Who owns the EHX Pulsar?

nellie48 · #1 06-23-2008, 08:31 AM

Who owns the EHX Pulsar? I heard it has a square wave setting. With this setting, are you able to flutter a note so that it sounds like your playing that note really fast (16th-32nd notes), when in fact you are just playing it once?

Chronicle · #2 06-23-2008, 09:11 AM

I have owned one for a little while. It does the job and all but it's not the best sounding tremolo out there.

andvari7 · #3 06-23-2008, 03:15 PM

Back when I owned a trem pedal, I found the Dunlop Stereo Tremolo to be my favorite. In its original form, it has been discontinued, but under the MXR banner, they've reissued it (for the better). I'm not a huge tremolo pedal guy, but that's the way I'd go.

Swimming Bird · #4 06-23-2008, 04:15 PM

I have one, and learn how to play faster.

It sounds more techno-ish to do it this way (which is what I assume you want); keep in mind this will kill your attack, so you need to have a lot of sustain going in for it to work well. Also, messing with the depth setting helps. But yeah, it can do that.

Crabby · #5 06-23-2008, 06:58 PM

I had one for a few weeks and then returned it as there was a slight volume drop when engaged and it really didn't seem like something I could ever have a real use for as a bass player.

Now a trem with a tap tempo switch would be really interesting to try out. The Pulsar was not bad but just not my thing.

Zappstorius · #6 06-23-2008, 08:59 PM

I own the Stereo Pulsar and it can do what you're asking. I haven't notice much volume drop...as others have experienced. The knobs on the the Pulsar are extremely sensitive, so you have to be careful on stage to get the right speed.

whoatherechunk · #7 06-23-2008, 11:02 PM

the new mxr tremolo pedal sounds killer! i personally haven't used it but one of the local bands whom enjoy greatly has a bassist who uses this pedal and it just sounds huge and lush.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andvari7

Back when I owned a trem pedal, I found the Dunlop Stereo Tremolo to be my favorite. In its original form, it has been discontinued, but under the MXR banner, they've reissued it (for the better). I'm not a huge tremolo pedal guy, but that's the way I'd go.

Jared Lash · #8 06-23-2008, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nellie48

Who owns the EHX Pulsar? I heard it has a square wave setting. With this setting, are you able to flutter a note so that it sounds like your playing that note really fast (16th-32nd notes), when in fact you are just playing it once?

I went through quite a few trems a while ago and the Pulsar was among them. It was far from my favorite, but yes it does square wave and does it decently. Outside of its volume drop problem, I thought the Boss TR-2 did a hard cutting square wave better.

That being said, I'm not so certain that square wave is what you want for the application you're describing. A square wave will make the notes distinct, sure, but it also makes them sound a bit artificial as the decay doesn't happen naturally. Personally I like that unnatural sound when running dirt into a trem, but it may not be what you're after.

I might try a tube tremolo (or a trem with a tube setting) to get what I think you're describing. It will sound warmer and more natural but still give some space to the notes unlike a triangle waveform.

Check out Black Thumbnail by Kings of Leon as this sounds a bit like what you're after. That sounds like a tube tremolo to my ears.

nellie48 · #9 06-24-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBigO

I went through quite a few trems a while ago and the Pulsar was among them. It was far from my favorite, but yes it does square wave and does it decently. Outside of its volume drop problem, I thought the Boss TR-2 did a hard cutting square wave better.

That being said, I'm not so certain that square wave is what you want for the application you're describing. A square wave will make the notes distinct, sure, but it also makes them sound a bit artificial as the decay doesn't happen naturally. Personally I like that unnatural sound when running dirt into a trem, but it may not be what you're after.

I might try a tube tremolo (or a trem with a tube setting) to get what I think you're describing. It will sound warmer and more natural but still give some space to the notes unlike a triangle waveform.

Check out Black Thumbnail by Kings of Leon as this sounds a bit like what you're after. That sounds like a tube tremolo to my ears.

I started that thread on Black Thumbnail! So yes, I want to achieve that sound. According to Bass Player magazine, that bass player uses a Boss TR-2. I tried one out in the store, but did not get a sound like on that song. Not sure what will?

Jared Lash · #10 06-24-2008, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nellie48

I started that thread on Black Thumbnail! So yes, I want to achieve that sound. According to Bass Player magazine, that bass player uses a Boss TR-2. I tried one out in the store, but did not get a sound like on that song. Not sure what will?

Well, I've played along with that song using my Empress Tremolo, but that's an expensive option for an effect that many bass players don't really use. Then again, if you are willing to spend the money, I can't recommend it enough. It's a great trem.

Slightly lower on the cost scale would be the Guyatone VTX trem and the Aramat Tubular Tremolo, both of which I think could get you that sound. If the TR-2 is really what the guy from Kings of Leon uses, I'm sure you can get that sound from it, it's just a matter of spending some time with the trem. If I had the patience to wait to have my TR-2 modded to eliminate the volume drop (and maybe make it TBP) I might have kept it. You have to set the rate just right and then learn to control the attack of your notes just right.

Good luck.

nellie48 · #11 06-25-2008, 10:01 AM

Thanks a lot for the information. When you play along with that song, do you let the notes ring out (lots of sustain)?

Jared Lash · #12 06-26-2008, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nellie48

Thanks a lot for the information. When you play along with that song, do you let the notes ring out (lots of sustain)?

Sorry for the slow response.

Yeah, when I play it I let the notes ring with the trem depth set almost at maximum. It gives even notes with a bit of space between them, which is not to say that it's the only way or even the right way.

I believe the bassist for Kings of Leon plays with a pick but I could be mistaken. My experience with a pick and a tremolo is that the sharp attack leads to subsequent notes being too reduced in volume. That could be remedied to an extent with a compressor though.

Hope that helps.

efe_gallagher · #13 10-17-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nellie48

I started that thread on Black Thumbnail! So yes, I want to achieve that sound. According to Bass Player magazine, that bass player uses a Boss TR-2. I tried one out in the store, but did not get a sound like on that song. Not sure what will?

Yup, Jared plays with a pick almost exclusively and uses the Boss pedal. I got a tremolo basically because of this and My Party to be honest

I use the EHX Stereo Pulsar and I can cover this with no problem on the square wave setting. Also, if you look for live versions his sound gets a lot "thinner" when he engages the pedal, so i guess for the recording he doubled his bassline to remain thick and consistant