Make Noise MultiMod: Orbits, Abstractions and Eightfold CV Mayhem

The MultiMod is introduced as a module that challenges the way we think about control voltage processing. Rather than sticking to the familiar metaphors of tape loops or buffers, Make Noise positions the MultiMod as something more immediate and lively, capable of generating eight distinct signals from a single source. Each output operates independently, offering a level of complexity that goes beyond simple duplication or delay.

In the video, the team emphasises the intuitive control the MultiMod offers over these outputs. It’s not just about multiplying a signal—it’s about having hands-on, real-time influence over how each output behaves, making it easy to create evolving, interrelated modulations. This approach encourages users to move beyond traditional thinking and embrace a more open-ended, experimental mindset when patching.

A key feature of the MultiMod is its eight outputs, each of which can change speed and direction independently. This isn’t your standard multi-out LFO or simple CV splitter; instead, each channel can be set to run at its own rate, sometimes even reversing direction, resulting in a constantly shifting landscape of modulation.

The video demonstrates how this flexibility allows for intricate manipulation of control voltages. By adjusting parameters, users can create complex, evolving patterns that would be cumbersome to achieve with conventional modules. The independence of each output means you’re not just copying a signal—you’re orchestrating a constellation of modulations, each with its own trajectory.

Make Noise leans heavily into the metaphor of orbits to explain the MultiMod’s inner workings. Instead of relying on tape loop or buffer analogies, the team suggests imagining the module as a set of planets revolving around a central sun, or runners circling a track. This metaphor helps clarify how each output moves through its own path, sometimes overtaking or lagging behind others, much like celestial bodies with varying velocities.

The video describes how the full 360 degrees of the orbit represents the entirety of the copied signal, with the time control determining how long it takes to complete a revolution. The rotating line—akin to a radar sweep—overwrites the signal as it moves, while each output reads from this orbit at its own pace. This abstraction helps users visualise the otherwise opaque process of CV manipulation within the MultiMod.

By embracing this orbital model, patchers are encouraged to think less in terms of linear time and more in terms of cyclical, interdependent movement. The metaphor isn’t just for show—it actively shapes how one might approach patching, inviting experimentation with phase, spread, and the interplay between channels.

The MultiMod isn’t content with simple orbits; it offers a suite of shape controls that radically alter output behaviour. The default ramp shape provides constant-speed orbits, but switching to saw, triangle, or more exotic shapes introduces reversals, accelerations, and even discontinuous jumps. These movement patterns are more than mathematical curiosities—they directly influence the resulting CV and, by extension, the sonic character of your patch.

As the video demonstrates, shapes like staircase, stepped random, and ramplets introduce discontinuities and unpredictable leaps, leading to complex, textured modulations. The interaction between shape, speed, and phase means that no two outputs need ever behave the same way, making the MultiMod a potent tool for generating evolving, organic control signals.