Pulsar 3.0 Released

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PatWest
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subhuman
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Post by subhuman »

<b>Readme file for those who generally skip it:</b>


CreamWare Pulsar v3.0
DSP Powered Music Production Environment
Siegburg, September 2001


This ReadMe file contains important and useful information on this Pulsar software version. Please read this file and the enclosed documentation carefully.

Contents of this readme file:
„h What's new in v3.0?
„h New Features not documented in the manual
„h Important notes
„h Technical support


Pulsar v3 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Here now: the new Pulsar software version 3.0. Approximately one hundred innovations, from small but important details to major new system features.

This overview covers the most important new features, and is divided into two parts - Pulsar Version 3.0 and ProPack. The ProPack is now included with the purchase of a new Pulsar II system. If you are an existing Pulsar I or Pulsar II user, you can take advantage of this unique collection of new plug-ins by ordering the ProUpdate (see below).


What¡¦s new in v3.0?

New DSP Effects
The effects plug-ins in this new version have been adapted from the high-end SCOPE /SP system. Also included are entirely new plug-ins, such as the outstanding MasterVerb reverb. In terms of sound quality, the MasterVerb need not shrink from comparison with even the most expensive hardware reverberation processors. And the MasterVerb is economical of resources - a single Pulsar II board can drive up to eight reverbs simultaneously. Altogether, the effects suite now consists of 36 stereo and 21 mono effects. See the complete list here.

New Synthesizers
The Vectron Player adds a new synthesis technology to the Pulsar software package. Vector synthesis provides fresh, dynamic sounds. Like its big brother, the Vectron, the player version is strongly influenced by the legendary Sequential Circuits Prophet VS. However, thanks to several additional features, the sounds of the Vectron Player are not limited to those of the Prophet VS - it is capable of an even larger spectrum of sounds.

Another new offering is Prisma, a virtual analog synthesizer with a comprehensive modulation matrix. Prisma was developed as a result of our modular synthesizer competition. Based on the winning design entry, Prisma is a fantastic sounding instrument.

New Sample Player
The STS-2000P is the successor to the previous Pulsar sample player. It features a 16-part multi mode, up to 64 stereo voices, and full compatibility with the Akai S1000 and S3000 sample formats. The STS-2000P can be loaded several times, if required.

Hundreds of new Presets
Each Pulsar synthesizer has dozens of new preset sounds. Also, the effects are now provided with a collection of presets to get working quickly and conveniently.

New Mixers
The new Dynamic mixer and the Micromixer are perfect for use as submixers, or as resource-saving alternatives to the large mixers. Each offers up to 32 mono or 16 stereo channels (or combinations of stereo and mono), mixer presets, VU-meters, and long fader throws. The Dynamic Mixer also includes effect inserts and fader grouping.

More Studio Utilities
Version 3.0 adds several new tools to enhance the integration of external sound sources and effects units. A Control Room module lets you easily switch among several different inputs and outputs (for example, different sets of speakers). A test tone generator is available for calibration. And a VRC-S module provides remote control for Alesis ADAT recorders.

User Interface Improvements and Enhancements
- Screen Sets with keyboard shortcuts
- Drop-down menu for devices and modules
- Improved virtual cable handling
- Replace/Reconnect function for exchanging devices quickly
- New preset list, improved preset management
- Expanded File Browser
- Loading of the background project (after starting up the operating system or after exiting the program) can now be deactivated from within the Pulsar Settings dialog.
- Hardware I/O modules for all CreamWare boards are now provided, organized into subfolders.
- Automatic creation of backup copies of projects.


XTC Mode
XTC mode provides a way to use your Pulsar instruments and effects very conveniently like VST instruments and plug-ins directly within a VST-compatible host program. For further information, see the Pulsar XTC page at our website. Currently this feature is available only under Windows.

More...
- 64-channel ASIO driver
- AC3 digital output via S/PDIF
- Reference Resolver, a "search engine" for Pulsar files and samples
- ADAT interfaces can be switched to serve as optical S/PDIF I/Os
- Improved VU Meter response
- Windows 2000/XP compatible



Yet more inspiration and convenience: the ProPack

Anyone who purchases the Pulsar II system now, or selects the Pro Update, receives the ProPack. This is a collection of studio tools designed to make working with Pulsar even more convenient, and to open many new ways to realize your musical ideas.

The following DSP plug-ins are included in the package:

Professional Mixer
The Pulsar Mixer 2448 is a professional 24/48 channel mixing console. It has been adapted from the high-end SCOPE /SP DSP system, and compares favorably with the large studio consoles. A complete feature list is beyond the scope of this overview, but here are a few highlights:
- All 24 channels switchable between mono and stereo
- Modular structure: separate windows for viewing 8-24 channel strips
- Compressor with sidechain, Graphic EQ, and 4 effect inserts per channel
- 6 Aux paths or subgroups, stereo monitor path
- Direct outputs for each channel
- Fader and mute grouping
-- Presets for entire mixer, individual channels, Aux channels, compressor and EQ
- Only channels, Aux paths etc. with active connections consume DSP power


Additional Effects Collection
The ProPack includes a collection of particularly sophisticated DSP effects. Both standard and special effects are represented. The 20 stereo and 18 mono effects:

- Vocoder III, with new filters and voiced/unvoiced detection
- TDrive; overdrive with tube characteristics
- TQ Drive; tube drive with equalizer
- AutoWah; distortion and filter

- Stereo Expander; stereo field expansion/contraction
- De-esser; an Easy De-esser control
- Ducker; sidechain control of volume attenuation
- SoftClip; signal saturator with peak clipping

- PatternDelay; programmable delay like a step sequencer
- DuckingDelay; delay that increases volume in signal pauses
- MidiPole; 24dB lowpass filter with note value control/sync
- MidiTremolo; note value controllable/syncable tremolo

- MasterChorus; high-quality chorus
- MasterFlanger; high-quality flanger
- StepFlanger; high-quality flanger with step modulation
- RandomFlanger; StepFlanger with random steps
- SpaceFlanger; another flanger

- SSB Phaser; single sideband phaser
- SSB Modulator; single sideband phaser with modulation
- SSB ModDelay; single sideband delay

- DC-Filter; DC offset remover


Lightwave Synthesizer
This synthesizer employs two wavetable oscillators equipped with the wavetables of the legendary Prophet VS synthesizer. Two filters, configurable in series or in parallel, extensive modulation capabilities, and an integrated effects section make for a broad spectrum of sounds - from typical synth and layered sounds, to complex, dynamically evolving sounds.


STS-3000 DSP Sampler
Full-featured DSP-based studio sampler.


Modular Synthesizer V2
Complete modular system with over 140 modules and 80 ready-to-play synthesizer patches.


Update Options

Pulsar users can choose between two ways to upgrade to version 3. The Standard Update is free of charge. The Pro Update (including the ProPack) is now available at a sensationally reasonable price. The updates are available for direct downloading from our download area and/or the Online Shop, or from your local authorized CreamWare dealer.


The Poison synth as a registration bonus

Register your Pulsar system via our Web site (www.creamware.de) and receive the Poison - the FM / analog synth from our Online Shop - absolutely free, as a reward for registration via Internet.





Features not documented in the manual

The following new features and options were completed too late for inclusion into the manual. Descriptions of these items and instructions for their use are provided here.

ScreenSets: The first 10 screen sets are created and recalled by simply holding down the Alt key while typing number keys.

In addition, the method of saving ScreenSets has been modifed as follows: If an existing ScreenSet is modified and the user then enters a ScreenSet key-combination to which no ScreenSet has yet been assigned, the modified ScreenSet is saved in the new location and the existing ScreenSet remains unchanged. However, if the newly selected key-combination already has a ScreenSet assigned to it, then the modified ScreenSet is stored to the original location.

ToolTips are displayed only when the 'Enable Tool Tips' option in the Pulsar Settings dialog is activated.

The Option 'Use automatically in the Reference Resolver dialog (that opens when a device or sampling programm is not found) now closes the serach dialog automatically if only one matching file has been found. The search always starts automatically now.

The context menu of a connected Device in the Project Window includes a 'Disconnect' command which deletes all connection from and to the device.

The driver setup (Windows Device Manager) features a new option called "Reset Hardware if idle". In some cases (e.g. live performances) disabling this option might allow to continue using e.g. a synth even after a Windows crash. Normally this option should be enabled, because less power is consumed when the card is idle.



Important Notes

- During the installation some of the optional devices (e.g. the Vectron) are updated. Before you try to start Pulsar in the XTC mode for the first time, please load these devices into the Pulsar Project Window and enter all the keys for these devices into the registration dialog that opens. Otherwise these devices cannot be properly initialized and the XTC initialization hangs.

- The driver setup (Windows Device Manager) includes the option 'Always open device'. This option is important for the XTC mode. It should be enabled with Cubase VST and disabled with Logic Audio.

- Installation: Pulsar v3.0 will be installed into a new directory. If parts of an existing installation are to be incorporated into the new installation (possibly before they are deinstalled), some of them may need to be reinstalled (devices which have been purchased separately) or transferred manually from the old directory to the new one (e.g., free devices without specific DSP files of their own).

- Devices which were previously part of the Pulsar package but are no longer included (e.g., the Sample Player, or older effects) can now be found in the folder .. Pulsar3Pulsar 2.0 Stuff.

- In earlier versions of Pulsar, presets were often saved as part of the device. If you wish to continue using presets from earlier versions, you must first load the old versions of the devices which contain these presets under the old software and export the presets as preset-list files (more info about how to do this can be found in the User's Manual from the earlier software version). These preset-list files can then be imported and converted by the corresponding new device versions under Pulsar 3.0. Make sure to do this for all of the devices for which you previously created presets before you delete these devices - otherwise your existing presets will be lost!

- The ASIO Flt modules are not appropriate for use with Logic Audio, since this program does not currently provide support for 32-bit recording.

- In OS video mode (Pulsar Settings) problems are possible in some rare cases. If possible use the standard video mode instead in such a case.

- The following options are not yet fully functional under Windows 2000:
- 24bit/32bit wave
- AC3

The following functions are only possibly with admin rights in Windows 2000:
- reading Akai CDs
- using the sampler

Note: The Windows 2000 driver is not "signed". There will be a warning message during the driver installation. Simply ignore this message.

- The Transient Designer does not appear in the Device menu. If you receive an error message when loading projects that include a Transient Designer v1.x, you should replace it with the new version v2.x that is available on your personal download page.

- The new modules tripleDAT source / dest are protected with a key. If you want to use Pulsar v3.0 with a tripleDAT version < v3.11, you must use the old tripleDAT source/dest modules of Pulsar 2.x. You can rename these modules and copy them into the Software IOs directory of v3.0.

- If you load projects from other users that include hardware IOs modules for other boards, there might be the message "DSP capacity limit reached". In this case replace these modules with the ones for your board and restart Pulsar.

- With each software update some of the modules, especially driver modules (Sequencer source/dest, ASIO source/dest, Wave source/dest etc.) are also updated. Since modules are saved as part of your projects, you should replace them to ensure the best performance. Do this for each module by deleting the old one and replacing it with the module of the same name from the updated installation. Then reconnect it as beofre. Unfortunately, for now this must be done manually for reasons due to the current Pulsar/SCOPE implementation.

- Some of the illustrations in the manual show Pulsar I/O as recognized by the operating system as Pulsar Rec xy, Pulsar Play xy, and Pulsar Midi in/out xy. They are called CreamWare Playback xy, CreamWare Record xy, and CreamWare Midi Input/Output xy.

- If the installation path conatins a blank (space) the background project will not load. Please avoid using spaces in the installation path specification.

- If the installation path is too long (for example, C:programsMusicPrograms CreamWareDSPApplicationsScopeSP_v_206) the application may likewise fail to start.

- Using the minimal ULLI setting of 3ms@44.1kHz <mailto:3ms@44.1kHz> may result in the ¡¨blue screen of death¡¨ or the system freezing up when you try to start Windows. If this happens, start Windows (in ¡¨safe mode¡¨ if necessary - start in safe mode by pressing F8 while starting Windows). Open the CSET.INI file (..ScopeSPAppBin) and locate the following entry:

[hw]
intBlkSize=64

Edit the file to change the value from 64 to 128, 256, 512, or 1024. Save the edited file and restart Windows.


Language specification for MAC users:
- For the Help system to be available in the appropriate language you must edit, if necessary, the file CSET.INI (in ..:ScopeSP:App:Bin) as follows:

First temporarily rename CSET.INI to CSET.TXT. Look in the file for the section [runpep] under which you will find an entry for ¡¨Language¡¨. Adjust this entry as appropriate (that is, ¡¨Language=Deutsch¡¨, ¡¨Language=English¡¨, ¡¨Language=Francais¡¨). Make sure the path to the manuals is specified correctly.

- Because with the Mac no backup folder is created, the startproject is not automatically used. Before updating your system, make a copy of your start project (..:ScopeSP:App:Application:newproject.pro).

- Make sure your MAC OS is adjusted so that the monitor displays 16.7 million colors. Our graphics will not be rendered correctly unless this is adjusted properly.



Technical support

Of course, with a product as complex as Pulsar, you should also be sure to read the manual thoroughly. For your convenience, the manual is copied onto your hard disk during the software installation. This is the best (and quickest) way to ensure that you will be able to work with Pulsar as efficiently as possible. If you are nevertheless confronted with technical problems, you will find help in the support section of the printed Installation Guide which is included in the package.

Important note: Please be sure to check all items in the support documentation for answers or solutions before contacting our hotline. This helps keeping our hotline open for quick help with problems whose solutions are not to be found in the documentation. We thank you in advance for your understanding!

Our technical hotline for the US and Canada can be reached at (604) 435-5158 or via email to support@creamware.com.

For all other countries, our hotline is (++49)2241-595812, or you can send email to support@creamware.de.

And don't forget to watch out for software updates on our homepage at http://www.creamware.com.


But now - have fun with Pulsar v3.0!

Your CreamWare team




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: subhuman on 2001-09-24 14:43 ]</font>
yade
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Post by yade »

Yes! :smile: I hope I get it within time, before the servers get overloaded.
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paulrmartin
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Post by paulrmartin »

Yeah, right! :sad:
marcuspocus
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Post by marcuspocus »

Already at meltdown point... :sad:
____________
Marcus Pocus
Thalamus
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Post by Thalamus »

maybe we can share our downloads...

I have 3 & 6 & 7

I was 1 minute from having the whole thing down, then it quitted on me...
subhuman
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Post by subhuman »

The site is getting hammered... yes, it crashed. Try this instead:

http://www.infinitevortex.com/demos/v3.rar

You'll need WinRAR to unpack it. I got the "okay" from CW support USA to mirror this, sorry that it's one huge 105meg RAR file instead of the official files, but I already deleted the other files...
Air_PoLLo
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Post by Air_PoLLo »

Arrgg... you should've had the mac version aswell... :sad: I can't get to it.
Air_PoLLo
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Post by Air_PoLLo »

Arrgg... you should've had the mac version aswell... :sad: I can't get to it.
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valis
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Post by valis »

I am completely unable to get unable to get the XTC mode working in my VST application (Nuendo running under Win2000).
When I run Nuendo i get the following error message: "Pulsar cannot be used in XTC accelerator mode", hitting [OK] brings up a creamware dialogue for "Registration of VSTPlugin"


I have the following equipment:

Pulsar I
Windows 2000 Professional SP2
Dual PII-300 384 MB Ram
Geforce2 GTS 32MB
2 Maxtor 20Gb udma/66 HD's
1 IBM 4.1Gb UW-Scsi HD
Supermicro P6-DLS Motherboard
2x64MB & 2x128Mb cas2 Micron RAM
SBLive!
3com ethernet

I am one of many people who have been earnestly awaiting the ability to run in 'XTC' mode and am thankful that I can finally run the card under Win2000 since I have a dual processor machine. The OS mode works fine for pulsar, and even seems to have been improved over the 2.04 beta for Win2000. Hopefully there is a fix for this asap.
ronaldmeij
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Post by ronaldmeij »

i use neundo on a win 98 system

And it works great , i'll take everything back about the phase nightmare..

Creamware fixed all problems , now whe have a serious bigbrother for protools...

So iam working like a bullit with neundo..
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at0m
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Post by at0m »

finally V3.0 :smile:

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: atomic on 2001-10-01 13:33 ]</font>
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