Mutable Instruments Streams
Dual VCFA dynamics gate with four shaping modes
12 HP Eurorack module
Streams is a dual dynamics gate module combining a voltage-controlled filter and amplifier (VCFA) with four distinct processing modes: envelope generator, vactrol curve generator, envelope/frequency follower, and compressor/limiter. Each channel can sculpt the amplitude and timbral character of audio signals in response to triggers, gates, or sidechain sources. Musically, Streams excels at turning raw oscillators and noise into expressive, living sounds with organic attack and decay shaping.
Features
- Dual independent VCFA (voltage-controlled filter and amplifier) channels
- Four dynamics manipulation modes: envelope generator, vactrol curve generator, follower, compressor/limiter
- Digital emulation of resistive opto-isolator (Vactrol) with adjustable response time
- Analog signal path throughout
- All inputs DC-coupled
- 12-bit, 31kHz EXCITE signal acquisition for metering and following
- 16-bit, 31kHz control voltage generation via DAC8552
- AD and AR envelope types selectable
- Compressor sidechain input via EXCITE
- Intuitive compressor control for peak reduction, limiting, or soft-clipped boosting
- Virtual vactrol optimizable for CV or trigger (plucked sound) response
- Filter cutoff CV amount control for variable timbral modulation
Controls & Jacks (27)
- Ratio — Controls the envelope attack/decay time
- Gain CV Amount — Controls the filter cutoff frequency
- Compression — Selects between envelope generator, vactrol curve generator, amplitude/frequency follower, and compressor/limiter modes
- Envelope Shape — Controls the shape of the AD or AR envelope in envelope generator mode
- Excite Input — Excite/trigger input for envelope generator, signal input for vactrol and follower modes
- Threshold 1 — Controls the amount of CV modulation applied to filter cutoff
- Activity LED 1 — Toggles vactrol response optimization between CV and trigger modes
- Response Time — External CV input for filter cutoff modulation
- Threshold 2 — Sets the threshold level for compressor/limiter operation
- VCA Output — VCA output
- EXCITE Input — Trigger input for envelope generator, signal input for vactrol and follower modes, sidechain input for compressor
- Gain — Sets the compression ratio
- EXCITE CV Input — CV input to modulate EXCITE signal processing
- Envelope Type — Selects between AD (Attack/Decay) and AR (Attack/Release) envelope modes
- VCFA Input — Audio/CV input to be processed by the VCA and filter
- Audio Output — Main audio output from VCA and filter
- Envelope Output — Envelope CV output
- Filter Cutoff — Controls the output gain and VCA level
- Activity LED 2 — Shows activity in mode 1
- Activity LED 3 — Shows activity in mode 2
- Mode — Indicates active mode
- Activity LED 4 — Shows activity in mode 3
- Output Level LED 1 — Shows activity in mode 4
- Filter CV Amount — Controls the amount of CV modulation applied to gain
- Output Level LED 2 — Shows output signal level
- Envelope — Shows envelope stage in progress
- Envelope Time — Shows compression activity
How-To Guides
- Trigger to Full Sound
- Organic Vactrol Pluck
- Dynamic Envelope Follower
- Bus Compressor Glue
- Kick-Triggered Sidechain Duck
- Soft-Limit Harmonic Booster
- Noise-to-Percussion Shaper
- Vactrol CV Smoother
- Dual Channel Dynamic Crossmod
- Factory Reset
Explore the interactive Streams panel on BleepDex — tap any control to learn what it does.
