Waldorf Pulse 2

High-quality all-analogue synthesizer that was inspired by the Waldorf’s original rack-mountable Pulse and Pulse+ programmable analogue monosynths, boasting ballsy bass tones and legendary leads beyond compare. It flawlessly delivers exactly what synth connoisseurs around the world have been truly craving for quite some time — three analogue oscillators living in perfect harmony with a VCF (Voltage Controlled Filters) as well as the fresh filter circuits that offer 12dB Highpass and Bandpass modes in addition to 24dB/12dB Lowpass for strengthened sound-sculpting flexibility. There is also an analogue Filter FM, two Overdrive circuits, and Ring Modulation from OSC 3, together with Paraphonic and Unison modes allowing up to eight-voice chords. The synthesizer is housed in a sturdy metal desktop casing. Alongside its generous 128x64-character backlit LCD, eight eye-catching stainless steel knobs are available to nimbly navigate through the parameter matrix — logically laid out across the front panel for all to see at all times, set the master Volume, and easily edit display-accessible parameters. Connectivity comes well catered for courtesy of USB, MIDI In, MIDI Out, Ext In (external analogue signal input), line OUT, and headphone output — not forgetting, of course, CV Out (supporting both the V/octave and Hz/V standards) and Gate Out (V-Trigger- and S-Trigger-compatible), allowing a myriad of suitably equipped older (or newer) synths to be connected to the unit to mirror whatever MIDI ‘note’ information is being played by it 2, including the output of its powerful ARP (arpeggiator). And if that is not enough to be getting on with, the CV Out can even be modulated in the eight-slot modulation Matrix, making for even more tantalising tone colours and performance possibilities. Alongside analogue must-haves like a noise generator, Pulsewidth modulation, and hard Sync, other notable features include an Alternating Pulsewidth Modulation mode (offering a dense PWM sound without affecting perceived loudness), and an XOR Osc mode (that is a binary XOR combination of two PWM oscillators with two distinct output levels — high and low only — capable of producing inharmonic spectra unlike anything associated with any analogue synthesizer other than the original Pulse). Furthermore, 500 onboard sound programs should be more than enough to keep the most diehard synthesist smiling. All of them are backwards-compatible with the original Pulse series, so original Pulse owners can quickly transfer their favourite sounds to this new model via MIDI (dump).