Mutable Instruments has introduced Plaits – a new ‘macro oscillator’ module that improves on the classic Braids design, offering improved usability and audio quality.

Mutable says that “Plaits is the spiritual successor of Mutable Instruments’ best-selling voltage-controlled sound source, Braids. Not just a mkII version: its hardware and software have been redesigned from scratch.”

Like Braids, Plaits, offers a large palette of synthesis techniques. But Plaits eliminates the screen, menu system, hidden settings, and the long list of somewhat redundant synthesis models.

Plaits is much closer to the ideal of one synthesis technique = one model.

Here are some key differences between Plaits & Braids:

Plaits shares no hardware or software with Braids!

Floating-point DSP code written from scratch or inherited from Elements, Warps and Rings.

Band-limited synthesis used almost everywhere, producing aliasing-free results at the base sample rate of 48kHz (Braids ran at 96kHz and used naive oversampling).

High-quality Sigma-Delta ADC for CV acquisition, approaching a resolution of 16-bit (12-bit for Braids).

ADC reads are interpolated in software to eliminate zipper noise.

DC-coupled audio output, extending the range of the module to very low frequencies (Braids could not reach LFO ranges).

Lean hardware design: less HP, mA and €.

Features:

Plaits offers 16 synthesis models:

8 synthesis models for pitched sounds Two detuned virtual analog oscillators with continuously variable waveforms. Variable slope triangle oscillator processed by a waveshaper and wavefolder. 2-operator FM with continuously variable feedback path. Two independently controllable formants modulated by a variable shape window (VOSIM, Pulsar, Grainlet, Casio CZ-style resonant filter…). 24-harmonic additive oscillator. Wavetable oscillator with four banks of 8×8 waves, with or without interpolation. Chord generator, with divide down string/organ emulation or wavetables. A collection of speech synthesis algorithms (formant filter, SAM, LPC), with phoneme control and formant shifting. Several banks of phonemes or segments of words are available.

8 synthesis models for noise and percussion Granular sawtooth or sine oscillator, with variable grain density, duration and frequency randomization. Clocked noise processed by a variable shape resonant filter. 8 layers of dust/particle noise processed by resonators or all-pass filters. Extended Karplus-Strong (aka Rings’ red mode), excited by bursts of white noise or dust noise. Modal resonator (aka Rings’ green mode), excited by a mallet or dust noise. Analog kick drum emulation (two flavors). Analog snare drum emulation (two flavors). Analog high-hat emulation (two flavors).



Other key features:

Dual output The AUX output carries a variant, sidekick or by-product of the main signal.

Patch both OUT and AUX to Warps for weird hybridization experiments!

Internal or external modulations Dedicated CV input for synthesis model selection. No need to activate a mysterious META mode!

An internal decay envelope is normalled to the TIMBRE, FM and MORPH CV inputs: the amount of internal modulation is directly adjusted with the attenuverters.

Internal low-pass gate (LPG) Dedicated LEVEL CV input controlling the amplitude and brightness of the output signal.

The internal LPG can also be directly plucked by the trigger input.

Two parameters of the LPG can be adjusted: amount of low-pass filtering (VCFA to VCA), and response time of the virtual vactrol.



Here’s a video demo, via David Fyans:

This second video takes a look at the speech synthesis capabilities:

Here’s an additional set of demo videos, via DavidH:

Pricing and Availability

Plaits is expected to be available next week, priced at 229€ / USD 259. For more information, see the MI site.