Soma Pulsar Utilities | Superbooth 23

video upload by Thomann Synthesizers

"We met Vlad at Superbooth 23 to chat about Soma´s new unit called Pulsar Utilities.
Utilities contains a set of simple auxiliary modules to expand the functionality of the PULSAR-23 drum machine but it can also be used with any gear that works with CV signals (Eurorack, semi-modular synthesizers, etc.). Check out what Utilities is all about with Vlad. Enjoy :)"

3am - the other side looks worse

video upload by justin3am

"Some abrasive sounds recorded from the rig I'm bringing to the May1st LA Synth Club meet up.
Soma Pulsar-23 and Lorre-Mill Keyed Mosstone are processed and modulated by
Ciat-Lonbarde Cocoquantus 2. All sequenced by Soma Ornament-8."

Pulsar 23 Dub

video upload by Samples From Mars

"Pulsar Dub Drops!! 🚨🚨"

Jam with the PULSAR-23 from SOMA Laboratories with METRON and Per4mer

video upload by Trovarsi

"This was the patch I submitted for the Modular World Pulsar-23 Spotlight. All the sounds are from the Pulsar. One of the voices is patched through the Trshmstr by WMD then into the Befaco HexMix. The bass/lead voice is patched through the Per4mer by Modbap Modular. All voices are being sequenced with the Metron by WMD."

WEIRD GEAR: Pulsar-23 (Andrew Huang Edition)

video upload by ANDREW HUANG

"Honored to be partnering with Soma and Perfect Circuit on the Andrew Huang Edition of Pulsar-23! More info: https://link.perfectcircuit.com/t/v1/..."

Note the Embodme Erae Touch controller.


We're pleased to present the new Pulsar-23 Andrew Huang Edition: a vibrant yellow version of the one-of-a-kind, organismic semi-modular drum machine made in collaboration between SOMA and the producer and YouTuber himself. SOMA's Pulsar-23 has become a go-to instrument for subverting the expectations of what a drum machine can or should do, attracting the interest of curious musicians looking for something a little bit different out of their drum synthesizer. With this version finished in a vibrant yellow personally chosen by Andrew Huang, the Pulsar-23 has become a favorite part of Andrew's studio due to its open-ended patching structure and rejection of standard drum machine tropes. The results may not always be what you expect, but like many other SOMA devices, Pulsar-23 creates a seemingly organic connection between the musician and instrument, tapping into the deeper parts of your subconscious mind to rely on instinct and reaction rather than conscious decision-making.

CLICK FOR MORE »

Layered Drum Machine Percussion Sample Pack by Goldbaby

video upload by GoldbabySamples

"Layered Drum Machine Percussion. Available now: https://www.goldbaby.co.nz/ldmp.html

Layering drum machine sounds again! This time percussion. Adding depth and character, as well as a distinctive flavour. These sounds are perfect for adding life to your drum patterns.

For this pack, I have used 37 drum machines in different combinations with multiple layering techniques. All recorded through tasty studio hardware.

Drum Machines: Syntakt, LXR-02, Pulsar-23, TR-727, TR-707, TR-808, TR-626, Volca Drum, PO-12, PO-32, Tempest, Tanzbar, CR-78, ER-1, XD5. PB-300, Ritmo, R-50, R-70, ADX-1, MFB-522, DRM-1, Acetone FR-1, MicroTonic, The Kit, LM-2, Drumulator, Nord Drum, KPR-77, OP-1, Mbrane, Bohm, D-1, RX-5, DDM-220, Rytm, 55B"

First Look - Soma Pulsar Utilities - Modular Add On

video upload by sonicstate

"During our visit to Soma Sound Machines in Warsaw, as well as the factory tour and look at the Terra production unit, we also had the chance to see the new Pulsar-23 Utilities - a stand alone device with triggers, attenuators and a variety of amplifiers designed to just add gain or to add character by using some unique and antiquated amplifier technologies.

It is designed as a companion to the Pulsar-23 Drum Machine - which is possibly one of the most unusual drum machines you'll come across, but could be equally useful as a general box of utilities in modular world, though it still uses the crocodile clips and post system of the Pulsar-23. Available in a few months we're told."

5 MELODIC BEATS on SOMA PULSAR 23

video upload by kapillarkraft

"The only sound source is the Soma Pulsar 23
with a little sequencing help from Make Noise Pressure Points or Elektron Machinedrum UW.
Have fun watching."

SOMA Synths Terra - First Look at the Production Unit & Factory Tour

video upload by sonicstate

"We were invited to visit Soma Sound Machines at their Warsaw factory and while we were there were shown the pre production model of the Terra - the unique and very sensitive instrument . Terra features twelve extremely sensitive nodes (cant think of what else to call them!) for playing pitches, plus five for modifying the timbre, there are also 7 modifier knobs which globally effect the sound with two being dependent on the algorithm used.

Despite the wooden case, Terra is a digital sound source and has multiple models which are played rather like instruments, each model has 64 variations. As usual, its a rather off the wall concept, but thats what makes Soma the way it is. In practice, its incredibly sensitive and flexible - reminds us of the Eagan Matrix instruments found in the Haken Continuum or the Osmose.

The Terra will be in production very soon and making its way into the stores."

You can find additional Terra posts here.

VISIT: SOMA Sound Machines Factory in Warsaw

video upload by

"A couple of weeks back we were invited to visit the Soma Sound Machines factory in Warsaw, Poland. As well as a look at the first production models of the expressive Terra instrument, we got a look around their place.
PCBs and components are delivered here, the Through Hole hand soldered components are put onto the boards, any SMD (surface mount design) parts are sent off to the machine, units are tested put into the cases and shipped to distributors and customers. Lyra 8 , Kosmos, Pulsar-23 and Ether are made here and pretty soon the new Terra will be too.

Its actually a pretty cottage style industry, surprisingly small but also very efficient."

New Soma Synths ILLUMINATOR (First Experiment)

video upload by Richard Devine



"ILLUMINATOR is an eight channel converter that turns Eurorack and analog CV signals into a voltage that drives LEDs and LED strips, creating a unique light show in sync with your live performance. CV signals coming from your music gear are already pulsating with the different parts and sounds of your track, so there is no need for any kind of programming or light operator.

You can focus on playing your set and let ILLUMINATOR take care of the rest, creating a dynamic visual show that follows your tracks down to every note and beat!

No presets, no memory-just your music driving the lights. Create intense strobe-like effects by connecting rapid hi-hats from your analogue drums, or use slow external LFOs for a moody ambience during your ambient sessions.

ILLUMINATOR is compatible with standard 12V LED strips that are affordable and widely available. LED strips are flexible and typically come with adhesive on the back, so it’s easy to attach them to any objects and surfaces, including irregular and unusual ones. It can be your Eurorack case, synth stands, walls of the venue, furniture and even your body! This way you can create a unique light show that would otherwise require an expensive (and unwieldy!) lighting setup. Everything you need for your ILLUMINATOR show easily fits into a small backpack for just a couple of hundred euros.

ILLUMINATOR can also run an art installation, as LED strips are far from its only application. It can drive anything that accepts DC 12V with a current up to 0.5A. You can hook up anything from motors, electromagnets to old-fashioned filament bulbs. It’s the perfect beating heart for your weird mechanical steampunk orchestra. Your imagination is the limit!

ILLUMINATOR accepts all types of CV signals in the range from 3 to 20 volts. Each of the eight channels contains an individual trimmer pot that defines the sensitivity of the channel. It not only adjusts the optimal input range for connected CV sources, but it can also set the brightness of each LED strip. The default factory setting for all trimmer pots is made for the range of 5V, compatible with most gear out of the box.

Applying bipolar CV is also possible, but the negative part of the signal will not light up the LEDs (everything below zero will be processed as zero).

CV signals can be connected to ILLUMINATOR using Eurorack mini-jacks or PULSAR-23-like pins and alligator clips. PSU DC IN and all outputs are standard DC sockets 5.5×2.1 mm center plus."

Sounds of SOMA

video upload by Vlad Kreimer

"SOMA users converge in a meeting of musicians on the shore of the East River in Brooklyn, NY to conduct a collaboration between sound, nature, man and machines.
Produced by @LordBlobbie

Players Left to Right:

Lyra-8
Kevin Emilio Pérez
Multidisciplinary Artist
www.kevinemilioperez.com
IG: @papo_cucaracha_vertedero_el3ro
https://papocucaracha.bandcamp.com/

Pulsar-23
THE MOON
www.MaxTheMoon.com
IG: @maxinthemoon

PIPE and Enner
Juice aka Ken Arii
IG: @Ariijuice_missile

PIPE and COSMOS
Lord Blobbie
IG/TikTok: @LordBlobbie
https://soundcloud.com/gospelswamp"

01.11.23 Soma Pulsar 23 impro

video upload by batchas

"Pulsar 23 without external effects.
One take, uncut.
Not very happy with the BD, I could have taken more time to prepare the patch. Next time then!"

Show & Tell – Opal

video upload by Fors

See this post for additional details.

"Deep dive and walkthrough of Opal, its features and sound engines, lead by Opal developer Ess."

00:00 Pre-show
12:49 Intro
16:40 How to install
22:10 Overview of Opal
45:23 Gem FM synth
1:02:54 Making a pattern with Gem
1:14:00 Mass modal synth
1:30:50 Making a pattern with Mass
1:42:18 Dust pulsar noise synth
1:55:41 Making a pattern with Dust
2:05:20 Slate granular sampler
2:20:30 Making a pattern with Slate
2:27:02 Void & Flux effects
2:45:44 Finishing up the pattern
2:49:38 Config page & copying
2:52:41 Automating pattern changing
2:54:05 Using automation to structuring a track
2:58:28 Individual devices
2:59:34 Individual outputs from Opal
3:00:25 Preset handling
3:02:27 Setting a custom color
3:04:08 Just playing some patterns for outro

Best Gear of 2022 // Highlights from the year's releases according to Starsky Carr

video upload by Starsky Carr

0:00 This is Your Conscience
1:07 Best Drum Machine - Pulsar 23
3:11 Best Polysynth - Oberheim OBX8
5:25 Best Eurorack Modules - East Beast & West Pest
7:06 Best Budget Polysynth - Cobalt 5S
10:12 Best Samplewr/Groovebox - Polyend Tracker
13:05 Best Monosynth - PWM Malevolent
15:52 Best Budget Drum Machine - Erica Synths LXR02

Interactive manual for the Pulsar-23

via SOMA Laboratory

"Mastering the interface of a complex semi-modular synth with hundreds of controls and functions onboard is not an easy task even for the most seasoned producer. It’s too much to memorize, and continuously checking the user manual gets annoying and interferes with the creative process. Even with using the search function you still end up scrolling up and down dozens of pages and going back and forth to understand how related features interact, a process that is more fiddly than convenient.

Why does it have to be like that? Instrument manuals - even for complex machines - are still just plain linear text with a structure that doesn't reflect the actual interface or workflow of the product it describes. Despite all the technological advances of our digital age, user manuals are still based on the same principles of how information was organized and accessed in manuscripts from over 2,000 years ago.

It's high time someone changed this! SOMA Labs designed a new and more user-friendly approach to synthesizer manuals that we believe should become the new industry standard, offering unparalleled efficiency and immediate access to relevant information through a visual (touch) interface.

What really is a synth's interface? You can compare it to a territory, like a town or a forest, where we have various objects placed in space. If each control has just one function we can compare it with 2D space, if we have multifunctional controls or menus we can speak about a 3D space. How do you best describe a space to someone else? Of course, with a map! What should a 21st century map be like? Interactive!

SOMA is therefore proud to present its new interactive manual for the PULSAR-23 drum machine, SOMA's most complex synth to date. It consists of a map of the synth’s interface where each element is clickable.

Just click on any button, connector or knob and get its description along with highlighting elements that are connected to or depend on it with the immediate possibility to check what they do.

As PULSAR-23 is a semi-modular instrument, all patching points have suggestions about which other patch points you could connect them to (about 1,000 patching tips!).

So it's also a kind of light patching tutorial.

The concept of interactive manuals can be developed much deeper and better, and we therefore invite our industry colleagues to further develop and refine this approach to user manuals for musical instruments. Let’s make synth manuals more user-friendly, easy to learn and more efficient, lowering the learning curve for new musicians and freeing up users' minds for pure creativity!

Welcome to the world of PULSAR-23!"

Manipulating Melodies With IOLabs Flux - A Dark Christmas: Variations On The Jingle Bells Tune

video upload by Friendly Noise

"Flux is an incredible rhythm generating machine, but how good is Flux at making melodies? I have tried to answer this question in two videos. In this second part I’ll show how to manipulate melodies with Flux. Flux it not your traditional one note per step sequencer, but melodies are definitively programmable and more than just 'programmable'.

Everything you hear in the video is based on the notes of the first 4 bars of Jingle Bells.

Used in the video: Soma Pulsar 23, IOLabs Flux, 4ms Ensemble Oscillator, Spherical Sound Society Vortex Generator, Joranalogue Morph 4, and Strymon Nightsky.
Some EQ and compression were added in the DAW after recording.

Here is the first part: Making Melodies With IOLabs Flux - Is That Possible?"

10 BEATS on SOMA PULSAR 23

video upload by kapillarkraft

"This is a collection of 10 eclectic beats and grooves I made.
Only internal FX. In two of them the Korg SQ-1 is helping out on sequencing the lead line."

::OUTERSPACE VOYAGE:: on space cruiser PULSAR 23

video upload by kapillarkraft

"Well, the Pulsar 23 does a good job being a drum synthesizer/machine, but this time it shines at being a spaceship AND time machine. It can instantly sound like 60ies electronica, so it took me back to my favourite retro science fiction fantasies and influences.
Plain Pulsar 23, no overdubs, no external fx.
Thanks for tuning in!"

Layered Drum Machine Kicks by Goldbaby

video upload by GoldbabySamples

"Layered Drum Machine Kicks. Available now: https://www.goldbaby.co.nz/ldmk.html"

via Goldbaby

"Layered Drum Machine Kicks

It’s no secret... I love layering drums! Such a great way of adding depth and character and giving a unique flavour and punch.

I have used 33 drum machines in different combinations with multiple layering techniques.

These kicks are ready for your next production and will work in many different genres.

I have also added a bonus of 8 transient samples if you want to do more layering with the samples.

Drum Machines used: TR-707, TR-505, TR-808, TR-909, LXR-02, Pulsar-23, Mrs Bass Drum, Volca Kick, Volca Drum, PO-12, PO-32, LM-2, DSI Tempest, MFB Tanzbar, DX, DMX, CR8000, ER1, Andromeda Space Rocker, DRM1, HeartBeat, Mbrane, TR-8s, MachineDrum, Rytm, Syntakt, Nord Drum, Olsen X-100, 55B, Ritmo, SP12, XD-5, MR10"

3am - naixal

video upload by justin3am

"Sunday morning jam featuring Serge modular, Cocoquantus 2, Pulsar-23 and eurorack modulars. Some funky rhythms and regurgitated synths."