Mutable Instruments BEADS + Quantizers is AMAZING!

Today's video is focused on modulating the pitch input of Mutable Instrument's Beads with quantized LFO's from Pam's Pro Workout. I discovered this technique quite by accident in a recent video and found it to be a very fun creative way for patching Beads. I break down the concept and technique in the latter part of the video and then move on to some musical examples - hope you enjoy!
Ally
CONTENT
0:00 - Intro
2:00 - Concept Explained
5:00 - Ambient Patch with S'n'H
7:50 - Jazzy Strings
12:28 - Density Control
15:40 - Outro
#eurorack #synth #electronicmusic #mutableinstruments #beads
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[@TheUnperson]

Buying some gear? Please use an affiliate link: (US):www.bit.ly/PCtheunperson (EU): www.thomann.de/gb/index.html?partner_id=52787

[@TR-707]

Beads is underused, undercelebrated, forgotten and sleeping. SO happy to find this. Heres to more Beads crazyness in the future

[@Qwiv]

Your dedication to making beads shine is always impressive.

[@migimunz]

Congratulations for getting to 10k! You deserve a lot more, your videos are incredible and you’re super talented. Your jams convinced me to get Plaits as my second module and I’m having a lot of fun with it.

[@TheUnperson]

Thanks I really appreciate that! Glad you’re enjoying plaits!!

[@danielsolomon63]

What i love about your videos is that even though i know you have a bigger pool of modules, you showcase more or less the same small system not baiting us into GASing for dozens of modules but instead keep consistency and prove what exploring and getting to know your system can lead to. Thank you! Amazing content!

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you! I do much prefer using a smaller system and really getting to know the gear well ~ glad you’re liking it!

[@samuelgeorge7090]

Agreed, it's all too easy to get sucked in. I need to learn to use what I've got really well!!

[@theproblembelief7549]

I agree, go deep not wide!

[@theproblembelief7549]

This is pretty cool, I will try the pad-patch with glitchy sounds!

[@PCoyte]

You always have inspiring patch ideas using minimal gear - I can't wait to try this one out with my Beads!

[@TheUnperson]

Thanks! I really prefer working with smaller setups. Hope you have fun trying it out! :)

[@YehudaSamson]

I think you can do this with the wavetable from beads itself as well? Talking about minimal setup!

[@MiroPreclik]

Hey there, thanks for the video. Happy to see beads featured again

[@TheUnperson]

I’m sure it won’t be the last time :)

[@lesjamusic]

What I love about modular is having these kinds of ideas and being able to make them happen! What I also love is seeing cool stuff that you do and copying it. Gonna try this soon 🙃

[@CinematicLaboratory]

Again you've inspired me to revisit smaller setups and your layout seems to be a great starting point. You get SO MUCH out of this system and it's probably the secret to the success of your channel since it proves a modular doesn't have to be ridiculously big and expensive. Best wishes for 2024!

[@TheUnperson]

Cheers man. My brain can’t seem to process ridiculously big complicated things ~ that’s the main reason why I use smaller setups lol

[@Don_Kikkon]

Hey man, just a bit of an update. I happened upon a KZbin vid "MIDI Controlled CV Quantization with the Disting Mk4" on Steve Castellano's channel that is exactly what I mentioned in my last post, and hopefully makes it a little clearer. He also does a polyphonic version with extra modules but that's getting a bit full on for me. Just wanted to share. Anyway looking forward as usual to whatever inspirational content you care to grace us with next. Sharmown!

[@TheUnperson]

Oh nice! I’m gonna go check that out - cheers! ☺️

[@PascalMourier]

Congratulations 10 k !!!!!! It shoukd be 100k at least considering the quality of the content ;) Cheers.

[@chrisarndt8251]

I agree on the 100k comment. These videos are some of my favorite modular videos now. Which is saying something… Cause I watch a LOT of modular videos. He makes music. Not just filter sweeps and stuff. Not that there’s anything wrong with a good ol filter sweep!

[@TheUnperson]

Cheers man ~ much appreciated!!

[@TheUnperson]

There’s only so many filter sweeps and oscillators on oscilloscopes one can handle! :D

[@iwanwesterduin]

Congrats on reaching 10000 subs! You definitely deserve it, and I try to mention your channel now and then on reddit etc to do my part :) That Jazzy Strings piece is beautiful, btw!

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you! I really appreciate the mentions and kind words ☺️

[@wylatron]

Congrats again on 10k! That’s such a huge thing for music channels and I don’t think people realize that. Also, wow! I watched your video, and sat down at my case and ran the quantized triangle into beads like you have and blam! Out popped some amazing stuff. Tuck that one away in the toolbox of cool stuff I can do now, suuuuuper fun🙌🏻

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you! Yea it’s really so much work and such slow growth ~ but I do enjoy doing it so it’s worth it ☺️ Glad the quantise worked ~ It definitely is a fun little trick!

[@richarquis]

Ali! You crossed the 10k! Congratulations! Your videos are always top notch!

[@TheUnperson]

I did finally! Thanks for the kind words ☺️

[@hakutsuru1970]

Do you find yourself pouring a coffee in anticipation of a deep patch session, and then coming to hours later with the coffee cold and hours of video?

[@TheUnperson]

Every time! And when I see the coffee I’m like “oh yea I made a coffee!” Then I drink it and it’s cold and not good lol.

[@ChrisMills-AmbientSpace]

That is particularly excellent. I am so wishing that Beads was available in the VCV Rack environment (I'm virtual for my Eurorack).

[@VirtualModular]

Beat me to it, just about to write that!

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you! Hopefully it will make an appearance in the future!

[@Probbie]

Flipping heck mate; that's amazing!! 👌

[@TheUnperson]

Haha cheers man!

[@ludotex]

Oh wow the jazzy part was especially magic 🥰

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you ☺️

[@mellotom]

Incredible. Your plaits series continue to inspire me to keep experimenting with it, more heads content too please! I want to better understand rhythmic freezing and scanning of the buffer.

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you! I actually just uploaded a vid focusing on freezing and buffer scanning :D

[@dennisrochat7747]

This is great, got a new sub!

[@TheUnperson]

Thanks! Appreciated ☺️

[@user-ng9uc3vu3k]

Hey man. Beads is quite the module. Great ideas with the quantizing .. and the pitch randomization. The randomizer functions .. I've probably just scratched the surface. Thanks, much

[@TheUnperson]

Yea it’s definitely deeper than I first realised!

[@LYFoulidis]

Ah yes, this is one of my fave purposes for Beads! I’ve always got it wired up like this for one of my bands, works especially well on the fiddle! 🤍

[@TheUnperson]

Oh nice! You playing an electric fiddle into it?

[@LYFoulidis]

No, it’s better for everyone if I keep my fiddle playing private! I play in a folky band, and I often take the fiddle feed from the desk to process it. With a quantizer you can go crazy without messing up the harmonic content :)

[@joystickcan]

greaaaaaaaaaaaaat ! that why i love modular happy accident !!! the unpredictible aspect of it !!!

[@TheUnperson]

Hahah yea.. it’s one of my favourite things!

[@locavoremusic3680]

Great jam idea! GOnna try this out this evening :D

[@TheUnperson]

Do it fella!

[@SOLIDbpm]

Great stuff as always. Just the sort of sound I'm looking for to without having to buy more modules. 😁

[@TheUnperson]

Haha its always a great occurrence when you can get a new sound without parting with more money lol

[@LarsBjerregaard]

Yeah, that was pretty great 👍

[@TheUnperson]

Thank you :)

[@VirtualModular]

One of your best yet, love the electric piano thing! I really hope we get Beads in VCV eventually, I've tried this with Rings and it doesn't sound as good. The pitch shifting is kind of manky, Beads is so much cleaner. 😂

[@TheUnperson]

Thanks! Such a shame that’s it’s not in VCV yet. It’s a 100% digital module so would be easy to do ~ hopefully in future!

[@MarteenMayjer]

This is seriously so good! Are you sending the OP-1 to your DAW via USB? Curious of your signal chain involving the OP-1, SP-404, and DrumBrute. Edit: Never mind. Literally answered the question 10 seconds after I typed this hehe.

[@TheUnperson]

Haha! Thanks for the kind words and glad I answered your question lol

[@wishbonebrewery]

Pretty magical....

[@TheUnperson]

Cheers! :)

[@Bills_Place]

I don't have beads, but this gave me some ideas for Clouds into Afterneath with both quantized. Will not be the same, but that's not the point. Thanks!

[@TheUnperson]

That’s a great combo of effects ~ I bet it will sound good!

[@Bills_Place]

@@TheUnperson For reasons (insanity I guess) I have two Afterneaths, so thinking maybe stereo with one envelope delayed to the 2nd for extra fun. That might be "too much" but sometimes the best happy accidents come from careful and subtle modulation, other times by cranking it to 11.

[@Space_pulse]

Nice to see Cárn in there. That’s been on my list for a while. Love the saturation in Cruinn, and really want Cárn for a flavorful little mixer. Do you find it enhances the tones?

[@TheUnperson]

Yea it definitely has a very pleasant saturation/clipping!

[@mntbighker]

I found the density control patch by far and away the most interesting. Now I need to patch that up today and try it ;) Maybe also with Typhoon. Is Data Bender dry?

[@TheUnperson]

I like that one too. Yea the data bender wasn’t being used in this vid :)

[@parristaylor]

Fantastic. Now do it with data bender 1v/o input!

[@TheUnperson]

Fantastic idea! :D

[@banjo498]

imhaving pitch issue when I connect cv into beads. have to heard something about calibration?

[@paulmakl6282]

Do you like putting nautilus before or after beads? Is one order better for certain situations than another?

[@TheUnperson]

I like the way that beads captures the sounds from nautilus more than the way nautilus captures beads ~ if that makes sense! Lol

[@fumeDlt]

Where's the sample lib from? Didn't quite get that, thanks

[@TheUnperson]

It’s called Labs and it’s from spitfire audio :)

[@MarkBokowiec]

I think that maybe the Density control didn’t have any effect ( approx 14’50”) because channel 1 on MATHS was set to maximum - you mentioned that you were controlling the Density with ch1 of MATHS. Just an idea.

[@TheUnperson]

I think you’re right yea… the cv had nowhere further to go lol

[@Doc_Underkraut]

hey

[@TheUnperson]

Hey!

[@Don_Kikkon]

Yeah look I realise you're understandably chuffed about getting to 10,000 subs. But there's no need to show off. Quantisers aren't meant for the likes of you, with your seemingly effortless relatively gifted musical ear young man!! I jest of course. : ) But seriously, watching this has me wondering what you might conjure into existance by incorporating the Disting's quantiser A-6 using the MIDI input to define the notes to constrain to (Maybe Pam's New W/O does something similar?). Param #6 is your friend here, 2 of the 3 modes have you adding notes to quantise to via a (growing) chord shape. From the manual - "While any notes are held, playing new notes adds to the pattern. When all notes are released and a new note played, the pattern is reset and formed from the new note." One of the modes always quantises to only the MIDI notes played and in the other, quantised notes can be in any octave dependant on the voltage sent to the Y input. (Or played in by your other hand as a voltage from the Keystep?) Simples... 🤔 Congrats on hitting 10,000 mate. Shame about the millions still missing out. Poor things. Dammned good show! Yeaahh!

[@TheUnperson]

Haha! I do have a Disting EX and haven’t explored the quantiser at all! Definitely sounds fun being able to determine the notes ~ I’m already thinking how fun it could be to make chord progressions that way!