Introducing | Mutable Instruments

"Gentle Ambient Music That Will Caress the Leaves of your Houseplants"

In the span of 9 years, Mutable Instruments has gone from a small operation making DIY hybrid synthesizers, all produced by one woman, to one of the most revered Eurorack module producers in the world…all still largely produced by the same woman. Émilie Gillet is the mastermind behind Mutable Instruments, intentionally running a small operation that offers a lush palette of tones. “If you combine wavetable synthesis techniques great for smooth, evolving tones…lush and layered granular processing, generative melodies…you get a great recipe for gentle ambient music that will caress the leaves of your houseplants,” Gillet says of the tones her modules produce. It’s the lush and gentle tones that allow Mutable Instruments to stand apart from the competition in a crowded Eurorack module field. “Mutable’s characteristics allow them to be super versatile, yet have this unique flavor that triggers ambient soundscapes,” said Joe Sherman, product category manager for synthesizers at Chicago Music Exchange.

Mutable Instruments Eurorack Module
Mutable Instruments Eurorack Module
Mutable Instruments Eurorack Module
SHOP MUTABLE INSTRUMENTS

Transparency Comes First

Another thing that sets Mutable Instruments apart within a competitive Eurorack field is the fact that their products are open source: users can go onto Mutable’s website and easily find the hardware schematics for their most popular modules. When asked why, Gilet responded that making Mutable’s schematics open source was a conscious decision based on “transparency, education, inspiring some good practices, occasionally sharing some discoveries…and the right of any product owner to know exactly what goes into it.” This sense of transparency carries over to Mutable’s forum, where Gillet is an active participant, and often shares the process of developing Mutable’s different modules as they are released to the public.

Mutable Instruments Eurorack Module
Mutable Instruments Eurorack Module

Building your Rack Through Mutable

Compared to the semi-modular or fully-assembled state of most traditional synthesizers, the modular style of Eurorack synthesis can be intimidating to newcomers. “The worst mistake you can make is to plan a full system with $2000 worth of modules,” says Gillet. “You won't really know what you need before having spent hours and hours playing with a system... and then it's too late!” She recommends starting with 3 modules: “A simple recipe would be a modulation source (sequencer, LFO), a sound source (oscillator, physical modeling resonator), and a sound modifier (filter, effect).”

Which Mutable Instruments module should people reach for first? “I would recommend Plaits, since it does not require any other module to produce fully shaped tones—it can be directly used as a standalone synthesis voice,” says Gillet, because Plaits will continue to be useful to the player even if they decide they like the sound from a different oscillator. “Once you start getting deeper into a specific synthesis technique, Plaits will still remain very useful as a secondary voice, for layering, a percussion channel.”

SHOP MUTABLE INSTRUMENTS

Shop Mutable Instruments Eurorack modules today at Chicago Synth Exchange. Questions? Give us a call at (773) 525-7773, or chat with us every day from 9am-9pm on our website!

Chase Bliss Blooper Bottomless Looper Effects and Pedals / Loop Pedals and Samplers
Chase Bliss Blooper Bottomless Looper Effects and Pedals / Loop Pedals and Samplers
Chase Bliss Blooper Bottomless Looper Effects and Pedals / Loop Pedals and Samplers
Chase Bliss Blooper Bottomless Looper Effects and Pedals / Loop Pedals and Samplers

Chase Bliss Blooper Bottomless Looper

$499.00
From Chase Bliss:

The bottomless looper.

Within this little blue rectangle is an intricate machine to explore, unravel, and make your own, with infinite opportunities and outcomes. The dream of blooper was to merge high-quality looping with creative manipulation, allowing you to steer your loops to new and extraordinary places. Record a loop one day, save, then come back and transform it on another.

On the practical end, there is loop saving, eight layers of undo and redo, and external syncing. On the creative end, there are two channels of modifiers, a lo-fi Stability control, and three looping modes. blooper’s heart is Additive mode, which allows you to record sound modifiers directly into the loop like any other overdub.
View Details

SHOP MUTABLE INSTRUMENTS

Mutable Instruments Marbles Random Sampler Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Marbles Random Sampler Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Marbles Random Sampler Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack

Mutable Instruments Marbles Random Sampler Eurorack Module

$359.00
Mutable Instruments Blinds Quad VC-Polarizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Blinds Quad VC-Polarizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Blinds Quad VC-Polarizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Blinds Quad VC-Polarizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack

Mutable Instruments Blinds Quad VC-Polarizer Eurorack Module

$199.00
Mutable Instruments Beads Texture Synthesizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Beads Texture Synthesizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Beads Texture Synthesizer Eurorack Module Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack

Mutable Instruments Beads Texture Synthesizer Eurorack Module

$359.00
Mutable Instruments Clouds Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Clouds Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack
Mutable Instruments Clouds Keyboards and Synths / Synths / Eurorack

Mutable Instruments Clouds

$150.00
Load More

Related Posts

Teenage Engineering | OP-XY

Teenage Engineering | OP-XY

The OP–XY is an advanced, all-in-one synthesizer and composer designed to empower creativity in a streamlined, portable form. With a powerful 64-step sequencer and 24-voice polyphony, this innovative groove-box offers precise, direct sequencing abilities, allowing users to build complex tracks layer by layer. Its high connectivity includes MIDI, CV, sync, and gate support, USB-C, and Bluetooth MIDI, making it adaptable for any studio setup.

View Details
Fender | Hello Kitty Collection

Fender | Hello Kitty Collection

Step into the colorful world of Hello Kitty with the Fender x Hello Kitty collection, a vibrant collaboration that bridges generations of fans. This collection blends Hello Kitty’s playful, bold aesthetic with Fender’s renowned performance and craftsmanship, offering a unique fusion of style and sound to celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th Anniversary!

View Details
Chicago Music Exchange | 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Chicago Music Exchange | 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

Welcome to the 2024 Chicago Music Exchange Holiday Gift Guide! Whether you're shopping for yourself or looking for the perfect present for the musician in your life, we've compiled a list of our top picks across a wide range of budgets and categories. From the hottest new gear to staff favorites, there's something for everyone here. Let’s dive in!

View Details