Mu-Tron III

“New, sophisticated, versatile… utilizing the latest in music synthesis techniques. Small enough to be a ‘mini-synthesizer’. Mu-tron III translates the envelope or “volume picture” of every note automatically… into an easily-controlled, articulated, vowel-like sound – as fast or slow as you play. Use Mu-tron III to create a variety of synthesizer sounds through most electrified instruments – guitar, keyboards, drums, flute, saxophone, brasses, bass, mandolin… even microphone. The sharper your attack and the more percussive your instrument, the wilder your sounds. Mu-tron III can be used with an octave divider or other devices – or in pairs for cascading effects. Besides providing inverted vowel trajectory (‘staccato snap’), Mu-tron III also functions as an automatic ‘wah’ pedal.”– From original Musitronics Mu-Tron III ad circa 1970s

Controls:

  • Mode (LP/BP/LP) selects the type of filter: Lowpass, Bandpass, Highpass
  • Peak Controls volume of the cutoff frequency
  • Gain adjusts the filter’s sensitivity to the signal of your instrument
  • Range (Low/High) selects the frequency range covered by the filter envelope
  • Down/Up selects the direction of the filter sweep: down or upwards
  • Power (Off/On) switches the power on or off

Specifications:

  • Gain: variable from 0.1 to 40, when driven from a low impedance source
  • Input Impedance: 1 megohm at lowest setting of GAIN control, variable to 3.3K ohms at maximum gain setting
  • Output Impedance: 600 ohms
  • Minimum Input Signal For Full Mu-Tron Effect: 1.5 mV from 600 ohm source
  • Maximum Undistorted Output Signal: 3.6 volts RMS
  • Power Supply:  ±9 Volts from 2 NEDA 1604 batteries or Musitronics Model PS-1 Battery Eliminator
  • Dimensions: 8¾” l.  X  5″ w.  X  3⅛” h.
  • Weight: 3¼ pounds (without batteries)

Demo:

Alexis Grimaldo’s Mu-Tron III Demo

Original Owner’s Manual: