More insights from one of my favorite module designers.
Edit: at 13:00 Audulus makes a cameo appearance 
3 Likes
Technically, I didn’t use any of the Mutable code in Audulus (MI was fixed point at the time, Audulus is floating point). But I did learn quite a bit by looking at it 
That said, it might be cool to incorporate some of the MI modules or algorithms in the future!
2 Likes
Not to be self-important, but I do post with some regularity on the MI forum, and he has been generous with answering questions about how a module is programed internally (indexing for frequency modulation etc.) so that I can replicate it in some way in Audulus. So it may not be a direct port (yet) but certainly his ideas bleed over into Audulus.
2 Likes
2 Likes
I love the Mutable stuff and hope you talk to him about porting over some of his modules.
2 Likes
I wasn’t aware that he made his code open-source. Any idea where it’s available?
2 Likes
Thanks, That certainly looks like the spot! Might take a while to digest but hopefully I can port at least some of the simpler ones 
2 Likes
I think Marbles and Stages might be the most straightforward to translate as they center around control voltages rather than signal processing.
2 Likes
I have to say I was very impressed with the video. He certainly pays attention to detail and I think the end result speaks for itself. His modules would certainly be my first choice for a Eurorack system. Sometimes I think people make too much of the difference between analog and digital sound creation. While it’s certainly true that the inevitable imperfections in analog units have a certain “warmth” that is sometimes lacking in digital sound, they both have their place. At the end of the day, almost all music these days ends up as a digital bitstream unless it’s live or direct to vinyl. As much as I would love to have a classic all analog Moog, my all digital UltraNova gives me a range of sounds that would take thousands of dollars to produce on analog hardware. Mutable Systems seems to find a good balance and utilizes the strengths of both.
3 Likes
This definitely is a good characterization. At first, Olivier made extensive use of the digital quality of the format with modes for every module and hidden easter-eggs, stressing the game-like aspects of interfaces which are divorced from the limitations of analog circuitry. But he has evolved towards a really appealing balance of sophistication and simplicity making module after module which is easy to learn and difficult to master. Indeed they are rarely purely digital either, with analog filters and amplifiers.
I’m glad that he has started doing more interviews and presentations. When I first started with eurorack, I avoided Mutable modules because 1) I didn’t like their color scheme 2) their ubiquity would surely yield uniformity of results. But as my collection slowly increases (up to 4 now), I hold them in the highest regard. His earlier modules with their arcane menus hold up just as well as the more intuitive modules he has been releasing lately. I’m definitely on board to see what he does after this.
3 Likes
An interesting comparison between digital and analog modules – emphasizing the concept of simulation, rather than emulation.
3 Likes