Polyend Medusa got a sonic upgrade in firmware 4.0 in form of a new gritty expressive 6-voice 3-OP FM synthesis engine paired with other improvements
The Medusa Synthesizer, which arose from a close collaboration between the Polish company Polyend and the Greek company Dreadbox, is still today a very unique hybrid instrument. The built-in analog but also digital synth engine offers the user a wide range of timbres. From classic analog bass / leads to very complex ones thanks to wavetable synthesis.
Plus the built-in pad matrix on the left side opens up another sonic level. This is mainly due to the possibility of playing and modulating sounds very expressively. Today the Medusa Synthesizer goes into the fourth round with another major free firmware update but it will be the last one. They also announced the discontinuation of the Medusa.
Polyend Medusa Firmware 4.0
The new Polyend Medusa Firmware 4.0 adds a new fourth, play mode. Besides hybrid monophonic & semi polyphonic modes, it now hosts a gritty 6-voice 3-operator digital FM engine with a 12-bit colored classic vibe. So many new harmonic rich sounds for Medusa users.
It supports five digital FM algorithms and an extra analog voice. This allows you to combine classic FM with analog synthesis, which is exciting. Of course, the firmware ships with numerous patches with which you can immediately explore the new engine.
Then, the Polyend crew improved the channel per voice mode in firmware 4.0 where each channel is now truly “per voice”, and not “per oscillator” as previously. Many musicians will be happy about MIDI program change support, which allows the synth to be better integrated into setups.
Further, the pitch and glide have got a makeover with more musical output and full LFO synchronization with MIDI clock with increased stability. Plus, the update includes many improvements and bug fixes like improved handling of the analog AMP envelope release.
An impressive update for the Medusa will bring the synth back into the focus of many musicians. It’s a shame that the sequencer didn’t get any new functions. It still has a lot of potential in my opinion
Polyend Medusa Firmware 4.0 update is available now as a free download for existing customers. Medusa is available now for
More information here: Polyend
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