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wondering if anyone would comment on pulsar's sound quality compared to pro synths like supernova, waldorf, access virus or even modern modular analogues. not just in theory but actual hands on use. as much as i like puslar's expandability and endless amount of third party synths i found it to be flat the other day. my friend lent me his waldorf xt in which i used to start a new track. i was running an appregiated line through it and was amazed at its thickness and phatt sound. i thought, well let me see how it measures up to pulsar. so i ran the same line through my pulsar with a number of synths and to my dismay nothing really measured up. the closet i could get was using zarg's ambient with some touch up programming. i seems that this is how a lot of my work has been going lately. to get the right sound from pulsar i have to program intensively. which i love to do but slows down my production time on tracks. i end up spending too much time getting the sound i want instead of writing. maybe that is the nature of pulsar. i don't know, but rarely do i find a preset in their synths that i find usuable without editing.
for those pleased with pulsar, are you attaching add on (thrid party) effects out of the synths output? maybe i need to spend some time trying different effects. it seems in theory you should be able to build a fat synth with Modular V2 since you can stack osc,lfo, envelopes and filters within your DSP amount. but if you were to attempt to emulate say a supernova through pulsar by following the schematic sound layout could or would the pulsar sound like one or are there going to be haramonic differences b/c one is software driven and another is hardware? tips, suggestions, fustrations--anything welcome

cheers
JD

I'm not really an expert on this, but I always put some effects (such as chorus, delay, distortion) on the synths to make them come alive. Just the dry sound is too dull for me.

I think Pulsar can make some quite great stuff. For fat dance leads and such I usually add Creamwares stereodelay and chorus, maybe a distortion module too. I did something with the Inferno synth the other day, and I think the lead there is quite on par with ´real´ synths. Even without chorus its quite phat. Miniscope can do some REALLY fat leads.. mmmmmm:)

I tend to agree with you JD, it's all down to effort/time though. I have a Supernova in addition to the Pulsar setup and find most of my songs tend to use sounds mainly from the Supernova rather than the Pulsar. This is quite simply due to the fact that it is much easier to get a sound I'm happy with quickly with a few knob twiddles. I am too lazy to spend ages tring to get a similar sound in Pulsar, though I'm sure it's possible.

Recently though I have been thinking more and more of the Pulsar as a way of creating something unique and distinct from hardware synths. It is very refreshing these days to hear a sound in a tune and wonder where the hell it came from rather than 'ahh that's a Supernova/Virus etc etc. I think that with a bit of work this can be achieved in Pulsar.

I agree that the Pulsar synths shipped with the card do sound flat unless you invest aome time into messing around with effects, but as someone mentioned on this forum before, so would the Supernova if the presets didn't include effects or you couldn't just add tempoed delay/chorus etc. in a few seconds flat.

I am well up for more devices that take away some of the effort of changing a sound (there are a few already), i.e. built in tempo delays/flangers/auto filters/reverbs etc., above all on board effects that can be applied quickly and easily.

For lazy people like me!

It sounds to me like you all just prefer the quality of the presets in your hardware synths better than the presets in Pulsar synths? Do keep in mind that most HW synths have effects built into the patches, whereas with Pulsar they need to be added (excepting the synths with built in fx). I personally abhore presets - I like to create my music, all the way through. If I do use a preset, I almost always fix it up exactly to my liking, almost never taking a preset 'straight.' If you dig that 'band in a box' style music, though, maybe a HW synth preloaded with 500+ patches is for you . . .

Have you tried the Saturn? - I can't think of a synth much fatter than this! And many modern HW synths (virus, nord lead) are on dsps anyways - Pulsar synths ARE hardware synths too . . .

sounds like effects are a big role in pulsar and regular synths as well. perhaps someone could comment on not just effects but where to get some quality effects for pulsar. i know this may be somewhat subjective but i would still be interested in your responses.

also, does anyone know of any pulsar synths where your effects are drop into an insert in the synth. this would make connections quicker and would lend intself to not only built in effects on the synth but whatever effects one has invested in also.

cheers JD

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JD on 2001-05-09 08:58 ]</font>

DeFex's neutron star does this. Modular 2 has both stereo and mono inserts, and they are MIDI controllable. If you do not have Mod 2, you _must_ get it! I have a few Mod 2 patches that are just FX units wired in serial - with like 4 fx. I use them after a synth to process the sound a bit more. Also, check out the insert racks from spacef and the midiizers from early first(?). Also, PlanetZ's own Zorba is a great effect. It is distortion>flanger>tremelo>echo. great, but a litte $$$.

Also, good fx are nothing without a great patch running thru them - garbage in garbage out. Work on programming synth sounds, once you have em, you have 'em. Furthermore, check the files section here. There are many banks of presets for the synths. . .

FX comments - these are all freeware. sonoquid's delay is great. the 2012 reverb is solid. Filther! Horus the Chorus! The Xmas gifts from Creamware -the pitchshifter does good detuning. Lots of great filters out there - the combfree especially. The dirt distortion by Hummel/Wavelength sure has bite! lots more too. . . not at my audio comp at the moment.

Any other suggestions on great FX (especially free!)?

Algorythm, did you forget Paul's MultiTap delays?

For infinite delays, you'll want to keep your eyes out for the Neutron Retron, which allows feedback delay with FX Insert, with the ability to wire an AUX effect to the device if you prefer.

Hmm, refreshing to see a "creativity" post. I wonder if this thread should be moved out of the Trouble forum heh.

yes! the multitaps are cool.

and - SHHH! I'm beta testing the retron, and sweet it is - two mono (one L, one R) and a stereo insert. sweeeet!

for infinite delays, use infinit by hummel!

Nothing more to state here except that some external fx routed via Adat into the BM works more effeciently and you´ve got more space in the pulsar for other fx or synths.

after i made a modular based on the nova
(3 synced osc - 3 envellopes, 2 lfo, matrix modulation i finally heard some sound similar to the nova...
in terms of sound i believe that u can't distinguise mod2...
but mod 2 isn't supported as Nord modular..

nothing musch to say here except a combination between Pulsar- and external Synth is always a better setup...just think about program changes and so on....

I've been playing with the Virus Indigo lately and it's a truly wondrous machine with fanatsic smoothness or good grind depending on the mood. Yes, it's thick with effects. Overall I'd have to say it was superior to Pulsar in individual sounds, but then Pulsar is far more flexible. Pulsar is also about 35% cheaper.

I've played dozens - maybe hundreds - of hardware synths going right back to the true analog monophonics. I wouldn't choose ANY of them over Pulsar - except for the Indigo.

But then the hardware manufacturers have to strike back don't they? Unless they can pull out winners like this then they'll soon be out of business.