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

[Uncle E]

i hope the pulse 2 helps w/the waldorf resurrection but w/the basstation2 at $499 (w/all those knobs and features) it's gonna be a tough sell.

A better comparison might be the Sub Phatty. For only $200 more, you're getting a nice sized and great looking keyboard with a comprehensive knobby interface which, IMHO, sounds as good or better than what I've heard from the Pulse 2 so far. Had the Pulse 2 stayed at the projected price of $599 in the US, this would be a very different discussion.

btw, Waldorf is in a bit of a competition with their own Rocket, as well. While the Rocket has fewer features and VA oscillators, it's an incredible synth for the price and has a very distinctive sound.

[Uncle E]

Also found this in the manual (Appendix at page 58 ):
"If you want a more aggressive sound, simply turn up the oscillator volume levels so that they are just below the saturation point. The mixer's output
signal will crosstalk with the filter frequency and produce a rougher sound."

Maybe i did this wrong as i just turned the Osc volume up to maximum.
I'll test with a single Osc and turn up the volume more carefully.

Right, maybe that explains why I wasn't hearing the sound I was expecting. I asked you to turn each oscillator up to 110 but I should have specified that this is out of 127.

tbh, I don't like onboard distortion except when it's created in the mixing section and or filter. I seem to always prefer the natural saturation of a Minimoog, TB-303, or Pulse 1 over patching in a distortion circuit or pedal after.

[EvilDragon]

BassStation 2 might have more knobs, but it's buggered with the fact that you have switches between two LFOs and envelopes, and knobs aren't endless encoders, which means a lot of futzing around with matching parameter values (or soft takeover position catching). That's crap.

[Ingonator]

I am slowly getting the impression that some people are not really interested what the Pulse 2 has to offer and just want a Pulse 1 instead.

I have played with both the Pulse 2 presets and now also with a few imported free Pulse 1 banks from the Waldorf website and all those are sounding great to me.

I guess i could post 300 audio demos (around 71 so far) and still someone will say he does not like those sounds...


Ingo

[Ingonator]

Right, maybe that explains why I wasn't hearing the sound I was expecting. I asked you to turn each oscillator up to 110 but I should have specified that this is out of 127.

Is it possible that you provide audio demos of patches (raw demos without FXs) you have in mind and then provide either parameters values or Sysex files?

It's hard doing a proper comparison without that. Reprogramming some YouTube videos without exact values is not worth it IMO.

You could also post Pulse 1 audio examples of the free Rob Papen bank provided here as i was able to import that one to my Pulse 2:
http://www.waldorf-music.info/en/archiv ... ounds.html




Ingo

[hakey]

I am slowly getting the impression that some people are not really interested what the Pulse 2 has to offer and just want a Pulse 1 instead.

I'm interested in what the Pulse 2 has to offer.

At the same time, because I like the distinctive sound of the Pulse 1, I'm interested in whether this latest iteration is a Pulse 1 with additional features, or a new synth with additional features and a somewhat different character.

I guess i could post 300 audio demos (around 71 so far) and still someone will say he does not like those sounds...

I think it sounds good - I've said so several times now.

[hakey]

And another video for your collection
Edit: it's a reup - the original was taken down for some reason.

[Ingonator]

And another video for your collection

That one seems to be made by Jürgen Driessen, one of the beta testers and factory sound designers. Also looks like the first official Waldorf demo video.


Ingo

[Ingonator]

Just found that the two Pulse 1 banks of Stefan Trippler ("DocT" here at KVR) are working on the Pulse 2 too (at least the two MIDI files) with the full banks:
http://www.trippler.net/music/Download/Pulse/pulse.html

direct link for the patches:
http://www.trippler.net/music/Download/ ... Sounds.zip

He also posted audio demos. Maybe it will be possible to do a comparion that way while those seem to include additional FXs too.
http://www.trippler.net/files/pulse/?N=A


-------------------------------------

Till Kopper has a new Pulse 2 page for his iPad Pulse 2 editor:

http://till-kopper.de/pulse2.html

screenshot for monophonic modes:
http://till-kopper.de/pulse2/Waldorf-Pu ... n-edit.png

screenshot for paraphonic modes:
http://till-kopper.de/pulse2/Waldorf-Pu ... -edit3.png


Ingo

[hakey]

I suggest doing a comparison with Uncle E's Pulse 1. That way you can both use the same patches and the exact same midi files. That's about as close a comparison as is possible without having both units directly to hand.

[Ingonator]

I suggest doing a comparison with Uncle E's Pulse 1. That way you can both use the same patches and the exact same midi files. That's about as close a comparison as is possible without having both units directly to hand.

I guess the easiest way would be using the free Rob Papen Pulse 1 bank that is available at the Waldorf website:
http://www.waldorf-music.info/en/archiv ... papen.html

If Uncle E would provide other Sysex files it would be OK too.





UPDATE:
1.) Here is a demo from one patch of the free Rob Papen Pulse 1 bank (patch P006 - PLOK BASS):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/532 ... 20BASS.wav

The patch was used "as is" (like imported from the Pulse 1 bank) without modifications.

2.) Another patch of that bank called P016 - MOOGTIQUE (name from the text file provided with the bank):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/532 ... GTIQUE.wav

In the second part of the demo the Modwheel was used to add a sub-osc (that modulation option was provided with the patch).

3.) Same patch with the volume of all 3 Oscs set to 110:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/532 ... ed%201.wav

4.) The modifed patch from 3.) (all Oscs at 110) plus the built-in tube Drive (amount: 32 = around 25%):
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/532 ... ve%201.wav

The Pulse 2 was directly connected to the line inpput of my Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP audio interface for those (and also the other demos).



Ingo

[hakey]

Probably best if Uncle E picks a patch/patches that he thinks best demonstrates what's unique or distinctive about the Pulse 1 sound.

Single oscillator saw bass patches isn't really it, imo.

[Kriminal]

i hope the pulse 2 helps w/the waldorf resurrection but w/the basstation2 at $499 (w/all those knobs and features) it's gonna be a tough sell.

A better comparison might be the Sub Phatty. For only $200 more, you're getting a nice sized and great looking keyboard with a comprehensive knobby interface which, IMHO, sounds as good or better than what I've heard from the Pulse 2 so far. .

[Ingonator]

A better comparison might be the Sub Phatty. For only $200 more, you're getting a nice sized and great looking keyboard with a comprehensive knobby interface which, IMHO, sounds as good or better than what I've heard from the Pulse 2 so far. .

Here in Germany the Sub Phatty is around the double of the price of a Pulse 2.

Pulse 2 : 499 € (= 674 $), Sub Phatty : 979 € (= 1322 $)


Ingo

[olikana]

i'm surprised too to see people care if it sounds like a pulse1 or not.
to me the pulse 1 was the worst sounding 3osc analog synth ever made. it was brittle dry and thin.

i listened to all the demos posted and the only fat and warm sounds are coming from sounds using the vca drive with its tube and fuzz modes.
being a postfilter drive you could add a decent drive pedal to any analog synth's output and have pretty much same or better results so personally i'm gonna give the pulse2 a miss.
with an alternative and in terms of features comparable analog setup u'd be looking at spending twice the price though, so that's something to keep in mind.