Machine
POLY-6: a free chord synth that keeps every chord in key
POLY-6 is the CHORDS machine in EASY RAVE, a free chord synthesizer that runs in your browser. Its 7 chord pads are built from the key you choose, so every chord fits. CHORD SETS give the chords richer voicings with 7ths and 9ths, 9 presets load classic progressions such as I-V-vi-IV, and you can write chords as whole chords, single notes or slots that last whole bars.
What is POLY-6?
POLY-6 is the chord synth in the EASY RAVE rack, labelled CHORDS. It plays whole chords with one key or one click, and builds every chord from the key you pick with ROOT and SCALE at the top of the screen. Change the key and the chords follow.
Its name nods to the 6-voice polyphonic synths of the early 80s. The sound is its own: warm chords, with a chorus that widens them.
How do the chord pads work?
Under the sequencer there are 7 chord pads, one for each note of the scale. Pad 1 is the home chord, pad 5 the one that pulls back home, and so on. Each pad shows the chord's name and its number.
- Click a pad to hear the chord, or press LIVE and play keys 1 to 7.
- ★ on a pad saves that chord into the Favorites chord set on the same key.
- CHORD SETS gives all 7 chords a voicing from one palette: Basic, Classic, Lush, Dreamy, Deep, Chicago or your Favorites. Lush and Dreamy add 7ths and 9ths; Deep and Chicago lean toward house.
Because every voicing is built from notes of the scale, any chord in any set fits the bass and the other chords.
How do you write a chord progression?
POLY-6 has 3 ways to write, on the tabs above its sequencer:
| Tab | How it works |
|---|---|
| CHORDS | Each row is a whole chord: click a step to place it, drag to make it last longer |
| NOTES | Each row is a single note, for building your own voicings |
| SLOTS | Fill slots with chords and give each one a length of 1, 2, 4 or 8 bars. ＋ adds 4 more slots |
Or play them in: press ● REC, wait for the one bar count-in, and play chords on the pads or keys. POLY-6 remembers each chord exactly as long as you held it. With the song stopped, STEP enters one chord per step.
Which progressions are in PRESETS?
| Preset | Numerals |
|---|---|
| Lo-fi | I-vi-ii-V |
| Jazz | ii-V-I-vi |
| Neo-soul | IV-iii-vi-I |
| Dream | I-iii-vi-IV |
| Deep | ii-V-vi-IV |
| Chicago | vi-IV-ii-V |
| Sad | vi-IV-I-V |
| Epic | i-VII-VI-VII |
| Pop | I-V-vi-IV |
Chord progressions that always work explains what the numerals mean and how each one sounds.
What do the knobs do?
| Knob | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wave screen | Click to change the oscillator: 4 waveforms, from bright SAW to soft TRI |
| CUTOFF | How open and bright the chords are (hold X and turn the mouse wheel to sweep it) |
| RESONANCE | A squelchy peak around the cutoff |
| ATTACK | How slowly each chord fades in. Turn it up for pads |
| LENGTH | How long each chord rings after it ends. Short for stabs, long for pads |
| SPREAD | A gentle detune that thickens the sound |
| GLIDE | Chords slide into each other |
| LFO | A slow automatic sweep of the filter, for a wobble |
| BIT CRUSHER | Grit and lo-fi texture |
The HOLD switch affects live playing only: on, a chord keeps ringing after you let go; off, it stops on release. What the sequencer plays is always as long as you wrote it.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free online chord progression player?
Yes. POLY-6 in EASY RAVE plays 9 classic progressions from its PRESETS menu, in any key and scale you choose, and lets you write your own with chord pads, a chord sequencer or slots. It is free and runs in your browser.
Do I need to know music theory to use POLY-6?
No. The 7 pads are always the chords of your key, so any order you play them in sounds musical. The presets and chord sets are there to teach you what works by ear, and the theory can come later.
Can POLY-6 make pumping house chords?
Yes. Pick a Deep or Chicago progression and chord set, then in its SOUND EFFECTS set SIDECHAIN to Kick and raise AMOUNT. What is sidechain compression explains the pump.