Mutable Instruments Shelves User Manual
20hz
20khz
GAINFREQGAINFREQ
0dB
Q Q
GAINFREQ
500hz100hz 1khz 10khz
GAINFREQ
Tips and patch ideas
• Practice by sculpting a very rich and wide-band
material like white noise.
• Patch a low, constant CV (for example -5V) into the
low-shelf’s (or high-shelf’s) GAIN input to use it as a
high-pass (or low-pass) fi lter
• Sweep and shift the whole EQ curve across the
spectrum by modulating the global FREQ input.
• Strange phase-y sounds can be obtained by setting
the two parametric sections to slightly different
frequencies, then using one for boost and the other
for attenuation. They will largely compensate each
other in terms of gain, but create a phase shift.
• Use Shelves in the feedback loop of an FX processor, or for subtly balancing a complex patch based
on feedback.
• Control Shelves from a quadrature LFO or Mutable
Instruments’ Frames. With a harmonically rich VCO
as an input signal, this is a good recipe for space-y,
evolving drones!
• A bit of equalization, simulating the body of an
instrument, is sometimes just enough to take a
physical modelling patch out of the uncanny valley.
Modifi cations
A jumper can be installed, or a switch can be wired, on
the 1x3 pin selector available on the back of the module
and labelled -6dB / 0dB. This adds a switchable -6dB
gain on the input signal, giving you more headroom for
extreme boosting.
The two parametric sections are realized with 2-pole
state-variable fi lters. The individual low-pass, bandpass, and high-pass outputs of these two fi lters are
available on two 1x3 pin connectors.
Shelves
EQ fi lter
www.mutable-instruments.net
About Shelves
Ranges and scales
Front panel
Shelves is a voltage-controlled signal processor altering
the spectrum of audio signals, inspired by the EQ section
of console channel strips.
Just like many sought-after equalizers, it provides
low-shelf, high-shelf, and two parametric tone controls.
Unlike those found in an equalizer, each of these four
sections can be swept over the entire audio range; and
their parameters can be freely modulated with control
voltages.
Installation
Shelves requires a -12V / +12V power supply (2x5 pin
connector). The red stripe of the ribbon cable (-12V side)
must be oriented on the same side as the “Red stripe”
marking on the board.
The power consumption is as follows:
-12V: 75mA ; +12V: 75mA.
Online manual and help
The full manual can be found online at
mutable-instruments.net/modules/shelves/manual
For help and discussions, head to
mutable-instruments.net/forum
On all sections, the FREQ knob spans the entire audio
range, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
The FREQ CV input has a 1V/Oct scale and acts as an
offset to the value set by the FREQ knob.
The GAIN knob covers an attenuation/boost range of
-15dB to +15dB.
The GAIN CV input has a 3dB/V scale and acts as an
offset to the value set by the GAIN knob.
Gains above +15dB cannot be reached, even by adding a
positive CV offset to the GAIN CV input. However, gains
below -15dB can be obtained by adding a negative CV
offset to this CV input.
On the two parametric sections, the Q parameter, which
controls filter selectivity, goes from 0.5 to 1000.0.
Controls
A
B
C
4
1
2
3
5
A. High-shelf section. This section boosts or attenuates
all frequencies above the FREQ control. The GAIN potentiometer controls the amount of attenuation or boosting.
No modification is applied when GAIN is in its central
position.
B. Parametric sections 1&2. These two sections boost
or attenuate all frequencies in a frequency band whose
central frequency is set by FREQ. The narrowness of this
frequency band is set by the Q setting - from very wide to
very selective.
C. Low-shelf section. This section boosts or attenuates
all frequencies below the FREQ control. The GAIN potentiometer controls the amount of attenuation or boosting.
Inputs and Outputs
1. 2. Global frequency and gain CV inputs. These CV
inputs simultaneously shift the FREQ or GAIN of all four
sections.
3. IN. Audio input.
4. Output clipping indicator. It is recommended to re-
duce the level of the input signal - or to reduce the gain
on all sections - when this LED lights up.
5. OUT. Audio output.
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