Polyphony

SynthEdit supports polyphonic synthesis, allowing you to play multiple notes simultaneously — just like a real keyboard.

How Polyphony Works

By default, SynthEdit provides 6 voices of polyphony (configurable up to 128). When a container includes a MIDI-to-CV module, SynthEdit automatically clones all the necessary modules to create multiple independent voices.

SynthEdit analyzes the signal flow within a container and only clones the modules that actually need to be polyphonic. Modules after a Voice Combiner (such as reverb or chorus effects) remain monophonic, saving CPU.

Setting Up Polyphony

Place a MIDI-to-CV module inside the container that holds your synth voice
Connect its outputs (Gate, Pitch, Velocity) to your synthesis modules
Set the container’s Polyphony property to the desired voice count

The MIDI-to-CV module acts as the “voice allocator” — it receives MIDI notes and distributes them across the available voices.

A polyphonic voice: MIDI to CV's Pitch drives the oscillator, its Gate drives the ADSR; the oscillator goes into a VCA whose Volume is controlled by the ADSR; the VCA's output passes through a Voice Combiner before reaching Sound Out

Everything to the left of the Voice Combiner (oscillator, filter, envelope, VCA) gets cloned per voice. Everything to the right (typically effects like reverb and chorus) stays monophonic — that’s the per-voice / global split.

Voice Count

Configure the number of voices in the container’s properties:

Default: 6 voices
Maximum: 128 voices
Higher voice counts use more CPU proportionally

Sleep Mode

SynthEdit automatically suspends voices that are not currently active. When a note finishes its release phase and the signal drops to silence, that voice enters “sleep mode” and uses almost no CPU. This means setting a high polyphony count has minimal impact when fewer voices are actually sounding.

Reserve Voices

You can reserve a number of voices to prevent voice-stealing clicks. When all voices are in use and a new note arrives, SynthEdit steals the oldest voice. Reserved voices provide a buffer so that releasing notes can complete their release phase naturally.

Mono Mode

For lead synths and bass sounds, you can set polyphony to 1 for monophonic operation. This provides:

Single-voice behavior
Portamento (pitch glide between notes) via the MIDI-to-CV module’s Portamento Time setting

Common Pitfalls

Place MIDI-to-CV in the correct container. It must be inside the container whose modules you want cloned polyphonically.
Keep effects outside the voice container. Reverb, delay, and chorus should be placed after the Voice Combiner to avoid unnecessary CPU usage from polyphonic cloning.
Don’t put MIDI-to-CV alone in its own container. It needs to be alongside the modules it controls.