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Contraptions Overview

Contraption Categories

AudioMulch contraptions generate and process sound. They can be grouped into the categories listed below. Follow the links to read about each contraption, or go to the Contraption Reference Index page of this Help File for a brief summary of what each contraption does.

1. Input/Output

Input/Output contraptions control the flow of sound and MIDI data into and out of AudioMulch. The contraptions are:
SoundIn, SoundOut, AuxIn / AuxOut, FilePlayer, FileRecorder, *FilePlayer, *FileRecorder, MidiIn.

2. Signal Generators

Signal Generators create sound. The contraptions are:
10Harmonics, Arpeggiator, Bassline, BubbleBlower, Drums, LoopPlayer, RissetTones, TestGen.

3. Effects and Filters

Effects and Filter contraptions transform and shape the input signal in real-time. The contraptions are:
CanonLooper, DigiGrunge, DLGranulator, Flanger, FrequencyShifter, LiveLooper, NastyReverb, Phaser, PulseComb, RingAM, SDelay, Shaper, SSpat.
5Combs, *ParaEQ (MParaEQ and SParaEQ), Nebuliser, RissetFilters, SouthPole.

4. Dynamics

Dynamics contraptions adjust the volume of a sound to reduce or alter its dynamic range. The contraptions are:
*Compressor (MCompressor and SCompressor), *Limiter (MLimiter and SLimiter), *NoiseGate (MNoiseGate and SNoiseGate).

5. Mixers

Mixers combine multiple input signals to a single output or stereo output pair. Mixers have individual volume controls for each input or stereo input pair. contraptions are:
Matrix, Crossfader, Frosscader, Invert, *Gain, M*Mixer, P*Mixer, S*Mixer.

6. Buses

Buses are similar to mixers except that they do not provide volume controls. They are provided for backward compatibility with old AudioMulch documents created before AudioMulch supported connecting multiple patch-cords to a single input. The contraptions are:
M*Bus, S*Bus.

7. Beta

When present, the Beta category includes new and developmental contraptions that may not be completely bug free. At times this category may feature a range of contraptions that would otherwise be placed in one of the above categories.

8. VST and Audio Unit Plugins

As well as its own contraptions, AudioMulch supports the industry standard VST (Virtual Studio Technology) and VSTi plugin formats, and also Audio Unit plugins on Macintosh. This gives you access to a large number of third-party effects and instruments to expand AudioMulch.

How to Use AudioMulch Contraptions

For information on how to select and connect contraptions together, please see the Getting Started and Patcher Guide pages of this Help File.

Contraption User Interfaces

To open a contraption's Property Editor, double-click on the contraption in the Patcher Pane, or right-click on the contraption and select Edit from the pop-up menu. The Property Editor will appear as a window in the Properties Pane. Adjusting the parameter controls in the window will alter the sound. See below for information on using common contraption controls.

Each Property Editor has a title bar with the name of the contraption and three icons/buttons (see screen shot below). Clicking on the ? button will open the Help File page for that contraption. This information can also be accessed via the Contraptions Reference Guide in the User Reference Guide section of this Help File. Next to the ? button is the preset button, initially showing --. Information on using contraption presets can be found below. The X button will hide the contraption's Properties Editor. Clicking on the X button does not delete the contraption, but only hides the Property Editor window. To show this window again, double-click on the contraption in the Patcher Pane. The window will reappear with its settings intact. A contraption will only be removed from the document if it is deleted in the Patcher Pane. You can also close Property Editors by right-clicking in the background area or on the title bar of a Property Editor. A popup context menu gives you the option to Close, Close All or Close All But This. You can also hold down the shift key while you click on one of the X buttons to close all the Property Editor windows at once.

If you right-click on a contraption's user interface in the Properties Pane, a context menu pops up, which allows you to set values, configure parameter control, quickly assign MIDI controllers and to automate specific parameters.

Go to Parameter Control..., Quick-map MIDI Controller..., and Automate.... for more information about these menu items. Set Value is explained below in the Making Fine Adjustments section of Using Common Contraption Controls.

You can also access these functions for any parameter by double-clicking on a parameter's knob or slider as follows:

Double-click: Set value
Ctrl-double-click: Display Parameter Control window (Command-double-click on Macintosh)
Alt-double-click: Quick-Map MIDI Control window

Automation and MIDI control

Automation allows for the pre-planned control of many AudioMulch contraption parameters. You can also combine automation with real-time manipulation of sound in one performance. Go to the Automation page of this Help File for more information.

MIDI control sources can also be used to control and change AudioMulch contraption parameters. Go to the Controlling AudioMulch Parameters From MIDI page of this Help File for more information.

Renaming AudioMulch Contraptions

You can rename contraptions in AudioMulch, which helps you to identify contraptions more easily, especially if you have used multiple versions of the one type of contraption in a patch. To rename a contraption, right-click on it in the Patcher Pane and select Rename from the pop-up context menu. The contraption name will be highlighted. Edit the name of the contraption by typing in it; only letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and underscores are allowed. Press the Enter key or click outside the contraption to apply the name change. The name change will be visible in the Patcher, Properties, and Automation Panes, and also the Parameter Control dialog box. Alternatively, you can select the contraption in the Patcher Pane (for example by clicking on it) so that the border of the contraption is highlighted. Click on the contraption again, wait until the text is highlighted, and type the new name into the contraption. Once completed, press the Enter key or click outside the contraption and the new name will appear.

Note: While renaming a contraption is saved with the document along with the contraption's parameters, name changes are specific to the contraption and document you are using, and will not affect the default naming of additional contraptions.

Using Common Contraption Controls

Knob

Knobs are used to control a single parameter value. To change the value of the knob click and drag the pointer up and down on the control - dragging upwards increases the value, and dragging downwards decreases the value. The same click-and-drag method also applies to increment/decrement control arrows, such as those found on SDelay's Delay times editor.

Slider

Sliders are used to control a single parameter value; they appear as both vertical and horizontal sliders. To change the value of the slider click and drag the pointer anywhere on the control: up and down for vertical sliders, left and right for horizontal sliders. Vertical sliders have the minimum value at the bottom and the maximum value at the top while horizontal sliders have the minimum value at the left and the maximum at the right.

Range Slider

Range Sliders function similarly to Sliders except they are used to control both the minimum and maximum of a range of values. When you click and drag on an empty space within a Range Slider both the minimum and maximum slider thumbs are moved simultaneously in the same direction. To move the minimum and maximum values independently, click the pointer directly over the desired slider thumb and drag it.

To enhance the manipulation of the Range Slider in a live performance context alternative control modifiers have been provided:

Holding down the shift key while click-dragging on empty space will move only the maximum slider thumb, while holding down the alt key while dragging will move only the minimum slider thumb.

When both shift and alt keys are held down simultaneously, the minimum and maximum thumbs move in opposite directions. This modifier key combination has the same function whether you click-drag over empty space within the Range Slider or on one of the slider thumbs.

When you click-drag on one of the slider thumbs while holding down the shift key both the minimum and maximum thumbs are moved simultaneously in the same direction. When holding down the alt key the thumb that you have not clicked on will be moved.

The table below provides a quick visual reference of the modifier key combinations explained here.

Modifiers	Minimum Thumb	Maximum Thumb	Empty Space
none	minimum	maximum	both
shift	both	both	maximum
alt	maximum	minimum	minimum
shift + alt	both/opposite directions	both/opposite directions	both/opposite directions

These modifier key combinations allow for rapid movement between slider thumbs without multiple mouse clicks. For live editing this allows you to execute the entire variety of Range parameter controls by altering the modifier keys. This feature is suited to performance or real-time interaction with a signal source. The selected slider thumb or thumbs are highlighted during use.

Number Edit Box

Number edit boxes allow you to set a parameter value either by typing its numeric value into the text area, or by clicking the button with the up/down arrows and dragging the mouse up and down to increase or decrease the value, much like a vertical slider. You can select, type text, and right-click to cut, copy and paste as with any other text area. Double-clicking selects the entire text value. The parameter value will change as soon as you type new digits.

When typing new values, the edit box will let you enter any value. If the value is outside the acceptable range for the parameter a red + (indicating a value above the accepted range), a - (indicating a value below the accepted range) or an x (indicating an invalid value) will be displayed to the right of the value.

When the number edit box has focus you can increase or decrease the value using the mouse wheel, or by using the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard.

Making Fine Adjustments

To make fine adjustments to parameters or values hold down the Ctrl key (on Windows) or the Command key (on Macintosh) when you click and drag the pointer over knobs, sliders or number edit box up/down buttons. This will slow down the movement of the individual controls, allowing you to locate precise values.

To view the value of any parameter within the Properties Pane, roll over it with the mouse and the value will be displayed in a pop-up window. This pop-up window will also appear whenever you edit a parameter.

You can double-click on any parameter to set a specific value. In the Set Value dialog box that appears, type the desired value or use the up and down arrows to set the value and click OK to apply your changes. Alternatively, you can set a specific value by right-clicking on a parameter and selecting Set Value... from the pop-up context menu.

Rhythmic Pattern Editors

Contraptions such as Drums, Bassline, Arpeggiator, and SouthPole use pattern editors to specify rhythmic sequences.

Where applicable, pattern editors work in a smiliar way to the Automation Pane. Bar and Beat numbers and divisions are indicated near the top of the pattern editor in the time ruler. Pattern editors allow you to include time signature changes (see the Time Signatures and Rhythmic Units page) and zoom in and out in the same way as the Automation Pane (see the Working in the Automation Pane section.)

Rhythmic patterns have a finite length, and loop at that length. The color of the pattern editor background changes to a darker or lighter color at the end of the pattern. You can change the length of a pattern by dragging the pattern end marker (a thick vertical line) located at the end of the pattern in the time ruler (on the image above you can see it under the bar line and text that reads '2.1'.)

Using Contraption Presets

Each contraption may have up to 20 presets associated with it. A preset is a snapshot of all parameter settings for a single contraption. Presets allow you to store and recall multiple configurations, such as drum patterns or filter settings.

Presets are accessed from the presets button of each contraption's Property Editor window. The number on the button indicates the most recently used preset (or '--' if no preset has been used). Clicking on this button displays a popup menu showing a list of 20 presets. The enabled items in the presets menu contain previously stored settings. To create a new preset, click on the Store icon . To restore a previously stored preset, click on the Recall icon , or double-click the item. Presets can be cleared by clicking the Clear icon . You can also access the Store, Recall and Clear commands by right-clicking on the preset item and selecting the command from the popup context menu. You can rename your preset by selecting Rename from this menu and typing in the text box.

You can click and drag presets to move them from one slot to another. Cut, Copy and Paste commands (also in the popup context menu) can be used to duplicate or move presets from one slot to another or from one contraption to another (provided the source and destination contraptions are of the same type).

When using a contraption, the presets button indicates which preset was most recently recalled. After recalling a preset, the preset button's text will be bold to indicate that the current settings match those of the preset. After changing a contraption parameter the text will return to normal (non-bold) indicating that the current settings are different to those of the preset. It is necessary to store the preset again if you want to update the preset to include your changes.

It is possible to store presets for most VST and VSTi Plugins using Contraption Presets. AudioMulch also supports the VST fxb preset file format. Go to the VST Plugins page of this Help File for more information.