Mutable Instruments Tides

The Mutable Instruments Tides Modular Synth is all about waves that go up and down, from minute-long cycles to audio rates. This module is Mutable Instruments’ unique take on the looping AD envelope generator – pushing this well-known trope to unknown territories.

The core of the module is a digital asymmetric triangle function generator, which can be used in AD and AR modes (for envelope generation), or looping (as a VC-LFO or VC-DO). The triangle generator is followed by a wavetable waveshaper providing linear, exponential, logarithmic, sinusoidal, or arc-sinusoidal shapes for the A and D segments. Then, a second processor applies either a 2-pole low-pass filter to the waveform, smoothing its sharp edges; or a rubbery wavefolder, adding kinks and “bounces” to the waveform. Because Tides has been designed from the ground up to work at audio rates with minimal aliasing, and because all its parameters are under voltage control, it can be used as a unique self-contained synth voice.

The main features of the Mutable Instruments Tides Modular Synth include:

• Output level CV input (digital VCA).
• Dual outputs: standard unipolar waveform, and “double-shot” waveform with a positive spike during the ascent and a negative spike during the descent. At audio rate, both of them have a different sound.
• Accurate V/Oct tracking with straightforward calibration procedure.
• Freeze input to temporarily hold the waveform.
• Clock input to lock onto a multiple or fraction of a trigger sequence… or audio signal, PLL-style.