Mutable Instruments New Marbles Random Sampler Is A Module For Controlled Chaos

Master clock

• Internal clock with adjustable rate (with V/O CV input), or division/multiplication of an external clock.
• Range selection button further multiplying or dividing the clock by 4.
• Rhythm follower/predictor to lock onto uneven clock divisions or rhythmic patterns.
• Adjustable jitter (knob and CV), going from perfect tracking to completely erroneous – but always preserving the overall tempo.

Two-channel random rhythm generator

• Three gate outputs: t₂ is the main output carrying the jittery clock, t₁ and t₃ are the complementary random rhythm output.
• Three generative models, with CV-controlled bias parameter increasing the density of notes on one channel or the other:
  1. Random routing of each clock pulse to either outputs, following a coin toss.
  2. Selection of a random division factor for one output, and the reciprocal factor for the other.
  3. Generation of random kick/snare patterns using a process similar to Grids.
• Adjustable gate duration, from short triggers to full length. Gate duration can be randomized.

Random voltage generator

• 3 outputs, either clocked by the 3 outputs of the random gate generator, or by a common external clock.
• Distribution control: SPREAD control, scanning between constant, bell-shaped, uniform or discrete distributions; and BIAS control biasing the generated voltage towards the bottom or top of the voltage range.
• Adjustable range: 0 to +2V (for melodies), 0 to +5V, -5V to +5V.

Quantized or smooth… CV Post-processor

• The STEP parameter controls the steppiness/quantization of the output voltages.
• Turn this knob clockwise and a progressive quantizer is applied to the voltages – progressively reducing the probability of hitting a note outside of the scale, then making accidentals less likely, then giving more weight to the root and fifth – and at the extreme yielding only octaves.

• If steppy is not your thing, turn counterclockwise to increasingly slew the output voltages to the point that the module produces smooth, continuous curves.

Programmable quantizer

• 6 programmable scales.
• Scales are programmed by playing a short jam in the target scale: Marbles learns which notes are more prominent than others.

Output diversity

• The three outputs can all follow the settings dialed on the control panel, or react in different and opposite ways. The turn of a knob can completely push your patch towards a new direction!

• DEJA VU parameter increasing the probably of re-playing past material to the point that the generated output forms a loop… then increasing the probability of randomizing the order of this loop.
• The DEJA VU control applies to the random rhythm, the random voltages, or to both, or neither of them.
• Adjustable loop length from 1 to 16 steps.

External CV processing

• An external CV can be recorded in the DEJA VU loop in place of internal random voltages.
• All transformations performed by the random voltage generator (looping, shuffling, spreading, transposition, quantization, lag-processing) can be performed on external voltages.
• TLDR: live remixing of external sequences!