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

[samsam]

Waldorf just released a new Pulse 2 firmware v1.16:
http://www.waldorf-music.info/pulse2downloads

changes since v1.15 (full changelog included with the download):
- Program change bug introduced in version 1.15 fixed
- Complete (MSB, LSB, PGM) program change message is sent over MIDI / USB when selecting a preset from front panel
- Correcting the arp "auto-starting" bug occurring in Reason / Live when looping patterns with arpeggiator disabled.

I was excited to see arps and Live mentioned in the 1.16 changelog but unfortunately I still cannot get the arp to start propoerly in Live duing first playthough of a loop. Subsequent plays work fine and it works completely fine in Logic.

If anyone has any arp tricks to get it to work properly, please share here or in the thread I opened http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 7&t=420291. Thanks.

[Ingonator]

Waldorf just released a new Pulse 2 firmware v1.16:
http://www.waldorf-music.info/pulse2downloads

changes since v1.15 (full changelog included with the download):
- Program change bug introduced in version 1.15 fixed
- Complete (MSB, LSB, PGM) program change message is sent over MIDI / USB when selecting a preset from front panel
- Correcting the arp "auto-starting" bug occurring in Reason / Live when looping patterns with arpeggiator disabled.

I was excited to see arps and Live mentioned in the 1.16 changelog but unfortunately I still cannot get the arp to start propoerly in Live duing first playthough of a loop. Subsequent plays work fine and it works completely fine in Logic.

If anyone has any arp tricks to get it to work properly, please share here or in the thread I opened http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 7&t=420291. Thanks.

Besides your post i also just received a PM concerning this. I wil try to check ASAP and send an e-mail to the Pulse 2 developer if necessary.


Ingo

[samsam]

^ Cheers Ingo. I wrote to Waldorf support and Ableton too as well, not sure where the fault lies.

[Ingonator]

This was the PM i received concerning a problem with the Arpeggiator in the Pulse 2:

But it still doesn't work correctly if the first note using an arp preset starts at the beginning
of a midi clip. Very easy to test with Pulse2 preset 12. This first note plays correctly (producing arp sound during the whole note length) only when the midi clip loops. When playing starts there may be a short sound or total silence during the first note.

I just did a test with my Pulse 2 (with the latest official OS 1.16) and in Ableton Live 9.1.4 64-bit at Windows 7 64-bit
I recorded a short MIDi clip with the first note directly at the beginning and played the clip as a loop inside the arrangement view (will try to do the same in the session view too). also used preset No. 12 ("Acidizer JD") like mentioned in the quoted post. So far i did not notice any problems, even after running the loop several times,

I will try to do some more tests soon.

UPDATE:
Tested the same midi clip as a cip in the session view of Live 9 and still no problem there when looping.

Is it possible tat someone could send me an Ableton Live 9 project file with a "problematic" clip and also name a factory preset that i could use for checking?


Ingo

[samsam]

Literally all I do is make a four bar clip with one note that starts at 1.1.1 and a sound including an arp. When I record it, it doesn't actually sound. When I playback, it doesn't sound on the first playthrough but it does subsequently. Works perfectly in Logic.

I've tried various settings in MIDI/Sync - I either end up with the arp starts on the 1 but not in sync, or I get it as I described.

Ingo - are you using USB in Live for your Pulse 2? Care to tell me how you've got MIDI/sync set up in preferences? Thanks!

[Ingonator]

Literally all I do is make a four bar clip with one note that starts at 1.1.1 and a sound including an arp. When I record it, it doesn't actually sound. When I playback, it doesn't sound on the first playthrough but it does subsequently. Works perfectly in Logic.

I've tried various settings in MIDI/Sync - I either end up with the arp starts on the 1 but not in sync, or I get it as I described.

Ingo - are you using USB in Live for your Pulse 2? Care to tell me how you've got MIDI/sync set up in preferences? Thanks!

I have the Pulse 2 connected via USB and also my MIDi controller connected via USB. When playing without using a host i am also using a normal MIDI connection.

This means when using a host like e.g. Live i am recording MIDI from the USB connection of the MIDI controller and the MIDI output is then with the USB connection of the Pulse 2. No MIDI Thru needed this way.
Usually i always got MIDI thru enabled in the Pulse 2 while in this specific setup with Live 9 it is not really needed.
I could also check using a different kind of connection.

BTW are you using the Pulse 2 with a Pulse 2 editor plugin (like that from e.g. Synnys) or as an "external instrument"? I have done my test with the Pulse 2 as an external instrument in Live 9.


Ingo

[Ingonator]

i just received a project file for Ableton Live by E-mail (using the Pulse 2 as "txernal instrument" like i did myself) but still could not notice a problem with the Arp here.


Ingo

[samsam]

Nord via MOTU Ultalite MIDI, Pulse 2 via USB, nothing special. It either syncs or it starts on the 1 of bar 1. It doesn't, unfortunately, do both at the same time. Using Live External Instrument.

[Ingonator]

Nord via MOTU Ultalite MIDI, Pulse 2 via USB, nothing special. It either syncs or it starts on the 1 of bar 1. It doesn't, unfortunately, do both at the same time. Using Live External Instrument.

Many thanks,

i guess this was very helpful. I checked those settings in Live and found that the "Sync" buttion for the Pulse 2 output was off in my own preferences. If i switch it on the very first note is skipped but then the loop seems to play normally.
If i set the Sync switch for the Pulse 2 output (in those Live preferences) to off the first note seems to work normally.

Here is a screenshot where i have marked the corresponding switch with red color (screenshot from my own Live 9):



UPDATE:
Just sent an e-mail to the developer of the Pulse 2 OS.

I found that deactivating the Sync switch (like i mentioned above) could be a problem as without this switched on the Arp speed is no longer synced to the host speed. I hope there could be a fix where the Sync could be activated but the first note at playback works properly.

I will also try to check this in some other hosts (e.g. Studio One, Reaper, Cubase).

UPDATE:
Just did a first test in Studio One 2.6.3 64-bit (at Windows 7 64-bit). The problem with the missing first note when starting playback also does seem to happen in Studio One with MIDI Out Sync activated in the host (which is where the problem seems to happen in Live 9).
In Studio One this does not seem to happen (while Sync to host still works) when deactivating "Use MIDI Clock Start" in the Device settings for Pulse 2.

Here are the Device settings in Studio One 2.6.3 with the "Use MIDI Clock Start" marked in red:



Ingo

[samsam]

Thanks a lot Ingo.

Waldorf wrote back asking for a video of what's happening but stating that if it works in Logic then it's not a Pulse problem. It may be the case that it's a Live problem but I don't really agree with their absolute knowledge.

When I finish work later I'll make a vid and send to them, see what they say, and maybe link to this thread.

Cheers.

[maniacoli]

Waldorf Pulse 2 Firmware V 1.17 / Waldorf Pulse 2 Firmware 1.17 Updater for OSX updates available from here:
http://www.waldorf-music.info/pulse2downloads

Changes since V.1.16-2
- fixed midi dump issues

[samsam]

^ Thanx, updating now.

[rubez]

what do you think of the pulse 2 for a beginner?

it looks pretty complicated, that matrix.

does the arp act like a sequencer?

[EvilDragon]

It's pretty simple to get around with that matrix. Manual is good too, explains a lot and has basics of synthesis as well.

Arpeggiator can be used as a sequencer too, sorta - you can transpose the pitch of each step.

[Sequent]

what do you think of the pulse 2 for a beginner?

it looks pretty complicated, that matrix.

does the arp act like a sequencer?

Just my two cents, or half a cent as the case may be.

The matrix is actually pretty easy, don't let it scare you away. Especially, if you have used other synths (either hw or sw), I think you'll be able to get your head around it pretty quickly.

Plusses for the Pulse:
sound quality
space for lots of patches to be stored
depth of voice architecture
and of course, the paraphony is a really nice feature

Minuses:
not a lot of knobs as opposed to say the Sub37 or the Brute, etc.
the display is configured so that the patch number is huge, while the other data is on the small side


I have several Waldorf synths including the old Pulse, a uQ, a Mircowave, and a Blofeld, as well as most of the software, so I am kind of biased towards the Waldorf sound.

But overall, I think it's a very good purchase.