Pulsar Audio Mu

Vari-Mu Compressor Plugin

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  • Regular price
    $129.00
    USD
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    For detailed instructions on the registration/download process, you can visit our dedicated page by clicking here: Install Instructions.

Education Proof

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Types of proof

Student

Student ID Card, Letter of enrollment, or similar

Teacher/Lecturer

Teacher ID Card, Lecturer ID Card, Payslip, Letter from the school/college

Education proof is submitted to the manufacturer and is accepted at their discretion.


The Basics

iLok is a copy protection method used by many of our brands.

It has 3 types of activations, iLok USB, iLok Machine, and iLok Cloud.

Different brands/products will offer different iLok methods. iLok USB is always an option, but the availability of iLok Cloud and iLok Machine methods is at the discretion of the software developer.


iLok Account

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iLok License Manager

To manage your iLok licenses, there is a dedicated app called iLok License Manager. This app is used to register, activate, and move your licenses between locations.

You can download the latest installers from the iLok website: ilok.com/#!home


iLok USB Key

iLok USB

This activation is stored on an iLok 2 or 3 USB key.

It is the best option for portability, if you frequently move between multiple machines, and offline use.


iLok Machine ID

Machine ID

This activation is stored locally on your computer.

While this is a convenient way to work offline, and does not require the additional cost of an iLok USB, there is the risk of a license being lost in the case of a drive failure.

This option also requires extra care when you upgrade to a new computer, the license(s) must be deactivated on your old machine first to ensure you do not lose them.


iLok Cloud

iLok Cloud

This activation is based online, and requires a "cloud session" using the iLok License Manager.

It requires an active internet connection for the entire time you use the plugin(s).


The most faithful emulation of a modern yet legendary tube compressor/limiter – perfect glue for mixing and mastering.


An industry-standard tube compressor

There are several reasons to use a variable-bias tube compressor.

One is the exceptional compression transparency that this kind of compressor can achieve, even when pushed into extreme gain reduction.

Another, and perhaps the most common, is their ability to add cohesion or "glue" to buses, whole mixes, and masters.

Unfortunately, the original hardware is expensive and difficult to integrate with "in-the-box" workflows.

Software emulations exist but most owners of the hardware agree that they cannot be compared to the original unit, as there's always "something" missing.

With its unique Topology Preservation Technology, Pulsar Mu sounds objectively identical to the hardware in every production context, and even makes improvements such as an increased signal-to-noise ratio.



Improving on a classic

Pulsar Mu is a stereo compressor operating in either Left/Right or Mid/Side modes, designed with mixing and mastering applications in mind, but also flexible enough for tracking.

It can be used for leveling, limiting, or just to add a bit of analog warmth with its emulated tube signal path.

While reproducing the accurate SIFAM metering of the original unit, Pulsar Mu also provides a more modern visualization mode for fine-tuning compression settings, representing the waveform and gain reduction both over time and instantaneously.

Pulsar Mu also offers various options that apply to the sidechain signal.

A popular mod of the original device was to add a high-pass filter, but Mu goes even further, offering a more complete equalization section, enabling to precisely adjust the compressor’s response to bass, mid-range, and treble using only four knobs.

Another addition is the possibility of advancing (look-ahead) or delaying (look-behind) the sidechain signal.

This enables you to take ultimate control over transients, letting the compressor start to react before they happen, over even after they happen, opening up all kinds of creative uses.


How does it sound?

Transparent but Musical

The sound of Pulsar Mu is impressively transparent with a touch of warmth. It manages transients in a soft and musical way, even with extreme settings, unlike a FET or VCA compressor. With Mu, you can add movement while respecting the natural dynamics of a source.

Mastering

The most classic use of Mu is in mastering: it brings the discreet "polish" and "glue" to subtly warm up any mix. It can be used either transparently as a leveler (with long attack and release), as a compressor to add glue (slow attack with fast release), or as a limiter (fast attack and fast release). Using Mu in Mid/Side mode gives you another way to increase stereo image, or to curtail an overly wide mix.

Drum Bus

Pulsar Mu can quickly create the “glue” needed for cohesive drum buss processing, while still respecting transients – even those of a kick drum. Depending on the chosen gain reduction and release time, it can restore the room ambience essential for certain styles of music – especially when used as a parallel compressor.

Acoustic Guitar

On an acoustic guitar, with a relatively low gain reduction setting, Pulsar Mu creates a nice organic groove, while respecting the transients of the instrument. This subtlety is useful for livening up a dull, stiff guitar track, giving it edge and personality.

Snare Drum

Pulsar Mu can give body and consistency to thin snare drums sounds, even while preserving their transients, which are essential for helping them break through the mix. When pushed a little harder, Mu can help you recover sustain, harmonics, or even ambience.

Vocals

Pulsar Mu sounds particularly good on vocals – especially with fairly high input and medium attack and release. It gives them the analog-style warmth to help them sit naturally, even in a dense mix.


Topology Preservation Technology

Our modeling technology guarantees a perfect emulation of the original device's behavior.

From the saturation of the magnetic flux in the transformers to the precise response of the tubes, to the effects of tiny calibration defects, everything is perfectly reproduced.


External Sidechain

Pulsar Mu allows you to define an external sidechain input, as all compressors should in the digital age.

This opens a very wide range of applications: ducking, de-essing, filtering the sidechain signal with your favorite EQ, or even applying dynamic processing.


Mid-Side Processing

Pulsar Mu comes with built-in optional M/S encoding and decoding, enabling a signal's mono and stereo information to be processed separately with different settings.

The Listen buttons simplify the setting by allowing you to listen to Mid or Sides signals in isolation, and the modern visualization can be set to monitor only the channel you’re working on, so you always know what you’re doing.


Look Ahead, Look Behind

This innovative feature lets you shift the timing of Pulsar Mu’s gain reduction compared to the input.

Look-ahead enables the Mu to start reacting to transients even before they happen, ensuring perfect limiting.

Conversely, the look-behind delays the gain reduction, so that fast transients can be left unprocessed while the gain reduction kicks in after them.

This opens up various possibilities like clipping transients separately after Mu has done its work.


Flexible Sidechain Equalizer

The sidechain equalization section is simple but efficient.

You can let your mix more transparent by preventing low frequencies from triggering compression with the High-Pass filter, adjust the response to vocals or other instruments thanks to the parametric bell filter, and keep the influence of the top-end under control with the positive or negative High-Shelf filter.


Low CPU Consumption

We spent a ridiculous amount of time optimizing Mu to consume as few system resources as possible – despite the complex algorithms at work.

Pulsar Mu takes full advantage of modern CPUs to do more with less.

But if your computer can stand it and you enjoy making it suffer, you can always turn oversampling on, processing at rates up to 384kHz!


        System Requirements

        • MacOS 10.8 Mountain Lion and above
        • Windows 7 and above (64-bit only)
        • Quad-core Intel, AMD, or Apple Silicon CPU or better
        • 4GB RAM or more
        • 1GB free storage space
        • 1024x768 screen resolution or higher
        • Includes 2 activations per license

        Plugin Formats

        AAX Native, AU, VST2, VST3


        User Manual

        Crossgrade Proof

        This crossgrade is for owners of a competing DAW. To prove your DAW ownership, we require that you upload proof in the form of an image/PDF.


        Types of proof

        A copy of your purchase receipt for the original license or the most recent update/upgrade

        A screenshot of your product registration

        A photo of your package (either CD/DVD or printed manual), with the unique serial number included in the photo.