AudioMulch Help > Working in the Patcher Pane

Creating and Deleting Contraptions

Before you can join contraptions together in the Patcher Pane, you must first create a contraption. This module shows you several ways to create contraptions, how to delete contraptions, and how to duplicate them. We explain how to perform more advanced procedures, including how to create and connect contraptions at the same time, how to duplicate contraptions with their existing connections, and how to insert a new contraption in a particular place in your patch. We also describe the various Patcher Pane shortcut menu items that are relevant to these procedures, and explain how to open this menu.

Creating contraptions

To create a contraption, do one of the following:
Click on the contraption you want to use in the Contraptions Palette and drag-and-drop it into the Patcher Pane. Double-click on the contraption you want to use in the Contraptions Palette. It will appear in the Patcher Pane. Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on the contraption you want to use in the Contraptions Palette and choose Create Contraption from the shortcut menu. It will appear in the Patcher Pane. Add a contraption to the Patcher Pane directly using the shortcut menu. Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) in the Patcher Pane to open the shortcut menu, choose New, then select the contraption you want from the sub-menus. It will appear in the Patcher Pane.

To create a contraption, do one of the following:

Click on the contraption you want to use in the Contraptions Palette and drag-and-drop it into the Patcher Pane.
Double-click on the contraption you want to use in the Contraptions Palette. It will appear in the Patcher Pane.
Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on the contraption you want to use in the Contraptions Palette and choose Create Contraption from the shortcut menu. It will appear in the Patcher Pane.
Add a contraption to the Patcher Pane directly using the shortcut menu. Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) in the Patcher Pane to open the shortcut menu, choose New, then select the contraption you want from the sub-menus. It will appear in the Patcher Pane.

Deleting contraptions

To delete a contraption from the Patcher Pane:
First, select the contraption you want to delete by clicking on it in the Patcher Pane. This will highlight the contraption. Then, do one of the following: Press the DELETE key to delete the contraption Open the Edit menu and choose Clear Right-click (CTRL+left-click on Macintosh) on the selected contraption and choose Delete from the shortcut menu.

Creating and connecting contraptions at the same time

You can create and connect contraptions at the same time by dragging a new contraption from the Contraptions Palette over an existing one in the Patcher Pane.

To create and connect contraptions at the same time:
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 any 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 contraption from the Contraptions Palette 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. Note: As some contraptions have multiple inputs or outputs, sometimes more than one patch cord will be created when connecting contraptions. You can also connect any unconnected contraptions that are already in the Patcher Pane using the same method.

To create and connect contraptions at the same time:

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 any 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 contraption from the Contraptions Palette 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.

Note:

As some contraptions have multiple inputs or outputs, sometimes more than one patch cord will be created when connecting contraptions.
You can also connect any unconnected contraptions that are already in the Patcher Pane using the same method.

Duplicating contraptions using CTRL+drag

You can also duplicate a contraption by using the CTRL key (COMMAND on Macintosh) and dragging with the mouse. You can duplicate just the contraption, or the contraption along with any existing connections.

To duplicate a contraption using CTRL (COMMAND) +drag:
Hold down the CTRL key (COMMAND on Macintosh) Click on the contraption you wish to duplicate and drag the duplicated contraption to the desired area of the Patcher Pane.

To duplicate a contraption with its existing connections:
Click the mouse button in a clear area of the Patcher Pane, next to the contraption you want to select. Drag the pointer, using a diagonal motion, over the contraption. The area you select becomes highlighted. Release the mouse. The contraptions and any connecting patch cords will now be highlighted. Hold down the CTRL key (COMMAND on Macintosh) Click on the highlighted contraption and drag it to the desired area of the Patcher Pane. Release the mouse. Any connections will stay intact.

To duplicate a contraption with its existing connections:

Click the mouse button in a clear area of the Patcher Pane, next to the contraption you want to select.
Drag the pointer, using a diagonal motion, over the contraption. The area you select becomes highlighted.
Release the mouse. The contraptions and any connecting patch cords will now be highlighted.
Hold down the CTRL key (COMMAND on Macintosh)
Click on the highlighted contraption and drag it to the desired area of the Patcher Pane. Release the mouse. Any connections will stay intact.

Using the Patcher Pane's shortcut menu

You can open the Patcher Pane's shortcut menu (see screen shot above) 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 from the main Edit menu, such as Cut and Copy. There is also a range of other functions that help you edit the structure of the patch. These functions allow you to rearrange contraptions more easily and make it possible to maintain uninterrupted audio while you restructure the patch. In the table below we explain each of the shortcut items relevant to this module.

Menu Item	What it does
Delete	Deletes the chosen contraption or group of contraptions.
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.