Monsoon - Magpie black panel

Texture synthesizer

Clouds is a granular audio processor - with a couple of twists.

Unlike granular sample players, Clouds is focused on the realtime granularization of incoming audio signals, and the acquisition of textures from them.

Classic controls such as grain position, size, and pitch are provided. Clouds can superimpose up to 16 grains simultaneously and thus create thick textures. Control over texture density, independently of grain size, is thus provided. An external trigger input allows grains to be seeded in sync with LFOs or rhythmic generators.

To provide a richer variety of timbres, Clouds allows the shape of the grain's envelope to be morphed - from sharp rectangular edges to a smooth bell curve. In addition, a diffusion network can further dissolves the edges of grains into blurry textures.

"Grain mesh" modes automatically adjust grain density, size, and the offset between successive grains in order to generate a continuous stream of audio that can be pitch-shifted / time-stretched in the manner of old-school samplers (or time-domain pitch/time processors).

Finally, to cover various applications of granular synthesis without the need for additional modules, Clouds' comes with four voltage-controlled "blend modes" for mixing and re-routing its output signal: VC dry/wet balance, VC channel crossfade, VC feedback, and VC reverberation.

Clouds' delay memory ranges from 1s to 8s depending on audio quality settings.
Features

Recording buffer duration: 1s (32kHz, 16-bit, stereo) to 8s (16kHz, 8-bit µ-law, mono). 4 quality settings.
Grain size: 16ms to 1s.
Maximum number of concurrent grains: 40 to 60 depending on recording buffer resolution.
Grain generation time-base: periodical, randomized, or externally clocked.
Grain envelopes: continuously variable between boxcar, triangle, Hann.
Playback modes: granular, microlooper/buffer-lock, time-domain pitch-shifter/time-stretcher (WSOLA), spectral.
4-AP diffuser to post-process the granularized signal.
Post processing (blending) settings: dry/wet, random panning amount, feedback amount, reverb amount.
4 memory locations for "frozen" recording buffers.

Controls

Tune and Input level knobs
Position, density, size, and texture sliders
Wet, stereo, feedback, and reverb trimmers
Blend mode (or audio quality) selection button
Load/save button
Freeze button

www.mutable-instruments.net/modules/clouds