Mutable Instruments Clouds by Softube granular texturizer plugin interface for Softube Modular

Modular Add-On: Mutable Instruments Clouds Granular Texturizer for Softube Modular

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (329 ratings)

Modular Add-On: Mutable Instruments Clouds is a granular texturizer plugin by Softube that requires Softube Modular. It splits incoming audio into droplets between 16 ms and 1 second long.

VST3VST2AUAAXRTASWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Mutable Instruments Clouds is an expansion module for Softube Modular, based on the Eurorack texturizer that Mutable Instruments produced in hardware. It divides an audio stream into short droplets and lets you reshape them through controls for speed, size, texture and more. Softube describes it as a tool for effects and sound design, from rhythmic chopping and drone building to subtle grit. The module runs inside Softube Modular and is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and RTAS formats.

Best for

Rhythmic drum mangling
Ambient drone creation
Lo-fi texture processing
One-shot sampling
Wavetable-style sound design
Modular sound design

Developer: Softube
Category: Modulators
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Granular texturizer that splits audio into droplets from 16 ms to 1 second
Controls for speed, size and texture of the droplet flow
Can be used as a reverb-like or delay-style effect
Freeze function for one-shot sampling of a buffer
Four audio quality modes, including lo-fi 8-bit options
Stereo spread for left and right droplet placement
Pitch shifting, time stretching and feedback controls
Requires Softube Modular to run

03In depth

Granular Sound Design and Texture Control

Clouds takes an input signal and turns it into audio droplets between 16 ms and 1 second long, which you can scrub through and reshape. Changing the droplet size and texture produces very different results from the same source. A smooth input can become choppy and rhythmic, while a dense stack of droplets can turn a snare into an ambient drone.

The module also works as a delay or reverb-like effect. Pitch shifting, time stretching and feedback can be combined to find the tone you want. Four audio quality modes are included, including lo-fi 8-bit options, and stereo spread can send droplets firing left and right.

Freeze, Sampling and Modular Workflow

The freeze function holds the audio buffer so you can play the same chunk of audio indefinitely, which makes Clouds usable as a simple one-shot sampler. An external oscillator can rapidly freeze and unfreeze the stream to robotize a signal, and the buffer can be filled with several tones to behave like a wavetable.

Because Clouds is an add-on for Softube Modular, it fits into a modular patching setup. Softube Modular must be installed to run it.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Softube
Type	Plugin
Category	Modulator
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, RTAS
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is Mutable Instruments Clouds?

It is a granular texturizer add-on for Softube Modular, based on the Mutable Instruments Eurorack module. It processes audio into manipulable droplets.

Which formats and operating systems does it support?

It is available in VST3, VST2, AU, AAX and RTAS formats, and runs on Windows and macOS in 64-bit. Softube lists Windows 10 and 11 and macOS Big Sur 11 through Ventura 13 as supported systems.

What do I need to use Clouds?

You need Softube Modular, a compatible 64-bit DAW host, a Softube account and an iLok account. An internet connection is needed to download installers and manage licenses.