Mutable Instruments - Yarns

The Mutable Instruments - Yarns is the easiest answer to the problem of controlling multiple oscillators in a polyphonic setup via a MIDI-to-CV interface. And this is just one of the basic features. You would not have thought that Mutable has not programmed this module carefully to the absolute limit of imagination.

Mutable Instruments - Yarns. MIDI interface

Overview

Yarns is a MIDI interface providing up to 4 channels of CV/Gate conversion, and providing some of the MIDI message processing features of Mutable Instruments’ MIDIpal, including arpeggiator, euclidean sequencer, and a SH-101 inspired step sequencer.

Yarns provides 4 CV outputs and 4 Gate/trigger outputs, which can be assigned to up to 4 voices. In single voice mode, note, velocity, modulation and aftertouch (or other CC) CV are produced, along with a gate, a trigger, and a clock/reset output. In two voices mode, two channel of note, modulation or aftertouch CV are produced, along with two gates, and clock/reset outputs. Finally, in four voices mode, four pairs of CV/Gate outputs are provided.

The 2 and 4-voice modes are available both in a “polyphonic” and “multitimbral” flavour. The former receives chords from one single MIDI channel and dispatches them to the voices; while the later provides independent monophonic parts – which can be addressed to different MIDI channels, keyboard ranges, or even velocity levels. Various note priority modes (low, high, last) and polyphonic allocation schemes (voice-stealing, random, cyclic) allows you to fine-tune the CV/Gate conversion to your playing style. Each voice has a built-in digital LFO to interpret modulation wheel messages as a vibrato; can respond to pitch-bend messages; or can be smoothed with a glide/portamento control – no need for a dedicated module and patches to get the right response from a MIDI keyboard!

Each part can generate sequences either through an arpeggiator/euclidean sequencer combo; or with a SH-101 style sequencer with step-by-step recording, storing up to 64 notes. The module can sync to an external MIDI clock, and generate a clock/reset output at any subdivisions of the MIDI clock.

Other unique features include support for microtunings (either through standard MIDI messages or from a selection of historical tunings or indian ragas), just intonation, and an audio output mode which can transform one, two, or four of the CV outputs into simple digital oscillators.

User manual