@TheSYNTHOID: you're right, currently there's 4 of them on ebay. oh, wait a minute, there's only 3 now since i just won the auction, lol. i'm thrilled and can't wait to start playing that beast.
@devmiles 27iMac ? good choice :) ! right now I can help you with one for 500€+postage from russia. we had 4 pplivokses,now it's 1 left,but they reappear now and then.
@YourSkateTube Well,I bought one because it was available at that moment,but I don't know if Polivoks will cost now days so little. I can check prices out but you have to give price limits what you go for and forms of payment and delivery.
Hey everybody! I am russian,and I live in russia,and I speak english ha ! I had a POLIVOKS myself,I bought it for 50€ some years ago,and I know a little about analog synthesizers and virtual analog ones. If anyone needs any assistance with clearing some insecurity issues of trickiness regarding buying stuff from russia,then I probably can be a help.
I do manage to make similar sounds in ES1 (Logic), especially the portamento, but that is done by routing the LFO through the pitch. Analog synthesis is just so much easier (except modulars, those things route like crazy!)
I'm studying to be an electronics technician (specialising in audio equipment and anything that makes sound xD) and I can get my mum to translate from Russian to English haha!
Be warned. The rumors of hit-or-miss quality from model to model is true. Mine has alot of trouble pitch tracking across the keyboard, and makes annoying popping sounds on every key press and release. And this is one of the better condition ones! They are noisy at full sustain too. Still, lots of fun and full of character if you can get one. Don't ever pay a premium for it, you will regret it!
I owned a polivoks for a while - interesting is a good word to describe it. I wouldn't say it's "built like a tank" though, the switches are very flimsy and the keyboard is perhaps one of the worst ever! Maybe it's the Russian Pro One (?)
I had lots of fun with the looping envelopes, VCF foot pedal and an echo box.
It's also incredibly light compared to other other synths of that era.
No modulation wheels weird but still looks(and sounds)good to me.I like that Polivoks Logo.Probably very rare and hard to find even if you wanted one.
Generally Russian synth are not so great as ARP Odyssey. Probably its difficult to repair them almost like for me to assemble from parts a real tonewheel Hammond (which I am about to perform now :))) ).
This synth is of special meaning for me, being russian myself I played this synth many years ago at final school party after finishing school. Especially cool "crying" sound can be obtained for solo when both oscillators are in unison or octave apart but portamento is only for the first osc. I remember girls really cryed after my lament "oriental" passages :).
In the end of 80's the synth was rather expensive.
800 roubles while average engeneer salary was about 250. Among other Russian keyboard (there were many of them reviewed on 3wDOTTTruskeysDOTTnet) I would recommend "Ritm-2" which also has some wild character in it inspite of a single oscillator.
But it does just add confusion since there are other synths that amount to actual Soviet Minimoog clones (Altair 231) and considering a good number of Soviet synths have copied Moog filters the one that (probably deservedly) gets hyped on the net a lot in English gets the tag "Russian Minimoog".
Considering there are several Soviet era monosynths that are nearly clones of the Minimoog and many more have Moog-like filters (this doesn't) it's sort of like calling every monosynth as a Minimoog to call it a "Russian Minimoog". It's a combination of it being fairly common, sounding powerful and NOT being just like a Minimoog (or a budget version of onne) that makes it interesting. There are supposedly internal design changes that make different units sound noticibly different than others.
I think the reason why some people refer to the Polivoks as a "Russian Minimoog" is because it's the most famous Russian synthesizer, just as the Minimoog is the most famous American synthesizer. They're both iconic and immediately recognizable.
I agree that the sound is totally different - I find the Polivoks reminds me of an Arp Odyssey, run through an tube amp.
i used to have hope of owning a polivostok synth, then i took an arrow to the knee :(
sonick808 2 months ago
In Soviet Russia, synthesizer plays you!
Keijz74 4 months ago
Interesting vid, thanks.
freethoughtmusic 5 months ago
I think by aggressive he meant REALLY EFFECTIVE AND FUCKING EFFICIENT.
YoussefFishere 8 months ago
great video
uppuz 10 months ago
@TheSYNTHOID: you're right, currently there's 4 of them on ebay. oh, wait a minute, there's only 3 now since i just won the auction, lol. i'm thrilled and can't wait to start playing that beast.
wavebox2011 1 year ago
i always get scared when i hear the polivoks.. the ultimate cold war synth.
my god i want one!!
devmiles 1 year ago
@devmiles I can help you to get one
nikolaidotkey 9 months ago
@nikolaidotkey just spend money on a 27'' imac in the studio hehe.
how much would a polivoks cost nowadays?
devmiles 9 months ago
@devmiles 27iMac ? good choice :) ! right now I can help you with one for 500€+postage from russia. we had 4 pplivokses,now it's 1 left,but they reappear now and then.
nikolaidotkey 9 months ago
@devmiles found 3 more polivokses ,2 in very good conditions. price 500-600euro post.
nikolaidotkey 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@YourSkateTube I will search all possible sources of russian sales net and see if there will be one available,msg you as soon I get some news
nikolaidotkey 1 year ago
Comment removed
nikolaidotkey 1 year ago
@YourSkateTube Well,I bought one because it was available at that moment,but I don't know if Polivoks will cost now days so little. I can check prices out but you have to give price limits what you go for and forms of payment and delivery.
nikolaidotkey 1 year ago
Seriously, my jaw is on the floor.
PraxisAxis 1 year ago
Very interesting demonstration.
ajittffcure 1 year ago
Love your rendition of the Soviet anthem! Could I get an MP3 of that?
Threetails 1 year ago
Hey everybody! I am russian,and I live in russia,and I speak english ha ! I had a POLIVOKS myself,I bought it for 50€ some years ago,and I know a little about analog synthesizers and virtual analog ones. If anyone needs any assistance with clearing some insecurity issues of trickiness regarding buying stuff from russia,then I probably can be a help.
nikolaidotkey 1 year ago
CCCP or URRS. When Russia was serious.
ciolamorta 1 year ago
@ciolamorta Yep. The URRS.
RayManzarekGod 1 year ago
@RayManzarekGod Sorry, i'm Italian and the spelling is URRS, not USSR :-D
ciolamorta 1 year ago
@ciolamorta Ooh :P Its okay, I was trying to just draw your attention, thats interesting, you learn something new everyday :)
RayManzarekGod 1 year ago
@RayManzarekGod Yes: it stays for Unione Repubbliche Sovietiche :) And yes, you can say, we learning something new everyday! :)
ciolamorta 1 year ago
@ciolamorta Ah yes! Interesting! :) These soviet instruments are WIERD! Soviet stuff is sooo different! The guitars are UGLY MAN!
RayManzarekGod 1 year ago
actually.. seems more like a soviet odyssey
PHAEDRIDER 1 year ago
Great overview of this dirty synth!
BrontoScorpioMusic 2 years ago
I had one :)
It had really fat sound! Very nice synth
Wiltko 2 years ago
thanks! internationale!
ayanuhito 2 years ago
wonder how many propaganda music videos they made with it lol
UnchainTheNight1 2 years ago
do they still have these this!?anywhere???I want one!
poshi12 2 years ago
There's one on the UK ebay now for about £650
TheModCon 2 years ago
Lucid Tracks at around 4:42 has an AWESOME acid breakdown featuring none other than Polyvoks. Great surprise.
whizkid515 2 years ago
I meant Lucid Dreams by Franz Ferdinand.
whizkid515 2 years ago
Wish I had one now!!! :(
I do manage to make similar sounds in ES1 (Logic), especially the portamento, but that is done by routing the LFO through the pitch. Analog synthesis is just so much easier (except modulars, those things route like crazy!)
I'm studying to be an electronics technician (specialising in audio equipment and anything that makes sound xD) and I can get my mum to translate from Russian to English haha!
DagGirl 2 years ago
Забавно ))
f3xphilippru 2 years ago
trop fort william!!! bonne idée de remettre ce vidéo en ligne!!!
lapou81 2 years ago
Hello , good demo :) , I've posted it on switchedonsynthesizer.blogspot . com
Thalassa77 2 years ago
The Polivoks synth normally comes with a pedal to control the filter cutoff.
PhantasmaReal 2 years ago
Just the info I needed! thanx a million!!
clumpft 2 years ago
Be warned. The rumors of hit-or-miss quality from model to model is true. Mine has alot of trouble pitch tracking across the keyboard, and makes annoying popping sounds on every key press and release. And this is one of the better condition ones! They are noisy at full sustain too. Still, lots of fun and full of character if you can get one. Don't ever pay a premium for it, you will regret it!
samplethesilence 2 years ago
I want it badly!
JustWickedSwede 4 years ago
Sounds very Moscovich...lol.
JazzMusic79 4 years ago
Very comprehensive and informative! Thanks William!
lesingemonotone 4 years ago
Y is it tagged 'Gothic' and 'Industrial'?? do Industrial bands use it?
pooman85 4 years ago
just listen to the sounds of it. and ask nitzer ebb
dawoof 4 years ago
xD at Soviet national anthem at beginning.
ratsouffle 4 years ago
The other thing is, if you live in the US, you need a voltage converter because these synths run off 220V.
wholtone 4 years ago
Cool, an Oddeski.
kaferere 4 years ago
Another excellent video!
I owned a polivoks for a while - interesting is a good word to describe it. I wouldn't say it's "built like a tank" though, the switches are very flimsy and the keyboard is perhaps one of the worst ever! Maybe it's the Russian Pro One (?)
I had lots of fun with the looping envelopes, VCF foot pedal and an echo box.
It's also incredibly light compared to other other synths of that era.
evening1 4 years ago 5
Yeah - I think "built like a tank" was a bad choice of words.
I meant that it looks like a piece of military equipment. There's something about the shape and control placement.
williamenroh 4 years ago
The polivoks definitely "looks like a tank" and the aluminum case has a solid military vibe.
Mine came via Finland and the shipper just put a label on the case and sent it off - no cardboard or packing at all.
A little repair was required but fortunately nothing too bad.
evening1 4 years ago
No modulation wheels weird but still looks(and sounds)good to me.I like that Polivoks Logo.Probably very rare and hard to find even if you wanted one.
chinkogakusaizo 4 years ago
That is sweet! I'd love to have this synth, although I'd have to decipher the Russian text!
MclarenF1CMS 4 years ago
This is so beautiful! Gonna get me one on ebay... Бриллиант!
Лонг Ливе Тадао Ликумото!
henrikthedj 4 years ago
Excellent video and nice synth. I Still prefer my Korg Mono/Poly though...
Nice instructional video
snowmarine 4 years ago
Fascinating,thanks for showing this synth so well.
giddygavin 4 years ago
didn't hear that triangle wave...
Hobbs360 4 years ago
Generally Russian synth are not so great as ARP Odyssey. Probably its difficult to repair them almost like for me to assemble from parts a real tonewheel Hammond (which I am about to perform now :))) ).
All respects!
00700ORION 4 years ago
Thank you so much for this review on Polivox!
This synth is of special meaning for me, being russian myself I played this synth many years ago at final school party after finishing school. Especially cool "crying" sound can be obtained for solo when both oscillators are in unison or octave apart but portamento is only for the first osc. I remember girls really cryed after my lament "oriental" passages :).
00700ORION 4 years ago
In the end of 80's the synth was rather expensive.
800 roubles while average engeneer salary was about 250. Among other Russian keyboard (there were many of them reviewed on 3wDOTTTruskeysDOTTnet) I would recommend "Ritm-2" which also has some wild character in it inspite of a single oscillator.
00700ORION 4 years ago
But it does just add confusion since there are other synths that amount to actual Soviet Minimoog clones (Altair 231) and considering a good number of Soviet synths have copied Moog filters the one that (probably deservedly) gets hyped on the net a lot in English gets the tag "Russian Minimoog".
itisnick 4 years ago
Considering there are several Soviet era monosynths that are nearly clones of the Minimoog and many more have Moog-like filters (this doesn't) it's sort of like calling every monosynth as a Minimoog to call it a "Russian Minimoog". It's a combination of it being fairly common, sounding powerful and NOT being just like a Minimoog (or a budget version of onne) that makes it interesting. There are supposedly internal design changes that make different units sound noticibly different than others.
itisnick 4 years ago
I think the reason why some people refer to the Polivoks as a "Russian Minimoog" is because it's the most famous Russian synthesizer, just as the Minimoog is the most famous American synthesizer. They're both iconic and immediately recognizable.
I agree that the sound is totally different - I find the Polivoks reminds me of an Arp Odyssey, run through an tube amp.
williamenroh 4 years ago
Nice vid - iv always wondered what these machines sound like.
KontrolVoltage 4 years ago
typical soviet/russia... not even an explanation in english letters
ilovekorg 4 years ago
Decent video, nice one
chinoischef 4 years ago
you're a good video maker, very smart
guerradag 4 years ago
This is a cut above the usual YouTube synth demo. Well done.
destruktobot 4 years ago
Brilliant. Very informative and straight to the point. The world is a now better place. ;) 5 stars.
Just wait 'til I get mine...
OriginalJambo 4 years ago
Great video!
CareyM77 4 years ago