I CAN HEAR YOU… Ears is Mutable Instruments’ take on Tom Whitwell’s open-source Mikrophonie module – a contact microphone and amplifier. A large palette of organic, physical sounds can be generated by scratching, tapping, and more generally collecting any kind of acoustic waves surrounding your modular case – even speaker feedback. With its built-in envelope follower and gate detector, it can also be the gateway between external audio sources and your modular system. Ears for your modular Built-in contact microphone soldered right under the front panel, turning the panel and your entire case into a microphone. Increasingly spaced ridges on the panel, generating sonically interesting pulses or impulse combs when rubbed. Strike, pick or scratch digital resonators like Rings, Elements or the 4ms SMR. High-quality amplification stage suitable for external contact microphones, electro-acoustic instruments like guitars, or plain line-level signals. Specifications Audio amplifier with 1M input impedance, up to 40dB of gain. External input bypassing the built-in contact microphone. Envelope follower with 3 preset attack and release times (adjustable by jumper). Gate detector with 3 preset sensitivity levels (adjustable by jumper) and +8V gate output. Three indicator LEDs: amplifier clipping (red), envelope follower level (white), gate detector activity (orange). Extending the Mikrophonie Compared to the Mikrophonie, Ears has additional outputs: Envelope follower, translating the decaying amplitude profile of a tap into an envelope CV. Gate detector, translating taps into gate signals. Envelope follower and gate detector can process external signals. 4HP | 25mm | +12V:5mA | -12V:5mA
