SOMA Pulsar 23, User Manual

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PULSAR • 23 USER MANUAL
You can connect the inputs and outputs of the Pulsar in any combination, without worrying
that something will be damaged or done “incorrectly”. At the same time, due to the smart
organization of the input and output impedance of the connection points, several signals
connected together will be automatically mixed, and the points that can work as input and
output (for example, triggering envelope generators) will figure out on their own what is
connected to them and start to either receive the signal, or send it, or they will begin mutual
modulation if a point with the same behavior is connected.
All inputs and outputs of the Pulsar are ready for integration into a Eurorack system and
are protected from overloads. This means you can do all kinds of experiments with various
sound equipment, without the danger of damaging the instrument. The permissible volt-
age range connected to the inputs of the Pulsar is -20 to +20 volts. However, the effective
operation of the input is limited to a range of 0 to 10 volts.
Without any patching, Pulsar-23 is a drum machine with a sequencer with a conventional
linear structure: clock generator -> looper -> sound modules -> FX -> output. The full
capabilities of the Pulsar are revealed when you start connecting modules to each other,
creating control and modulation channels. Since the number and depth of interactions are
completely under your control, a smooth transition from classical analog drum synthesis to
abstract noise and similar things is possible.
The functions of many Pulsar modules are blurry and can, with different settings and con-
trols, move from one area of sound synthesis to another.
A key feature of the envelope generators and sound modules is that they recognize sustain,
i.e. the duration of pressing the sensor or key on the MIDI keyboard. Thus, with a short press,
we get a percussive sound, the character of which will depend on the length of the press.
When holding the sensor or key for a long time, we get a tonal or noise sound, depending
on the synthesis module used and its settings. Thanks to this, your drum line can suddenly
turn into noise or drone. Also, Pulsar-23 can be used as a powerful and unusual monophonic
synthesizer controlled by MIDI and/or CV.
The LFO and SHAOS modules can be used as sound generators, and in general any voltage
source in Pulsar can be considered a sound source, processing it in various ways and mixing
it into the common mix or using it separately. Just like any audio output, you can use it as a
source of control voltage or modulation. The Pulsar invites you to experiment with an open
mind, free from the dogma of what is what.
ALLIGATOR CLIPS CONNECTION SYSTEM
When I started developing Pulsar, my intention was to make its structure as open as possible
and to put patch points everywhere it made sense. And that meant not worrying too much
about the number of such points. But each plug is a place on the PCB and an added cost.
When the number of connectors exceeds 100 (there are 119 in Pulsar) this becomes a very
significant factor and can significantly increase the size and cost of the device. All existing
solutions were either space-consuming and expensive, or unreliable, which is not accept-
able for an instrument of this class. And then I arrived at the idea of using specially-made
vertical pins and alligator clips.
The benefits of this solution are as follows:
• Saving space. Mounting a pin requires only a few square millimeters on a PCB.
• Low manufacturing cost.
• Extreme reliability, since with such a simple design there is simply nothing to break. It's
just a ribbed metal pin to make it easy to attach the clips.
• You can connect several clips to one pin, hereby multiplying or combining signals.
• Two alligator clips can be connected together if you don't have enough cable length.