDI DIN adapter. The MicroSD slot is perfect for expanding your sample library or providing supplemental sounds, and Polyend includes a 16GB card to help you get started. Play is powered by a 5V/1A USB-C connection, which allows it to be supported by a power bank, perfect for a flexible performance or production style.

Polyend Play Audio and MIDI Sampler, Sequencer, and Groovebox Features:

8 internal audio and 8 polyphonic MIDI tracks allow for a robust basis of creative exploration

Track speed, length, swing, and playback mode can be individually modified, per track, encouraging polymetric and polyrhythmic writing

30,000 track variations provide multitudes of arrangement choices both live and in the studio

Advanced production design features enable exploratory, unexpected writing

3,000 samples and 35 sample kits are pre-loaded, letting you get started immediately