Polivoks
Encyclopedia
The Polivoks (Rus.
: Поливокс) is a duophonic, analog
synthesizer manufactured and marketed in the Soviet Union
between 1982 and 1990. It is arguably the most popular and well known Soviet synthesizer in the west, likely due to both the uniqueness of its appearance and sound.
The Polivoks was designed at the Urals Vector plant, but actual production was handled at the Formanta Radio Factory in Kachkanar
, Russian SFSR. It was intended to appear and sound similar to American
and Japanese
synthesizers from companies such as Roland
, Moog
, and Korg
. The Polivoks was engineered by circuit designer Vladimir Kuzmin with the appearance of the instrument influenced by his wife Olimpiada, who took inspiration from the design of Soviet military radios. Its retail price upon release was 920 rubles
and over its lifetime around 100,000 Polivoks were manufactured - sometimes with a production rate of up to 1,000 units a month.
The Polivoks has some features that are either unusual or uncommon on most analog mono synthesizers including a filter that can be switched from low pass to bandpass and two envelopes that can be looped over the AD sections.
Due to its unique history and relative rarity, the Polivoks has become popular as much for its unique sounds as for its aesthetics. It is often used by bands who take inspiration from the Soviet chic movement, as well as the ostalgie
phenomenon in the former East Germany.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Поливокс) is a duophonic, analog
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
synthesizer manufactured and marketed in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
between 1982 and 1990. It is arguably the most popular and well known Soviet synthesizer in the west, likely due to both the uniqueness of its appearance and sound.
The Polivoks was designed at the Urals Vector plant, but actual production was handled at the Formanta Radio Factory in Kachkanar
Kachkanar
Kachkanar is a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located between the Isa and Vyya Rivers, north of Yekaterinburg in the Tura River basin. Population: It was founded in 1957 as an ore mining settlement and was granted urban-type settlement status in 1959...
, Russian SFSR. It was intended to appear and sound similar to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Japanese
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
synthesizers from companies such as Roland
Roland Corporation
is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on April 18, 1972, with ¥33 million in capital. In 2005 Roland's headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. Today it has factories in Japan,...
, Moog
Moog Music
Moog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...
, and Korg
Korg
is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
. The Polivoks was engineered by circuit designer Vladimir Kuzmin with the appearance of the instrument influenced by his wife Olimpiada, who took inspiration from the design of Soviet military radios. Its retail price upon release was 920 rubles
Soviet ruble
The Soviet ruble or rouble was the currency of the Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into 100 kopeks, ....
and over its lifetime around 100,000 Polivoks were manufactured - sometimes with a production rate of up to 1,000 units a month.
The Polivoks has some features that are either unusual or uncommon on most analog mono synthesizers including a filter that can be switched from low pass to bandpass and two envelopes that can be looped over the AD sections.
Due to its unique history and relative rarity, the Polivoks has become popular as much for its unique sounds as for its aesthetics. It is often used by bands who take inspiration from the Soviet chic movement, as well as the ostalgie
Ostalgie
Ostalgie is a German term referring to nostalgia for aspects of life in East Germany. It is derived from the German words Ost and Nostalgie ....
phenomenon in the former East Germany.
Interesting facts
- The Polivoks was used prominently in indie-rock band Franz Ferdinand'sFranz Ferdinand (band)Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
2009 album Tonight: Franz FerdinandTonight: Franz FerdinandTonight: Franz Ferdinand is the third album by Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand. It was released through Domino Records on 26 January 2009 in the UK. "Ulysses" was released on the 19 January 2009 as the first single and is available for streaming on the band's Myspace page. It is a concept album...
, especially in the songs "Ulysses" and "Lucid Dreams" according to music critic Simon Maes.
- Polivoks is also being used in trash-electro project of Kuba Kristo, Crashed Disco Balls, according to Bottomlayer.org
External links
- http://analogik.com/instrument_polivoks.asp
- http://www.synthmuseum.com/polyv/polyvox01.html
- http://www.ruskeys.net/eng/base/polivoks.php
- Polyvoks VSTi
- http://www.esnips.com/doc/58a13ee1-727d-4c67-87f6-d7c6a7767173/Polivoks-synthesizer-demo