We take a look at the four channel MIDI to CV Eurorack module from Mutable Instruments. Yarns offers 4 channels and Arpeggiator, Sequencer and Euclidean sequencer.
It's crazy but over 8 years later I'm using / learning Yarns as a mega-powerful songwriting & production tool on my upcoming album!I have 3-voice chords programmed in Ableton split into individual lines. One goes into a Mother-32, which has its own MIDI-CV converter onboard. The other 2 voices run through Yarns and then go into other oscillators in my modular rack. Once you grasp the MIDI routing setup, "it just works" - very intuitive and quick - especially without advanced features or internal sequencing - honestly amazing, I don't know if an overall "better" Eurorack MIDI interface even exists (there are "other options," sure - but Yarns just got it right from the beginning) (Side note from 8 years in the future - Emilie has retired from Mutable Instruments - and Edges was, by far, the worst-selling module in the entire Mutable Instruments lineup, when all was said and done! Kinda crazy, since it sounds absolutely insane and so powerful. Another of my favorite modules)
Bloody BRILLIANT! I should have known not to watch the review - I dont need another MIDI interface - but now I want one :-) Perfect interface, jam packed with killer features! You can expect nothing less from Mutable Instruments! Great review Edd Thank you!!! Edges next PLEASE?!?!?
***** Thank you Edd! I have a Pokey Synth, Piston Honda and hoping to get a SID Guts so the digital would be a bonus IMHO! :-) really enjoying your reviews - thank you!
I wasn't able to find answers to questions about MIDI programmability of this module in the comments, and checked the Mutable Instruments website to happily see that the firmware upware mentioned at the end of this review was actually done and, as far as I can see, all parameters of Yarns is now MIDI controllable. So with an interface programmed on an iPad, this could become a very advanced sequencer. Here's the midi implementation chart: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15TJX1dSbiRo1jPDxPYR4GV2ICQuVu5B6wAjiAAwP60o/pub?gid=1
I'm having trouble understanding if its possible to split keyboard from one MIDI channel so that if I play lower notes on my keyboard it sends CV to CV1 and higher notes on my keyboard sends CV to CV2 for example...? Is it possible without having to send two different MIDI channels?
I just got Yarns and Braids. I'm going to have to watch this video several times I think. I see the potential, but clicking about the menu items and referring back to the manual is a bit cumbersome. I found the midi works great. Just need to figure out the internal sequencer items and understand how to make it do something besides play the same note over and over and over.
This looks like a great unit. It has a lot of usable features and seems logically set up and being able to recall set ups via SYSEX is great for a modular system. It would be great if it were also available in a non-Eurorack version.
Great video, thanks. Although I was unsure if you were just staring at bright video lights or had in fact had a few too many bong hits before the video ;-)
Putting together a modular system, I've generally strayed away from modules with menus, modes and settings, but I think I might make an exception with Yarns.
This one's a great "exception" module, since you really only get into the menu-diving for setup on the patch at the beginning... after that, you just enjoy your keyboard / DAW sending notes perfectly around your system! Love this module, it's exactly what I'd expect from Mutable making a MIDI module! (saw that 5 times fast, lol)
I've been trying to slave a TipTop Trigger Riot to my Octatrack via the MST MIDI to CV Converter module with no luck. Any idea if this Yarns module would work with an Octatrack to send 24ppqn CV Clock to my Trigger Riot... Been banging my head against the wall for days.... meh :/
Not a big deal, but just an FYI. Eu is a diphthong pronounced like the letter 'F' so Euclid is pronounced more like Eff - Clee - Thee - Ease in ancient Greek, and modern Greek as well I should imagine.
But...but...Nick is the Eurorack guy! :) This is the MIDI->CV converter I use on my eurorack system. I've built a lot of Mutable Instruments kits, and I also love their modules. They have a real sense of design. My only gripe with this module is the two character display. I really dislike that. Reminds me of my old Roland SH-32. Also, having to rely on a cheat sheet (which will get lost) to tell you which output does what, is not cool. I haven't used the arp or other advanced features, yet. I have noticed that I can't clock my Metropolis with the MIDI clock output here (even once I put it through a divider). I'm asking folks on Muff's, but I suspect it has to do with the length of the pulse you get. Would be great if Yarns allowed you to divide the clock output and also set the pulse width right there.
***** Thanks Edd. The problem turned out that I didn't save the tempo setting before I shut it off last: it has to be set to external to pipe through the MIDI clock. User error :)
So??? "Yarns" will give me 4 monophonic CV channels that get their info from 4 monophonic MIDI tracks in my DAW? With each MIDI track being on their own MIDI channel. Or does "Yarn's" only see MIDI from 1 channel? MIDI can carry 16 different channels through 1 MIDI cable, Right?
I know this is a super late comment but for the love of jesus christ can some one please post a video of this working with Ableton! Expert Sleepers is driving me to drink! All this technology and I feel there is no answers..
@@ericmosh 6 years later. Good job. See, this was a time when a lot of these RU-vidr pinheads where feverishly making videos to gain popularity and were reviewing or testing new gear to review. Many times they hid stuff in their racks while reviewing something else. But you knew that. Oh and...fuck RU-vid and it’s Tubers.
sorry ich versuche seit Monaten dieses Modul zu verstehen... aber ich bin zu doof :) ...ich schaffe es nicht im 4M oder 4T Modus den euklidischen sequenzer zu benutzen... das Modul ist kompliziert :( ich studiere es weiter ...ansonsten muss ich es zerstören ...es macht mich fertig :( lg tom
Man what I hate about these quad MIDI coming out is the fact that they DONT FUCKING HAVE CLOCK / SYNC OUT. WTF. So annoying. IMHO the Vermont qMIDI is still the most complete.
i love sonicstate and your reviews but sometimes I think that you choose the most boring products to review! surely there are more interesting items than this to invest time in?
To a certain part of the e-music community, this piece of hardware is pretty interesting. It's no easy feat to innovate so much on such an extraordinarily boring type of module, the MIDI converter, but to make a legitimately exciting one? It's pretty wonderful, and allows for some great, and possibly game-changing possibilities in modular music making.
