KVR Audio

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:00 pm

can anybody else confirm or deny that it's impossible to filter with the HP filter past about the 90-100 mark. The filter seems to just stop there and I'm left with somewhere between 1kHz and 2kHz & above still in the mix. Also if i then choose any of the drive curves, the HP filter shits itself even more.

Also, I can't set the Arp to any odd numbered BPMs. It seems to jump between the evens.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:33 am

Hi,

Waldorf just published an updated version of the factory sounds of the Pulse 2:
http://www.waldorf-music.info/en/pulse2 ... -2013.html

AFAIK this should include my update for my own patches that i posted here (concenring the changes since OS 1.07). Not sure how far this also includes updates for the other patches. I just asked for some details about this update.

The single Sysex files of my patches were already posted and are acontained here:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/532 ... 0v1.10.zip

Ingo

Tupapupa · Post by **Tupapupa** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 8:50 am

sounds interesting i will try out the "new" sounds (but save the old ones before, if they dont match my taste...

)

meanwhile i did another track where i used the Pulse 2 only for paraphonic sounds like strings, brass, pads (i am in lack of a polyphonic synth since i sold my Mox6). I find if it's about easier not layered pads, the paraphonic is very useable.

http://soundcloud.com/the-trooper-1/i-l ... trance-pop

a bit better quality on YT (switch to HD)

acidfever · Post by **acidfever** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:40 pm

So how do I send this .mid file waldorf released to the Pulse 2?
Do I need to do anything at the Pulse end to prepare the unit to receive data?

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 6:01 pm

acidfever wrote:So how do I send this .mid file waldorf released to the Pulse 2?
Do I need to do anything at the Pulse end to prepare the unit to receive data?

In windows i use the "MIDIBar" tool included with the free MidiOx (as an iindependent program):

http://www.midiox.com/

For sending and receiving Sysex files (*.SYX format) like my single preset files i use Send SX:

http://www.bome.com/products/sendsx/downloads

Sending MIDI files should be also possible with a DAW/host software as long as SYsex transfer is activated.

It should not be necessry to "prepare" your Pulse 2 for receiving the MID file.

Anyway you should try to save your current memory content, especially if you did your own sounds. For saving your own sounds to any location you should save them as single files (from Utility menu with "Dump sound". I am using SendSX for doing backups and saving single preset files.
For sending all memory locations you use "Dump all" from the Utility menu.

Ingo

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:07 am

sqigls wrote:can anybody else confirm or deny that it's impossible to filter with the HP filter past about the 90-100 mark. The filter seems to just stop there and I'm left with somewhere between 1kHz and 2kHz & above still in the mix. Also if i then choose any of the drive curves, the HP filter shits itself even more.

Also, I can't set the Arp to any odd numbered BPMs. It seems to jump between the evens.

no-one else can confirm this?

Tupapupa · Post by **Tupapupa** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:15 am

i will test it this evening...

bobborries · Post by **bobborries** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:12 pm

I tried the Pulse II at a near by store and happy to report that the instrument sounds really good. I was a little hesitant to buy one after hearing a few demo's online, these demos do not do it justice. You need to try one out for yourself, you'll be glad you did.

Oscillators
The sawtooth and pulse waves sounds bright & classic, the PWM sounds as it should. The triangle is warm with a sprinkling of harmonics. The alternate pulse wave mixes from a pulse wave to a a pulse wave an octave down when you modulate it, there's more going on in there but that's what it sounds like.

Sync sounds a little gritty, not the smooth type of sync here. The pulse cross modulation sounds bellish and can get very dirty, a lot of harmonics can be produced, and can be fine tuned to get interesting clean wave shapes, especially when you have cross modulations on two oscillators.

Oscillator 3 can modulate some things in the audio range, it can ring modulate the second osc., the filter frequency (filter FM) or even modulate the distortion circuit, which I've never seen in a synth before.

When you use Unison/Para modes (there are 6 types) oscillators 2 & 3 are shut off, sync or cross mod can't be used either, this understandably would't be practical, but what you get in return out exceeds the limitation.

The detune Unison 8 (saws or alternate pulse waveforms), sounds colder, but in a modern way. You can have the unison play one note or have it distribute the 8 waves between all the keys you hold down. The paraphonic mode let you play 8 note chords, the 4 voice mode doubles what you play with an octave up.

Filter
The 24db lowpass is very warm to my ears, it's smooth, modern and the resonance sparkles. At first I accidentally had the 12db lowpass on when I thought is was 4 poles, then I switched to the 24db it blew me away. The bandpass is OK, not the greatest or worst bandpass Iv'e heard, just average. The highpass was a little weak, not a lot of harmonics when a swept it medium resonance. Having a multi-mode filter in a real analog programable synth is a luxury and being able to FM it is icing on the cake.

Envelopes and LFO's
The two Envelopes are snappy and have 2 loops modes and 5 trigger modes, they're amplification and/or rate can be modulated. Two LFO's (speed from 4.5 minutes to 100 Hz), one being triangle only with a fade in delay and the other with Sine, Tri, Sawtooth, square and random waveforms, that can be midi clocked and speed modulated.

Distortion
Distortion has two modes (tube and fuzz) the emulations sound analog to me, lots of scream potential or subtle saturation here. Didn't get to try putting an external sound source into it, I'm sure they would of let me if I had asked, you could feedback the synth by putting the output into it's self using a patch cord. It's not patched internally like the Sub-phatty or Minibrute.

Modulation
There's 8 modulation patch points with 24 sources and destinations, I think they added more in the latest version. One of the destinations is CV out, this means I can send an LFO or envelope to my modular gear, I can give a midi synced LFO or Velocity envelope presets to any control voltage input!

Everything Else
The presets instantly change, so using a DAW you could change the sound for each note played without a hiccup. The 16 step arpegiator is dense, with step duration, swing, delay, accent, octave, time and glide. You can change the number of steps and has all the usual order modes.

I live in southern California and I needed to try this synth in the flesh, there's a store in Pomona called Noise Bug, they have a huge inventory of synths and they were more than happy to plug in the Pulse and let me spend quality time with it, there was no high pressure salesman bullshit, so I just wanted to spread the word. They have Euro and big format analog modular, and will let you try out any module for yourself.

Tupapupa · Post by **Tupapupa** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 8:16 pm

sqigls wrote:can anybody else confirm or deny that it's impossible to filter with the HP filter past about the 90-100 mark. The filter seems to just stop there and I'm left with somewhere between 1kHz and 2kHz & above still in the mix. Also if i then choose any of the drive curves, the HP filter shits itself even more.

Also, I can't set the Arp to any odd numbered BPMs. It seems to jump between the evens.
no-one else can confirm this?

i can confirm that with the filter behavior
i made a little record of that

it starts with drive (tube) on and i screw up cutoff, when its above 70-80 the sound fades away (0:10), if i get down again it returns again.

at 0:18 i switch off the drive and screw the cutoff up again, if gets about 100 nothing more happens it stays as it is (0:32), then back down again

with the arp i did not test because i use Cubase as clock and then it functions normal

@bobborries
great test

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:14 pm

thanks Tupapupa
I thought i might have had a defective unit.
I haven't been able to make the hi hats I like because of this. The filter just stops, and depending on drive and keytracking (etc) settings, the sound actually just breaks up or disappears! The Bass Station 2's HiPass reaches further! It's a bit silly. The upper range is just all out of whack.

Can anyone from Waldorf comment about this please?

Tupapupa · Post by **Tupapupa** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:54 pm

You should get yourself a LXR DrumMachine, then you dont have to do HHs with your synths

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:08 am

Looks fun

Thanks for the link

acidfever · Post by **acidfever** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:37 am

sqigls wrote:thanks Tupapupa
I thought i might have had a defective unit.
I haven't been able to make the hi hats I like because of this. The filter just stops, and depending on drive and keytracking (etc) settings, the sound actually just breaks up or disappears! The Bass Station 2's HiPass reaches further! It's a bit silly. The upper range is just all out of whack.

Can anyone from Waldorf comment about this please?

Obviously this is either a faulty design or a bug in the OS. Let us hope it's the second and that Waldorf will fix it in a future OS update!!

The first scenario would be quite serious though.....it would render the HP filter useless in a lot of situations.

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:21 am

acidfever wrote:
sqigls wrote:thanks Tupapupa
I thought i might have had a defective unit.
I haven't been able to make the hi hats I like because of this. The filter just stops, and depending on drive and keytracking (etc) settings, the sound actually just breaks up or disappears! The Bass Station 2's HiPass reaches further! It's a bit silly. The upper range is just all out of whack.

Can anyone from Waldorf comment about this please?
Obviously this is either a faulty design or a bug in the OS. Let us hope it's the second and that Waldorf will fix it in a future OS update!!

The first scenario would be quite serious though.....it would render the HP filter useless in a lot of situations.

Yes!
I hope this is something that can be fixed with an OS update.

I have emailed Waldorf, I'll let you guys know what they say.

Tupapupa wrote:
sqigls wrote:can anybody else confirm or deny that it's impossible to filter with the HP filter past about the 90-100 mark. The filter seems to just stop there and I'm left with somewhere between 1kHz and 2kHz & above still in the mix. Also if i then choose any of the drive curves, the HP filter shits itself even more.

Also, I can't set the Arp to any odd numbered BPMs. It seems to jump between the evens.
no-one else can confirm this?
i can confirm that with the filter behavior
i made a little record of that

it starts with drive (tube) on and i screw up cutoff, when its above 70-80 the sound fades away (0:10), if i get down again it returns again.

at 0:18 i switch off the drive and screw the cutoff up again, if gets about 100 nothing more happens it stays as it is (0:32), then back down again

with the arp i did not test because i use Cubase as clock and then it functions normal

@bobborries
great test

Thanks for making that recording. That's exactly the same behaviour my unit is exhibiting. OS 1.11.

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:35 am

Fast reply!!!...

Hello Simon,

Did you tuned the filter after the update? This should usually help.

Best Regards,

Christian Bacaj
--------------------------------------
Waldorf Music Developer

Might be obvious but yeah

I will try it now...

EDIT: seems to have done the job

need to test more. praise Jeebuz

Waldorf Pulse 2: officially released (OS updated to v1.18)