Mutable Music Things - Ears module

fwheel · Post by **fwheel** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:21 am

I was looking for a second envelope follower to my set so this came out just at the right time

pieter · Post by **pieter** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:33 am

Question I guess for both Ears and Mikrophonie: does the module amplify inputs from line levels to modular levels?

pichenettes · Post by **pichenettes** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:34 am

pieter wrote:Question I guess for both Ears and Mikrophonie: does the module amplify inputs from line levels to modular levels?

Yes. The amp on Ears is very clean. It's also high-impedance (1M) so you can use it for guitars.

pieter · Post by **pieter** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:37 am

pichenettes wrote:
pieter wrote:Question I guess for both Ears and Mikrophonie: does the module amplify inputs from line levels to modular levels?
Yes.

Thank you! I just saw on the manual image 40 dB gain for Ears.

pichenettes · Post by **pichenettes** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:39 am

Fiddlestickz wrote:why black though..???? I have a serious colour OCD thing with my cases, how am I supposed to put this black module next to all the white Mutables..??

Two advantages of using a PCB instead of an aluminium panel:
* With a PCB, you can solder the contact mic directly at the back of the panel, with no air between the panel and the contact mic (so the mic directly gets the vibrations of the panel, with no impedance mismatch).
* You can have ridges on the PCB which are absolutely essential in getting "scratching" sounds.

Matte black is the least ugly/most sober color for PCBs, and it pairs really well with gold.

eyetomymoon · Post by **eyetomymoon** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:43 am

Mutable link/s from Thonk page seem not to be working quite yet? Up Fri?

Markthom · Post by **Markthom** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:49 am

eyetomymoon wrote:Mutable link/s from Thonk page seem not to be working quite yet? Up Fri?

It's working for me, I ordered one about an hour ago

https://www.thonk.co.uk/shop/ears/

eyetomymoon · Post by **eyetomymoon** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:51 am

Link from Thonk to the manual (/ module) on MI site I mean.

richc90 · Post by **richc90** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:51 am

Think they meant the links from the Thonk page to the manual on the Mutable page...

anosou · Post by **anosou** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:52 am

pichenettes wrote:
pieter wrote:Question I guess for both Ears and Mikrophonie: does the module amplify inputs from line levels to modular levels?
Yes. The amp on Ears is very clean. It's also high-impedance (1M) so you can use it for guitars.

This is by far the best news I've ever heard. Ordered!

StringEmil · Post by **StringEmil** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:56 am

I literally just bought a Mikrophonie two weeks ago.

Can anyone access the manual on the Mutable website which Thonk is linking to? Mine just gets to a dead end.

Markthom · Post by **Markthom** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:57 am

eyetomymoon wrote:Link from Thonk to the manual (/ module) on MI site I mean.

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood!

joskery · Post by **joskery** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:00 am

I obviously don't know the backstory, but I think it's very cool that the two companies got together to do this.

I mean, the Mikrophonie is a great match for Elements/Rings, so it makes sense for Mutable to make their version. Plus the Mikrophonie is very straightforward, a very easy module for Mutable to do their take.

But, as there's already a manufacturer who makes the Mikrophonie, instead of cannibalizing the product and grabbing a piece of the target market, they team up for mutual benefit.

<3

Thonk Support · Post by **Thonk Support** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:00 am

The mutable website is being updated at the moment, in the meantime this is the manual - very simple

ludotex · Post by **ludotex** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:04 am

pichenettes wrote:
Fiddlestickz wrote:why black though..???? I have a serious colour OCD thing with my cases, how am I supposed to put this black module next to all the white Mutables..??
Two advantages of using a PCB instead of an aluminium panel:
* With a PCB, you can solder the contact mic directly at the back of the panel, with no air between the panel and the contact mic (so the mic directly gets the vibrations of the panel, with no impedance mismatch).
* You can have ridges on the PCB which are absolutely essential in getting "scratching" sounds.

Matte black is the least ugly/most sober color for PCBs, and it pairs really well with gold.

It looks really good that way.
Will sit nicely next to brains/PP

mqtthiqs · Post by **mqtthiqs** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:05 am

Congrats on the release guys. When great minds meet...

DivKid · Post by **DivKid** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:05 am

joskery wrote:
How do you like the module?

Really like it, I was a fan of the Mikrophonie and these additions to this are very good. I've playing and scraping audio into Elements and using the gate output to clock through a Turing Machine sequence. Figured I have to marry Mutable and Music Thing next to this one

I've been using it with drum machines directly in and also a guitar straight in, works really well.

StringEmil · Post by **StringEmil** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:05 am

I am still trying to wrap my head around envelope followers, but can this one be used as a standard one, and will an incoming audio signal (from the input, not the contact mic) be able to trigger the envelope so you can take the cv from ENV and the GATE?

tylrprtr · Post by **tylrprtr** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:06 am

I'm assuming the three lights indicate that component of the module is active: the middle light lights up when there's is an envelope being followed, and the last light activates when a gate is being generated.

However, what does the first light mean?

Sven · Post by **Sven** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:09 am

The In of the Ears module can amp every type of signal like the out of a Volca Beats or something like that?

ludotex · Post by **ludotex** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:10 am

tylrprtr wrote:I'm assuming the three lights indicate that component of the module is active: the middle light lights up when there's is an envelope being followed, and the last light activates when a gate is being generated.

However, what does the first light mean?

Probably the mic input level?

lohacker · Post by **lohacker** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:10 am

StringEmil wrote:I am still trying to wrap my head around envelope followers, but can this one be used as a standard one, and will an incoming audio signal (from the input, not the contact mic) be able to trigger the envelope so you can take the cv from ENV and the GATE?

The manual says that patching a cable in Audio in disconnects the contact mic, so I guess the env follower is generated from the incoming audio source.

joskery · Post by **joskery** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:11 am

tylrprtr wrote:I'm assuming the three lights indicate that component of the module is active: the middle light lights up when there's is an envelope being followed, and the last light activates when a gate is being generated.

However, what does the first light mean?

Seems like it's a clipping indicator for the audio output.

lohacker · Post by **lohacker** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:12 am

ludotex wrote:
tylrprtr wrote:I'm assuming the three lights indicate that component of the module is active: the middle light lights up when there's is an envelope being followed, and the last light activates when a gate is being generated.

However, what does the first light mean?
Probably the mic input level?

maybe indicates audio in clipping

MrNovember · Post by **MrNovember** » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:13 am

I already own a Mikrophonie, but Ears does really add some nice features. I may have to buy Ears, but rather than selling my Mikrophonie, I think I'd just mod as ridiculously as I could

MOD WIGGLER

MOD WIGGLER

Mutable Music Things - Ears module