Creamware Pulsar

The Pulsar card, with its four SHARC DSP chips clearly visible.

These days, high‑end PC soundcards offer much more than mere audio interfacing, incorporating mixing, synthesis, sampling and often powerful onboard processing facilities. Martin Walker finds the features of Creamware's new 'DSP‑powered Music Production Environment' impressive even by modern standards.

German software and hardware manufacturers Creamware have an established track record where quality audio products are concerned. Thousands of their tripleDAT 'PCI card plus computer'‑based digital audio recording systems are in use worldwide, frequently in conjunction with their multiple‑I/O TDAT16 on the hardware side, their Osiris real‑time restoration software, and their FireWalkers real‑time DSP effects system. Despite the successes of their established range, however, one of the most memorable product previews at the 1998 Frankfurt MusikMesse was that of the company's then‑newly‑announced SCOPE platform. SCOPE (Scalable Open Processing Environment) was designed to offer a complete purpose‑built audio recording, processing, generating, and mixing environment for both PC and Mac, based around a multiple‑I/O soundcard with huge DSP power, as supplied by Analog Devices SHARC DSP chips (claimed to be the fastest available anywhere).

Creamware's goal had been to create a stable and controllable environment that could integrate all the components of a typical recording studio, running entirely in its own hardware and minimising latency by use of custom code inside the SHARC chips. Certainly, what we saw at Frankfurt showed plenty of promise; demo SCOPE Environment objects ranged from mixers, samplers, and effects to a selection of computer‑generated synths including analogue, FM, granular, and modular examples. Third‑party software developers were also being encouraged to help support the platform.

From Scope To Pulsar

Pulsar is not restricted to one 'house graphic' style. Here you can see some of the attractive devices supplied with the system as shipped. Clockwise from top left are a small modular panel (incorporating Oscillators from Waldorf), the Vocoder, the FM One 8‑operator FM synth, the Stereo Phaser effect module, Akai CD‑ROM compatible Sample Player, and the low‑resource EZ Synth.

Nearly a year later, the first SCOPE‑based product has finally been launched. The Pulsar is the junior member of the SCOPE platform, initially only for the PC, and it uses just four SHARC chips (compared with the 15 of the full base unit, and 53 in the recently announced AP2010 Audio Supercomputer). Pulsar provides a total of 20 inputs and 20 outputs that will run at up to 96kHz at 24‑bit resolution, comprising two optical ADAT Ins and Outs, plus stereo S/PDIF and analogue. It will integrate with the full SCOPE base unit to provide added I/O and DSP power, but the aim is that many people will use Pulsar as a self‑contained system.

Pulsar is supplied with a host of desirable Modules (such as Synths and Mixers) and Devices (the simpler items such as audio and MIDI inputs and outputs). There is a comprehensive 32‑channel digital mixer with plenty of EQ options, processors and effects, a couple of sample players compatible with Akai‑format CD‑ROMs, and three types of 'hard‑wired' analogue synths, plus a monster modular system with 70 modules.

To other audio software, Pulsar simply appears as a set of I/Os. These, however, can be connected to any number or combination of Pulsar devices that you care to download to the DSP chips — until you run out of DSP power, that is.

Installation

The Pulsar Workspace is an enhanced version of the more familiar Windows desktop. On the left is the Project Window, which contains all the hardware and software elements currently being used. The File Browser on the right is used to drag additional modules into the Project Window. At the bottom of the screen you can see the minimised synth and mixer icons, as well as a couple of other open windows showing the current DSP load and Sample Rate settings.

The Pulsar box contains a PCI card that is a little over nine inches long, and should fit in nearly all PCs or Macs. Its backplate features four optical connectors that provide two Ins and two Outs in ADAT format — a total of 16 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs, all at 24‑bit resolution. The only other socket on the backplate is a 26‑pin connector, which ultimately connects to nine breakout cables with in‑line sockets, each about 10 inches long and provided with an overall woven sheath to keep them together. Six are gold‑plated phonos, providing Analogue In (left and right), Analogue Out (left and right), and S/PDIF In and Out. The other three are 5‑pin DIN sockets providing MIDI In, Out and Thru. A Pulsar Plus package is also available, with XLR plugs and sockets replacing the phonos of the standard bundle; this costs an additional £80. Apparently there's also a Syncplate option, which provides word clock I/O and an ADAT 9‑pin sync connector.

The card itself boasts a further multi‑pin connector described in the manual as S/TDM — a proprietary SCOPE buss connector for further expansion, which can apparently carry up to 128 32‑bit channels. Also in the box are two CD‑ROMs (one for software installation, and the other containing the 400Mb Ultimate Sample Collection), and a bonus floppy disk from Waldorf containing two Wavetable Oscillators — the first in a series of forthcoming modules from the company. Finally, there is the Quick Start Guide, which (for once) provides details on how best to set up the hardware with Cakewalk Pro Audio, Cubase VST, and Logic Audio. The manual itself is in electronic PDF format, and is automatically installed along with the rest of the software. I found installation straightforward, and the hardware was correctly detected on rebooting. Once the drivers had been installed, running Setup on the first CD‑ROM also installed the software containing the Modules and Devices.

Project Window

The Miniscope synth provides an excellent recreation of the original Minimoog — with memories, extra LFOs and polyphonic operation!

When you finally emerge onto the Desktop, the innocuous Pulsar shortcut takes you to an initially bewildering environment. However, it doesn't take you long to realise that many of the items on the very attractive new graphic workspace are identical to those in Windows. The Menu bar, Minimise and Close Window buttons are there, as are the File and Window menu, and windows can be resized by clicking and dragging their frames. Various windows can be opened in the Pulsar workspace, of which the most important is the Project Window, since this shows the current modules loaded into the DSP chips, and their interconnections.

When you first launch Pulsar, the Project Window simply shows the available hardware connections, in the form of small labelled modules (these can be seen at the top left of the screen on page 169). The easiest way to get to grips with them is to load in a Project using the File menu.

The simplest available Project is Discover.pro, which consists of two MIDI synths (the EZ Synth and Miniscope) and a small mixer (Dynamixer). This has a typical set of connections: the Pulsar MIDI source is connected to both synths, which in turn feed the simple 4‑input mixer, the stereo output of which is finally connected to the Pulsar analogue destination (the hardware output socket). The connections are made by virtual cables, as with programs like Native Instruments' Generator (see review in September '98 SOS). You click on one connection pad, and then on the other one. It doesn't seem to matter whether you start with the source or destination end — on the second click a virtual cable appears between the two. Creamware have tried to keep the cabling tidy by colour‑coding it (red for MIDI, and blue for audio), and by only allowing it to be plotted in horizontal and vertical directions.

The normal Windows cursor is replaced by a context‑sensitive one: when you place the cursor over a connection pad it changes to a tiny jack plug, and existing connections can be severed when the cursor changes to a pair of scissors. Small graphic touches also abound, adding to the luxurious feel of the custom Pulsar environment. Every time you move a window, for instance, it becomes semi‑transparent, so that you can see what is underneath. When you load new modules a small progress bar appears while the information is downloaded to the DSP chips.

At the bottom of the screen are the minimised synth and mixer icons; you can double‑click on these or the appropriate module to see the full‑size Device Surfaces (front panels to you and me). Creamware have taken a great deal of time and care to ensure that the graphics are of superb quality — take a look at the top of this page to see the front panel of their Miniscope synth! Although they have made a number of additions to the basic Minimoog layout (there are five LFOs; 1 to 3 can be routed to any or all of the three VCOs, while the other two are permanently routed to the VCF and VCA), it is still very Moogish, and to my ears sounded wonderfully fat and fruity. To get you off to a flying start, each synth also has a small Presets button at top right, which opens a further window with a scrolling list of current preset sounds, as well as the usual clutch of Load, Save and Renaming functions.

Other Windows

The Big Mixer provides a host of facilities in a neat‑looking panel. There are 32 channels in total, which can be viewed in sets of eight, selected using the top row of buttons.

The Window menu contains eight options in total. The first of these is the File Browser, which is used to add modules and devices to a Project (see the top right‑hand window in the screen on page 169). The files contained in the current folder can be dragged directly into the Project Window, and there are two additional rows of icons at the top of the File Browser, which perform similar functions to those of Windows 95/98 — up to next folder level, create new folder, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete. Icons also exist for file‑type filters to selectively view Projects, Devices, or Modules.

The Rack Window is a simplified overview of the Project Window. The Devices each appear as simple boxes, with text windows showing their current Audio and MIDI connections. You can drag devices directly into the Rack rather than the Project Window, and click on a source and then destination to add patch cords without ever entering the Project Window, if you prefer.

Any knob, switch or fader can be assigned to any MIDI controller, and this works in both directions — not only can you adjust a parameter remotely using another MIDI device, but the corresponding messages can also be sent out to be recorded by a sequencer for recording and subsequent playback. The Controller Settings window provides an overview for this selection. Other windows include DSP Load (a horizontal bar showing how much of your DSP power is being used), Pulsar Settings (for setting default file folders), and Sample Rate Settings.

Mixing

If you like analogue synthesis, you're going to love the Pulsar — this is the Modular Window, within which you can patch together any combination of over 70 modules. By clicking on the Routing button (on the top strip) you can toggle the patch cords on and off, to make the other controls more visible.

I have already mentioned the small Dynamixer. This is the simplest mixer on offer, with only as many channels as you specify, and bare‑bones facilities: gain, pan, level, signal‑level display, and mute, along with a stereo output (with link button for the two faders). This is designed to use the minimum of Pulsar resources, but is perfectly adequate for much synth mixing.

The Big Mixer has 32 channels, consisting of 16 Input channels and 16 Mix channels. The only difference between the two is that the Input channels are normally used for multitrack recording, and not routed through the Master Section. All 32 channels can be used for mixdown, and each channel can be routed to any of 16 busses. Once again the graphics are gorgeous, and Creamware seem to have struck a useful compromise between clarity and the number of channels simultaneously visible, by displaying them in groups of eight, selectable using the buttons along the top (see the lower screen opposite).

Each channel has a Gain control and Phase Invert switch at the top, followed by six Aux send controls, each with pre/post switching. These controls are similar horizontally draggable bars to those of the Emu APS, but a lot easier to use. The Monitor controls are similar to those of the Aux section, but there is also a pan control, since it feeds a stereo buss. Next are four insert points for adding effects, followed by a natty graphic display of frequency response for the 4‑band parametric EQ (which can be placed pre‑ or post‑fader). Clicking on its Set button opens a more detailed EQ window (shown opposite). Finally, there are the usual complement of fader and pan control (each with a useful readout of current value), mute and solo buttons, and routing controls, along with a peak‑reading meter complete with margin readout of the highest peak level reached.

The 16 buss channels are also launched from the top strip of the Big Mixer, and provide simplified mix channels for recording or subgroups. They consist of margin and signal level display, pan and monitor mix routing, mute and solo buttons, and fader. The Aux section provides a full set of master controls for both sends and returns, and the Master Section controls the main stereo mix. It has extensive options for Control Room, Monitor and Talkback outputs (routed to appropriate hardware busses), its own 4‑band parametric EQ, and a pair of master faders with a link button, signal level displays, Mute and mono buttons.

Synths

This Project is available for download from the Creamware web site, and shows suitable connections for use with Cubase VST using the Pulsar ASIO drivers. The Mixer has six aux sends and four insert points for effects for every channel, and notice also the Sequencer Remote device. This allows you to remain within the Pulsar environment but still have full control over the Cubase Transport bar.

It's probably fair to say that the synth modules, more than any other feature, are what will sell Pulsar. By running these modules totally inside the DSP chips, Pulsar achieves both low latency (fast response) and minimal drain on the main PC processor. The simplest and easiest is the EZ Synth mentioned earlier, which uses few DSP resources. It consists of an oscillator offering a choice of sawtooth or pulse (with width and LFO controlling PWM), a low‑pass resonant filter with ADSR sweep, and a chorus with speed and depth controls. A distortion fader provides a little more character. A wide range of presets have been pre‑programmed, and this is where you also find a +/‑ setting for the number of voices — I managed to get this up to the maximum of 16 with some DSP power in reserve.

Next up is the Blue Synth — a polyphonic affair with three VCOs, four assignable LFOs, plus a VCF and VCA, both with ADSR envelopes. Various controls are available to add MIDI expression, such as velocity mapped to the VCA, aftertouch available to both the VCF and VCA, and LFO 4 depth adjustable by the mod wheel. This well‑specified synth uses more DSP power, as you might expect, but I still managed to scrape up to seven voices before my PC ran out of steam.

The basic functions of the Minimoog are already well known to most synthesizer enthusiasts, and I've already mentioned various 'improvements' in the Pulsar's Miniscope emulation. The Presets window brings yet more excitement, with some instantly recognisable sounds, including the almost inevitable Keith Emerson 'Lucky Man' solo sound. In addition (purists please skip to the next sentence), the voice buttons again provide more polyphony if desired, up to a wonderful eight voices.

Breaking some new ground is the FM One, an FM synth with eight operators which makes some lovely noises, and which sports an elegant panel design featuring multiple slide‑out panels in every direction to access more parameters.

Of course, I've saved the best till last. The Pulsar Modular synth (see top right screen above) is an analogue enthusiast's dream, with over 70 modules instantly available (subject to available DSP, as always) to connect in any way you wish. You start with an empty module with its own window, and then simply drag whatever you desire over from the File Browser. Modules snap to an invisible grid, which makes lining them up a lot easier, and interconnections are made in exactly the same way as in the Project Window, but show up as graphic patch cables. This time, however, as well as Audio and MIDI cables, there are three other types: Gate (for envelope triggering), Freq (oscillator frequency control) and Esync (for polyphonic voice control).

As well as a host of oscillators (including FM and noise), filters, envelopes, LFOs, gain controls, mixers, switches, and effects, there is also a comprehensive MIDI interface module for control purposes, and audio ins and outs to process external signals (see the 'Supplied Modular Synth Modules' box for more details of all of these). Compared with a hardware synth, you do lose the hands‑on tweaking (although, as always, you can assign a multitude of MIDI controllers to individual controls), but you gain the huge advantage of being able to save and reload complex patch setups in seconds.

In Use

The Pulsar environment is attractive, well thought out, and fairly easy to use, although it does consume considerable resources (see the 'System Requirements' Box). In general everything runs smoothly once you have read through the well‑written electronic manual, but I did find the context‑sensitive cursors rather tiny, and you occasionally need almost pixel‑perfect positioning to carry out some tasks.

The supplied Project examples get you off to a flying start. You quickly get used to patching in synths and effects to turn your PC into a real‑time MIDI synth, although I did miss an Undo function when rewiring Projects. The Sample Player allows you to drag and drop programs from Akai‑formatted CD‑ROMs, and can manage up to 64 voices, but few playback adjustments are available, apart from the amplitude ADSR settings. A second Player module provides additional controls for filter ADSR and cutoff, but manages fewer voices. The samples themselves are loaded into your system RAM, and you must allow for this.

To use the Pulsar as a basic soundcard for recording you still have to launch its environment, since this initialises the drivers. It is initially a little confusing, since you also need to patch things internally. For instance, in order to play back some WAV files from Wavelab, you need to connect the Pulsar Wave Source to the Pulsar Analogue Destination before you hear anything. However, this soon becomes second nature, and Creamware do supply some simple Projects to illustrate the possibilities. This is a particular advantage for Cubase VST users, since Pulsar also has ASIO drivers, the latest version of which support 24‑bit audio files (although even the 16‑bit RMS background noise measured an excellent ‑93.4dB). Latency in Cubase measured a very low 93mS. Suitable interconnections for use with VST are shown in the lower screenshot opposite.

There is one large demo, which shows the potential of the Pulsar very well. 'Lonely Pulsar in Space' is a 3Mb Project with an accompanying MIDI file in both standard MIDI and Cubase ALL formats. Once the Project has loaded, you will find three sample players, three synths (including one modular), three effect units, and an 11‑channel basic Dynamixer. This sort of combination takes the DSP to its limit, but illustrates what is possible if you are careful with resources.

The demo song is an analogue synth workout, with plenty of widdly bits, and shows just how much memory you may need when using samples. With the latest version of Cubase VST/24 3.6r2 also loaded, the combined RAM requirement rose to about 95Mb, and it was hardly surprising that I experienced bad MIDI timing glitches during playback with my 64Mb PC. Despite this, the Pulsar still proved remarkably stable during the period of this review, although many of the Module load operations became painfully slow (this ought to greatly improve if you have 128Mb or more of RAM). However, once downloaded and initialised the modules' response was very immediate, with no obvious signs of latency.

Summary

This product has taken a long time to arrive, but I think that it was worth the wait. I can't pretend that I managed to look at absolutely every feature during the course of this review — this is a package that will keep any user exploring for weeks! It provides a huge variety of high‑grade sounds, and audio quality is uniformly excellent — the Miniscope in particular has a fat, rich filter sweep that should keep most people happy. The graphics are among the best that I have seen, and made returning to the Windows environment a real disappointment. The other advantage of the graphic flexibility is that third‑party SCOPE developers can keep their 'house look', rather than being forced to adopt a standard livery, and brand new 'front panels' will make future module purchases more exciting.

Despite having only a quarter of the DSP power of the SCOPE base unit, the Pulsar can still do a surprising amount, especially if you are careful to switch off functions that are not being used. It is also an expandable system, since you can subsequently link a Pulsar to other SCOPE cards (another Pulsar or a SCOPE base unit, for instance) using the internal SCOPE buss connector for more DSP power. However, the Pulsar does need a powerful host computer with a fast processor and considerable amounts of RAM to operate smoothly, despite the fact that its audio functions run entirely within the SHARC DSP chips — 128Mb of RAM would seem to be an absolute minimum, and possibly 192Mb if you want to run a decent MIDI + Audio sequencer and lots of samples as well.

At over £900 it's certainly not a cheap proposition, but Creamware have included a wide selection of devices to get you started, and you can use the DSP power in any way you choose. To get the most from it you will also need to budget for some of the desirable third‑party devices that are going to emerge in due course (at the LA Winter NAMM show, Creamware announced that a number of these are to appear during the first quarter of 1999). Having said that, I suspect that many people will start finding ways to justify this expense as soon as possible. As long you have a powerful computer to start off with, the Pulsar will provide you with plenty of SCOPE.