Make Noise PoliMATHS: Eight Channels of Function-Driven Polyphony for Modular Explorers

PoliMATHS enters the scene as an eight-channel CV and audio event generator, purpose-built for Make Noise’s New Universal Synthesizer System (NUSS) but equally at home in any Eurorack modular environment. The video wastes no time showing how this module can serve as the nerve centre for multi-channel patches, with each of its eight outputs ready to drive complex modulation or audio events. The design philosophy is clear: maximum polyphony, minimum menu-diving.

What sets PoliMATHS apart is its ability to generate intricate functions across all eight channels using a unified set of controls. This approach streamlines patching, especially for those who crave polyphonic textures or want to experiment with multi-layered modulation. The demonstration highlights the module’s role as a backbone for expansive modular rigs, where the challenge is often how to coordinate many voices without a tangle of cables and mismatched envelopes.

PoliMATHS isn’t just about stacking functions; it’s about how you activate and distribute them. The video explores three main operational modes: Channel Index, Round, and Parallel. In Channel Index mode, users can target individual channels directly—ideal for precise polyphonic triggering or sequenced modulation. The ‘span’ and ‘activate’ controls make it easy to select and fire off specific channels, while overlapping functions allow for rich, layered textures.

Round mode introduces a step-sequencer-like approach, cycling through channels with each gate received at the activate input. By adjusting the span parameter, users can control how many channels are skipped or included in each step, opening up a world of rhythmic and melodic patterns. Parallel mode, meanwhile, uses the activate input as a clock divider, distributing triggers across channels according to the span setting. This trio of modes turns PoliMATHS into a flexible engine for both predictable and generative multi-channel behaviour.

A standout feature of PoliMATHS is its approach to modulation. Rather than treating all channels identically, the module offers ‘Spread’ and ‘Modulation Dissemination’ to introduce variation across its outputs. Parameters marked with gold attenuverters—rise, fall, strength, rate, and oscillation—can be spread across channels, letting users skew values to the left or right for evolving, asymmetric patterns. The video demonstrates how spreading the fall parameter, for example, creates longer envelopes on one side of the channel array, adding movement and complexity.

For even more nuanced control, Modulation Dissemination allows per-channel parameter modulation via CV inputs. When patched, these inputs override the spread behaviour, updating parameter values each time a channel is activated and holding them until the next cycle. This enables nonlinear, polyphonic modulation sequencing—ideal for those who want each voice to have its own evolving character within a larger patch.