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Description

The Mutronics Mutator is a legendary piece of studio gear, revered for its analog voltage-controlled filters (VCFs) that deliver synth-like filter sweeps to any sound source. Originally crafted in the '90s, this effects processor quickly became a staple in the music industry, gracing tracks by iconic artists like Radiohead, Daft Punk, and Nine Inch Nails. Now available as a meticulously crafted plug-in, the Mutator brings that same rich, modulated sound to your digital studio.

Each of the Mutator's two channels offers dynamic modulation options, allowing you to shape your sound with precision and creativity. Whether you're utilizing the envelope follower to modulate the filter in sync with your sound's amplitude or leveraging the onboard LFOs' four distinct waveforms, the Mutator offers endless modulation possibilities. Its Gate Mode provides the ability to create modern stutter effects, while the external sidechain input opens up new realms of sonic exploration by allowing external sound sources to influence filter movements.

Perfect for both studio professionals and hobbyist musicians, the Mutronics Mutator is a versatile tool that can transform any track into a vibrant tapestry of sound. Its ability to link or unlink channels for stereo effects and its intuitive controls for width and mix make it an indispensable asset in any producer's toolkit.

Key Features:

  • Dual-channel design with analog voltage-controlled filters (VCFs)
  • Envelope follower and LFO modulation options
  • Gate Mode for stutter effects
  • External sidechain input for dynamic filter control
  • Stereo width and mix controls for optimal sound blending
  • Modeled after the iconic 1990s hardware unit used by top artists
Alex Ball

Alex Ball

MUTRONICS MUTATOR: THAT 90s FILTER

Video thumbnail for MUTRONICS MUTATOR: THAT 90s FILTER by Alex Ball

MUTRONICS MUTATOR: THAT 90s FILTER

Alex Ball

Alex Ball

Video thumbnail for Mutronics Mutator レゾナンス自己発振をLFOで揺らしたノイズ by METEORSOUNDjp

Mutronics Mutator レゾナンス自己発振をLFOで揺らしたノイズ

METEORSOUNDjp

METEORSOUNDjp

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Mutronics Mutator.

Features and functionality

  • A demo of the Mutronics Mutator plugin was found effective in achieving a "flangery filtery" sound, often associated with French house music.

    Source
  • The Mutronics Mutator can create resonant filter effects triggered by an envelope follower, ideal for achieving unique rhythmic textures.

    Source

Comparisons

  • Users compared the Mutator with the Soundtoys FilterFreak and Crystallizer, ultimately favoring the latter for its unique granular delay effects.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • Adding saturation with a Moog MF109S at the start of the processing chain enhanced the crispiness of the sound when used with the Mutator.

    Source

User experience

  • The combination of granular delay and Mutator filtering provided a satisfying sound, although not identical to the sought-after French synth effect.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • It's particularly effective for producing distinct backbeat sounds, similar to those heard in The Divine Comedy's cover of "I've Been to a Marvellous Party."

    Source

5.0 out of 5

Based on 0 Reviews and 3 Ratings

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Artist usage

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See how Daft Punk uses Mutronics Mutator

Daft Punk

Music Producer

...
Verified via Mutronics

Per the official Mutronics website, Daft Punk are listed as Mutator customers. Good of Mutronics to keep the page alive despite the Mutator being discontinued in 2007.

See how Jonny Greenwood uses Mutronics Mutator

Jonny Greenwood

Guitarist

Radiohead

...
Verified via FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.

Jonny used this on the guitar solo in Paranoid Android in the studio. The Mutator is a stereo analogue filter and envelope follower with full control facilities. It contains two independent voltage controlled filters similar to those found in analogue synthesizers, which can be used to treat any external sound source. Each filter can be controlled from its own associated low frequency oscillator (LFO) and/or its own envelope follower section, which extracts the envelope contour of an input signal and applies it to control the cut-off frequency of the filter.

Each envelope follower can be switched to track either the envelope of the sound that is being treated by the filter, or that of an independent external control signal. This external control signal can be any audio source , eg. a drum sound, a guitar, a synth, a sampler output, or even a microphone. Thus the envelope characteristics of one sound can be superimposed onto the filtering contour of another.

Another switch on the envelope follower selects envelope follow mode or gate mode - in which the circuit detects whether a signal is above a certain threshold level before switching on.

In gate mode, the device can operate much like a dedicated noise gate unit, with the added capabilities of the analogue filter

The LFO's have four different sweep waveforms each and may be switched via a stereo link to produce stereo panning effects.

See how Amon Tobin uses Mutronics Mutator

Amon Tobin

Composer, Music Producer

Two Fingers

...
Verified via Soundstatements

At the bottom of the article you can see the Mutator in the list of gear he used on Foley Room.

See how Robert Del Naja uses Mutronics Mutator

Robert Del Naja

Singer

Massive Attack

...
Verified via Soundonsound

"As you would expect, the studio contains some of the finest processors in the world, including an SPL Transient Designer, two Empirical Labs Distressors, an Audio & Design F760XRS compressor/limiter/expander, a Focusrite Platinum Compounder, a Drawmer LX20 dual expander/compressor and two DS201 dual gates, Fairman and Smart Research C2 compressors, a Mutronics Mutator filter bank, an Electrix Filter Factory, a Teletronix LA2A compressor, a Massenburg Model 8000 EQ, a Tubetech LCA2B compressor, a Drawmer 1960 valve compressor/preamp, a Focusrite Red 7 mic preamp/dynamics processor, and a Joemeek stereo compressor."

See how Jonas Blue uses Mutronics Mutator

Jonas Blue

Music Producer

...
Verified via MusicRadar

"I've got a Mutronics Mutator here as well, so if I do wanna go for some weird filtering then I'll send it back out of the box, into that, and back in again. My vocal chain is the 1084 and Tube Tech CL 1B compressor; that's a winning combo for me."

See how Daniel Miller uses Mutronics Mutator

Daniel Miller

Keyboardist, Music Producer

...
Verified via Soundonsound

Daniel Miller is listed as using the Mutronics Mutator in his studio setup, as noted in Sound On Sound.

N

Norman Cook

Music Producer

Beats International

...
Verified via YouTube

In the video at 7:22, you can clearly see it in the rack.

See how Marius de Vries uses Mutronics Mutator

Marius de Vries

Composer, Music Producer

The Blow Monkeys

...
Verified via Soundonsound

It can be seen in the eleventh photo, captioned "Some of Marius de Vries' outboard gear. From top: Digitech Vocalist II effects, Yamaha SPX900 multi‑effects, Alesis Quadraverb GT and Quadraverb multi‑effects, Mutronics Mutator compressor, Avalon input channel, Yamaha REV7 multi‑effects, Alesis 3630 compressor and Tascam DA30 DAT recorder."

See how Skudge uses Mutronics Mutator

Skudge

...
Verified via Photo

"@skudge_elias_landberg Racking #outboard #hardware #gear #mutronicsmutator #klarkteknik #reverb #h3000b #eventide #lexicon #bossce300 #chorus #boss"

See how Alex Ball uses Mutronics Mutator

Alex Ball

Singer, Keyboardist

...
Verified via YouTube

The Mutronics Mutator Is Used And Disscussed Through-Out The Video

See how Stephen Street uses Mutronics Mutator

Stephen Street

Bassist, Music Producer

...
Verified via Soundonsound

A Yamaha SPX 900 unit can be seen in Stephen Street's studio, in the fifth photo. The fifth photo is captioned: A selection of Street's gear: from top, TL Audio Classic dual valve EQ and Indigo VP2051 voice processor, Empirical Labs Distressor compressor, Emu Vintage Keys and Proteus FX synth modules, Yamaha SPX900 multi‑effects, Antares ATR1 Auto‑Tune intonation processor, Novation BassStation Rack, Zoom Studio 1201 effects, Mutronics Mutator filter bank, Ensoniq DP2 effects, SPL Transient Designer dynamics processor, and two more Distressors.

See how Ferdous uses Mutronics Mutator

Ferdous

Keyboardist, Music Producer

Klyne

...
Verified via Photo

can be seen in this post from April 9, 2016

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Mutronics Mutator, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

ARP 2600
ARP 2600 Synthesizers
3
Alesis Quadraverb
Alesis Quadraverb Effects Processors
3
Yamaha SPX900
Yamaha SPX900 Effects Processors
2
E-mu Vintage Keys
E-mu Vintage Keys Sound Modules
2
Akai MPC 3000
Akai MPC 3000 Keyboards, Synthesizers & MIDI
2
Korg ARP Odyssey
Korg ARP Odyssey Synthesizers
2
Yamaha NS10 Studio Monitor
Yamaha NS10 Studio Monitor Active & Passive Monitors
2
Korg MS-20
Korg MS-20 Synthesizers
2

Community setups

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janoschmoldau

janoschmoldau

Gear IQ 121

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