This year’s NAMM fair has opened its doors, which means there will be a plethora of new musical treats to crave. A typical example? Polyend which combines the functionality of a standard guitar pedal with a drum machine.
The Polyend Step is a “full-featured, programmable drum machine in a stompbox format.” This should be an absolute boon for those who want accompaniment while playing a guitar or other instrument. That alone makes it the perfect practice tool, but it looks like it could also be a great resource for anyone exploring the “one-person band.”
Drum stompboxes are nothing new, but the Step takes it up a notch. It includes over 200 drum kits as well as 350 preset rhythm patterns. These patterns consist of 16 steps but can be combined into full songs. For this purpose, the pedal can store more than 1,000 songs.
Drum patterns can also be created from scratch via the built-in step sequencer, allowing users to work with four tracks. Each track has a variety of adjustable parameters including swing, speed, step probability, speed control and more. There are over 50 effects to choose from, and each song can handle 16. These effects include a range of delays and reverbs and can be activated quickly via footswitches.
The connectivity here is on point. The Step features MIDI I/O for syncing, guitar connections, stereo in and out, and a microSD card reader. It’s available now for $500. Polyend is best known for its sequencing devices like this and the .
