Contraptions: What They are and What They Do

AudioMulch has its own sound-creating and processing modules called contraptions. Some contraptions generate sound, others process sound, while some have rhythmic patterns that you can edit. Others can help you to perform certain tasks, such as inputting, outputting and recording sound, or mixing sounds together. This module gives you an overview of the different types of contraptions and what they do.

As well as its own built-in contraptions, AudioMulch supports various kinds of plugins. Plugins are audio generating and processing modules that are developed by third parties. AudioMulch lets you use these plugins in the same way as you use AudioMulch's inbuilt contraptions. You'll learn below about which kinds of plugins are compatible, and where you can download them.

Contraption categories

AudioMulch organises contraptions into the categories below. This categorization is used for the New Contraptions Palette and in the New Contraptions shortcut menu in the Patcher Pane.

Contraption category	What they do
Input/Output	Control the flow of sound and MIDI data into and out of AudioMulch. This includes live input/output and basic playback and recording of sound files.
Signal Generators	Create (synthesize) sound, or play back sound files synchronized with AudioMulch's internal clock (beat).
Effects	Transform, shape or distort an input sound. Includes delay, looping, granulation and modulation effects.
Filters	Transform or shape the input sound through some kind of filtration, equalization, or resonance.
Dynamics	Limit, reduce or alter the dynamic range of a sound.
Mixers	Combine multiple inputs into a single output or stereo output pair. Mixers have individual volume controls for each input or stereo input pair.
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.
Beta	When present, this 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.

Table of contraptions by function and main attributes

The table below lists AudioMulch's contraptions, grouped by the function they perform or special attributes they posess.

Function	Contraptions that perform this function
Generating sound	Arpeggiator, LoopPlayer, Bassline, Drums, BubbleBlower, RissetTones, 10Harmonics, TestGen.
Processing sound	PulseComb, DLGranulator, SDelay, CanonLooper, LiveLooper, DigiGrunge, Shaper, SSpat, NastyReverb, Flanger, Phaser, FrequencyShifter, SChorus, RingAM, Nebuliser, SouthPole, RissetFilters, *ParaEQ, 5Combs.
Contraptions that have rhythmic patterns	Arpeggiator, Drums, Bassline, SouthPole.
Contraptions that can optionally synchronize their rhythmic pulse to the clock	BubbleBlower, CanonLooper, DLGranulator, LiveLooper, PulseComb, SDelay, SSpat, Nebuliser.
Inputting sound (live and from sound files)	SoundIn, AuxIn contraptions, FilePlayer contraptions.
Outputting sound / recording sound to a file	SoundOut, AuxOut contraptions, FileRecorder contraptions.
Mixing and/or adjusting the volume of sounds	Matrix contraptions, Frosscader, Crossfader, Invert, Gain, MMixer, PMixer, SMixer contraptions, MBus and SBus contraptions.
Manipulating the dynamic range of a sound	MCompressor, MLimiter, MNoiseGate, SCompressor, SLimiter, SNoiseGate.
MIDI input and output	MidiIn contraptions (input), MidiOut contraptions (output).

Finding out more about the contraptions you're using

To find out more about the contraptions you're using, you can open the Help Files for them while using AudioMulch.

To open a Help File page for a contraption, do one of the following:
Click on the ? button on the title bar (top) of the contraption's Property Editor. Right click (or CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on a contraption's name in the Contraptions Palette and choose Help from the shortcut menu. Right click (or CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on a contraption in the Patcher Pane and choose Help from the shortcut menu.

Plugins

Plugins are audio generating and processing modules that are developed by third parties. There are many plugins available, giving you access to a wide range of third-party effects and instruments that you can expand AudioMulch with. AudioMulch supports the industry standard VST (Virtual Studio Technology) and VSTi (also known as VST2) plugin formats on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Apple's Audio Unit plugins can also be used with AudioMulch. Some plugins are effects plugins, while others are signal generators - these are usually "virtual instruments": synthesizers that take MIDI input.

Where to Get Plugins

There are literally thousands of free, shareware and commercial plugins available on the Internet. Check the AudioMulch web site for links to some relevant sites, and check out the KVR Audio website, which has a searchable plugin database and lots of information and news about plugins.