Make Noise Output Mixing: Exploring Submixing on PoliMATHS and MultiWAVE

The submixing feature on both modules is designed to allow alternate groupings of channels, which can be a game-changer for modulation and voicing. On PoliMATHS, enabling submixing means that outputs are mixed from left to right, and users can break these into groups by patching cables into specific outputs. Each time a cable is inserted, it removes that output from the mix above it, allowing for dynamic reconfiguration of grouped signals.

MultiWAVE takes a slightly different approach, offering direct outputs for its first four channels, while the remaining outputs provide summed signals for oscillator A, oscillator B, and all odd or even-numbered channels. This opens up a host of possibilities for layering, stereo imaging, or creating complex, evolving textures from a single module. The video makes it clear that these submixing options are not just conveniences—they’re creative tools in their own right.

Activating output mixing on PoliMATHS is a simple affair: press and hold the mode and cycle buttons simultaneously. The lightning bolt LEDs beside these buttons provide clear visual feedback—glowing green when submixing is engaged and red when it’s switched off. This immediate indication makes it easy to know the module’s current state, even in a dark rack.

On MultiWAVE, the process involves pressing the page 2 button followed by the mode button. Again, the LEDs glow green for active submixing and red when disabled. These intuitive controls mean users can quickly toggle between direct and mixed outputs without menu diving or guesswork. The panel graphics on MultiWAVE also help, with gold markings above the outputs to indicate the various submixes available.

The video rounds out with practical patch examples that showcase the power of these submixing features. On PoliMATHS, patching a cable into output 8 mixes all eight channels into a single complex function, ideal for generating rich modulation signals. If output 1 is already in use, the mix will exclude that channel, demonstrating how the system dynamically adapts to patching decisions.

Further, patching into output 4 provides a mix of channels 2, 3, and 4, while the first cable continues to sum the remaining channels. This cascading logic allows for intricate signal splitting and recombination, perfect for evolving modulation or layered audio paths. MultiWAVE’s submixes, meanwhile, let users quickly access summed outputs for all oscillators or just odd/even channels, streamlining the process of building stereo or multi-layered patches.

These examples underline the modules’ roles as flexible signal routers, not just sound sources or modulators. The ability to reconfigure outputs on the fly encourages experimentation and opens up new avenues for creative sound design—just the sort of workflow Make Noise is known for championing.