µPlancks

Micro Mutable Instruments Frames

Micro 8hp version of Mutable Instruments Frames.

Description of Frames:

MIX, ATTENUATE, MORPH, DISPATCH, ANIMATE. WITH THE BIG GLOWING KNOB

The heart of Frames is a 4-channel VCA and mixer under tight digital control.

Through flexible input/output mixing and normalling options, it can be patched to serve the following purposes (among others):

• 4-channel attenuator/VCA.
• 4-channel mixer.
  • 4-channel programmable CV source.
  • Quadraphonic signal dispatcher.

But what makes Frames truly unique is the way in which channel gains/CV levels can be controlled, using a technique inspired by computer animation.

Frames allows up to 20 configurations of the 4 gain knobs to be stored and recalled throughout the course of its big Frame knob.

By rotating this knob (or sending a CV to the Frame modulation input and adjusting its amount with the attenuverter), the configurations are morphed into one another.

With a bit of patching and imagination, Frames can also be repurposed as a 4-channel sequencer, a multi-stage envelope generator or a trajectory generator for quadraphonic panning…
An analog mixer…

4-channel voltage-controlled mixer based on the V2164 IC.

4 x DC-coupled signal inputs.
1 x global input, sent to all unconnected inputs, and normalized to a precision voltage reference (+5V or +10V).
4 x DC-coupled channel outputs.
1 x global mix output, collecting signals from all unpatched outputs, with a -6dB gain.

… under digital control

• 12-bit digital control of the gains for the 4 VCAs.
• Up to 20 keyframes, each keyframe storing VCA CVs for each channel.
• Per-channel easing curve selection: stepped (no interpolation), linear, accelerating, decelerating, sine, bouncy.
• Per-channel CV/VCA response selection, from linear to logarithmic.

Specifications

• CV input impedance: 100k.
• Audio input impedance: 100k (25k for the global input in some configurations due to normalling).
  • Fastest modulation rate: 15kHz.