PolyManiac
A polyphonic synth with a full FX rack, as a plugin in your DAW.
PolyManiac is a polyphonic subtractive synthesizer: VCO, dual filters, gain and filter envelopes, and a master chain of reverb, delay, ping-pong, vibrato, drive, crush, flanger, and EQ. WAX loads it on a track in any VST3 or AU host with host audio, MIDI, and DataTree preset recall.
Wired into your session automatically.
Polyphonic subtractive synthesizer with a VCO, dual filters, gain and filter envelopes, and a master FX rack—reverb, delay, ping-pong, vibrato, drive, bit crush, flanger, and EQ. React and Web Audio in the browser; inside WAX it uses host audio and MIDI, with presets, theme, and knob settings saved via DataTree.
One VCO, a wall of FX.
Shape the voice with filters and envelopes, then stack time-based and color effects on the master bus—all on one panel.
VCO and dual filter path
Pick a waveform, sweep two filter stages with their own envelopes, and set polyphony and portamento.
Gain and filter ADSR
Separate amplitude and filter envelopes for plucks, pads, and sweeps.
Master FX rack
Reverb, delay, ping-pong, vibrato, drive, bit crush, flanger, and two-band EQ with dry/wet controls.
Presets and themes
Built-in presets plus a Terminal-style UI theme; state persists in WAX via DataTree.
MIDI and host CC
Play from a controller inside WAX; standard MIDI CCs map to filter, volume, expression, and more.
Great in a tab. Better on a track.
On GitHub Pages it is a web synth. Inside WAX it is an instrument on a track with MIDI in and DataTree recall.
Browser tab vs. WAX
Stop switching. Start making.
PolyManiac in a browser tab
- Runs in a separate browser tab, played with a mouse
- Recording it means routing system audio
- No MIDI from your keyboard or the piano roll
- Presets live in browser storage, not the project
- Close the tab and the session patch is gone
PolyManiac inside WAX
- Loads on a track like any VST3 or Audio Unit
- Audio lands on the channel, ready to mix
- Play from your keyboard or a MIDI clip
- Host MIDI CC reaches mapped knobs
- WAX Pro saves presets, theme, and knob settings with the project
Its output is the track’s output. Add your own compressor, saturator and bus sends.
Play it from a controller, a keyboard or the host MIDI editor, in time with everything else.
Device state travels with the project file. Reopen the session and it comes back (Pro).
30+ years of web audio, unlocked
Once WAX is on a track, any app in the library loads the same way. Browse to it and it runs as a plugin.
From browser to first pad in three steps
Install it, load it, play it. About five minutes from download to first pad with PolyManiac.
Buy WAX Pro and install it
$60 perpetual or $30 a year. Run the installer and rescan plugins in your DAW. WAX shows up as an instrument, an audio effect and a MIDI effect.
About two minutes
Load WAX as an instrument and open PolyManiac
Pick PolyManiac from the library, or paste https://szfpro.github.io/PolyManiac/ . The page loads inside the plugin window with host audio and MIDI already wired.
About thirty seconds
Play a pad
WAX puts PolyManiac on a track in your DAW as a instrument. Audio, MIDI, and DataTree integrate with your session—press play and record the channel.
Then record it like any plugin
VST3 and Audio Unit · macOS 11+ and Windows 10+ · Works in every major DAW
Unlock PolyManiac with WAX · $60See it in action
Short clips of PolyManiac inside WAX.
More from the WAX library
One WAX Pro license covers every app in the library, hundreds of instruments, effects and tools. A few more in the same category as PolyManiac:
$60 unlocks hundreds of plugins.
One WAX Pro license covers the whole library, PolyManiac included. Unlimited devices, preset recall with your project, and the Hack Panel for live tweaking. Pay once, or $30 a year.
- Every app in the WAX library: hundreds of instruments, effects and tools
- Full browser and real-time audio bridge
- Unlimited custom page devices
- Full preset recall with your project
- MIDI, transport and playhead sync
- Hack Panel for live page tweaking, plus full-screen mode
- The same library, same as Perpetual
- Billed yearly, switch to perpetual whenever you want
- Unlimited devices and preset recall
Questions
What does PolyManiac cost?
It is included with WAX Pro: $60 perpetual on the launch sale (from $120), or $30 a year. The same license covers PolyManiac and every other app in the WAX library.
Do I need WAX to use it?
No for the web demo—it runs at szfpro.github.io/PolyManiac/. For MIDI from your controller, plugin audio on a track, and DataTree recall with your session, load it inside WAX.
Which DAWs does WAX work with?
WAX ships as VST3 and Audio Unit for macOS 11+ and Windows 10+, so it runs in Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Reaper, Studio One and more.
Can I automate it from my DAW?
Yes. Host automation reaches the device inside WAX, so you can draw a filter sweep or a build on the automation lane like any other plugin parameter.
Is WAX only for synths?
No. WAX is a real browser wired into your DAW, not a single instrument. Drum machines, synths, effects, music services and your own HTML pages load the same way and get audio, MIDI and sync.
Unlock PolyManiac in your DAW.
Buy WAX Pro, install it, and load PolyManiac on a track.
Hundreds of plugins · VST3 and AU · macOS 11+ / Windows 10+ · Works in every major DAW
