Au revoir Mutable Instruments!
December 12, 2022 9:50 AM Subscribe
Émilie Gillet of Mutable Instruments has officially closed her shop. Her ground breaking designs are open sourced, which has led to the designs being cloned in smaller packages, also open source, as well as several professional builders now offering her designs. (A hobbyist can also have the pcbs fabbed and build them on their own, as I have.)
Open sourcing her designs was a net good for the entire eurorack format market, in my opinion. But it also led to music gear behemoth and noted antisemetic, litigious edgelords Behringer to issue it's own closed-source clone based on her Plaits module -- at a significantly lower price point.
In a final parting gift, she has released an update to Plaits with an entire new bank of user-updatable sounds. Created "just in case the clones/competition would start being a problem (as you can see, it wasn’t really necessary)." This update is currently closed source and not usable on Behringer's clone.
Open sourcing her designs was a net good for the entire eurorack format market, in my opinion. But it also led to music gear behemoth and noted antisemetic, litigious edgelords Behringer to issue it's own closed-source clone based on her Plaits module -- at a significantly lower price point.
In a final parting gift, she has released an update to Plaits with an entire new bank of user-updatable sounds. Created "just in case the clones/competition would start being a problem (as you can see, it wasn’t really necessary)." This update is currently closed source and not usable on Behringer's clone.
If you enter the world of Eurorack modules, it begins with lots of little boxes. In each box, will be the module and stickers, lots of stickers. But when I ordered a couple of MI modules, there were stickers, but in one box was a very nice little wooden (I think it’s wood, it might not be) bell, and in the other was the front half of a goat, with a magnet to stick it on something. Very simple, modern designs. I realized I was dealing with a very different company. Their stuff is really unique, from the module names, their insane functionality, and the graphic design. And making it all open sourced, too. A lot of the modules are available for free in software emulation on the also free VCV Rack modular system.
And to make a whole 180 degree turn, from a great company to the exact opposite… On most of the electronic music forums I frequent, just mentioning that B company, will turn any thread into a raucous argument, usually flipping from “it’s garbage” to “but it’s cheap” over and over.
posted by njohnson23 at 11:50 AM on December 12, 2022 [3 favorites]
And to make a whole 180 degree turn, from a great company to the exact opposite… On most of the electronic music forums I frequent, just mentioning that B company, will turn any thread into a raucous argument, usually flipping from “it’s garbage” to “but it’s cheap” over and over.
posted by njohnson23 at 11:50 AM on December 12, 2022 [3 favorites]
TIL about Behringer's reputation. I have one of their controllers, it works well and was cheap. Won't buy another though.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:27 PM on December 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:27 PM on December 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have two of their controllers. They were cheap. The second was a replacement for the first, which failed. The second also failed.
posted by The Half Language Plant at 12:41 PM on December 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by The Half Language Plant at 12:41 PM on December 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
Rings into Clouds, forever!
posted by a complicated history at 1:00 PM on December 12, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by a complicated history at 1:00 PM on December 12, 2022 [8 favorites]
The term “genius” is tossed around too frequently in the music world. Emilie Gillet is a genius. Her direct impact on the sound of electronic music is unparalleled in the last 15 years, to the point of generating backlash (eg “Rings->Clouds Ambient”). I still own a core MI getup at the core of my rig and can guarantee they’ll be there until the end of time.
posted by q*ben at 1:03 PM on December 12, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by q*ben at 1:03 PM on December 12, 2022 [3 favorites]
I got my start in Eurorack because Émilie donated several modules to a charity auction in 2016. I won Rings (which I still have and love), and also bought Tides and Peaks to start. I was blown away by the possibilities and it wound up reforming my whole musical... career-ish thing.
I've been privileged to have been a beta tester for several of her later modules, too.
I've been a bit sad that we won't have any more of her designs in the future... but her contribution to the world of synths has already been incomparable. Beyond just the brilliant modules, her open-source schematics and code (e.g. for bootloaders that allow updating via audio inputs) have become a part of many other products, and her modules have been ported to formats other than Eurorack.
A lot of the backlash against Mutable Instruments modules is silly and short-sighted, IMHO. People who think Rings "can only do one sound" (because they never use the audio input!) or who think using Plaits is like using presets in a VST plugin, or is somehow less "advanced" than a basic Doepfer oscillator... (shrug)
posted by Foosnark at 1:27 PM on December 12, 2022 [7 favorites]
I've been privileged to have been a beta tester for several of her later modules, too.
I've been a bit sad that we won't have any more of her designs in the future... but her contribution to the world of synths has already been incomparable. Beyond just the brilliant modules, her open-source schematics and code (e.g. for bootloaders that allow updating via audio inputs) have become a part of many other products, and her modules have been ported to formats other than Eurorack.
A lot of the backlash against Mutable Instruments modules is silly and short-sighted, IMHO. People who think Rings "can only do one sound" (because they never use the audio input!) or who think using Plaits is like using presets in a VST plugin, or is somehow less "advanced" than a basic Doepfer oscillator... (shrug)
posted by Foosnark at 1:27 PM on December 12, 2022 [7 favorites]
The second was a replacement for the first, which failed. The second also failed.
The third one failed, burned down, fell over, and sank into the swamp.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:55 PM on December 12, 2022 [8 favorites]
The third one failed, burned down, fell over, and sank into the swamp.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:55 PM on December 12, 2022 [8 favorites]
Her opensource firmware has taught me so much about fixed point math, how to handle slower chips & memory limited, and various audio tricks. My hobby work for the past three years owes so much to the fact that she went open source. even though I've never used a real version of one of her modules, I'm forever appreciative of the work that she's done.
posted by jonbro at 5:06 PM on December 12, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by jonbro at 5:06 PM on December 12, 2022 [4 favorites]
Supply chain has severely boned the little eurorack businesses. I feel bad for MI clones going out of control, but I think it just isn't viable for most of the little guys to survive right now unless they want to burn the candle at both ends in logistics hell.
Behringer is a symptom, imo. They're scummy, no question, but eurorack is sooo expensive. The community needs more good entry level stuff. Especially cases! Behringer is getting people early before they know better and then the community is hella toxic and gatekeepy to the poor newcomers.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 5:15 PM on December 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
Behringer is a symptom, imo. They're scummy, no question, but eurorack is sooo expensive. The community needs more good entry level stuff. Especially cases! Behringer is getting people early before they know better and then the community is hella toxic and gatekeepy to the poor newcomers.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 5:15 PM on December 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
The third one failed, burned down, fell over, and sank into the swamp.
The fourth one failed, burned down, fell back in time a thousand years and helped win a galactic war.
posted by Marticus at 7:38 PM on December 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
The fourth one failed, burned down, fell back in time a thousand years and helped win a galactic war.
posted by Marticus at 7:38 PM on December 12, 2022 [2 favorites]
Èmilie has been so generous with her designs, and she also interacted fairly frequently with the various modular communities. Always happy to help, though definitely with some wry snark at times.
It is also so wonderful to see someone take charge of their destiny. She decided she was done, finished out her last designs and saw them through their runs (she would typically do two runs of the modules and then open source them), and then closed the door, "leaving a lot of money on the table". I put all that in quotes because it never seemed to be her motivation; adhering to her principles and sticking to her plans and promises is how she seems to operate, never promising things she doesn't want to deliver.
Also interesting to see people here who I may know from modular world here also! I'm xenus_dad on Lines and The Other Place :wave:
posted by Barking Frog at 8:11 PM on December 12, 2022 [5 favorites]
It is also so wonderful to see someone take charge of their destiny. She decided she was done, finished out her last designs and saw them through their runs (she would typically do two runs of the modules and then open source them), and then closed the door, "leaving a lot of money on the table". I put all that in quotes because it never seemed to be her motivation; adhering to her principles and sticking to her plans and promises is how she seems to operate, never promising things she doesn't want to deliver.
Also interesting to see people here who I may know from modular world here also! I'm xenus_dad on Lines and The Other Place :wave:
posted by Barking Frog at 8:11 PM on December 12, 2022 [5 favorites]
Without question, Èmilie is everything that is good about eurorack encapsulated in a single person. I was very sad to hear that Beads would be the last MI module. There's something about her designs that just "clicks" with the way I think. She was always too good for such a small industry, though. I wish her the best.
I think the community is going through some growing pains right now. Tons of new people coming in, lots of folks closing shops while others start new ones, more diversity in approach than ever before. If chip/part supply stabilizes I think we're going to see a lot of cool stuff start happening.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 10:15 PM on December 12, 2022
I think the community is going through some growing pains right now. Tons of new people coming in, lots of folks closing shops while others start new ones, more diversity in approach than ever before. If chip/part supply stabilizes I think we're going to see a lot of cool stuff start happening.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 10:15 PM on December 12, 2022
As far as I’m aware Émilie hasn’t let on what she intends to do after MI. But of course we’re not entitled to any more of her work, and she is perfectly entitled to take as much time away from creating things for us as she pleases (perhaps forever). Nevertheless one hopes that such creativity will find other ways to reach us. ( & So of course I speculate that maybe she will do something wonderful for other platforms... but that hardly seems the point of stepping away.) It is difficult to be patient though, I will admit, when someone has almost sui generis created what for me are pinnacles of eurorack design. And patient for what? As above, we’re not entitled to any more. That might be it from Émilie. But I truly hope not.
Thank you Émilie.
posted by aesop at 12:58 AM on December 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
Thank you Émilie.
posted by aesop at 12:58 AM on December 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
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Both bummed at the loss of a huge creative force in the synthesizer scene and also happy that Emilie is able to make a new start in her personal and professional life. Best of luck to her!
posted by bgribble at 11:34 AM on December 12, 2022 [3 favorites]