Mutable Instruments Elements
Physical modeling modal resonator with multi-source excitation
34 HP Eurorack module
Elements is a 34HP modal synthesis voice for Eurorack, combining a multi-source excitation generator with a 64-filter modal resonator to simulate the physical acoustics of struck, bowed, and blown objects. It produces richly textured, organic sounds ranging from bowed glass and steel drums to wooden percussion and resonant tubes, with full stereo output and onboard algorithmic reverb. The module is a complete voice in one panel, capable of everything from delicate bell tones to thunderous metallic crashes.
Features
- Three excitation generators: bowing noise, blowing noise, and percussive impulses with a mixer
- Bow noise generator with particle-like scratching and 2-pole low-pass filter
- Blow noise generator with granular pitched noise and wavetable-like tone color scanning
- Strike impulse generator interpolating through sampled and modeled impulsive excitations with filter and pitch control
- Exciter envelope contour for bowing and blowing generators
- 64 zero-delay feedback state variable filters in the modal resonator
- Geometry parameter interpolates through plates, strings, tubes, and bowls
- Brightness parameter specifies material character from wood to glass to nylon to steel
- Damping parameter simulates wet materials or muted vibrations
- Position parameter specifies excitation point on the resonating structure
- Space parameter creates stereo output from two capture points plus algorithmic reverberation
- All exciter and resonator parameters have dedicated CV inputs with attenuverters
Controls & Jacks (48)
- Blow — Blowing noise excitation level
- Blow Tone — Envelope contour for bowing and blowing excitation
- Blow Tone CV — Amplitude control for exciter section
- Damping — Adds damping to simulate wet material or muting of vibrations
- Position — Specifies point at which structure is excited
- Frequency 1 — Coarse frequency control for modal resonator
- Brightness — Specifies material character of resonating structure (wood to glass, nylon to steel)
- Bow — Bowing noise excitation level
- Strike — Percussive impulse excitation level
- Frequency 2 — Coarse frequency control for modal resonator
- Audio In 1 — Audio input pre-envelope and diffuser
- Blow CV — CV input for blowing noise control with attenuverter
- Space — Creates rich stereo output and algorithmic reverberation
- Strike Excitation 1 — Wavetable-like scanning of blowing noise tone colors
- Contour — Controls the envelope contour shape for excitation
- Frequency Fine 1 — Fine frequency control for modal resonator
- Geometry — Interpolates through resonating structures (plates, strings, tubes, bowls)
- Strike CV 1 — CV input for blowing tone control with attenuverter
- Frequency Fine 2 — Fine frequency control for modal resonator
- Strength CV — CV input for exciter strength control with attenuverter
- Strike Excitation CV — CV input for strike excitation type control with attenuverter
- Geometry CV — CV input for geometry control with attenuverter
- FM — Frequency modulation input
- Exciter Envelope — Controls the exciter envelope rise and decay time
- Space Attenuverter — Attenuverter for Space CV input
- Bow Attenuverter — Attenuverter for Bow CV input
- Space CV — CV input for space control with attenuverter
- Left Output — Stereo audio output (left channel)
- Position Attenuverter — CV input for position control with attenuverter
- Bow CV — CV input for bowing noise control with attenuverter
- Strike Excitation 2 — Interpolates through collection of impulsive excitations (sticks, brushes, hammers, mallets)
- Audio In 2 — Audio input patched straight to resonator
- Strike CV 2 — CV input for percussive impulse control with attenuverter
- Exciter Envelope CV — CV input for exciter envelope control with attenuverter
- Brightness CV — CV input for brightness control with attenuverter
- Damping Attenuverter — CV input for damping control with attenuverter
- Damping CV — CV input for damping control with attenuverter
- Position CV — CV input for position control with attenuverter
- Right Output — Stereo audio output (right channel) with adjustable width/reverberation
- Strength — Amplitude control for exciter section
- Strike CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for Strike CV input
- Brightness Attenuverter — Attenuverter for Brightness CV input
- Gate — Indicates gate input status
- Play — Plays a built-in test excitation when pressed
- Blow CV Attenuverter — Attenuverter for Blow CV input
- Geometry Attenuverter — Attenuverter for Geometry CV input
- V/Oct — V/Oct input for frequency control (1V/octave)
- Exciter — Indicates exciter activity level
How-To Guides
- Bowed Glass Sustain
- Metallic Marimba Hits
- Blown Flute Drone
- Thunderous Gong Strike
- FM Modal Bass
- External Signal through Modal Resonator
- Gated External Audio Excitation
- Self-Generating Evolving Texture
- Expressive Bowed String
- Basic Tuning and First Sound
Explore the interactive Elements panel on BleepDex — tap any control to learn what it does.
