My experience with the Hotone Pulze Mini guitar amplifier as a portable practice tool and recording device.
First off, please join our new Facebook group Pulze Mini Users Worldwide 🤘
I got this for around 7k php from my recent Japan trip. Just a “coincidence” that I was there when it launched in Japan, and the store that sells it (Rock Inn Namba) is just a quick train ride, and offers tax free discount! (if that’s not enough reason) The sales staff was actually surprised when I asked because they haven’t unloaded the stocks yet 😆 Anyway, imagine getting new gear and not having a guitar to play with!!! so I had to get it off my mind for a few days 😂
(UPDATE: it’s already available at Guitar Pusher if you’re in the Philippines)
It’s comparable to the Valeton GP-5 (or Sonicake Pocket Master) in some ways:
- Multi effects
- NAM captures (with simultaneous cab support)
- IR cab support
- USB Audio Interface (but better)
- Stereo output port
- Bluetooth
- Midi support via USB
- The mobile app is the same re-skinned app (like the GP-5 and Pocket Master). I think GP-5 still has the best mobile app UI.
- Valeton, Sonicake, and Hotone are sister companies so they probably sound similar.
- Disadvantages (vs GP-5)
- No built in foot switch
Advantages (vs GP-5)
- Built in speaker (it’s a mini amp!)
- Built in battery
- More effects (this can be a gateway to Ampero effects)
- Better USB Audio interface (24-bit, 48khz, wet/dry/reamp)
- Tap tempo & delay sync (can be controlled via app or midi controller)
- NAM caputure can be used with IR cab
- The built in IR’s sound good to me. They also include Celestion IR’s.
- The cab block has a lo-cut & hi-cut
- Global EQ
The main reason I got this is because the audio interface has wet/dry/re-amp function. I’ve been looking for a portable recording setup for my guitars that can record both dry & wet signals because I re-amp during mixing. This is how I’ve always recorded on the GP-100. The Pulze is also a speaker/amp so I don’t have to use headphones or an external speaker (during tracking). Less wires and less setup!
The speaker is rated 5w (single). It’s just good enough when it’s in front of you, and the plastic casing vibrates when it’s max out. I wish it had 2 speakers, but I can’t really complain too much with how portable this is. I actually like the sound of my cheap Kokko mini amp better in comparison (just the raw speaker sound), probably because it has 2 speakers. It also works for bass (they have bass presets), just don’t expect too much from a tiny speaker.
Editing presets via mobile app is such an underrated feature on multi effects units. It’s so fast and convenient compared to editing on the computer or on the device itself. The mobile app is very similar to the GP-5, just re-skinned. The GP-100 has a desktop app but no mobile app.
The first clean presets doesn’t sound amazing, but again this is probably due to the small speaker. These are probably the same presets on the bigger Pulze amp. But get past those and there are hidden gems there! The presets are not numbered, they’re arranged in folders (song lists). You can also drag and drop to change the order, very simple but useful! No need to overthink about numbers when making my presets.
(UPDATE: this now supports NAM profiles with cab support and it sounds amazing!)
It supports midi via USB! getting the M-Vave chocolate midi controller to work with these devices always gets me hyped up 😆 even though I rarely play outside. It’s just my nerdy side. M-vave’s software is a real pain but quite satisfying once you get it working because it’s such a cheap device! I think this makes the Pulze Mini possible for live use as a multi effects unit and you can use the stereo headphone ouput port to connect to the PA or FRFR speaker. I haven’t tried it though!
Midi information is not on the Pulze’s manual but I had to try because it shows up as a midi device on Logic. I had to use the sendmidi app on mac to send all cc commands and see if it responds to anything. I had almost lost hope at that point trying to get midi to work, so I thought I was dreaming when I saw the output volume changed from one of the midi codes 🤯 then I just had to try each cc code to find the previous and next patch.
UPDATE: turns out the complete midi codes actually are actually published on the Pulze midi information (the bigger pulze amp).
Hotone also sells the Pulze Control wireless midi controller which is a bit more expensive but easier to configure.
Lastly (thank you for reading this far!), my new album TIMESTAMPS by The Tonio Method is out on Spotify and all streaming platforms! hope you can check it out! These are songs I’ve been working on since 2022, which started in Garageband (and then I learned Logic Pro). All my guitar parts are recorded using Valeton GP-100, then re-amped using Logic amp sims. All songs are recorded and mixed in the box! (my laptop).
Midi CC information:
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