Polyend Press is a hardware compressor pedal from Polyend, shown at the FEZ. It is a stereo analog compressor designed to capture the sound of classic rackmount hardware, while promising VST-like control, the kind of detailed parameter access players usually associate with a plugin rather than a pedal1. For players weighing it against other options, it sits among compressor pedals with an unusually deep control set.
What it does
Press works as a conventional compressor, shaping dynamics with a familiar knob set: Threshold, Ratio, Make-up, Mix, Attack and Release1. The Mix knob allows parallel compression, blending compressed and uncompressed signal, and the Make-up control restores level after compression.
Where it aims beyond a standard pedal is in its sidechain features. MusicRadar reported that it "adds software-like features such as an external sidechain input and internal sidechain filters"1. An external sidechain input lets another signal, such as a bass line, trigger the compression, a technique common in studio production and rarely found on pedals.
There is also a Tilt knob, though at the time of the announcement its purpose had not been explained1.
Release status
At the time of MusicRadar's report on 17 May 2024, Press had not yet appeared on the Polyend website, which the publication read as a sign that "it's a little way off from release"1.
Press was shown at Superbooth 2024 as a forthcoming product. Details such as price, power requirements and bypass type were not part of the announcement coverage.
Videos
Polyend
Stazma
Slow Haste
Sources (1)
- Superbooth 24: Stop the Press, MusicRadar, 2024-05-17
