Pulsar-ES

More than 30 years ago, the "Pulsar" – preset drum machine was produced in Zhytomir, Ukraine, at the Elektrovimiruvachmilitary plant, which was famous for its electronic musical instruments such as synthesizers, electric organs, electric accordions, drum machines, signal processors, guitar effect pedals, and other musical devices (Altair-231, Estradin-230, Solaris-314). The release of the Pulsar was an exciting and incredible event for the region as nothing like it had ever been produced before (different models of the Pulsar were made in early '90s).

In 2023, a team of audio developers and sound enthusiasts from TripleTech paid homage to Ukraine's cultural heritage in the field of music technology by creating an iOS replica of this remarkable hardware. This iOS version (iOS drum machine) gives the "Pulsar" preset drum machine a new pulse in the digital world.

The features of the Pulsar-ES app are fairly standard compared to modern equipment and pioneers in Japanese music technology. However, the Pulsar can still serve as an excellent vintage rhythm base for various setups and music production styles.

Consequently, Pulsar-ES is a new iOS drum machine that simulates the Estradin Pulsar model, the first preset drum machine of Ukrainian production. TripleTech has replicated the original hardware instrument "as is" along with its pros and cons, with some added features such as FXs, MIDI Out, and Ableton Link.

Here are the features you can find in the TripleTech iOS app replica – Pulsar-ES (which is 95% identical to the original hardware):

• "Imitator" has 8 pads for recalling 8 drum sounds (bass drum, snare, hat, clap, 3 toms, crash). It also allows you to improvise and play over the embedded rhythm presets.
• "Rhythm Selector" includes key groups "Enter Rhythm" to select the preset rhythm. It can dynamically switch between different rhythm presets in real-time.
• "Start-Stop" knob with a flash indicator shows the step/beat and allows you to play and stop the drum presets at any moment.
• Slider knobs for "Level," "Tempo," and "Accent." "Level" adjusts the volume level, "Tempo" changes the track's tempo, and "Accent" adds emphasis to pads of "Imitator".
• "Rhythm Number" indicator shows the number of the current style and allows you to monitor the playing rhythm preset during a session.
• "FXs Pulsar Panel" includes different effects such as drive, reverb, and filter.
• "Ableton Link" technology helps synchronize Pulsar's beat/tempo across other applications, hosts, or devices.
• "Midi In/Out" is a feature that allows Pulsar ES to send and receive MIDI messages to and from external MIDI devices, such as keyboards, synthesizers, drum machines, MIDI-enabled instruments and other iOS applications.

Pulsar-ES includes 64 preset, non-editable rhythm patterns with different variations that cater to a wide range of modern musical styles. These preset rhythms include not only popular genres such as rock, reggae, house, and techno, but also authentic styles like hopak, polka, kazachok, rasputin, bosanova, jumbo and lezginka.

By purchasing the app in the App Store, 20% of the sales will be donated to Ukrainian support.