Introduction

This guide treats polymetric drumming as a compositional discipline with deep roots in world music traditions, not merely a feature list for a VST3 plugin. Every chapter weaves together three perspectives:

Theory and tradition (this typeface) — ethnomusicological context explaining why each rhythmic system works the way it does. Where did the pattern originate? What structural principle governs it? How does it function in its original ensemble context?

Engine implementation (dark code panels) — C++ snippets pulled directly from the Poly source code at build time, showing how the concepts translate into working software. These are never paraphrased or simplified — they are the actual code.

Patch recipes (teal boxes) — lane-by-lane parameter tables telling you what to do in Poly. Load the factory preset, or enter the values manually, and you will hear the tradition rendered through the engine.

Before the chapters, About This Guide sets out what this material is and what it is not: a practical companion to Poly’s presets grounded in a curated reading of published scholarship, rather than a comprehensive ethnomusicological review. It also names the questions the guide deliberately leaves open.

Reading Order

Start with Using Poly to install the plugin, set up MIDI routing, and learn the interface. That page covers everything you need to follow along with any chapter’s examples.

The chapters progress from foundational concepts (Euclidean distribution, cycle independence) through regional traditions (Sub-Saharan Africa, Afro-Cuban, Gamelan, Indian classical) to synthesis techniques that combine multiple traditions into original grooves. You can read linearly or jump to any chapter — each is self-contained, with its own patch recipes and code references.

The appendices provide reference material: Architecture covers the engine internals and threading model, Design Decisions documents the key trade-offs, and the parameter, preset, and Euclidean references serve as lookup tables.

Prerequisites

You need Poly installed as a VST3 instrument in your DAW. The guide assumes Cubase, but any VST3-compatible host will work. No music theory background is required — the guide explains every concept from first principles.