Mutable Instruments Tides
Tidal modulator: envelopes, LFOs, and oscillator in one
14 HP Eurorack module
Tides is a digital function generator that produces flowing, tide-like voltage shapes ranging from slow LFO sweeps to audio-rate oscillation. It excels at generating envelopes, LFOs, and VCO waveforms with continuous morphing between shapes, and its four outputs can simultaneously produce different waveshapes, amplitudes, phases, or frequencies from a single generator. Its musical character is fluid and organic, capable of everything from gentle modulation to polyrhythmic clocking and just-intonation chord generation.
Features
- Three ramp modes: one-shot AD envelope, looping cyclic LFO/VCO, and one-shot AR envelope
- Three frequency ranges: low (2 min to 2 Hz), medium (0.125 to 32 Hz), high (8 Hz to 2 kHz)
- Shape control morphing between linear, exponential, and sinusoidal segments with CV input
- Slope control setting attack-to-decay time ratio with CV input
- Smoothness control applying 2-pole LP filter (CCW) or wavefolder (CW) with CV input
- Four output modes: different shapes, different amplitudes, different times, different frequencies
- External clock input with PLL for tempo-locked operation at ratios from 1/16 to 16x
- V/OCT pitch tracking input for use as a VCO or pitch-tracked LFO
- Attenuverters on all five CV inputs
- SHIFT/LEVEL knob and CV input for controlling output routing/phasing/frequency spread
- Bipolar +/-5V outputs for cyclic signals and unipolar 0 to +8V for gates and envelopes
- 14-bit DAC at 62.5 kHz (31.25 kHz in different frequencies mode)
Controls & Jacks (32)
- Frequency CV — Frequency modulation CV input for exponential FM
- Shape CV — Shape modulation CV input, range +/- 8V
- Slope CV — Slope modulation CV input, range +/- 8V
- Frequency — Spans a range of ±4 octaves around the central value set by frequency range. Clockwise for faster in AD/AR mode, counter-clockwise for slowe
- Smoothness CV — Smoothness modulation CV input, range +/- 8V
- Shift/Level CV — Shift/level modulation CV input, range +/- 8V
- Smoothness — Waveshape transformation: counter-clockwise applies 2-pole low-pass filter smoothing, clockwise adds kinks and bumps with wavefolder
- Trig/Gate — Trigger or gate input. In AD: trigger initiates attack/decay cycle. In cyclic: trigger resets oscillator. In AR: rising edge raises envelope
- Smoothness Attenuverter — Attenuverter for smoothness CV input
- Output 1 — Main signal output with voltage-controlled attenuverter
- Clock — Clock input for tempo or frequency-locked operation. Frequency knob controls ratio between clock frequency and generated signal frequency (1
- Shape — Shape control of the ascending and descending segments, covering various combinations of linear, exponential, or sinusoidal segments
- Output 2 — Second output (waveform depends on output mode selected)
- Shift/Level Attenuverter — Attenuverter for shift/level CV input
- V/Oct — Volt-per-octave pitch control input, range -3 to +7V
- Frequency Attenuverter — Attenuverter for frequency modulation CV input, controls exponential FM amount
- Output Mode — Selects the relationship between the four signals: different shapes, different amplitudes, different times, or different frequencies
- Frequency Range — Selects the central value of the frequency knob: low (1/8 Hz, movements), medium (2 Hz, rhythms and modulations), or high (130.8 Hz, audible
- Output 3 — Third output (waveform depends on output mode selected)
- Output 4 — Fourth output (waveform depends on output mode selected)
- Slope Attenuverter — Attenuverter for slope CV input
- Shift/Level — Output polarization and shifting: adjusts amplitude/polarity of first output or shift in amplitude/time/frequency between outputs depending
- Slope — Ratio between the durations of the ascending and descending segments (A/D time ratio or asymmetry)
- Shape Attenuverter — Attenuverter for shape CV input
- Ramp Mode — Selects operating mode: AD envelope (one-shot), cyclic (LFO/VCO), or AR envelope (one-shot)
- Mode B — Indicates when output mode is set to shift (amplitude/time/frequency) mode
- Output 2 LED — Activity indicator for output 2
- Output 3 LED — Activity indicator for output 3
- Output 4 LED — Activity indicator for output 4
- Output 1 LED — Activity indicator for output 1
- Mode
- Range
How-To Guides
- V/OCT Calibration
- Firmware Update
- Voltage-Controlled LFO
- Polyrhythmic LFO Machine
- Just Intonation Chord Generator
- Subharmonic and Overtone Generator
- Tempo-Synchronized LFO
- Morphing AD Envelope
- Four-Phase LFO Chorus
- Punchy Bass Envelope
- Wavefolding LFO
Explore the interactive Tides panel on BleepDex — tap any control to learn what it does.
