Skip Navigation.
Section 0

Polaris Patches & Sequences

Polaris patches have been very scarce on the web. The factory banks are available here, along with the sequences on the factory tape; as well there is a SoundDiver library along with another which is available in the Files area of the Polaris mailing list.

Fender

Sound files created by David Clarke [21030085++]. "22kHz, 8bit, mono wav files with the Volume 1 Chroma Polaris Voice Programs and Chroma Polaris Sequences from the 'Chroma Polaris Vol. 1' cassette." [October 2004] David has since contributed the Volume 2 programs, and sysex versions of the voice programs. See Polaris Sysex for technical information.

See Volume 1 and Volume 2 Chroma Polaris Voice Programs below for patch and sequence names.

Michael DeAngelis

"Here's an un-processed WAV file I recorded going directly from the Polaris into an Echo Gina sound card at 44.1 16 bit mono. I have no documentation as to what sounds are where. They are all programmed by me with most patches being sound alikes to 80's pop song synth patches. I played in an 80's cover band with the Polaris blazing on nearly every tune. I was later told the Polaris' look and sound helped win me the 4 year long gig. And I though it was me they liked..." [May 2006] Thanks to David Clarke for providing a sysex version of this bank.

Byron

"Half of a bank of Polaris patches ... I've never had an issue storing my patches on the PC from the Polaris with SoundDiver, but after downloading the LIB file that fuse01v recently posted, I did find it quite tedious to transfer them back to the Polaris. I ended up having to do it one patch at a time, and then had to store the patch manually via the Polaris interface ... very strange. I'm not sure if this is due to my Polaris, or its OS (I believe it has rev 5), so if the LIB file becomes inadequate, I'll attempt to do a tape to wav transfer, or a MIDI file transfer. Unfortunately, I can't seem to talk SoundDiver into doing anything but the LIBs (although it can IMPORT other formats, go figure)." [August 2004]

fuse01v

There was a bank of patches posted to the Files area of the Polaris mailing list by "fuse01v" in August 2004. I e-mailed the author for permission to post the file here but received no response; join the group to get the file.

Editor/Librarians

In terms of patch storage and retrieval, the Polaris is supported by a few of the same patch librarians as the Chroma: SoundDiver; the obsolete Galaxy from the all-but-defunct Opcode Systems.

Volume 1 Chroma Polaris Voice Programs

From the "Chroma Polaris Vol. 1" cassette (also available in the owner's manual). Thanks to David Clarke [21030085++] for this information.

A (Assortment 1)

  1. Percussive Pulse
  2. Chorus
  3. Clavinet
  4. Strings
  5. Brass 1
  6. Organ
  7. Circus Synthesizer
  8. Guitar
  9. Phase Sync
  10. Slow Sweep
  11. Brite Wow
  12. Organsinette

B (Assortment 2)

  1. String Section
  2. Vibes 1
  3. Quick Sweep
  4. Electric Owls
  5. Brite Crescendo
  6. Mellow Funk
  7. Release Envelope
  8. Toy Polaris
  9. Chipmonks
  10. Slow Echo
  11. Wooden Pop
  12. Organo

C (Strings/Brass)

  1. High Strings
  2. Violin
  3. Slow Attack Strings
  4. Phased Strings
  5. Percussive Strings
  6. Mellow Cello
  7. Brass 2
  8. Flanged Brass
  9. Buzzy Brass
  10. Phased Brass
  11. Metallic Brass
  12. Vibrato Brass

D (Piano/Organ)

  1. Electric Piano 1
  2. Electric Piano 2
  3. Phased Piano
  4. Percussive Piano
  5. Brite Piano
  6. Percussive Organ
  7. Slow B3
  8. Fast B3
  9. Tracker Organ
  10. Phased Organ
  11. Pipe Organ
  12. Vibrato Organ

E (Harpsichord/Clavinet)

  1. Harpsichord 1
  2. Harpsichord 2
  3. Harpsinette
  4. Harp
  5. Brite Clavinet
  6. Chorus Clavinet
  7. Mellow Clavinet
  8. Fat Clavinet
  9. Clavinet with Wah
  10. Clavinet with Wow
  11. Vibes 2
  12. Celeste

F (Percussive/Pluck)

  1. Sharp Saws
  2. Percussive Synthesizer
  3. Percussive Polaris
  4. Percussive 5ths
  5. Percussive Sweep
  6. Percussive Vibrato
  7. Brite Percussion
  8. Percussive Chorus
  9. Baritone Uke
  10. Sitar-ish
  11. Banjo
  12. Mellow Bass Guitar

G (Orchestra)

  1. Mellow Clarinet
  2. Fat Clarinets
  3. Electric Clarinets
  4. Flutes
  5. Digital Recorder
  6. Reeds
  7. Bassoon
  8. Digital Bassoon
  9. Metallic Saxes
  10. Liquified Brass
  11. Concertina
  12. Music Box

H (Sweeps/Sync)

  1. Power Sweep
  2. Sweeping Pulse
  3. Sync Saws
  4. Percussive Wow
  5. Multi Sweep
  6. Resonance Sweep
  7. Brite Sweep
  8. Grand Swell
  9. Octave Sync
  10. Sliding Sync
  11. Friend's Synthesizer
  12. Percussive Sync

I (Synth Sounds)

  1. Big Pulse
  2. Brite Pulse
  3. Vibrato Pulse
  4. Inverted Envelope
  5. Wah Release
  6. Ring Modulated Wow
  7. Ring Modulated Metal
  8. Sfz.
  9. Brite Echo
  10. Octave Echo
  11. Falling Echo
  12. Trilling 5ths

J (Special Effects)

  1. Helicopter 1
  2. Helicopter 2
  3. Waves
  4. Wind
  5. Percussive Noise
  6. Tuned Drums
  7. Steel Drums
  8. Birdies
  9. Falling Polaris
  10. Outer Space
  11. Long Falls
  12. Bombers (play E below middle C)

K (Link Sounds)

  1. Fifths
  2. Jazz Polaris (unison)
  3. Drums (J5 unison J6)
  4. Strings/Harpsichord (A4 unison E2)
  5. Percussive Sweep/Friend's Synthesizer (F5 unison H11)
  6. Echo/Organo (B10 upper B12)
  7. Bass/Piano (F12 upper D2)
  8. Sweep/Cirus Synthesizer (H1 upper A7)
  9. Clavinet/Vibrato Brass (E6 upper C12)
  10. Sweep/Strings (B3 upper C4)
  11. Percussive Chorus/B3 (F8 unison D7)
  12. Sweep/Echo (H5 unison I11)

Sequences

Bank F

  1. Bass line. Loops to itself
  2. Chains to 9.
  3. Chains to 8.
  4. Bass line. Loops to itself.
  5. Rock 'n' Roll rhythm. Loops to itself.
  6. "Mother-In-Law". Loops to itself.

Volume 2 Chroma Polaris Voice Programs

Thanks to David Clarke [21030085++] for this information.

A

  1. Piano 1
  2. Piano 2
  3. Piano 3
  4. Detuned Piano
  5. High Piano
  6. Another Piano
  7. Electric Piano
  8. Electric Piano w/Vib
  9. Overtone Piano
  10. Low Piano
  11. Chorus Piano
  12. Electric Piano 2

B

  1. Organ
  2. Organ w/Vibrato
  3. B3 w/velocity perc
  4. Big Vibrato Organ
  5. Slow Release Organ
  6. Long Sus. Organ
  7. Church Organ
  8. 3 Note Pipe Organ
  9. Synth Organ
  10. Digital Farfisa
  11. Digital Organ
  12. Stringy Organ

C

  1. Synth Piano
  2. Choir 1
  3. Choir w/Octave
  4. Brite Choir
  5. Choir 2
  6. Haunting Piano
  7. Celestial
  8. Funk Clav.
  9. Flanged Harp
  10. Ring Mod Harp
  11. Percussive Harp
  12. Percussive Vibes

D

  1. Full Orchestra (link w/D2)
  2. Solina Srings
  3. Stringy Saws
  4. Swelling Strings
  5. Strings
  6. Phased Celli
  7. Strings 2
  8. Brassy Strings
  9. More Strings
  10. Bowed Polaris
  11. Bowed Brite Strings
  12. Soft Chorus Strings

E

  1. Short Drums
  2. Falling Drums
  3. Snare Drum
  4. Electronic Drums
  5. Electronic Drums 2
  6. Link for E4
  7. Link for E5
  8. Xylophone
  9. Marimba
  10. High Bells
  11. Bells
  12. 5th's Bells

F

  1. Percussive Clank
  2. Percussive Ring Mod.
  3. Ring Mod. Clarinet
  4. Mellow Metal Pop
  5. Ring Mod. Sync
  6. Space Ring Mod.
  7. Ring Mod. RElease
  8. Sweeping Ring Mod.
  9. High Sync
  10. Short Sync
  11. Bowed Sync
  12. Short Sfz.

G

  1. Slow Brass
  2. Brite Buzz
  3. Sync Horns
  4. Jump Brass
  5. Sustain Brass
  6. Wah Brass
  7. High Metallic Brass
  8. Sweep Wah Brass
  9. Delay Vib. Brass
  10. Sync Reeds
  11. Digital Reeds
  12. Reed Chorus

H

  1. Ob Smoke
  2. Honky Tonk Pulse
  3. Big Sync
  4. Fat Pulse
  5. Heavy Glide
  6. Bowed Synth
  7. Synthop
  8. Sizzling Synth
  9. Haunting Synth
  10. Comp Synth
  11. Synth Bass
  12. Short Bass

I

  1. Confused
  2. Really Confused
  3. Noise Swell
  4. Filter Falls
  5. Swell w/Noise
  6. Pulse Echo
  7. Percussive Echo
  8. Crazy Polaris
  9. Space Copter
  10. Stellar
  11. Brite Octave Pulse
  12. Pulse 10ths (link I-11)

J

  1. Delayed 5ths
  2. Delayed Octave
  3. Double Envelope
  4. Octave Appear
  5. Find That Note
  6. Etherial
  7. Brite Swell
  8. Very Slow Swell
  9. Slow Swell
  10. Velocity Attack (link unison F7)
  11. Percussive Sustain
  12. Percussive Release

K

  1. Low Bass Guitar
  2. Mellow Percussion
  3. Vibrato Choral
  4. Long Sustain
  5. Octave Wah
  6. Plucked Chorus
  7. High Brite Pulse
  8. Velocity Swell
  9. Short Attack Pulse
  10. Vibrato Pulse
  11. Sync Sweep
  12. Mellow Pluck