Waldorf Pulse 2--Sounds from Beta Tester

[namnibor]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnV3xD4JvdI
These are VCO's by the way, not DCO's...been a long wait but the sound speaks for itself
Published on Sep 12, 2013
This is the new star of analog monophonic synthesizers...the brandnew WALDORF PULSE 2.
An amazing sounding mashine with tons of good features. More than 16 modulationslots are available, 3 real analog oscillators for a rich sound, an analog multimodefilter and a very easy userinterface and 500! presets. It allows you to syncronize an older synthesizer like the Roland SH 101 or older Moog Synthesizer with its built in CV/Gate Interface via Midi. Very nice feature. And you can play with paraphonic modes up to eight voice chords.
The Waldorf Pulse is built like a tank, it´s Made in Germany.
Enough words now...just listen to the raw sound without any effects on it. Have fun and if you like it...buy one.

[oscillator]

Hi, i was looking for some Pulse 2 videos but -ouch- it tells me the video is private. What can i do to see it? Do you know another link?
Thanks

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by oscillator

Hi, i was looking for some Pulse 2 videos but -ouch- it tells me the video is private. What can i do to see it? Do you know another link?
Thanks

Yeah, noticed this by reading on another forum yesterday as it seems the Beta-Tester was not supposed to post that before official Waldorf Demos, *BUT* here's an audio link to the "best of" sounds only from that very You Tube video that someone was able to salvage:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/attac...soundcheck.mp3

Enjoy!

[oscillator]

great, thanks!

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by oscillator

great, thanks!

FYI--the very last couple minutes is showing the multimode filter's characteristics ...you probably got that but just in case, since the video had caption to which was going on at any given time. Sweet sounds and am really glad I resisted the MS20 and Bass Station 2. The Pulse 2, like the Classic Pulse+ has connectivity via cv/gate/midi and by end of year in "Waldorf Time", a keyboard version is definitely coming out and no rumor, as this came directly from Stefan Stenzel (sp?), one of the main Waldorfians.
Oh, these three Oscillators are NOT DCO's, they are indeed VCO's.

[TweakHead]

Originally Posted by namnibor

SPAM

what do you mean?

anyways, heard the Pulse 2 is due to arrive next month and that the manual's being written right now.

also, read this will be a para-poly synthesizer. not exactly sure what that means, to be honest, but my guess is that some voices can share the same filter and envelope, instead of using dedicated ones per voice.

was honestly thinking this was just another mono analogue synthesizer, so that's why I ranted so much about other offerings, both classic and new ones...

think it would be amazing to see them go hybrid now that they've put two very interesting instruments on the market, something like the Evolver, with the wave tables you see on the Blofeld and the analogue oscillators and filters PLUS an interface with knobs instead of encoders and tons more of them with a nice keyboard to go with it!

[namnibor]

It has since been deleted, but there **was** rather lengthy spam post that appeared not only here but in several other subject/threads by same new user.

Just wanted to be clear, was not projected towards you, Tweakhead, at all!

The user manual is already available for pulse 2 on Waldorf's website as well as more sample sounds.

[TweakHead]

Originally Posted by namnibor

It has since been deleted, but there **was** rather lengthy spam post that appeared not only here but in several other subject/threads by same new user.

Just wanted to be clear, was not projected towards you, Tweakhead, at all!

The user manual is already available for pulse 2 on Waldorf's website as well as more sample sounds.

will take a look at it! I'm willing to bet, judging by the looks of it, it's got the same type of encoders that went with the Blofeld - not exactly my cup of tea - so really expecting to see if they're going to make something different, this time, with the keyboard version. an extended interface with more knobs, sort like the Virus and Nord Lead, which have in common very instant access to most common parameters (granted the Virus still has a lot of menu diving, not so much with the Nord, but you feel like you're using analogue gear with both). No better example then Evolver vs Mono Evolver Keyboard. With the kind of features included, if they release this extended model with more knobs on it, it may become one of the most interesting monsters of current times!

Rob, don't worry about it! Thought you had posted in the wrong thread, never thought that would be on me

hope everything goes well for Waldorf, would really like to see them make the kind of synthesizers they did in the 90's, this new team. the color scheme on this one reminds me of those times, I particularly enjoy it. also liked the special black edition of the Blofeld more so then the standard one (same thing with the Virus Polar and Snow, I may have a thing for dark instruments ). wouldn't mind to get a yellow or orange hybrid from them in the future. strangely enough, I think their wave tables are still very unique and sound much better then Massive and very different from those on the Virus ti (based on Largo and Blofeld, never got to play with the older ones, even though the Blofeld has a lot of wave shapes from them included), and also really enjoy the kind of modulation options you usually have with them: lfos going into audio rate speed is awsome, being able to use them for FM is also very cool. lfo>osc pitch, envelope>lfo rate with huge amount and also controlling filter cuttoff, then first highpass filter into a comb filter modulated with another lfo and we're talking Waldorf signature sound here, total metalic sharp wierdness eheh (I mean it the good way!)

^^
don't know if this kind of sound I associate with Waldorf is still true with their analogue machines.

[TweakHead]

It's about time this shows up!

I honestly can't say much as of now, based solely on this sound demo! Just that it's really cool to see a multi-mode analogue filter! A keyboard version of it would be cool, specially if they used the extra space for a proper interface with more knobs on it. Sort like the difference from the desktop Evolver to the MEK kind of thing! Otherwise the rack version would be fine as it's very cool looking (like the color scheme much more then Blofeld!) as there's a limit to the number of keyboards one needs requiring all the extra space and all.

Overall, I think the MS-20 still offers something that's very unique with the patching system! Even for external processing that you don't get on others! Bass Station sounds very cool to me and honestly like it's SH-101ish interface much more then the Pulse 2's one! Never tried it's keys though, so you never know eheh!

[namnibor]

I guess like anything, one either 'clicks' with the matrix programming or doesn't. Historically, Waldorf *first* used their matrix programming schema on the very first Pulse from mid to late 90's.
The reason I actually found it intuitive upon receiving my Blofeld Keyboard Black Shadow Edition, is on certain military equipment that dealt with coded communications in particular in 'Cold War Days', it was actually very much like that grid and coming from Germany, literally built like a military spec'd synth, found it amusing, intuitive, but yes--the Blofeld would literally be a monster synth moreso if it had say, 38 more encoders!
Yes, the MS20 definitely has tons of advantages with it's patch bay and as far as Bass Station 2 goes...call me odd, but I really got "oversaturated' musically, in hearing that SH101 acid bass sound in 90's and quite possibly that sound had contribution to my not-so-much liking the 'dance scene', going full compass to the dark side--Goth, in that era.
But now call me a hypocrite, as I can listen these days from the brand new Nine Inch Nails to new Lady GaGa's "Applause"....and *anything but crap rap between*....I digress...
So on the Bass Station 2, I like just the *new filter* and especially after spending a lot of time now with the Waldorf Q and her wonderful multi-mode filters that can be parallel/series, etcetera, and highly configurable in mod matrix, I am confounded WHY multimode filters are not used more often in hardware and for that matter, 8 stage envelopes that are loop able even within themselves at different stages...I still think the Q, Virus, and Evolver have set the bar high for hardware synths and reason interested on what Access has on their slabs in the lab in their castle in Germany!

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)