Mutable Instruments Tides User Manual

About unipolar and bipolar outputs

Tips and tricks:

Calibration

The bipolar output is not a merely scaled and off­set version of the unipolar output! It is made of two
bumps, a positive one occurring during the attack,
and a negative one occurring during the release.

Unipolar Bipolar

PLL mode

Hold the frequency range (B) button for 1s. Tides

enters the PLL mode.

In PLL mode, a signal must be provided to the
CLOCK input. Tides will adjust its output frequen-
cy to match the frequency of this signal or a multi­ple/division of it as set by the Frequency knob.

Hold the frequency range (B) button again to leave
the PLL mode.

• Tides works wonders as a master modulator for

a classic analog VCO.

• When using Tides as an oscillator for bass

sounds, try both the unipolar and bipolar out­puts; and the medium and high ranges - they all

sound different.

• Use the PLL mode to create just-intonation mel-

odies on top of a drone sent to the CLOCK input.

• A different flavor of sync sounds can be ob-

tained by patching a PWM or square source into
the FREEZE input.

• Use the wavefolder on a low-frequency envelope

to create bumps and bounces.

• Use the PLL mode, and trigger the CLOCK and

TRIG inputs from a rhythmic sequencer.

• In typical Buchla fashion, the low/high tide out-

puts can be used to trigger another module to

chain envelopes and create complex shapes.

1. Connect a patch cable to the FM input. Leave

the other end of the cable unplugged (this
prevents the normalling to +/-1 semitone to be
activated).

2. Connect a patch cable to the Level input. Leave
the other end of the cable unplugged (this
prevents the normalling to full amplitude to be
activated).

3. Connect a MIDI>CV interface or precision volt­age source to the V/Oct input.

4. Hold the Mode switch (A) for one second. All
LEDs are lit in yellow.

5. Play a C2 note, or send a 1V voltage from your
CV source.

6. Press the mode switch (A). All LEDs are lit in
green.

7. Play a C4 note, or send a 3V voltage from your
CV source.

8. Press the mode switch (A).

The module is now calibrated for accurate V/Oct

operation!

Tides

Tidal modulator

About Tides

Tides is, depending on your point of view, a volt­age-controlled (looping) AR/AD generator which
can reach audio frequencies; or a dynamically
waveshaped synth voice with the ability to go into
subsonic territories.

Installation

Tides requires a -12V / +12V power supply (2x5
pins 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: 5mA ; +12V: 55mA.

Online manual and help

The manual can be found online at

mutable-instruments.net/modules/tides/manual

For help and discussions, head to

mutable-instruments.net/forum

Front panel

C

D

A

B

E

F

G

1 2 3

4

5

76

8

Controls

A. Mode selection. Goes back and forth between

one-shot AD (green LED), looping (LED off), and
one-shot AR (red LED) modes.

B. Range selection. Goes back and forth between

very low (green LED), low (LED off), and audio (red
LED) range.

C. Frequency/rate control.

D. Attenuverter for the FM input. When no sig-

nal is patched into the FM input, serves as a fine
tuning control.

E. Waveshape of the ascending and descending

segments.

F. Ratio between the duration of the ascending and

descending segments.

G. Curve transformation. From 12 o’clock to 7

o’clock (counter-clockwise), applies a 2-pole low­pass filter. From 12 o’clock to 5 o’clock (clockwise),
applies a wavefolder.

Inputs and Outputs

1. 2. 3. CV inputs for shape, slope, and smoothness

controls.

4. Trigger/Gate input. On a rising edge, resets the

waveform and starts the ascent. On a falling edge,
and in AR mode, starts the descent.

5. Freeze input. A gate signal applied on this input

can stop the envelope/oscillator and hold the
signal.

6. V/Oct input. 1V/Oct frequency/rate control.

7. FM input, attenuated and inverted by the attenu-

verter (D).

8. Waveform amplitude CV - normalled to a con-

stant 8V source.

9. Clock input for PLL or tap tempo operation.

10. 11. End of attack (high tide) and end of decay/

release (low tide) logic outputs.

12. 13. Unipolar (0 to 8V) and bipolar (-5V to 5V)

outputs.

9

10 11

12 13