SOMA Pulsar-23 // Hauntingly Beautiful (not only as a drum!) 

Humbled! 🧡 And I have to admit, it was the first time for me too I thought I was finally clicking with the instrument. I bought it as a quirky drum machine, I liked the sound, but with what I do I am not using a lot of drums anyway, so after the first period I stopped using it and now I am using it in almost every occasion (actually, new video coming soon with Pulsar & piano!) Still, I wished I had a second one, to expand the capabilities even further, but this thing is expensive af.

You're not the first nor the second person to tell me that, and I think it's now time to do a patch/workflow breakdown on both the Pulsar and the Lyra for these both soothing and spooky soundscapes 🧡 I will start working on that, thank you again ✨

@@Dexba is the Digitakt sending midi notes to the pulsar for the melody or is that a pulsar loop ? Sounds great

It is just sending midi notes to the Bass! I intended to get the Digitakt more involved in the patch, but I was pretty satisfied with was going on already, so I went with that :)@@indiefilmcomposer

@@Dexba good stuff thx.

Humbled 🧡 I admit I didn't use it much as a drum machine, but way more as an interesting portable modular canvas, and I'd say it is working!

@@Dexba I think you're nailing it. Looking forward to hearing some more.

👏🏽Nice isn't it.

Yes, engaging with other enthusiasts is the only reason why I upload these videos! 🧡 And yes, the Pulsar is great as a sort of "confined modular sketchbook", even more than just a drum machine. Nowadays I mostly use it as a "bigger Lyra", for the moment when I need more complex soundscapes :)

I agree! Believe it or not, the CXM1978 is not so "general purpose" as its transparency would let you think, but I've found that it works really really well opening the soundscape of the Pulsar!

Wow, thank you so much for your kind words 🧡 There is sort of a tutorial on a quite similar patch on my channel already > ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8hKpi3PDDNU.html In that video I also play a tuned BD, plucks from the filters, and the only major difference is that in this video I sequenced the Bass via Digitakt. Apart from that, if you have any other questions, I will gladly discuss anything with you :)

It definitely is, especially with its quirky onboard FX and semi-random patterns, especially because with "only" 4 voices, as a drum I always felt it was lacking more and some more controls. But used this way, it's a drone dream

It’s got a thumping kick though

@@lockyp204 It sounds decent but has only 1 sweet spot. As a techno kick it is useless tho. Unless you like volume swings of 10dB on your kick drum and a transient that comes and goes randomly. It's honestly very sad for the price. How hard can it be to make triggers sync the OSC??

@@finnt252 There’s plenty of specialist kick modules if you were searching for kick “nirvana” I suppose

Thank you so much! 🧡 Now I reach out to the Pulsar even before than the Lyra, especially since when I started using it like that :)

Thank you, I find the Pulsar way more capable at this than simple drum duties, and I love the tactility of it!

Thank you a lot! 🧡 I bought it to chase the sonorities of Massive Attack and actually use it as a drum, but given my... ehm, "music studio" situation, or the lack of one, I tend to use instruments by themselves. So yeah, I had to get creative with the usage and the patching, and I am so glad it resonated with so many people ☺️

Thank you so much 🧡 Can't wait to keep exploring these different sides of Pulsar!

Thank you so much 🧡 I think I almost never used the Pulsar as a drum machine, and when I moved and brought with me very few instruments (including Pulsar), I decided it was time to deep dive into what I could get out of it. I am glad you liked it! 🙏🏻

Thank you so much, I tried to find my way with the machine 🙌🏻

Thank you so much 🧡

I have to agree: thinking outside the box is definitely something that comes naturally to SOMA

Oh hi! I am glad you found me here too, I actually enjoy more the slower pace and longer form of content here on YT 🧡

Right on!! Happy to be here! 🙏🏼

And thank you so much for checking it out!

Honoured, and you will have a lot of fun for sure. Pulsar has so many faces to explore 🧡

Thank you so SO much :) Now I've found this side of Pulsar, I think we're gonna hear it many times in the future: there is a lot to cover/discover 🧡

Thank you so much 🧡 The Pulsar is always an experience!

Thank you so much! Humbled 🙏🏻

Thank you so much! I am working on a new video, with also some tips & tricks for this mellower side of the Pulsar 🧡

Awesome, ill follow (:

Thank you so much 🧡 Got my way with it, I'm so happy. BTW, one of the best username I've seen around 😄

@@Dexba hahaha, thank you! It is my art-music project name

And I have to buy a SECOND one! When you start patching and fiddling you always want more and more. But as always, money is the issue 😭

I am trying to lay down a script for a video like that just right now 🧡

How close was that, exactly?

@@NachtSchreck13 what do you mean? :)

Thank you a lot! I was rehearsing something completely different, then I found this sweet area of sounds, and I decided to record :)

I have to thank you for stopping by 🧡

Incontrovertibly the best color: good choice! And thank you so much 🧡

An artist named DTowncat already used some bits of my Lyra jams for some animated videos, and I admit the result is indeed super cool!

I was surprised too by the result! If only there was a way to finely tune the pitch knobs... you can't imagine how many takes I threw away because of imprecise landing on notes :)

@@Dexba I can imagine that it's kinda hard to hit the notes...I bet it's like trying to get a precisely tuned tone out of the Bastl Kastle stuff😂

@@CNTRRNDM Ahaha exactly, and that's also why I am always a bit scared of changing the tune on the Lyra while performing: I need a sort of reduction gear, so I can have another know I need to turn 10x before the main tune know turns of a semitone. God, I wish I had the courage to drill a hole in the Lyra to do that

Grazie mille! Or if you're not Italian, thank you so much ✨ (how did that happened to become an international word? I always wondered)

Thank you so much 🧡

Thank you so so much 🧡

@@Dexba Out of curiosity, how is the learning curve for this instrument? cheers.

@@thomas.moerman I'd say rather steep. Not like you won't get any sound out of it, but any part of the process is quite unforgiving (especially the sequencer), and if you don't get something right or you make some mistakes, it's very difficult to troubleshoot the situation you put yourself into. I would compare it a bit to the Octatrack, where you need a certain level of setup first, study later, and enjoyment comes after you are comfortable with the process; or if you cheat like me and use external sequencing :)

I really love the transparency of the CXM. I used to have a BigSky, and everything in the end always sounded like BigSky. Now I just have the big reverb space I always wanted :) Thank you so much!

Dark times, but I love that eerie vibe. Never thought it could have played a role in me liking the SOMA stuff, interesting

Thank you so much! I am so satisfied with this result 🧡

@@Dexba I just ordered mine, should be here in a week !

Thank you so much ✨

Good shii ✨🪄🎛️📡🔊🎵🛰️🎚️🛸 🔊 🎵

Wow, thank you so much! Some people asked me about a small tutorial for this kind of mellow stuff, and I am working on it right now 🧡

Thank you so much, it's a labour of love, so I am glad you got it 💝

Thank you so much, I am glad it resonated with you! The Pulsar-23 can be what you're describing, with some caveats, for example the fact that in a rock live situation it could quickly become A LOT to manage all the cables and knobs to switch behaviour from scene to scene. But it is undoubtedly very capable of both mystical sounds and proper beats. And thank you for joining me! Greetings back from Italy 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 🧡

Sorry for the late reply! Yes, the DT is only sequencing the Bass line. I intended to do more with it, but I ended up using it just for that, enjoying the moment :)

Can wait to share more, especially since I just ordered a Microcosm, and I've heard incredible things with it on drums!

@@Dexba Exciting! I'll stay tuned :)

Can't wait to do that! But I need to prepare carefully: 8 oscillators + a whole Pulsar it's a LOT to manage, but I am working on it 🧡 It will be amazing for sure :)

Ooooh I'd love some sort of remix

As with anything from SOMA, it has individual outputs IN ITS WAY. On the back you can see it has 6x 6.3mm jacks that are connected to 6 pins in the lower left of the front panel (if you search for a pic). From there, you just connect what you want and it goes both ways, if I am not mistaken. I think that's a cool possibility, but in practice I am not sure how frequently I'd use them, since each of the (only) 4 voices has it's Wet FX knob, and you can always route the voices bypassing FX, other modulation, volume, etc. I think the best use case would be a dedicated chain of pedals supporting each voice, and I am all for it, but I'd love to find a way to use for an improved stereo image: all for the next video 🧡 The Digitakt is only sending midi, to the Bass voice, since there is no "precise" way of creating a melody within the Pulsar! Thank you so much, btw 💝

@@Dexba Sounds amazing! Really nice work. Are there 3 distinct pitches going on in this piece? Drone, bass, & high wailing vibes? How are you sequencing all three? Love to understand more about what's going on in this piece. Thank you & best wishes always

@@briangardner5053 Thank you so much 🧡 In this piece all the 4 voices are being used: 1. BD is droning down below, no sequencing 2. Bass is being sequenced 3. SD I am trying my best to play the pitch by hand 😄 4. HHT is sparkling Unfortunately the BD doesn't respond directly to midi notes, so you would have to find your alternative way to send pitch to it, and since I am playing the filters of #3 and #4, those too wouldn't respond to midi (unless you send modulation via the 4 pins on the left to the filters, but in my experience it's not that accurate to be really usable)

Thank you so much! The Digitakt is only providing the notes to the Bass module of the Pulsar :) I connected it thinking I would sample a bit, but ended up with the jam before realising 😁

@@Dexba thanks. One of the challenges in electronic music performance is not being able to correlate what you hear with what you see.

Thank you a lot! Only the Bass module. My intention was to get super deep with the MIDI integration, but I ended up preferring the manual approach, and after a bit of fiddling around I decided to record the session 😁

@@Dexba thanks for the feedback. Great piece of music (I am really tempted by the pulsar…)

@@giorgiofesta3928 Thank you so much again! The Pulsar is... peculiar. I wouldn't buy it for what I am doing, and I probably wouldn't buy it as a drum either, but at the same time it puts you in the position of finding ways to make it work, and that stimulus is probably what leads to so many creative results we see around. That said, I am now back into eurorack, so we'll see how long it will take me to kinda... replace it with a bunch of modules, more integrated into a coherent system :)

Selling modular for non-modular, in my opinion, is always a great idea: you quickly realise how much more you can get from a single instrument instead of, let's say, two new modules in your rack. When I sold my rack, I managed to buy a Sequential PRO3, a Lyra, and a Matriarch, and the PRO3 alone was pretty close to what my modular system was. But at the same time, when I had to sell my OB6 to fund the P-23, I felt like the trade in my heart wasn't completely fair, and I would have gladly kept both. What I mean is: choose mostly with your heart, not too much with the "business mind" 🧡

@@Dexba Thank you very much for your opinion which I really appreciated. I agree with you about to choose with something that feel you good but unluckily i must self financing everything and P23 is a bit expensive too me. Anyway I'm convinced to start this new creative path and hope to realize it in the short time possible. ;-)

@@rossmotus669 The best luck to you and your new creative path!

@@Dexba Thank you very much. All the Best ;-)

@@Dexba Hi, sorry for disturbance (and also for my bad english of course), purchased P23, some initial difficult. In your opinion, what is the best "companion" for the P23, about tempo subdivsions? I'm a bit frustrated about the issues to create an irregular tempo (for instance, 5/8) with the Pulsar... Can you help me? Thanks in advance

Thank you so much! 🧡 I use a Zoom F6. I love the ultra-compact form factor and I find the XLR cables a plus since they lock in place and are sturdier than jack. I also like to go completely overkill and record stuff in 32bit/192kHz, so I know I have the best quality for archive.

Check out Dexba's Pulsar filter tutorial for how to work this way 🙂

I wanted it pink like my Lyra :( Black has a menacing aura, but the new blue color is gorgeous and I would have probably bought it if it was available when I got the black one ;)

Id love a green one hehe but blue indeed!

@@TheJackJulian SOMA US has a light green one in-stock , and pink!

Totally agree with you. That's why I am working on a new video with 200% more farts & bubbles :)

Not sure if very friendly and helpful comment or high level scam bot 🤔🤔🤔

Yes, exactly. But that’s okay, it’s okay not to get something, not to have something, to have something different (both ideas and pieces of gear) or dislike something. And again, yes, we people like these kind of things, and yes, it costs a fortune. My only question is: were you looking for something else than just confirmation?

@@Dexba Well, quite the contrary. I was expecting someone to articulate to me why they use this medium instead of something a lot cheaper and more simple and what distinct possibilities this tech affords in musical terms... so far I see this only as an expensive toy to mark oneself as somehow distinct on the artistic scene.. and conversely, claim an in-group belonging .. but what else is there except for this social signaling?

​@@batmanonholiday4477 In that case, I already replied then! ☺ Since, again, it is way too clear, by the way you write, that you're just looking for confirmation, I will go a bit further and elaborate on something different than what I already confirmed to you. Music as a whole is completely useless. It serves no real purpose, and it is only a welcome filler to everyday life; every single day more music is being produced than we will be ever able to experience, and it is for that reason (I personally think) many people are resorting to physical instruments more and more for the "approach", for the "experience" and any other buzzword you would like to use; there is no other trick: appreciation. A computer can already match and surpass any other piece of gear that existed or will ever exist, other pieces of gear have little to no excuse to exist, if we're talking capabilities, and not only other electronic instruments, but acoustic instruments too (why resort to the fallacy of a piano player on a Steinway, when we can program a perfectly fine piece in a DAW in a setup that costed less than the bench the pianist would be sitting on) and it can only get better so yeah, again: we people like these things, they cost more than it would be sensible to spend on something useful "to produce" and obviously "turn a profit" on all the "producing" being made, but that point is so empty that in all honesty I don't think it really requires me to address it, am I right? Why good food? Why nice clothes? Why a bigger house than a prison cell? Why jewels? Sorry if I may come out a little bitter, but it hurts me that someone out there could be so blind to not realize things don't need to serve a *purpose* just to be appreciated, and I didn't explain more only because it is way too easy to recognize when someone is, again, just looking for confirmation, and not looking for extra knowledge or insights, but if you're curious about the functionalities of the Pulsar-23 here shown, I will be more than glad to explain more to you, like I did in every other comment ever on this channel 🧡

Thank you so much 🧡 And I am happy I’ve found the key to my journey with the Pulsar!