Setting a synth to monophonic mode is required for portamento/glide between note pitches

Most synthesisers offer polyphonic and monophonic voicing. In polyphonic mode each key press triggers a new independent voice and notes do not interact. In monophonic mode only one voice plays at a time, so pressing a new note while one is held makes the existing voice glide (portamento) to the new pitch rather than restarting its attack. This glide is the pitch-slide heard in bass lines and leads across many electronic genres. Without mono mode each note starts cleanly from its own pitch and attack, making portamento impossible. Workflow: set the synth to mono (or ‘Monophon’ in Massive), then set glide/portamento time — shorter for subtle slides, longer for dramatic swoops.

Examples

Poly mode: play C3 then D3 and both sound as clean simultaneous attacks. Mono mode: hold C3, add D3, and the pitch slides C to D at the glide rate on one continuous voice/envelope. This is the basis of the grime bass swoop and the acid-bass slide.

Assessment

Play the same bass phrase in mono and poly and describe the perceptual difference. Explain why polyphony prevents portamento. Name three genres beyond grime where monophonic glide bass is characteristic.