Quote:
Originally Posted by namnibor
OT: The original Pulse still kicks some serious a@@ and having the Pulse+, with the multiple cv/gate ins/outs, and external audio processing to filter...just as the new Pulse 2 is to have....makes it just as viable option as MS20. (have read on more than one occasion build quality issues with new MS20) 
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yeah, I think it's probably even a much more capable (and modern) synthesizer! I just think the MS-20 can be used for processing external audio as much as for the synthesizer itself and it's signature sounds - those it's famous for - with the resonance turned into screaming territory is unique. Pretty much like the SH-101 was famous for those acid arps you talk about, along with the infamous TB, but the filter on it sounds very warm and juicy also with big amounts of resonance to put it asside just for the soudns it's most famous for. Like the Roland's JP's that are also known for their supersaw leads, used to oblivion in cheap Euro Trance tracks and never failed to make it sound like some Carnival Fair or some kind, but it's also capable of very surprising sounds and with the uniqueness of Roland sound - that I always find has some sort of round contour to it (even the oscillators with filter fully open). Like said on other recent thread: if you want to blame fatigue for most obvious sounds on the Dance Scene on some brand, you have to pick Roland: we've all heard the TR drum sounds about a milion times - and still plenty of emulations or sample packs and this and that on that topic; same thing with the TB, the SH range (most specially 101) - and new software synthesizers with the latest DSP technology for recreating analogue filters (zero feedback delay filter that is) like the Lush 101 (actually a polly/multi synth with 4 101s and mixable incorporated fx, I think with sends to!), Tal Audio's Bassline 101; the JP (blabla, there's a good emulator Timo mentioned once for iOS - be sure to check it out on you new gift
), so forth and so on... After Roland and Yamaha's big hit on FM synthesis with DX7, you can probably ear ad nauseum the Virus and Nord Lead pretty much everywhere.
The music scene and the synthesizer developers mindset oscillates (cute word) between nostalgia for the past, imitating the classic synthesizers of the past for a vast public of synthesis enthusiasts born in the computer age that somehow got interested in the history of this machines and eager to get their hands on some old circuitry with its exquisite sound (myself included!); and a venture towards new territory, taking advantage of the new technology (mostly digital these days) for new approaches to sound synthesis - and there I'd probably put the finger on Native Instruments and some other companies, and Waldorf to! Waldorf, long before Massive made wavetable synthesis very popular among aspiring producers (possibly inspired by Skrillex-like music), was putting synthesizers on the market with this very peculiar type of synthesis, along with wave shaping, so forth and so on and (I think, not exactly sure here) popularized the comb filter on hardware machines capable of that very odd and grittier wall of sound with a metalic ear piercing attitude to it - that I immediately associate with the brand!
Not so familiarized with the Pulse, have listened to some sound demos online and think it sounds like a powerful analogue mono synthesizer, not so different to Novation's Bass Station to my ears, to be honest, capable of that acid bass sound and anything in between, but not with the silky sound of a Moog, much more edgier (again, like Rolandish sounds). This new one comes packed with features and modulation options that are rare to see on a true analogue and is probably going to make it into my "wish list". Multi-mode filters are also something I value a lot in analogue synthesizers, and is something that can (and has) make me choose one instead of another. I don't have enough gear here to go with a 1k synthesizer just for loving it's sound character or the raw sound of it's oscillators, I need modulation options, routing choices (if and when possible), sequencer and/or arp doesn't hurt either or, at least, cv and (!!) midi connections on the back to allow for rather cool communication between devices!
Last but not least, heard the Minitaur can recycle it's waveform on each note you press - like the "phaseinit" function on the Virus. So the Pulse2 is actually one of the few that meets my criteria. Also heard rumors of this bad quality build on the MS 20 (what a shame...) with fidly knobs, so not really excited about the majority of the analogue returns hype thing and still find the older models more attractive imo.
the make noise dpo, on the other hand...
