mutable-instruments/beads
Beads
Granular audio processor that creates textures and soundscapes by playing back layered, delayed, transposed and enveloped fragments of sound (grains) taken continuously from the incoming audio signal.240
Capabilities 4
- Delaydelay
- Activated when SIZE is fully CW; supports manual, tap-tempo, or clock-synced delay time with subdivision control via DENSITY.240
- Granular Processorgranular-processor
- Records incoming audio into a RAM buffer and plays back up to 30 simultaneous grains with independent controls for buffer position, pitch, duration, and envelope shape.240
- Granular Wavetable Synthesizerwavetable-synth
- Activated automatically after 10 seconds with no audio inputs patched; granularizes 8 banks of waveforms from Plaits' wavetable model.240
- Reverbreverb
- Built-in stereo reverb with adjustable amount, modeled on specific acoustic spaces; can be CV-modulated via assignable input.240
Jacks 9 — 7 in / 2 out
| Name | Signal | Voltage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inputs (7) | |||
| Assignable CV | cv | — | 240 |
| DENSITY CV | cv | — | When grain density reaches audio rates, applies exponential FM on rate with 1V/octave scale.240 |
| FREEZE gate | gate | — | 240 |
| IN L | audio | — | 240 |
| IN R | audio | — | 240 |
| SEED | mixed | — | 240 |
| TIME/SIZE/SHAPE/PITCH CV | cv | — | 240 |
| Outputs (2) | |||
| OUT L | audio | — | 240 |
| OUT R | audio | — | Can optionally output a grain trigger signal instead of audio when enabled via hold [M] + press SEED.240 |
Parameters 13
| Name | Type | Range | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attenurandomizers | knob | — | With CV patched: CW from 12 o'clock increases CV modulation amount; CCW increases CV-controlled randomization. With no CV: controls randomization from internal random source — peaky distribution (12 o'clock to fully CCW) or uniform distribution (12 o'clock to fully CW).240 |
| Audio Quality | button | — | Cycles through four recording quality settings: Bright digital (48kHz/16-bit), Cold digital (32kHz/12-bit), Sunny tape (24kHz/12-bit), Scorched cassette (24kHz/8-bit). In wavetable synth mode, selects output resolution.240 |
| CV Destination | button | — | Selects which of Feedback, Dry/Wet, or Reverb receives CV from the assignable input (7). Hold and turn knobs to individually adjust CV modulation amounts per destination.240 |
| DENSITY | knob | ≥0 | In latched mode: at 12 o'clock no grains generated; CW = randomly modulated rate; CCW = constant rate. In clocked mode: repurposed as divider (CCW, 1/16 to 1) or probability (CW, 0–100%) control. In delay mode: controls base delay time or subdivision.240 |
| Dry/Wet | knob | — | Controls dry/wet balance of granular processing. In wavetable synth mode, adjusts balance between continuous oscillator signal and granularized signal.240 |
| FREEZE | button | — | Latching button that freezes the recording buffer. If engaged for more than 10 seconds, buffer contents are backed up and restored on next power-on. Also controllable via gate input (3).240 |
| Feedback | knob | — | Controls amount of output signal mixed with input and fed back into processing chain. Each quality setting uses a different feedback limiting scheme. In wavetable synth mode, selects which of 8 waveform banks is played.240 |
| PITCH | knob | -24semitone – 24semitone | Controls grain transposition in semitones with virtual notches. In delay mode, applies classic rotary-head pitch-shifting; at 12 o'clock the pitch-shifter is bypassed. PITCH CV input tracks 1V/octave when attenurandomizer is fully CW.240 |
| Reverb | knob | — | Controls reverb amount. Modeled on the acoustics of Thoreau's cabin or a strip-mall spa. Amount can be CV-modulated via the assignable CV input (7).240 |
| SEED | button | — | In latched mode (hold 4s to enable): grains generated continuously. In gated/triggered mode (short press to toggle): grains generated only while button is held or gate input is high.240 |
| SHAPE | knob | — | Adjusts grain amplitude envelope shape. Fully CCW: clicky rectangular envelopes. Fully CW: slow attacks reminiscent of reversed grains. Envelope shape is independent of playback direction. In delay mode, applies tempo-synchronized envelope on repeats.240 |
| SIZE | knob | ≤4000ms | Controls grain duration and playback direction. At 11 o'clock: 30ms grain. CW: up to 4s forward. CCW: up to 4s reversed. Fully CW (∞): never-ending grains = delay mode.240 |
| TIME | knob | — | Controls which part of the recording buffer grains are drawn from: fully CCW = most recent audio; fully CW = oldest audio. In delay mode, selects actual delay time as a multiple of base delay time, or selects which slice is played when FREEZE is engaged.240 |
Firmware history 0 versions
No firmware history recorded.
References 2
- [240]
- [241]