Musikmesse News: Mutable Instruments Marble

Kontrolliertes Chaos – die Schlagzeile soll beim neuen Eurorack Modul Mutable Instruments Marbles Programm sein. Melodien und Rhythmen über Zufallssequenzen zu erzeugen und das mit drei Trigger- und vier CV-Ausgängen, das ist der Fokus von Marbles. „Kontrolliert“ wird das Ganze deshalb generiert, da Mutable Instruments seinem Modul viele steuerbare Parameter spendiert hat. Somit bleibt die Sequenz auf Wunsch einigermaßen und Kontrolle. Eine Synchronisation  zu externen Taktsignalen ist möglich.

Eingrenzen kann Mutable Instruments Marbles dahingehend, dass die Notenlänge und der Bereich in dem Marbles Tönbe erzeugen soll eingegrenzt werden kann. Interessant ist der „Deja Vu“ Button der es erlaubt eine passende Sequenz festzuhalten und zu wiederholen. Die Sequenz kann danach weiter entwickelt werden.

Hier ein erstes Video was mit Mutable Instruments Marbles möglich ist:

Mutable Instruments Marbles wird zeitnah erhältlich sein, der Preis wird voraussichtlich bei 299,- Euro liegen.

Hier die weiteren Features in der (englischen) Übersicht:

Programmable quantizer

• 6 programmable scales.
• Scales are programmed by playing a short jam in the target scale: Marbles learns which notes are more prominent than others.

Two-channel random rhythm generator

• Three gate outputs: t₂ is the main output carrying the jittery clock, t₁ and t₃ are the complementary random rhythm output.
• Three generative models, with CV-controlled bias parameter increasing the density of notes on one channel or the other:
  1. Random routing of each clock pulse to either outputs, following a coin toss.
  2. Selection of a random division factor for one output, and the reciprocal factor for the other.
  3. Generation of random kick/snare patterns using a process similar to Grids.
• Adjustable gate duration, from short triggers to full length. Gate duration can be randomized.

Random voltage generator

• 3 outputs, either clocked by the 3 outputs of the random gate generator, or by a common external clock.
• Distribution control: SPREAD control, scanning between constant, bell-shaped, uniform or discrete distributions; and BIAS control biasing the generated voltage towards the bottom or top of the voltage range.
• Adjustable range: 0 to +2V (for melodies), 0 to +5V, -5V to +5V.

Quantized or smooth… CV Post-processor

• The STEPS parameter controls the steppiness/quantization of the output voltages.
• Turn this knob clockwise and a progressive quantizer is applied to the voltages – progressively reducing the probability of hitting a note outside of the scale, then making accidentals less likely, then giving more weight to the root and fifth – and at the extreme yielding only octaves.
• If steppy is not your thing, turn counterclockwise to increasingly slew the output voltages to the point that the module produces smooth, continuous curves.

Random looping and shuffling

• DEJA VU parameter increasing the probably of re-playing past material to the point that the generated output forms a loop… then increasing the probability of randomizing the order of this loop.
• The DEJA VU control applies to the random rhythm, the random voltages, or to both, or neither of them.
• Adjustable loop length from 1 to 16 steps.

External CV processing

• An external CV can be recorded in the DEJA VU loop in place of internal random voltages.
• All transformations performed by the random voltage generator (looping, shuffling, spreading, transposition, quantization, lag-processing) can be performed on external voltages.
• TLDR: live remixing of external sequences!