Connect Play via MIDI with SOMA Pulsar 23

Good evening. The whole day I tried to get ANY sound out of another synth, using polyend plays MIDI function. I tried it with all MIDI channels and the learn button on pulsar (which worked well with arturia Keystep and Keystep pro). The Manual could not help me, too and I did not find a video on youtube showing the connection.

Can anybody, please tell me how it works?
best wishes. Sepp

Hey @sounds-9225 , hopefully i can help.
I’m guessing the Play and the Pulsar are connected via theTRS to DIN Adapter (i don’t know if there is another possible way)?

Next, this should be the MIDI Settings so you can send Clock and Transport out if neccessary:

All that is left now is to send your notes or CC messages to the proper channel (Jack Channel 1 -16), which you can check when you press the Sample Knob, when you are in the Midi View.

That should essentially be it, let me know if that helps or if we need to hunker down some more :blush:

Thanx a lot for your help- But that’s where I started. (I should have posted pics, sorry).

The cable worked with keystep - it is ok. I also tried to push the learn button on pulsar wirh different settings at tracker and play (the MIDI settings on play are as you showed).

I also could not connect KORG volca nubase via MIDI with play or tracker. it also worked with arturia keystep.




As you also see: I have tried a setting on my tracker with each and every MIDI channel - to check if one of them will produce any sound…

Is this one of those MIDI type A / type B situations? What MIDI type has the Pulsar?

Maybe. I saw a video on youtube - a P Play was connected with pulsar 23 … but I could not see if there was any gear in between … Goose Leg - Pulsar 23 / Polyend Play - YouTube

It’s not about gear, just the right type of MIDI cable.

I checked the Pulsar documentation but I could not find any mention to the MIDI type. Are you connecting the Pulsar successfully with any other MIDI gear, successfully?

Is that a Befaco Cable? It is, isn’t it! You got the Befaco TRS-A to DIN Cable there my friend, i’d recognize that from a ship! :joy:

What you need is the TRS-B to DIN. Befaco has the same one. The B cable is in grey.

The one that you have there is the TRS-A:

The reason it’s not working is because the Tracker (all Polyend Devices for that matter) use the TRS-B specs. If you have a regular Midi cable still laying around, the Tracker should have come with a TRS-B to DIN Adapter.

But yeah, there is your problem - wrong cable. By the way, if you would like a quick explanation what the difference is, check here: A simplified guide to MIDI over TRS minijacks – minimidi.world

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For a simple workaround, while waiting for the right adapter: you can take two of your Pulsar alligator clips and a simple 3,5 cable. Plug one end of the stereo cable in the midi out of the tracker, then clip the tip of the other end to the ring of your “wrong” adapter and then also the ring to the tip of the adapter to swap them. That’s all, when you do it right with no shorts it works, did this successfully before. When you have the right combination of cinch cables male/female and a male to female stereo extension cable laying around, you can do it even better and this is not as flimsy.

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thanx a lot. I found an old adapter and it works with pulsar and play. have a good time!

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thanx a lot. i found an old adapter. will buy new cables (maybe). have a good time!

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