Lambda Synthetics PolyPulse, previewed at Superbooth 23, is a unique groovebox powered by algorithmic sequencing, multi-synthesis synthesis & sampling. It’s now available.
The PolyPulse is certainly one of the most powerful yet most unusual grooveboxes of recent years. Even after a year on the market, the tank-like instrument is still flying under the radar for me.
The Dutch developers at Lambda Synthetics are still in full swing, making PolyPulse better and better. With firmware 1.10, they just dropped an update that does exactly that.
Firmware 1.10
The PolyPulse algorithmic groovebox offers a variety of synthesis forms, including subtractive virtual analog, FM, additive, resonator, quad engine, and granular. In the new free firmware update 1.10, Lambda Synthetics expands these features.
As some may recall, the developers recently released a browser-based wavetable designer. This now makes even more sense because the new firmware 1.10 introduces wavetable synthesis to the PolyPulse’s subtractive sound engine.
This new addition allows you to combine two wavetable oscillators with FM, multimode filters, and a noise or sample player.
Additionally, there is a wavetable mini engine in the quad engine, which combines four different synths/samplers on a single track.
You can now build kits with wavetable synthesis, samples, and various percussive synthesis methods, or even trigger four wavetables each with a unique algorithmic sequence.
The new wavetable engine offers a wealth of possibilities to explore. For example, each wavetable’s pitch and/or position can be morphable using the PolyPulse’s built-in touchpad. Plus, the modulation system can modulate these parameters.
Of course, you can also load custom wavetables. Import your own wavetables or create your own with their own browser-based wavetable designer.
More Additions
Alongside the new wavetable engine, you can benefit from various other major improvements. A powerful change is that you can now modulate all the parameters of the algorithmic sequencer with LFOs, envelopes, and random stuff like note chance.
This creates movement within the movement, giving your sequences a highly evolving character.
Lambda Synthetics PolyPulse has sampling capabilities. In firmware 1.10, the developers improved the (re)sampling with automatic start/stop, eliminating the need to manually trim a sample after recording. A very useful addition.
And if the hardware display is too small for you, you can now mirror it to a browser on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. If I had a PolyPulse, that would definitely be one of my highlights, as the display is a bit too small for me.
As a bonus, sound designer and musician Koarse has created 42 hard-hitting samples, 35 haunted presets and 30 crunchy wavetables! Plus, PolyPulse designer Ward Slager has added another 18 presets and 41 wavetables.
This new firmware makes the PolyPulse groovebox even more powerful. Even though the PolyPulse might not be a mega-seller, its development continues, which is very welcome. Nice update with great additions
The new PolyPulse firmware 1.10 is available now as a free update on the Lambda Synthetics website. The new samples and wavetables can be downloaded for free, also for non-PolyPulse users!
More information here: Lambda Synthetics
Available at my partners
Thomann
Perfect Circuit
Update from August 5, 2025
At Superbooth 2023, the Dutch company Lambda Labs unveiled the PolyPulse, an algorithmic groovebox with a multi-synthesis engine and a striking industrial design. In the same year, the groovebox was funded in a Kickstarter campaign.
Already in December 2024, they delivered the 34 backers of the project. The Polypulse is now shipping and available from major retailers. At 1999€, it’s undoubtedly one of the most pricey grooveboxes on the market, which also makes it a very niche product in this section.
I’m curious to see how users will respond to the product. There aren’t many YouTube demos yet. One user did a two-hour overview of the Polypulse.
Feature Highlights
- 5 Track algorithmic composition device
- 6 Synth and sound engines: subtractive, FM, additive, resonator, quad engine and granular
- 13 Audio effects: amplitude modulator, compressor, delay, drive, equalizer, fade delay, filter, limiter, mono, multiband, reroute, reverb, stereo
- 5 Morphing touchpads with assignable corners for expressive performance
- Assignable modulation
- 26GB Internal storage
- Ethernet connection for uploading samples
- 1GHz Processor with 512MB RAM
- 2 Balanced line inputs
- 2 Microphone inputs with pad and gain controls
- 8 Balanced line outputs
- Stereo headphone amplifier with volume control
- MIDI IN/OUT
Lambda Synthetics PolyPulse is available now for $2099/1999€.
Article from October 23, 2023
Every year, Superbooth 23 is the biggest celebration of synthesizers. With tons of new product announcements. So much that the media can’t feature everything. I would probably still be there today to cover.
One of the highlights that I unfortunately missed visiting is the PolyPulse. It’s a new wild groovebox from the young Dutch company Lambda Synthetics, led by Ward Slager. This is now on Kickstarter, and waiting for your support. A perfect moment to take a new look at PolyPulse.
Lambda Synthetics PolyPulse
PolyPulse doesn’t look like your average groovebox. It looks like it was found in an old nuclear bunker. The design stands out and is immediately distinguishable from many other grooveboxes available on the market: very industrial look, old-school big buttons, and all in a metal enclosure.
Synths, Samples, and Effects
The core is also fresh and exciting. PolyPulse has five tracks. There aren’t many, but they offer a lot of sonic fun. On each track, you can select a newly developed sound engine with up to eight voices of polyphony. Both synthesis and sampling are available, and you can add effects on top of each track.
- drum synthesis in the form of an analog-style synthesized drum kit with a kick, snare, clap, and hi-hat.
- stereo sample player
- subtractive synth with four oscillators, noise source, harmonic ring modulation, and a 24dB lowpass filter or 12dB morphing filter.
- 4-OP FM operator with algorithms that can be customized and are morphable.
- additive synthesis with up to 32 sine waves per voice (digital sounds and glitchy textures)
- physical modeling synthesis with noise and samples as excitation sources.
Then, you can mangle each track with up to four audio tracks. Additionally, four effects are available in the master bus.
According to the developer, PolyPulse has a multi-channel audio effects system, giving you total freedom over the effect routings (to the mix of the sound engines, individual voices…). This makes spatial audio setups with up to eight speakers possible.
Available are: amp mod (multi-channel tremolo), compressor. degrade tape simulation, delay, multi-algo drive, granular delay, filter, mono mixes, multiband, reroute, and stereo spreads.
Algorithmic Sequencer
A highlight of the PolyPulse groovebox is the sequencer. In each of its 5 tracks, it hosts an algorithmic sequencer controllable by a set of parameters. Instead of traditional sequencers, it allows you to quickly create a variation on a groove by turning just a single knob.
Ward Slager of Lambda Synthetics promises that the algorithm sequencer is free from conventional limitations. Including a number of steps, a sequence can have specific time signatures and can use custom tuning systems.
Each pattern can have its own length, and patterns on different tracks can shift against each other, creating constantly evolving melodies. All this is done via knob-per function with the 16 hardware encoders and without menu diving. That sounds very exciting.
Connectivity
The hardware is also very dense. 32 HQ encoders, with coarse and fine-tune control, five capacitive touchpads, 13 metal-shaft potentiometers, and 65 key switches, give you hands-on control. There are also touchpads for morphing between four presets and sounds.
On the connection side, you get four audio inputs for sampling, eight audio outputs, two microphone inputs with pad and gain controls, and a headphone socket. Full 5-pin MIDI is onboard as well as various trigger ins and outs.
Lastly, there is an RJ45 Ethernet connection that supports OSC and is used for firmware updates and sound management.
First Impression
A lovely project. Five tracks might be weak, but the built-in engine makes the whole thing exciting. Looking forward to seeing more demos of it.
You can support the Lambda Synthetics PolyPulse now on Kickstarter for 1999,99€. The developers estimate to start shipping in September 2024.
More information here: Lambda Synthetics / Kickstarter
I don’t know what it is with a lot of new kit these days, a weird feeling, almost like the ’emperors new clothes’ vibe.
Nice good luck. Hope you make it to market.
If I had that kind of cash on hand I would love to support. Looks fun, hope it’s a success!
The raw look of this device is interesting. One thing I would have designed differently is the usage of track volume faders next to each touchpad instead of potentiometers above them. Sure though, it is a very small company and they wanted to achieve an acceptable price.
This company does not deserve my money. They have done a HORRIBLE job of doing demos of this thing — there’s virtually no information about it out there. And yet they want $2,200. I don’t know where these unknown companies get off asking this kind of money for products that they don’t even care enough to properly demo.
Then look online — there are numerous complaints about bugs and CPU overload.
Hell yeah. Go Wouter!