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Waldorf pulse 2 User Manual

Summary of pulse 2

  • Page 1

    Analog synthesizer c m y cm my cy cmy k.

  • Page 2: Content

    Content pulse 2 user manual 2 content foreword ............................................................................................................................. 4 the pulse 2 development team ...................................... 5 we would like to thank ...................................

  • Page 3

    Content 3 pulse 2 user manual sound synthesis basics ................................................................................... 47 oscillators introduction ................................................. 47 filter introduction .......................................................... 52 ...

  • Page 4: Foreword

    Foreword pulse 2 user manual 4 foreword thank you for purchasing the waldorf pulse 2 synthesizer. You now own a compact analog synthesizer with an asto- nishing sound. And of course, a very exceptional feature set as for example the paraphonic modes and the apw wave- form. If you do decide to read t...

  • Page 5

    Foreword 5 pulse 2 user manual the pulse 2 development team hardware: frédéric meslin, frank schneider, stefan stenzel software: stefan stenzel, frédéric meslin design: axel hartmann manual: holger steinbrink revision: 1.0, september 2013 w please visit our website pulse2.Waldorfmusic.De. Here you w...

  • Page 6

    Control features and connections pulse 2 user manual 6 control features and connections front panel a display b selection buttons c selection dial d volume dial e midi input indicator f parameter matrix g parameter matrix buttons h shift button i parameter matrix dials.

  • Page 7

    Control features and connections 7 pulse 2 user manual connections a stereo headphone jack b audio line output left/right (only right: mono) c audio line mono input 4 cv/gate outputs 5 midi out jack 6 midi in jack 7 locking slot 8 usb port 9 power switch j power supply socket.

  • Page 8: Introduction

    Introduction pulse 2 user manual 8 introduction about this manual this manual was written to help you become familiar with the pulse 2 synthesizer. It will also aid experienced users with routine tasks. To avoid confusion, the terminology in this manual is based on the pulse 2 parameter names. You w...

  • Page 9

    Introduction 9 pulse 2 user manual general safety guidelines m please read the following safety tips carefully! They include several precautions you should al- ways observe when dealing with electronic equipment. Read all of the instructions before operating your device suitable operating conditions...

  • Page 10

    Introduction pulse 2 user manual 10 the power off, unplug the device and consult a qua- lified repair center. Maintenance • do not open the device or remove the cover. Refer all service and repair tasks to qualified personnel. There are no user serviceable parts inside the chas- sis. • use only a dr...

  • Page 11: Setup And Connection

    Setup and connection 11 pulse 2 user manual setup and connection inventory the waldorf pulse 2 package comes complete with: • the waldorf pulse 2 synthesizer • an external power supply with 12v / 500ma • a printed quick start manual please ensure all the items above were included. If something is mi...

  • Page 12

    Setup and connection pulse 2 user manual 12 ter that the pulse 2 is automatically available as a midi unit. 6. Connect the power supply cable or the power cable that came with the pulse 2 with the pow- er supply j jack. 7. If you want to use the external audio input, please connect it 3 to a line ou...

  • Page 13

    13 pulse 2 user manual the usb connection using a usb cable you can connect the pulse 2 to your computer observing the following system requirements: • windows pc: windows xp or newer is recom- mended, a usb port • linux pc, a usb port • apple: intel mac with mac os x 10.5 or newer, a usb port • app...

  • Page 14: Basic Operation

    Basic operation pulse 2 user manual 14 basic operation switching on / off the pulse 2 is equipped with a power switch 8. Flick it to switch on the pulse 2. The display a is lit and shows the installed firmware version. After that, the pulse 2 is ready for some action. Flick the power switch again to...

  • Page 15

    Basic operation 15 pulse 2 user manual editing parameters in order to change or edit a sound in the pulse 2, you must access the appropriate parameters. In spite of the pulse 2 compactness it uses a sophisticated user inter- face allowing fast editing of any parameter. The change of any value is don...

  • Page 16

    Basic operation pulse 2 user manual 16 storing sounds after you have finished editing a sound, you must store it if you intend to use it again. Any of the pulse 2 memo- ry locations are available for this purpose. + to store a sound program: 1. Press the shift h + store buttons to activate the store...

  • Page 17

    17 pulse 2 user manual should do backups of the sounds regularly. If you want to restore the factory presets, you can download them as a standard midi file from our website. W use the store function also if you want to copy sounds. There is no need to edit a sound before storing it. When receiving i...

  • Page 18: Sound Parameter

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 18 sound parameter overview of functions the waldorf pulse 2 consists of numerous sound- shaping components w is the pulse 2 your first synthesizer? Are you curi- ous about sound synthesis? If so, we recommend to read the chapter "sound synthesis basics" in this m...

  • Page 19

    Sound parameter 19 pulse 2 user manual the oscillator section (osc 1-3) the pulse 2 offers three oscillators that nearly use similar parameters for editing. All controls of the oscillators can be found in the osc parameter matrix. + selecting an oscillator choose the desired oscillator with the butt...

  • Page 20

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 20 but with constant energy, at the cost of having to tolerate a subharmonic one octave below. • unison m (only osc 1) creates an unison in mono mode by using a cluster of eight pulse oscil- lators at once. So if you play a single note, all eight oscillators play ...

  • Page 21

    Sound parameter 21 pulse 2 user manual • para-4 (only osc 1) ist he same as para-8. But two oscillators per note are used. This will reduce the polyphony to four voices. You can set up pulse- width, pitch and fade individually. W keep in mind: when para-4 is selected as shape you cannot use osc 3. T...

  • Page 22

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 22 pulsewidth (only osc 1 and 2) 0...127 sets the pulse width of the pwm/ apw waveform. The value 0 is equivalent to a pulse ratio of 127 is equivalent to 50%. If you select any waveform other than pwm, this parameter does not have any effect. The following pictur...

  • Page 23

    Sound parameter 23 pulse 2 user manual detune -64...+63 fine-tunes the oscillator in steps of 1/128th of a semito- ne. The audible result of detuned oscillators is a chorus or flanger effect. Use a positive setting for one oscillator and an equivalent negative setting for another. [ a low value of ±...

  • Page 24

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 24 [ use sync for lead or solo sounds. Set oscillator 2 to play one octave and 7 semitones higher, apply an envelope to its pitch with positive amount and you get a screaming sync sound. [ sync can also be very interesting on arpeggio sounds. Apply a slow clocked ...

  • Page 25

    Sound parameter 25 pulse 2 user manual • the sine shape is best suited for oscillator or pan modulations. • the triangle (tri) shape is perfect for smooth pitch, filter or volume modulations. • the sawtooth (saw) shape can generate inte- resting filter or volume changes. • the square (sqr) shape can...

  • Page 26

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 26 rate off / 0...127 sets the glide time. Low settings will give a short glide time in a range of milliseconds that gives a special cha- racter to the sound. Higher settings will result in a long glide time of up to several seconds which can be useful for solo an...

  • Page 27

    Sound parameter 27 pulse 2 user manual sustain 0...127 determines the sustain level which is held until a note ends. Release 0...127 once the note has ended, the release phase begins. During this phase, the envelope fades to zero at the rate determined by the release value. Loop off / a-d / d-d the ...

  • Page 28

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 28 the arpeggiator section (arp) an arpeggiator is a device that splits an incoming midi chord into its single notes and repeats/reorder them rhythmically. Different sequence modes can be defined for the arpeggiator to cover a wide range of applica- tions. In addi...

  • Page 29

    Sound parameter 29 pulse 2 user manual arp delay -50%...+50% moves the playback time of an arpeggio forward (positi- ve values) or backward (negative values). Forward means that an arpeggio is played later while backward means that it is played earlier. This parameter lets you set up an offset for a...

  • Page 30

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 30 [ press the arp button again. Now press the right parameter button once to select the time function. [ press the arp button again to go back to the step edit mode. Now you can edit the step lenght of each step separately with the parame- ter buttons and the par...

  • Page 31

    Sound parameter 31 pulse 2 user manual • if 1st is selected, only the first incoming note will be played. • if reset is selected, the note index (not the pat- tern) will be resetted and plays from start with the first played note. Time 25% / 50% / 75% / 100% changes the length of the note of a parti...

  • Page 32

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 32 follow with the other arpeggiator modes, too. Or • press and hold the first key of the chord. While holding this key, enter the other keys sequentially. After playing all keys, you can release the first key. This method is practi- cal for playing difficult chor...

  • Page 33

    Sound parameter 33 pulse 2 user manual and goes down to the original octave. Then the arpeggio is repeated. • if alt is selected, the note list is first played for- ward and the octaves are transposed upward. Af- ter reaching the last note of the note list in the highest octave to play, the note lis...

  • Page 34

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 34 the filter section (vcf) the pulse 2 offers a multimode filter. W a detailed introduction of the filters can be found in the chapter "sound synthesis basics" of this manual. W we recommend to tune the filter periodically to ensure settings reliability. Read mor...

  • Page 35

    Sound parameter 35 pulse 2 user manual change the timbre of the sound over time. Sounds with a hard attack usually have a envelope amount that makes the start phase bright and then closes the filter to get a darker sustain phase. By the way, the envelope amount also depends on the played velocity. U...

  • Page 36

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 36 meter with the difference that its intensity is velocity based. Use this feature to give a more expressive charac- ter to the sound. When you hit the keys smoothly, only minimal modulation is applied. When you hit them harder, the modulation amount also gets st...

  • Page 37

    Sound parameter 37 pulse 2 user manual drive curve diverse determines the character of the drive. The following drive curves are available: • none deactivates the drive curve. • tube generates a warm and vintage sound with an asymetrical distortion. • fuzz generates a hard and noisy symmetrical dist...

  • Page 38

    Sound parameter pulse 2 user manual 38 the modulation matrix menu (mod) a modulation can be described as a signal-generating unit’s influence upon a sound parameter. The terms used in this context are "source" and "target". The pulse 2 offers 8 independent modulation assignments (slots) each with in...

  • Page 39

    Sound parameter 39 pulse 2 user manual the sound menu here you will find additional parameters for the selected sound program. Hold the shift button and press the sound button to access the sound menu. Use the selection buttons to select the desired parameter, which can be edited with the selection ...

  • Page 40: Additional Settings

    Additional settings pulse 2 user manual 40 additional settings global parameters are settings that affect the pulse 2 general response. Global parameters are stored automat- ically when you leave the global menu, so you are not required to save them manually. The global menu all global parameters ar...

  • Page 41

    Additional settings 41 pulse 2 user manual se 2 receives midi properly, set midi channel to any other value than omni. Midi thru off / on activates the midi thru function of the midi out port. Incoming midi data will be automatically sent via midi out port to connected midi devices. Additionaly, the...

  • Page 42

    Additional settings pulse 2 user manual 42 • if cc+sys is selected, all sound parameters with a dedicated controller assignment are sent as con- troller messages. This is the recommended setting. Control x 0...119 this parameter is used to define an arbitrary midi con- tinuous controller as modulati...

  • Page 43

    Additional settings 43 pulse 2 user manual [ after you have bought your 127th pulse 2, please contact waldorf music. You will receive a perso- nal device number that authorizes you to have dinner with our managing director. Be sure we in- vite you for some french fries at our favorite burger company...

  • Page 44

    Additional settings pulse 2 user manual 44 • unipol sets the basic value for sending unipo- lar modulation sources as envelopes or velo- city. The default value is 0 v and can be modi- fied in the modulation matrix. • bipol sets the basic value for sending bipolar modulation sources as lfos. The def...

  • Page 45

    Additional settings 45 pulse 2 user manual hold again the shift button and press utility to activate the selected utility function. Init sound use the init function to initialize a sound to its basic parameter settings. This is useful if you want to start programming a sound from the scratch. W when...

  • Page 46

    Additional settings pulse 2 user manual 46 filter tune - loud! The filter is tuned at the factory prior to shipping and, as a rule, is very stable. However, the pulse 2 is an actual analog synthesizer, so diverse factors may cause slight tuning problems. Therefore we recommend that you re- calibrate...

  • Page 47: Sound Synthesis Basics

    Sound synthesis basics 47 pulse 2 user manual sound synthesis basics oscillators introduction the oscillator is the first building block of a synthesizer. It delivers the signal that is transformed by all other components of the synthesizer. In the early days of electronic synthesis, engineers found...

  • Page 48

    Sound synthesis basics pulse 2 user manual 48 additive components of the sawtooth wave the sawtooth wave was thought as an abstraction of the timbre of string and brass instruments. You can easily understand that when you think of a violin. Imagine a bow pulling the string slightly into one directio...

  • Page 49

    Sound synthesis basics 49 pulse 2 user manual additive components of the square wave with 50% pulse width the pulse wave the pulse wave is the most versatile wave in a classic synthesizer because its shape and therefore its harmonic content can be changed in real time. This is done by changing the w...

  • Page 50

    Sound synthesis basics pulse 2 user manual 50 additive components of pulse wave with different pulse widths the first fact you can probably observe is that the lower part of the wave has a narrower excursion. This is be- cause the energy of the wider pulse is higher than the one of the narrower puls...

  • Page 51

    Sound synthesis basics 51 pulse 2 user manual the triangle wave the triangle wave is very similar to the square wave. It is composed of the same harmonics as the square wave, but with different magnitude ratios. The magnitude of each harmonic is divided by the power of its number. This means that th...

  • Page 52

    Sound synthesis basics pulse 2 user manual 52 filter introduction once the audio signal leaves the oscillator, it is sent to the filter. The filter is a component that has significant influence on the pulse 2’s sound characteristics. For now, we’ll explain the basic function of a filter dis- cussing...

  • Page 53

    Sound synthesis basics 53 pulse 2 user manual if the resonance is raised to a great extent, then the filter will begin to self-oscillate, i.E. The filter generates an audible sine wave even when it does not receive an incoming signal. !"#$%#&'( )#*#+ ,%-.// 0#1.&2&'#.

  • Page 54: Appendix

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 54 appendix updating the firmware the pulse 2 has a service-friendly feature that makes it possible to update the system software without changing any parts. All firmware updates come in the form of a standard midi file that can be read by nearly any sequencer. The faste...

  • Page 55

    Appendix 55 pulse 2 user manual receiving system exclusive data you are not required to activate a special receive mode of the pulse 2 in order to receive system exclusive data through midi or usb. However, there are a few things you should check before you transmit system exclusive data to the puls...

  • Page 56

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 56 modulation sources source: description: off no modulation lfo1 lfo 1 signal lfo1xmodw lfo 1 signal shaped by modwheel lfo1xprs lfo 2 signal shaped by after- touch lfo2 lfo 2 signal lfo2*enva lfo 2 signal shaped by envelope 2 envf filter envelope signal enva amplifier ...

  • Page 57

    Appendix 57 pulse 2 user manual modulation targets destination: description: pitch global pitch of all oscillators osc 1/2/3 pitch pitch of oscillator 1…3 pulsewidth 1/2 pulse width of oscillator 1…3 osc 1/2/3 level level of oscillator 1…3 noise level level of noise cutoff filter cutoff resonance fi...

  • Page 58

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 58 tips & tricks here are a few tips that will help you make the most of your pulse 2. • the lower the input signal, the greater the effect the filter has on the overall sound. If you want a heavily filtered sound, set the oscillators' volume parameters to low values in ...

  • Page 59

    Appendix 59 pulse 2 user manual quency fluctuations over a wide range of your keyboard. • modulate the pitch of an oscillator via keytrack. Set the modulation "amount" so that this value is numerically equal to the "tune" value of the oscillator, but make one value positive and the other negative. T...

  • Page 60

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 60 technical data power supply nominal voltage: dc 12 v supply voltage: 100 – 240 v maximum current consumption: 400 ma maximum power consumption: 6 w dimension and weight width: 304 mm depth: 132 mm height (including knobs): 54 mm total weight (excluding power supply): ...

  • Page 61

    Appendix 61 pulse 2 user manual midi controller numbers ctr l # control range controller or sound parameter value range 1 0…127 modulation wheel 0…127 5 0…127 glide rate 0…127 10 0…127 vca panning -64...+63 14 0…127 envf attack 0…127 15 0…127 envf decay 0…127 16 0…127 envf sustain 0…127 17 0…127 env...

  • Page 62

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 62 64 0…127 sustain pedal 0…127 70 0…127 osc1 semitone 0…127 71 0…127 osc1 detune 0…127 72 0…127 osc3 routing 0…127 73 0…127 osc1 keytrack 0…127 74 0…127 envf loop 0…127 75 0…127 enva loop 0…127 76 0…127 vca drive 0…127 77 0…127 vca drive curve 0…127 79 0…127 arp active ...

  • Page 63

    Appendix 63 pulse 2 user manual 116 0…127 mod3 target 0…127 117 0…127 mod4 source 0…127 118 0…127 mod4 amount 0…127 119 0…127 mod4 target 0…127 120 all sound off immediate silence 121 reset all controllers resets all controllers 123 all notes off releases all voices.

  • Page 64

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 64 glossary aftertouch the majority of contemporary midi keyboards are capable of generating aftertouch messages. On this type of keyboard, when you press harder on a key you are already holding down, a midi aftertouch message is generated. This feature can be used to co...

  • Page 65

    Appendix 65 pulse 2 user manual control change (controllers) midi messages enable you to manipulate the response of a sound generator to a significant degree. This message essentially consists of two components: • the controller number, which defines the element to be influenced. It can be between 0...

  • Page 66

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 66 filter cutoff frequency the filter cutoff frequency is a significant factor for fil- ters. A low pass filter dampens the portion of the signal that lies above this frequency. Frequencies below this value are allowed to pass through without being proces- sed. High pass...

  • Page 67

    Appendix 67 pulse 2 user manual there is a rule which is applied to ensure each device responds accordingly. Midi channel this is a very important element of most messages. A receiver can only respond to incoming messages if its receive channel is set to the same channel as the one the sender is usi...

  • Page 68

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 68 release an envelope parameter. The term "release" describes the descent rate of an envelope to its minimum value after a trigger is terminated. The release phase begins immediately after the trigger is terminated, regardless of the envelope's current status. For insta...

  • Page 69

    Appendix 69 pulse 2 user manual eg konformitätserklärung declaration of conformity des herstellers / of the manufacturer: waldorf music gmbh landskroner str. 52 53474 bad neuenahr / germany verantwortliche person / responsible person: stefan stenzel erklärt hiermit, dass das produkt / will be hereby...

  • Page 70

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 70 am 15.12.2004 wurde die überarbeitete richtlinie 2004/108/eg zur elektromagnetischen verträglichkeit von der europäischen kommission veröffentlicht (ab. L 390/2004). Sie ersetzt die bisher geltende emv-richtlinie 89/336/ewg. Im zusammenhang mit dieser Überarbeitung ge...

  • Page 71

    Appendix 71 pulse 2 user manual fcc information (u.S.A.) 1. Important notice: do not modify this unit! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions con- tained in this manual, meets fcc requirements. Modifications not expressly approved by waldorf may void your authority, granted by...

  • Page 72

    Appendix pulse 2 user manual 72 product warranty thank you for choosing this waldorf product. It is a dependable device and is designed to last. However, the potential for defects in material or workmanship cannot be eradicated completely. This is why we provide an extended warranty for you. This wa...

  • Page 73

    Waldorf music gmbh • landskroner straße 52 • d-53474 bad neuenahr © 2013 waldorf music gmbh • all rights reserved www.Waldorfmusic.De.