AudioMulch Help > Working in the Patcher Pane

Ways to Connect and Disconnect Contraptions

In AudioMulch you can connect contraptions together in several different ways. Contraptions are always connected with patch cords. You can see these in the screen shot above: they are the lines that join the outputs to inputs of contraptions. Inputs and outputs can be seen on the tops and bottoms of the contraptions. Audio flows in the direction of the arrows on the patch cords. Once audio enters the SoundOut contraption, it is routed to your computer's audio output.

When you connect MIDI inputs and outputs together, the patch cords appear dotted, not as solid lines like those in the image above. You can connect audio outputs to audio inputs and MIDI outputs to MIDI inputs; you cannot connect an audio output to a MIDI input or vice versa.

In this module we show you the various ways of connecting contraptions, how to reconnect patch cords, and describe shortcut menu items that relate to connecting contraptions together.

Connecting and disconnecting contraptions with single patch cords

To connect contraptions together:
Click on an output of one contraption. Drag a patch cord to an input of another contraption with the mouse.

To disconnect contraptions:
First, click on the patch cord to select it. Then, do one of the following: Press DELETE on the keyboard Open the Edit menu and choose Clear. Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) and choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Click on the arrow at the end of the patch cord and drag it to the left or right, away from the input. When you release the mouse button the patch cord will disappear, disconnecting the contraptions.

To disconnect contraptions:

First, click on the patch cord to select it.

Then, do one of the following:

Press DELETE on the keyboard
Open the Edit menu and choose Clear.
Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Click on the arrow at the end of the patch cord and drag it to the left or right, away from the input.
When you release the mouse button the patch cord will disappear, disconnecting the contraptions.

Connecting contraptions by dragging them over one another

To connect contraptions together:
This operation has two modes: (1) when the mouse pointer is just above an input (or below an output) the new contraption is inserted between the existing patch cords; (2) when the mouse pointer is over the contraption you are connecting to, the new contraption is attached separately, alongside any existing patch cords. Drag a new or unconnected contraption over the input or output of the contraption you want to connect it to. While you're dragging, a gray outline of the proposed connection is displayed, showing you whether the contraption will be inserted or attached. One or more patch cords will be created, connecting the contraptions.

To connect contraptions together:

This operation has two modes: (1) when the mouse pointer is just above an input (or below an output) the new contraption is inserted between the existing patch cords; (2) when the mouse pointer is over the contraption you are connecting to, the new contraption is attached separately, alongside any existing patch cords.

Drag a new or unconnected contraption over the input or output of the contraption you want to connect it to. While you're dragging, a gray outline of the proposed connection is displayed, showing you whether the contraption will be inserted or attached.
One or more patch cords will be created, connecting the contraptions.

Connecting and disconnecting multiple patch cords

Multiple patch cords may be taken from any output and joined to any input. When multiple cords are joined to an input the signals are automatically mixed. In more complex patches, Buses or Mixers can be used to combine multiple outputs into a single input.

You can connect multiple patch cords one at a time as described above. You can also connect multiple patch cords all at once.

To connect multiple patch cords at once:
These instructions apply when connecting one multichannel contraption to another multichannel contraption (e.g. connecting a FilePlayer to an SMixer). Hold the SHIFT key down. Drag from the first input or output you want to connect to another contraption. Note: AudioMulch will connect as many patch cords as possible depending on which input or output you drag the patch cords from and to. The potential patch cords will be indicated as you drag with the SHIFT key held down. Holding down the CTRL key (COMMAND on Macintosh) while SHIFT+dragging multiple patch cords to the second or later inputs will cause excess connections to "wrap around" to the first and later inputs. For example, dragging from the first output of a FilePlayer to the second input of SoundOut with the SHIFT and CTRL (COMMAND on Macintosh) keys depressed will connect the first input to the second output and vice versa.

To connect multiple patch cords at once:

These instructions apply when connecting one multichannel contraption to another multichannel contraption (e.g. connecting a FilePlayer to an SMixer).

Hold the SHIFT key down.
Drag from the first input or output you want to connect to another contraption.

Note:

AudioMulch will connect as many patch cords as possible depending on which input or output you drag the patch cords from and to. The potential patch cords will be indicated as you drag with the SHIFT key held down.
Holding down the CTRL key (COMMAND on Macintosh) while SHIFT+dragging multiple patch cords to the second or later inputs will cause excess connections to "wrap around" to the first and later inputs. For example, dragging from the first output of a FilePlayer to the second input of SoundOut with the SHIFT and CTRL (COMMAND on Macintosh) keys depressed will connect the first input to the second output and vice versa.

To connect multiple patch cords to a single input:
Hold down the SHIFT+ALT keys while dragging the patch cords from the output of a multichannel contraption. The patch cords will be grouped inwards to the single input, so you won't have to connect each cord separately.

To connect a single output to multiple inputs:
Hold down the ALT key while dragging the patch cords to the inputs of the multichannel contraption. The patch cords will be "fanned" outwards to the multichannel contraption's inputs, so you won't have to connect each cord separately.

To disconnect multiple patch cords at once:
First, select the patch cords you want to delete using one of the following methods: Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the cords you want to delete. OR Click on the end point just above the output or just below the input where the cords are connected. Then, click all the patch cords connected to that input or output. OR Click the mouse button in a clear area of the Patcher Pane and drag the pointer around or over the patch cords you want to select. The area you select becomes highlighted. Release the mouse. Then, do one of the following to delete the cords: Press the DELETE key. Open the Edit menu and choose Clear. Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) and choose Delete from the shortcut menu. Click-and-drag the cords away from the connection and release the mouse in empty space.

To disconnect multiple patch cords at once:

First, select the patch cords you want to delete using one of the following methods:

Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the cords you want to delete. OR
Click on the end point just above the output or just below the input where the cords are connected. Then, click all the patch cords connected to that input or output. OR
Click the mouse button in a clear area of the Patcher Pane and drag the pointer around or over the patch cords you want to select. The area you select becomes highlighted. Release the mouse.

Then, do one of the following to delete the cords:

Press the DELETE key.
Open the Edit menu and choose Clear.
Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Click-and-drag the cords away from the connection and release the mouse in empty space.

Reconnecting patch cords

You can reconnect patch cords. This means you can click on a patch cord at either end with the mouse, and drag it to the input or output of any other contraption to reconnect it.

You can also reconnect multiple patch cords at once. If multiple cords are connected to an input or output and you only want to reconnect specific cords from the group, you must select them before they can be reconnected. If no cords are selected, all the cords connected to a point will be reconnected simultaneously. See below for information on how to perform these actions.

To reconnect a single patch cord when there is more than one cord connected to a point:
Select the cord you want to reconnect by clicking on it. Click on the patch cord at the end you want to reconnect. While holding the mouse button down, drag to the input or output of any other contraption.

To reconnect multiple patch cords at once:
*To reconnect all* the patch cords connected to a contraption at once:** Make sure none of the patch cords has been selected. If no cords are selected, all the cords connected to this point will be reconnected simultaneously. Click on the patch cords at the end you want to reconnect. While holding the mouse button down, drag the cords to the input or output of any other contraption. *To reconnect specific* patch cords, do one of the following: Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the cords you want to reconnect. This selects the cords. Click on the patch cords at the end you want to reconnect. While holding the mouse button down, drag the cords to the input or output of any other contraption. OR Click the mouse button in a clear area of the Patcher Pane. Drag the pointer, using a diagonal motion, over the cords you want to select. The area and cords become highlighted. Release the mouse. Click on the patch cords at the end you want to reconnect. While holding the mouse button down, drag the cords to the input or output of any other contraption. Note:** You can use the click+drag method outlined in step 1 above to select patch cords that are next to each other, or all of the patch cords.

To reconnect multiple patch cords at once:

To reconnect all the patch cords connected to a contraption at once:

Make sure none of the patch cords has been selected. If no cords are selected, all the cords connected to this point will be reconnected simultaneously.
Click on the patch cords at the end you want to reconnect.
While holding the mouse button down, drag the cords to the input or output of any other contraption.

To reconnect specific patch cords, do one of the following:

Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the cords you want to reconnect. This selects the cords.
Click on the patch cords at the end you want to reconnect.
While holding the mouse button down, drag the cords to the input or output of any other contraption.

Click the mouse button in a clear area of the Patcher Pane. Drag the pointer, using a diagonal motion, over the cords you want to select. The area and cords become highlighted. Release the mouse.
Click on the patch cords at the end you want to reconnect.
While holding the mouse button down, drag the cords to the input or output of any other contraption.

Note: You can use the click+drag method outlined in step 1 above to select patch cords that are next to each other, or all of the patch cords.

Patcher shortcut menu

You can open the Patcher Pane's shortcut menu by right-clicking (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on a contraption or group of selected contraptions.

This shortcut menu gives you quick and easy access to functions that help you edit the structure of the patch. Using the shortcut menu lets you rearrange contraptions more easily and makes it possible to maintain uninterrupted audio while you restructure the patch.

Menu Item	What it does
Replace	Deletes the highlighted contraption and inserts a newly selected contraption in its place.
Substitute	Removes the highlighted contraption from the signal path and inserts a newly selected contraption in its place. The original contraption is disconnected and left in the Patcher Pane to be used later.
Insert Before	Inserts the new contraption into the patch before the highlighted contraption.
Insert After	Inserts the new contraption into the patch after the highlighted contraption.
Insert	Inserts a new contraption into the patch. Only available when right-clicking (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on patch cords. Note: when inserting a stereo contraption into a mono path only the left side of the new contraption will be connected. To insert a stereo contraption into a stereo path both patch cords must be selected.
Swap	Swaps the position of two contraptions. Can be used to swap contraptions between parallel signal paths or to change the order of contraptions within a common path. You can only use Swap when two contraptions are selected.
Bypass	Removes the highlighted contraption from the signal path. The contraption is disconnected and left in the Patcher Pane to be used later.