Mutant Clap
8.31.2014
Mutant Clap user manual v1.03
PG1
hexinverter.net electronics, 2014
analogue clap percussion synthesis module v1.03
hexinverter.net
Thank you for your interest in the Mutant Clap module (MCP)! The Mutant Clap is a 13HP eurorack format
synthesizer module available both as an assembled product and a printed circuit/panel set you can build
yourself if you have the skills.
THE CLAP: THE OLD, AND THE NEW
The MCP was inspired by one of our favourite analogue drum machine synthesis designs. The hand clap
sound has been a staple of house, hip-hop and dance music, and more recently has found its way into some
of the more modern EDM genres like trap and witch house. Regardless of the musical style, the sound used
has been pretty much the same re-sampled clap tone in every track for the last couple of decades. This was
probably because the original drum machine had
only one control the user could adjust for the whole clap
sound:
volume!
That was not okay with us, and so, the Mutant Clap was born.
The MCP features an
entire panel stuffed with controls, modulation inputs and audio outputs
so you can
sculpt a truly unique sound. If you become bored by the built-in classic 909-style LFSR noise generator that
makes up the meat of the clap sound, you can plug in
your own sound source
to the external audio input and
apply it to the unique clap circuitry, for totally alien percussion.
The MCP also doubles as a voltage
controlled noise oscillator
, which you can use as a VCO in your system when you are not making clap
sounds!
FEATURES
feature-rich, analogue handclap percussion synthesis reminiscent of the 909
pitch CV of noise generator allows you to create everything from standard white noise-based claps to broken,
chiptune-like alien sounds
doubles as a voltage controlled, Commodore64-sounding noise VCO via the NOISE output and PITCH CV input
built in internal reverb effect (NOT DSP!) derived from clap tone
reverb decay forms the decay of the clap sound, and is fully voltage controllable from short reverb "snaps" to long,
whooshing tails!
you can select between internal and external noise sources as the source for the reverb sound generation, opening
up really interesting sounds
sustain control lets you crank up the clap's sustain and use the module as an abstract synth voice with external
inputs
external input allows you to synthesise claps from virtually any sound source you plug in
like the other Mutants, the drive control lets you dial in anything from clean to extremely overdriven sounds
bandpass filter cutoff control (not voltage controlled)
bandpass filter output
The Mutant Philosophy
There are already some really excellent clones of vintage gear out there in the modular world. The Mutant
Drums were not made to try and fill that role. Although each Mutant began as a favourable classic drum
topology, we wanted to create something modern and different, while still maintaining an analogue
nature. Features like CV inputs and signal routing not found on classic analogue drum machines were
incorporated to make the circuit a powerful creative tool in your modular synthesizer, rather than just
transplanting a vintage drum circuit into your machine.
