FORMANTA POLIVOKS - A Very Soviet Synthesizer | Review, Sounds & Demo

Formanta Polivoks (ПОЛИВОКС) synthesizer review, sounds & demo. The Formanta Polivoks is a Soviet duophonic analog synth manufactured in the USSR from 1982-1990. It is the most popular and well-known of the Russian synths. In this video I provide some history of the Polivoks, an overview of the synth, and showcase a variety of Polivoks sounds and patches. Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro 01:29 - Overview & Review 12:31 - Conclusion 13:42 - Sounds & Patches Demo --------------------------------------- ► Subscribe ► Support the channel (affiliate links): Buy me a coffee: Sweetwater US: Perfect Circuit US: Thomann EU: : ► Connect on social Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Soundcloud: ► Listen to my music Bandcamp: Spotify: Apple Music: Youtube Music: Amazon: --------------------------- The Formanta Polivoks is a Russian analog synthesizer with 2 voices of polyphony, 2 oscillators (triangle, saw, square and pulse), 1 LFO (triangle, square, noise, S&H), a highly resonant and switchable lowpass or bandpass filter, 2 envelopes (VCF/VCA), portamento, noise, osc ring/cross modulation, external audio input, detuning between the oscillators, and a 48-key keyboard. Vladimir Kuzmin designed and engineered the Polivoks circuits, while his wife Olimpiada created the look and feel of the instrument, drawing inspiration from Soviet military styles. A chunky and brutish-looking unit, the Formanta Polivoks casing, solid black color, large knobs, switches and Cyrillic labelling give it a very industrial look, while the treads on the sides are reminiscent of a Soviet tank. The Polivoks has a number of interesting features, but it’s probably best known for having extreme filter resonance that screams unlike any other synth, as well as an aggressive distorted character and extreme bass. For example, Mick Gordon used the Polivoks extensively on the Doom 2016 soundtrack, where it contributed crushingly heavy sounds and melodies. As for my Polivoks, I obtained it 2nd hand from a local seller but it was missing a few knobs. Luckily, I was able to get in touch with Vladimir Kuzmin directly and purchase some extra knobs. He informed me that my Polivoks was the 193rd made in October 1988, and mentioned the end of the 80s was a good time for production, as most bugs were fixed by then. As a kind gesture, Vladimir also sent me a limited edition CD titled “Polivoks 33”, which I may showcase in a future video. This album celebrates 33 years of Polivoks history, and features Polivoks compositions from various musicians around the world. Overall the Polivoks is a somewhat obscure, historic and unique synthesizer, but that is also part of its charm. It excels at industrial timbres, textures and fx and rewards sonic exploration… but it can also do mellow sounds, as you will hear in this video. A big thanks to Vladimir and Olimpiada for creating this instrument which is full of unusual tones, surprises and creative possibilities. Here is Vladimir Kuzmin’s YT channel: Thanks for watching and hope you enjoy the demo. -------------- Note: By using the affiliate links and completing a purchase on their site, I may get a small commission at no cost to you. This helps the channel financially, and allows me to continue creating new content. Many thanks for your support! #polivoks #formanta #formantapolivoks #synth #synthesizer #soviet #russian #ПОЛИВОКС #синтезатор