Welcome to the world of unique and flexible sounds with Pulsation Lite from Atom Splitter Audio! This free VST instrument opens the door to exploring pulse width modulation synthesis – a sound creation method based on changing the width of a pulse wave. If you’re looking for fresh textures, sharp leads, or deep pads, Pulsation Lite offers a simple and intuitive way to create them.
Forget complex interfaces. Pulsation Lite is designed so you can focus on the sound itself. Despite its “Lite” name and focus solely on pulse waves, this synthesizer offers enough features to create a wide range of sounds, making it a valuable addition to any studio.
What is Pulsation Lite?
Pulsation Lite is a virtual instrument (VSTi) specifically designed for easy immersion in the world of pulse width modulation synthesis. This type of synthesis allows you to obtain rich harmonic sounds by manipulating the width (length) of the pulse in a square wave. From classic “floating” sounds to aggressive timbres – all this is possible with Pulsation Lite.
The plugin offers a basic but powerful set of tools for shaping sound, making it an excellent choice for both beginners in synthesis and experienced musicians looking for a specific timbre.
Key Features of Pulsation Lite
Let’s take a closer look at the capabilities of this synthesizer:
The Heart of Synthesis: Pulse Wave Generators
- Four pulse generators: Pulsation Lite is equipped with four independent generators that create pulse waves. This allows you to layer sounds or create complex harmonic structures.
- Pulse width modulation: The width of each pulse wave can be modulated using its own low-frequency oscillator (LFO) or envelope generator (ENV). This is a key feature for obtaining characteristic “pulsing” or “floating” sounds.
- Waveform visualization: For a better understanding of how modulation affects the sound, the plugin provides a visual waveform graph. This helps you adjust parameters more intuitively.
Sound Shaping: Envelopes and Filter
- ADSR amplitude envelope: A standard four-stage (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) envelope controls the volume of the sound over time. A visual graph helps you precisely adjust the dynamics.
- Filter with keytracking: A built-in multi-mode filter adds flexibility. Configurations available: low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, band-reject, and peaking. The keytracking function allows the filter cutoff frequency to follow the pitch of the played note.
- ADSR filter envelope: A separate four-stage envelope for the filter allows you to dynamically change the cutoff frequency or resonance over time, which opens up wide possibilities for creating moving timbres. Also has a visual graph.
Motion and Dynamics: LFO and Modulation
- Tempo-synced LFO: The low-frequency oscillator can be synchronized with the tempo of your DAW project. It offers various waveforms (sine, sawtooth, square, triangle, noise) for modulating the filter and pulse widths.
- Simple Velocity and Mod Wheel control: The plugin has convenient knobs for quickly adjusting the sensitivity to key press velocity (Velocity) and the modulation depth from the modulation wheel (Mod Wheel), which allows you to easily add expression to your playing.
Final Touch: Built-in Effects
- Multi-effect processor: Pulsation Lite contains an effects section with delay, chorus, and distortion. Each effect can be enabled/disabled and the mix level adjusted using separate Mix knobs.
Convenience and Customization
- Pitchbend range: Adjust the Pitchbend range from -12 to +12 semitones for expressive performance.
- Precise pitch adjustment: Adjust the overall pitch of the sound in the range from -5 to +5 octaves and by semitones (up to 12 semitones per octave).
Pulsation Lite is a great tool for experimenting with pulse width modulation synthesis. It’s free, easy to use, and offers enough flexibility to create interesting and unique sounds. Download it and try it yourself – perhaps it will become your new favorite synthesizer for certain tasks.
