PULSAR-23 by SOMA

Yoo! I’m starting to dig into the Digitakt midi control on Pulsar. Anybody have nifty midi tricks beyond the basic stuff? I’m looking at all you musical wizards out there :slight_smile:

I don’t know that they are tricks, but I can tell you what I do with MIDI and Pular-23:

On the Pulsar-23, I’ve used the LRN function to set up:

  • BD, SD, and HHT voices all set to respond on MIDI channel 10, notes 36, 38, & 42. (Which happens to be same as General MIDI, kick, snare, & closed hi-hat.)
  • BASS voice, in MIDI mode, and listening on channel 9.
  • The 2nd through 4th MIDI to CV converters are listening on channel 1, CCs 16, 17, & 18.

I never change these: It is easiest to have this set one and always use it for every piece.

Things feeding MIDI to Pulsar-23:

Digitakt
I can use one MIDI track to play the BASS voice, by setting it to channel 9.
I can either use one MIDI track set to channel 10 to play all three drum voices…
…or I can use three MIDI tracks, all set to channel 10, and each one with a different NOT1 set on the TRIG page. This lets me sequence them just like the Digitakt’s own sample tracks.

Boppad
I have a setup with three of the quadrants playing the appropriate notes on channel 10.

Keyboard / Launchpad
If routing directly to the Pulsar-23, then set to channel 9 to play the BASS voice.
If routing via the Digitakt, I set to the Digitakt’s AUTO channel, then I can use the keyboard to record into whatever track I have selected. This lets me play bass lines via the MIDI track on channel 9 … or one of the Digitakt’s sample tracks.

Genki Wave Ring
Set to send CCs 16, 17, & 18 on channel 1. Now I can clip the CV converter pins on the Pulsar-23 and connect to whatever I want to control on the Pulsar-23. Using hand rotation to control delay time, and hand pitch to control feedback is pretty fun.

Raspberry Pi
In mos sets, I run all of the above into a Raspberry Pi. It acts both as a MIDI router, and also runs a my MIDI looper software: Sometimes I use the sequencer tracks in the Digitakt, sometimes I use the MIDI looper.

You can find examples of me playing all of this on my YouTube channel

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Do you have any idea how I can setup the BASS voice to respond to chromatic mode with the Rytm? Its the only thing I have not been able to get working. I am able to trigger it fine with the sequencer but cannot adjust the pitch. Thanks.

Are you in midi mode or cv? You should turn the CV MIDI PRC switch to the MIDI or PRC position.

I believe that I have it on PRC, I can change that over to MIDI. Do i have to use the midi to CV converter as well and patch it to the pitch of the bass module?

You don’t need any converter to play it chromatically. Press the LRN button in MIDI mode and play some notes.

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The BASS voice needs to be in MIDI mode (top 3-position switch). THEN hold the LRN button down and send it a MIDI note on the channel you want to use. Now the BASS voice will respond to notes on that channel, in tune, and with velocity controlling the amplitude.

If you want, after setting up the BASS voice to respond to MIDI - you can hold LRN next to the first MIDI to CV converter… and which point it will output a voltage proportional to the note, so you can use that to mod the filter cutoff, or another voice as well.

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Hello everyone

Here is an atmospheric track made with Pulsar only with a couple of Eurorack effects. Such an incredible instrument with a lot of texture.

No post processing, one take

Enjoy and thank you for listening !

Link -> Репетативный

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Had some free time last night so I had a little session. Nice tame side of the pulsar.

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A little live cinematic exploration in the studio. Not had much chance to dig deep into the Pulsar as yet, so this is reasonably tame and ‘nice’ but hopefully some of your fine ears might enjoy it :blush:

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I really need to stop lurking around this thread, it’s gonna get me in a lot of trouble with the master of coin.

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Agggghhh. Don’t need to hear these things lol. Must resist.

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ha ha, just plain cruel I know. It’s such a super capable instrument though. You can get really deep and wild with it, or keep it neat and tidy as it is here. Then again, perhaps I should just say that it’s utter rubbish and a complete waste of money and you’d be better spending your money on other things ( just to save your wallet of course)

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the complexity of this instrument scares me, but I appreciate your performance

This set up wasn’t complex by any means. Very straightforward and little challenge! Even with the least amount of work you can get great things from it!

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Thanks for this :slight_smile:

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@robinrimbaud - Your recent Pulsar jam video is also causing me some distress. It makes great sounds. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more.

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just curious if anyone else finds the pulsar a bit noisy. When i bump up the volume and overdrive there is a real noticeable hum going on.

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Definitely noisey - i get a lot of pops and clicks from modulation sources with volumes all down. triggering the voices also has a click with volumes down. and can sometimes hear stuff plugged into the vca modules, without the vca being open. I’ve just ignored/accepted it since it’s such a great machine but it would be nice if it was quieter.

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I had trouble with the Lyra-8 triggers not sensing my (dry?) fingers. Does anyone have the same issue with the Pulsar-23?