#67

Absolutely. But I’m still going to have use an outboard module to reset on odd times (when mine arrives in about two weeks from now). If only he had given us divide by 3, 5, and 7…

#68

Yeah, this works well. I did this a couple days ago, my friend was mashing while another couple of use were turning knobs and patching. The results:

Yeah, that is a big on for me too.

2 Likes
#69

Thanks so much. I had about 3 hours with it when I recorded that, so it is not too hard to figure out if you have some familiarity with modular synthesis.

#71

Well … I just blew most of my Pulsar budget on a couple of Instruo modules. Got tired of waiting. :man_shrugging:

And I’m pretty sure I can replicate a lot of what the Pulsar does with my (way too many) Euro modules. The loopers look kind of special, but this may be a Euro alternative. Or I’ll script some up with Norns :slight_smile:

1 Like
#72

Hi Everyone, great to hear what people are doing with the Pulsar 23.
I was wondering what the wait time is? I put my name on the list around Superbooth 19 time. Hoping it comes soon!

#73

Full disclosure: I have no idea what wait times are as I don’t know the backlog and production volume. But if it’s any indication, I had ordered mine in June 2018 and took delivery about 10 days ago.

#74

The Lyra is ever so slightly smaller and the faceplate is a bit lower then the Pulsar as well. But they still look great next to each other. White Lyra plus black Pulsar over here.

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#75

that’s got to be worth a photo :wink:

#76

That’s fair enough.

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IMG_05773962×1927 2.34 MB
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IMG_05734032×3024 5.37 MB
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IMG_05754032×3024 6.72 MB

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#77

Probably most intriguing Soma product ever.
Still… I’m just not sure how to incorporate this in my setup I guess I’ll wait for a used one

#78

Last night I got what sounded like pitch-shifted delay coming out of the Pulsar. I kept poking around the fx module to figure out how it was achieved. Eventually I realized it wasn’t coming from the fx at all. I must have sent some stepped modulation to one of the oscillators’ tuning pegs. Wife called me to bed before I could figure out how I did it though.

#79

For those have had a Pulsar for a while now, are you still enjoying it? I got the email and I’m debating, it’s not cheap. Are you able to get a lot out of it or is it narrower in its sound than you’d thought?

#80

I’ve had one for over six months now - and have been using it in almost everything I’ve done in that time.

For me, it has been like finding that orchestral instrument that feels totally comfortable: This is not just a keeper, it’s clearly going to be a primary instrument for a long time.

Some things to consider:

Sure, you can externally sequence it, but to me it shines — screams — as something you perform on. From the touch-pad loopers, to the very carefully scaled control knobs, to the very visceral patching (even with just touching posts…) it is meant to be played. For me, this has meant lots of time spent in daily practice with it… but I think it has begun to pay off handsomely.

Many aspects of it have a wider range than you might think after your first 40 hours with it… There are strange corners you can maneuver the voices into which are really unique and lovely… Other aspects are what they are: the BD voice, in particular, does have a certain style of kick/bass drum feel to it that will be a characteristic marker of the device. But hey - a cello is really really versatile, but it’s still a cello! And the 808 is iconic in its limited range.

If you approach it as a modular, or as an “industrial techno drum machine”… you’ll probably feel like it is a lot of money for such… The patching and modulation is very unlike other systems - and takes time to develop a relationship with. And as a drum machine, the LR isn’t a traditional drum machine sequencer, and using an external sequencer isn’t going to give you that XoX or Elektron like experience. (Exception: I do use an external sequencer to drive the Bass Synth voice when I’m running it as a bass line or as a monophonic line - in this role it works great.)

As a deep instrument to learn, to struggle with at first, and then become old friends with, and to perform on - I think it is well worth the price.

5 Likes
#81

I still enjoy it immensely. It’s huge fun to patch. That said, I’m not keeping it. I’m just about ready to let it go.

#82

I’ve had mine probably four months. I’m torn, on the one hand the approach, playability, patchability and sheer range of interesting, different and fun ways to interact and integrate it are incredible. I find elements of the sounds it can make are wearing though, it definitely has ‘a sound’ to it. As @mzero has said you can push instruments/channels into new territories (and I still find new ways after four months of heavy use) but it’s hard to get away from core sound, which I’m not 100% sold on I must be honest.
I have just picked up an Onde however, which is gorgeous and I picked up a usb-dc converter cable which will let me take my Pulsar outside and power it from the Onde. I think the transients of the Pulsar will sound especially nice through the Onde. Time will tell.

1 Like
#83

Hi everyone.

Here are some of my observations on the Pulsar-23 since I took delivery of it beginning of May 2020.
I got my Pulsar quite early I guess, was told I was somewhere in the top 20 of reservations :wink:

My main gripe with it is how difficult it can be to make it play well behaved and in time with others. It’s not evident to find really good matches for clocking duties. Pulsar + Tempi e.g. is hard to get tight. Elektron devices that keep sending out Midi clock even when stopped are not a good match either. I was going to get rid of a second hand Pyramid I got some time back in a trade, but it is the only device I own that has to option to STOP sending MIDI clock when the sequencer is stopped so I’m keeping it just for that feature!
I’ll trade you a Conductive Labs MRCC for my Pyramid, if it proves to have that same feature, which is not entirely clear from the videos I saw to date.

For such an open ended machine I really think SOMA dropped the ball by not including some low prime numbers in the clock divider. They were thinking of non-2^n numbers when they designed the Shaos, so why not in the Clock section?

The sounds are wild, especially when combining patching with highly resonant filter settings. I do find I often want to blend between source and resonance, and that can be be tricky to control in volume, esp when playing live. I’d love to know about some pedals, compression or such that can make sure I don’t bleed anybody’s ears out when I play on a big system. Any tips are welcome!

As for playing it, it is unlike anything else I’ve ever touched. Your grasp of rhythm and flow are brutally on display, whether that be virtuoso or dilettant. I love it. I notice my absent minded desk drumming has changed too, more combo’s inspired by the Pulsar loopers.

My first reaction to seeing a Pulsar being played out by someone else still has to happen, very curious to see others play the same instrument IRL, in the flesh, in the moment.

Anyway, those are some of my thoughts

5 Likes
#84

An MPC will not send clock when stopped and so works well (or at least my MPC-X did).

I find Tempi and Pulsar works well though (Pulsar is clocking Tempi). I can recommend a PulsarBuddy which helps integration too.

1 Like
#85

That’s worth a try, I did it the other way round and got skipped loopers all the time. Thanks for the tips!

#86

No problem. I’m also using Pulsar to the mod input of Tempi to step through clock division settings. With CV going to Pulsar’s clock mod input you can create some wild rhythms.

#87

People talk about the sound of the Pulsar but it’s ALSO a wonderful CV utility.

Viewing it as a master recordable trigger sequencer for other drum modules or all the attenuation, inverting for external signals, etc. There’s so much there.

6 Likes