Updated: Dec 22, 1999

Pulsar introduces many improvements, but also some new bugs. I'll list the problems, before introducing the new stuff...

Availability and Installation

The 1.3 update is available as an 10.6mb download, via anonymous FTP from Creamware's FTP site.

1.3a Update

Creamware has already released an update to 1.3 to fix some of the outstanding issues. Get it here. This patch fixes the AES/EBU synchronization problems, as well as the audio distortion in multi-Pulsar/Scope/SRB systems.

Docs

There's a new manual in the zip. There's also a new installation guide which wasn't included in te zip: get it here.

Oustanding issues - Multi-Pulsar setups and noise

Many users with Pulsar+SRB systems were reporting crackling or grainy audio output in 1.3. This should be fixed in the 1.3a patch. The workaround in 1.3 was to switch the samplerate to a different higher rate and back (e.g. 44.1k to 48k and back to 44.1k). Some users report that simply leaving it at 48k totally resolves the problem while at 44.1k there are still some occasional noises.

More problem workarounds

Brian Hoener reports that if you're having audio/midi problems with Cakewalk 9 after installing Pulsar 1.3, if you just re-run the Cakewalk Wave Profiler, your tracks and MIDI will lock up just fine.

If you're having problems with old projects (e.g. no audio, or distorted, jittery sound), try changing your sample rate to something else, and then changing back to your original sample rate. This often solves the problem.

Drivers

Good news: ASIO latency has been reduced as low as 13ms. (Default is now 25ms! Details on setting ASIO to 13ms involve changes to cset.ini, as described in the new installation guide.

DirectSound latency is also supposed to be reduced - (I used a virtual synth at 20ms, with no problems. But I'm not sure yet how low it can go)

The Wave/MME driver is supposed to be much improved. Reports from users say that it is. (I haven't tried it).

EASI drivers will be provided in a forthcoming patch to 1.3

Modular Stuff

The modular has 18 new modular modules (to follow up the 27 new modules in version 1.2).

For the list of all new modules, with pictures, see the modular chart.

New Effects

Six new effects are Included in 1.3: two new chorus modules, decimator mono/stereo, a ring modulator, multi-flanger.

Also, there are two new insert racks (mono and stereo), which allow you to collect a set of up to 6 effects together in a chain.

For pictures, see the effects chart.

Big Mixer Stuff

There is a new version of the Big Mixer called Big Mixer V2B. The most significant change is the behavior of the mute buttons. Previously muting a channel would remove the entire channel processing load off of the DSP, with the undesirable side affects of being very slow, and making pop noises. V2B just mutes the signal path - thereby making it quicker and quiet. Unfortunately this means that the mixer has a higher base DSP useage (22% instead of the previous 5%). Still, remember that the mixer dynamically adds the DSP load per channel, as channels inputs are wired.

This mixer also now has numeric controls for channel gain (can be typed into).

See picture.

Miscellaneous

Also, some general usage improvents - a new File Save/Cancel dialog, allows you to cancel the closing of a project, before the project is actually closed.

The Rack Window has been removed, which is good, because I never knew what to do with it!!