Arturia PolyBrute 12: Possibly the most powerful analogue synthesizer of the modern age£3,429 / €3,999 / $4,449, arturia.com
The original PolyBrute was Arturia’s first analogue polysynth and the company basically nailed it right out of the gate. Its Morphée and ribbon controls offer unique options for expression; the dual filters deliver robust sound shaping capabilities; and the expansive modulation matrix is capable of turning a simple saw wave into aural witchcraft.

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Upon its 2021 release, the two big complaints were that, in a world where MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) was becoming more common, the PolyBrute stuck with monophonic aftertouch. And six voices just wasn’t a heck of a lot for a massive bi-timbral synthesizer. Arturia addressed both of those issues with the PolyBrute 12 and in the process may have built the most powerful analogue synthesizer of the modern age.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the core sound engine and signal path. There’s still two oscillators per-voice, with saw, triangle and square wave options, including pulse width modulation. The first oscillator has Arturia’s patented Metalizer wavefolder for turning those gentle triangles into something fiercer. The second has a sub-oscillator for adding body, which is welcome because the raw oscillators on the PolyBrute sound a touch thin at times.
Those run into the dual filters, one ladder and one Steiner Parker, which can be run individually, in parallel or serial. There’s three envelopes, three LFOs, a noise generator, a digital effects section and a massive modulation matrix that leaves almost no corner of the synth untouchable.

The PolyBrute’s sound design possibilities are almost overwhelming. It can deliver classic saw leads, gentle analogue pads and even does a decent job with bass (though, it’s not its strong suit.) But the Metalizer wavefolder, FM, Sync and digital effects section (not to mention the modulation options) expand the sonic palette well beyond your typical analogue synth. The PolyBrute does classic analogue, but it can also be one of the most wild and almost digital sounding analogue synths we’ve ever heard.
All of this was already true of the original PolyBrute, though — if you want to know more, we recommend reading our review..
What sets the PolyBrute 12 apart is the new FullTouch keybed and six additional voices. Let’s start with the easiest of these two things to address. Six voices is plenty on a smaller, monotimbral synth, but, on something the size of the PolyBrute, which can stack or split sounds, it can prove to be a bottleneck. If you were stacking sounds on the original PolyBrute, this limited you to three note chords and voice stealing became a major issue. With 12 voices at your disposal, it’s much less of a concern.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Could an accomplished keyboardist pushing the boundaries of the PolyBrute 12 run into some issues? Perhaps. But most sound designers and synth fans will find fault in the keyboards capabilities.
Adding more voices is a welcome upgrade, but it’s hardly revolutionary — the significant change with the PolyBrute 12 is the keyboard. The FullTouch keybed brings polyphonic aftertouch to the PolyBrute, which is huge. But it does so much more.
The PolyBrute 12 is Arturia’s first MPE-capable instrument and the particular implementation here is unique. Its closest point of comparison is probably the Expressive E Osmose, but even that isn’t really apt. Whereas the Osmose has full-sized keys with something closer to a piano action that wiggle back and forth, the Polybrute 12’s keys are synth action and don’t move side to side.
A button on the left side of the synth cycles between three different aftertouch modes: Mono, Poly and Alt. Mono and Poly are straightforward. Though, the extra expressiveness that Poly aftertouch adds to the already impressive lineup of the ribbon and Morphée controllers should not be overlooked.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Alt mode has three different sub-modes that you select from the menu: FullTouch, FullTouch Envelope or FullTouch + Z. These each offer distinct implementations of MPE and aftertouch that can completely change how a particular patch behaves.
Regular FullTouch triggers notes immediately when you touch the keys. But, instead of using just the last little bit of travel for aftertouch, it uses the entire travel distance of the key. This gives you much greater control, which can make a big difference since the sensitivity of the aftertouch on the PolyBrute 12 is difficult to dial in. For example, if you’ve got aftertouch connected to the Master Cutoff, it’s basically impossible to have it open up all the way while being able to subtly and slowly get to fully open with standard aftertouch. But with FullTouch, you can gently push individual notes to full brightness and find many shades in between.
FullTouch Envelope uses the travel of the keys to control the envelopes. Slowly and gently press on the keys and you get a slow attack. Press quickly and you’ll get a sharper sound. In this mode the sliders for the VCF and VCA behave completely differently. The velocity slider adds a pluck to the front of the envelope to highlight those quicker more percussive notes. The attack and decay sliders control how sensitive those portions of the envelope are to your playing, and sustain can be used to attenuate the envelope amount when set below 50 percent. This mode is particularly useful with string patches and brighter pads.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Lastly there’s FullTouch + Z. This behaves similar to regular FullTouch mode where notes are triggered immediately and aftertouch is controlled by the travel of the key. The difference is that the normal aftertouch range at the bottom of the key now controls the Z modulation lane. If you’re playing larger, more spread-out keyboard pieces that require two hands this can be pretty useful since it’s impossible to control the Morphée pad if you need both hands to finger a chord.
These features set the PolyBrute 12 apart, not just from its older sibling, but from most other synths on the market. It offers an almost endless array of options for adding expression and modulation to your playing. Traditional pitch and mod wheels? It’s got those. A 3D touchpad? Sure, why not? A ribbon controller? Haven’t seen one of those in a while; let’s do it. Expression pedal jacks? How about two? A customisable modulation matrix with 12 sources and 32 destinations? Heck yeah. Oh, and of course, four different implementations of polyphonic aftertouch with MPE compatibility. With all the above on offer, almost every other synth is going to look simplistic in comparison.
The combination of a world-class sound engine and tons of options for expressive playing is an obvious winner. But there is a big hurdle for Arturia to overcome. At €3,999 the PolyBrute isn’t cheap. It certainly delivers a lot for the price, but this will almost certainly mean only pros and those with money to burn will splurge.
The original PolyBrute was proof that Arturia could make a flagship quality analogue polysynth. But the PolyBrute 12 proves that it can out-innovate even the most established names in the game.
Image: Terrence O’Brien
Key Features

12-voice analogue multitimbral synthesizer
2 analogue VCOs per voice with sub-oscillator
Mono, unison and polyphonic modes, with split and layering options
3 envelopes
3 LFOs
FullTouch keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch
Morph blends between two separate sets of parameters
Morphée, ribbon and polyphonic aftertouch performance controls
Ladder and Steiner Parker filters
Comprehensive modulation matrix
64-step polyphonic sequencer
3 effects slots with 26 effects
Size: 972 x 435 x 156mm
Weight: 23kg

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