Pulsar Vocal Studio: Is This Channel Strip Worth Your Time?

This video dives into the Pulsar Vocal Studio, a new channel strip plugin for vocals. While it looks like many others on the market, the reviewer decided to put it to the test to see if it offers anything new or if it's just another average tool.

Key Takeaways

• The plugin offers three saturation types (tube, germanium, solid state), three compression circuits, an EQ, a de-esser, a gate, and effects like reverb and delay.
• The "learn" function for sensitivity is a nice touch for initial setup.
• The reviewer found the saturation options interesting, with a preference for the tube sound.
• Control over the de-esser and gate was limited, which was a drawback.
• The "focus" EQ, acting as a dynamic EQ, was a point of contention, with the reviewer disliking its behavior.
• The built-in effects, especially the stereo widener, were seen as potentially useful for automation but not groundbreaking.
• The reviewer prefers using separate plugins for reverb and delay to gain more control.
• Overall, the plugin is considered average, with some good features but lacking the depth and control some users might need.

First Impressions and Features

Pulsar's Vocal Studio plugin landed with a bit of a "seen it before" vibe. It's a channel strip, and we've got plenty of those. But, you know, you can't judge a book by its cover, or a plugin by its interface, right? So, I had to check it out. Even though it was under embargo when I first got my hands on it, I had some highlights from an email. It boasts three saturation types: tube, germanium, and solid state. Plus, three compressor styles inspired by classic consoles – because reinventing the wheel is apparently too hard. It also has an "intuitive" EQ, a "dynamic focus EQ" for the top end (whatever that means), and built-in reverb and delay sections. On top of that, there are 11 custom effects, including things like a stereo widener and octave effects, plus constant gain monitoring.

I want to be clear: this isn't sponsored. Everything you're hearing is my honest, independent take. If you want to support that kind of thing, consider becoming a channel member.

Looking at the plugin itself, there's a "quiet to loud" control and a "learn" knob, which is pretty neat. It helps you get a starting point without having to guess. You can pick between solid state, tube, and germanium saturation. Solid state is the modern transistor sound, tube is the classic warm vibe, and germanium is one of the earliest transistor types, known for its distinct coloration.

Then there's a de-esser, a gate, and a compressor. The controls here are a bit limited, which is something to note. The EQ section has a "focus" control, and then there's the effects section down below.

Putting It To The Test

I decided to run a vocal through it. Finding royalty-free vocals for videos can be a pain, so if you're a vocalist with tracks you're willing to license or share, hit me up! For this test, I used a vocal from the Lewitt Mixing Challenge from a few years back.

First, I let the "learn" function do its thing. It picked up the intro vocal, noting it was "too quiet." The meter is a bit small, but it works.

I started with the "modern studio vocal" preset and then turned off the effects to focus on the core sound. The saturation options are interesting.

• Solid State: A clean, modern sound.
• Tube: Warm, slightly colored, generally more musical.
• Germanium: Distinctive, early transistor character.

I found the tube sound to be the most pleasing, which is typical because tubes often add pleasant harmonics. The EQ has a high-pass filter, which is good, but I noticed the sensitivity could be an issue, and zooming in and out wasn't the most intuitive.

The "Focus" EQ and Effects

The "focus" control is supposed to be a dynamic EQ. I wasn't a fan of how it behaved. It felt unpredictable and I couldn't get it to do what I wanted, especially when trying to tame esses without completely removing them. I prefer using a dedicated dynamic EQ for that kind of precise control.

The effects section has some cool tools, like a stereo widener, which could be useful for automation to add some flair to different sections of a vocal. I actually liked this module so much I wished it was available on its own. The delay and reverb are okay, but again, the controls are pretty limited. I found myself wanting more options, especially for the delay.

My Delay and Reverb Trick

Since the built-in delay and reverb weren't cutting it for me, I wanted to share my usual approach. Instead of using the plugin's effects, I turn them off and duplicate the vocal track. On the second track, I'll add a dedicated delay plugin, like FabFilter's Timeless. This gives me way more control over the timing, feedback, and overall sound. I can even automate different delay patterns for different parts of the song. I do the same for reverb, using a plugin like Pro-R. This method allows me to precisely control where and how the effects are applied, and even automate the send levels for dynamic changes. It might seem like extra work, but for me, it's about having that granular control.

TL;DR Verdict

Verdict: Average. It's a decent all-in-one channel strip, but it doesn't really stand out from the crowd.

What it does: Offers a suite of vocal processing tools including saturation, compression, EQ, de-essing, gating, and effects in a single plugin.

Pros:

• Saturation Options: Three distinct and usable saturation types.
• Learn Function: Helpful for setting initial gain staging.
• Integrated Effects: Convenient to have reverb and delay built-in, even if basic.
• Potential for Automation: The effects module, especially the stereo widener, can be fun to automate.

Cons:

• Limited Control: De-esser and gate controls are basic and may not be sufficient for complex tasks.
• "Focus" EQ Behavior: The dynamic EQ function was unpredictable and not to the reviewer's taste.
• Lack of Routing Options: Can't easily change the order of processing modules.
• Average Overall: Doesn't offer enough unique features to justify replacing dedicated plugins.

Who should buy: Beginners looking for a simple, all-in-one vocal processing solution, or those who appreciate the convenience of having everything in one place and don't need deep control.

Alternatives:

• Waves Vocal Bundle: Offers a variety of specialized vocal plugins.
• FabFilter Pro-Q 3 & Pro-C 2: Industry-standard EQ and compressor with extensive control.
• Soundtoys Effect Rack: Highly creative effects with deep customization.
• Native Instruments Guitar Rig (with vocal presets): Can be surprisingly versatile for vocal effects.

Or get a human ear on it — $250/track mastering at Paradise, 3 revisions.