Programming PolyMAX
A while ago, I found out that Universal Audio (UA) was offering their $199 PolyMAX synthesizer for free for a limited time and I shared that with my subscribers on social media. I already had the synthesizer in my account but hadn’t given it much attention, mainly because of other work I had to finish first and my cycle accident didn’t help either 🙂
However, at the start of September I thought, let’s give it a shot. I had a lot of fun exploring and using this synth and after a month or so, I created an expansion pack for it called Maxed Out. Along the way, I made some notes about what I liked – and what I didn’t. So, let’s dive in and find out!
First Impressions
At first glance, PolyMAX might seem like another retro-inspired polysynth plugin. But this instrument from UA offers more than just vintage charm. It’s a well-crafted fusion of classic subtractive synthesis with enough modern features and sonic depth to keep sound designers and musicians inspired. The UI is bright, clear and like the best vintage gear, it invites immediate play rather than endless menu-diving.
It’s not pretending to be a modular monster; there’s no fully fledged mod matrix – and that’s part of the appeal.
Oscillators and FM (Yes, FM!)
PolyMAX features two main oscillators, each with continuously variable waveform shaping – blending from triangle to sawtooth to square and pulse. This flexibility goes beyond static waveforms, offering a tonal palette reminiscent of classics like the Moog Voyager and Sequential Prophet-6. You can morph manually or modulate the shape via the LFO or Envelope 1 to dial in just the right harmonic content.
Each oscillator ranges from -24 to +24 semitones, with fine-tuning available in 1-cent increments across a ±100 range. In addition to the oscillators, you can mix in white or pink noise – a nice feature that adds character beyond the typical white-noise-only approach.
There’s no sub-oscillator, which may disappoint some bass heads. However, the core oscillators are rich and full-bodied enough that it’s rarely missed. In fact, in the default patch, Oscillator 2 is tuned an octave down – a workaround or a thoughtful starting point. It’s worth noting that many of the synths PolyMAX seems to draw inspiration from – like the Jupiter-8, OB-Xa and Prophet-5 – didn’t have dedicated sub-oscillators either.
One pleasant surprise is the hidden oscillator sync feature. When turned on, it produces classic hard sync sounds similar to those from the Prophet-5. At first, it surprised me – let’s be honest, who reads the manual right away? – but once I did, it became clear that UA opted to keep the interface clean and uncluttered.
Even more unexpected is the inclusion of FM. While PolyMAX isn’t a full-fledged FM synth, it allows you to modulate one oscillator with the other. The results can be metallic, glassy, or harmonically rich – perfect for evolving pads, bell-like keys or subtly detuned textures. According to UA (manual), its linear FM implementation combines analog and digital techniques to avoid the tuning instability often found in digital phase modulation. The result is a controlled, musical FM that complements the analog character beautifully.
Filter, Modulation and LFO
The filter is smooth, warm and likely influenced by Moog, Roland, Sequential and Oberheim synthesizers from the ’70s and ’80s. It sounds musical at nearly any setting, with a clean resonance that can whistle without becoming harsh.
You can choose between 2- and 4-pole modes and switch between low-pass, band-pass, high-pass and notch filter types. It’s not possible to drive the filter particularly hard, but I suppose you can’t have it all. Of course, you can always add some distortion after PolyMAX, though I would have welcomed more built-in drive options within the synth itself. Especially because UA has a lot of (DSP) knowledge in-house in this area.
Modulation routing is simple and somewhat limited, but very usable – no deep menus to navigate. The filter and oscillator pitch can be modulated by both the mod envelope and LFO. However, for most other parameters, you have to choose one or the other. Having both available simultaneously would add some welcome flexibility. The pitch mod has a good range of 48 semitones up or down. So it was easy to create percussive sounds and plucked keys for example.
The LFO has five waveforms: triangle, square, saw up, saw down and sample & hold. It can modulate pitch, filter, sync, FM and oscillator waveform, offering just enough depth and rate to add subtle movement or full-on chaos. The rate ranges from 0.05 to 50 Hz, though I would have loved to see a broader range – or the addition of a second LFO.
For now, I rely on Bitwig Studio its modulators to fill that gap. Currently, there’s no LFO retrigger (Trig) option or one-shot mode available and S&H with glide isn’t available either – those would be welcome additions for more experimental modulation. The Trig function, for example, could act as a randomizer when paired with S&H mode and when implemented well – like on the Arturia MicroFreak – it’s incredibly useful.
The envelopes are fast and snappy – perfect for plucks and tempo-synced sequences – but also capable of long, smooth fades ideal for ambient textures. A particularly handy – and great-looking – feature is the visual feedback: each envelope stage has an integrated LED in its fader, which lights up from dark to bright as the stage progresses. It’s a subtle detail, but very effective.
Attack times range from 1 ms to 13 seconds, while decay and release go from 2 ms up to 32 seconds. Lastly, you can set velocity sensitivity for both envelopes – a nice feature that brings to mind the Arturia PolyBrute for example. Quick, intuitive and very musical.
Polyphony, Playability and Workflow
PolyMAX offers 8 voices of polyphony, which hits a sweet spot between CPU usage and expressive potential. It also features 3 voice panning modes. Voice panning spreads notes across the stereo field in a repeating 8-voice round-robin pattern. Set to 1 or 2, each voice gets a unique pan position. Set to 0 to disable panning. This reminds me a bit of the voice panning on the incredible sounding GliGli Overcylcer or the great Oberheim OB-X8.
While you won’t be layering huge stacks of sustained notes, the synthesizer never feels restrictive and the unison mode gives mono sounds a real edge. I would have liked to see a voice setup for this, so you could, for example, get four two-voice unison notes in poly unison mode. This isn’t currently possible; Bitwig Studio allows you to layer different mono unison sounds to create a poly, but again, I would have liked to see this integrated into the synthesizer. UA likely omitted this to keep the synthesizer relatively uncomplicated. So perhaps this is something for a v2.
Performance controls are responsive and the synth handles velocity and mod wheel. Velocity can react to the mod envelope and to the amplifier envelope. Mod wheel can eather control vibrato or the cutoff frequency. Next to that we find the onboard arpeggiator. Although it works like expected, I missed the dotted and triplet notes for this feature. But I love that you alternate between 3 octaves and have a random mode.
While crafting sounds for this great-sounding synthesizer, I especially enjoyed designing pads with evolving modulation and subtle FM for added harmonic motion – but it also proved excellent for keys, basses and even percussive sounds.
Effects
PolyMAX includes a set of high-quality built-in effects that complement its synth engine well. The vintage spring reverb adds natural space and character, while the tape delay provides warm, slightly modulated echoes typical of classic hardware units. A famous Digital Hall B – inspired by Lexicon, I assume – sounds excellent and can stretch up to 70 seconds in length, adjustable in steps.
You also get modulation effects: chorus, flanger and phaser, which add movement and depth to your sounds. These effects are well integrated; although there’s no mix knob, they still offer useful sound-shaping tools without the need for external plugins-and they sound very good.
Although sounding very good, I would love to have a bit more control over the effects. The addition of a stereo delay wouldn’t hurt either.
Presets and Sound Design Potential
The factory patches are just fine: a nice mix of basic analog elements, well-playable sounds and more experimental sounds. But the real fun begins when you start creating your own. PolyMAX is really quick to program and with a somewhat limited, but focused set of modulation options, it encourages you to shape sound by feel rather than get lost in complex routing setups.
For sound designers, its apparent simplicity makes it a surprisingly deep playground. The wave-morphing, sync and FM functions combine to create a vast sonic palette, adding movement and depth to the sound.
Are there things I miss for sound design? Yes, but I assume most of them are already planned for a future update or a version 2 at some point. That said, in addition to the already mentioned LFO upgrades and drive options, it would be great to see a sequencer or an MSEG added as well. Even some basic EQ or other dynamic tools would be a welcome addition. Again, UA already has all the DSP tech in-house – so why not include it?
Final Thoughts
PolyMAX isn’t trying to be the deepest synth – it’s trying to be musical. And in that, it succeeds beautifully. It offers just enough modulation and sound-shaping flexibility to keep advanced users happy, while remaining approachable for musicians who want quick, good sounding results.
While it’s missing a few features I’d like, what’s here works smoothly and sounds excellent. PolyMAX doesn’t feel like a plugin trying to replace hardware – it feels like one that’s learned from it.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Classic analog character
- Waveshape morphing
- FM and sync options
- Four filter types, with both 2- and 4-pole modes
- Voice panning
- High-quality built-in effects
- Clean, user-friendly user interface
- CPU-friendly
- Inspiring and fun to use
- Great value, especially when discounted
Cons:
- No sub-oscillator
- No LFO retrigger or one-shot option
- No glide for sample & hold
- No drive options
- Effects are high quality but offer limited tweakability
Sound Examples
More Information
For more information about PolyMAX, please visit the product page on the Universal Audio website:
https://www.uaudio.com/products/polymax-synth
If you enjoyed this review and want a taste of the pack, grab the free taster pack with 10 patches. Just use coupon code MOTASTERFREE to get it free of charge – or skip the code to support my work (and maybe my next cup of coffee!). You’ll also find a discount code for the full pack inside. Thank you for your support!
Check out the full Maxed Out sound expander pack here!
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