AudioMulch is an interactive musician’s environment for computers running Microsoft Windows. Bringing together the popular with what has up to now been considered experimental, AudioMulch merges the worlds of mainstream electronica and electroacoustic sound composition to create a fluid sonic environment only limited by the artist’s imagination.
While many of the processes featured within AudioMulch are not new to computer music programs, it is the software’s ability to carry out these traditionally "studio" or "non-real-time" signal processing techniques in real-time that emerges as its major asset. With AudioMulch, music that has for so long been limited to the pre & post-production practices of a studio can emerge in a new LIVE and interactive context.
Through the essentially unlimited (only by the power of the computer) combination of a network of synthesis and processing contraptions, AudioMulch allows the user to extend their current audio processing capabilities or create new music within their computer without additional expensive software or hardware systems.
AudioMulch version 0.9b20 is now available from the download page. This version will expire on September 17th 2005.
AudioMulch version 0.9b20 adds the ability to use up to 8 separate MIDI devices for parameter modulation and VST instrument control. A new FileRecorder contraption has been added and a number of other bug fixes and user interface enhancements are included. These and other enhancements are described below.
The main user interface enhancements are: You can now alt-click on the Metasurface to create a new snapshot and at the same time add it to the surface. You can drag-and-drop sound files from Windows Explorer onto any contraption interface which loads sound files. Mute buttons have been added to all Gain contraptions. The Patcher can now display popup hints which describe each contraption's inputs and outputs (disable using the View->Show Contraption Input/Output Info item).
Other Minor changes include: Added support for playing WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE multichannel wave files including PCM, IEEE_FLOAT, and ambisonic B-format. Changed VST plugin GUI idle refresh rate from 10Hz to 20Hz for smoother VST GUI displays. Changed LoopPlayer bar count limit to 1024 for longer loops. Moved FrequencyShifter to the Effects category. Renamed 'Buss' to 'Bus' to reflect more common spelling.
8 MIDI Input Devices: MidiIn1 - MidiIn8
It is now possible to use up to 8 MIDI devices for MIDI control of contraption parameters and VST instrument plugins. The MIDI Control page of the Settings dialog shows a list where you can select devices for each of 8 AudioMulch MIDI input "ports": MidiIn1 through MidiIn8. Then, when you choose a MIDI control source (say in the Parameter Modulation or Quick-Map MIDI dialogs) you also choose a MIDI port. AudioMulch documents from previous versions which use MIDI control default to using the MidiIn1 port for all existing mappings.
FileRecorder Contraption
The FileRecorder contraption provides the same file recording functionality as the SoundOut contraption, except that you can connect it anywhere in an AudioMulch patch. See the help page for the FileRecorder for more information about how to use it.
As this is a new feature, two limitations have already been identified in early testing. Although these will be fixed in a future release it is useful to be aware of them: Firstly, the FileRecorder must be connected to an audio output (SoundOut or an AuxOut) for it to actually record. To record a signal which you do not want to send to an audio output, connect it via a muted Gain contraption, or to an unused AuxOut contraption. Secondly, there is no convenient way to synchronise multiple FileRecorders. The only way to do this at present is to use the SoundIn Sync feature, which requires the use of a SoundIn soundfile. The next release will include multichannel file recorders which will be more appropriate for syncronised multichannel and multi-file recording.
Bug fixes
The following bugs were fixed for this release:
* Fixed bug in LoopPlayer which caused a glissando at the start of each loop when a non-integer bar length was used.
* Fixed bug where resizing a property editor could cause it to disappear off the property pane if Windows "show window contents while dragging" option was selected.
* Fixed bug where custom VST editors were resizable when they shouldn't have been.
* Fixed bug where the selected VST preset was not indicated correctly.
* Fixed bug where the user wasn't prompted to find missing soundfiles if the AudioMulch document was opened by double-clicking in Windows Explorer.
* Fixed bug where Parameter Modulation dialog would sometimes display bogus user interface elements which would crash if you tried to edit them.
* Improved behaviour where AudioMulch would ask whether you wanted to save changes when no changes had been made.
* Fixed bug where status bar visibility was not saved between runs.
Homepage
While many of the processes featured within AudioMulch are not new to computer music programs, it is the software’s ability to carry out these traditionally "studio" or "non-real-time" signal processing techniques in real-time that emerges as its major asset. With AudioMulch, music that has for so long been limited to the pre & post-production practices of a studio can emerge in a new LIVE and interactive context.
Through the essentially unlimited (only by the power of the computer) combination of a network of synthesis and processing contraptions, AudioMulch allows the user to extend their current audio processing capabilities or create new music within their computer without additional expensive software or hardware systems.
AudioMulch version 0.9b20 is now available from the download page. This version will expire on September 17th 2005.
AudioMulch version 0.9b20 adds the ability to use up to 8 separate MIDI devices for parameter modulation and VST instrument control. A new FileRecorder contraption has been added and a number of other bug fixes and user interface enhancements are included. These and other enhancements are described below.
The main user interface enhancements are: You can now alt-click on the Metasurface to create a new snapshot and at the same time add it to the surface. You can drag-and-drop sound files from Windows Explorer onto any contraption interface which loads sound files. Mute buttons have been added to all Gain contraptions. The Patcher can now display popup hints which describe each contraption's inputs and outputs (disable using the View->Show Contraption Input/Output Info item).
Other Minor changes include: Added support for playing WAVE_FORMAT_EXTENSIBLE multichannel wave files including PCM, IEEE_FLOAT, and ambisonic B-format. Changed VST plugin GUI idle refresh rate from 10Hz to 20Hz for smoother VST GUI displays. Changed LoopPlayer bar count limit to 1024 for longer loops. Moved FrequencyShifter to the Effects category. Renamed 'Buss' to 'Bus' to reflect more common spelling.
8 MIDI Input Devices: MidiIn1 - MidiIn8
It is now possible to use up to 8 MIDI devices for MIDI control of contraption parameters and VST instrument plugins. The MIDI Control page of the Settings dialog shows a list where you can select devices for each of 8 AudioMulch MIDI input "ports": MidiIn1 through MidiIn8. Then, when you choose a MIDI control source (say in the Parameter Modulation or Quick-Map MIDI dialogs) you also choose a MIDI port. AudioMulch documents from previous versions which use MIDI control default to using the MidiIn1 port for all existing mappings.
FileRecorder Contraption
The FileRecorder contraption provides the same file recording functionality as the SoundOut contraption, except that you can connect it anywhere in an AudioMulch patch. See the help page for the FileRecorder for more information about how to use it.
As this is a new feature, two limitations have already been identified in early testing. Although these will be fixed in a future release it is useful to be aware of them: Firstly, the FileRecorder must be connected to an audio output (SoundOut or an AuxOut) for it to actually record. To record a signal which you do not want to send to an audio output, connect it via a muted Gain contraption, or to an unused AuxOut contraption. Secondly, there is no convenient way to synchronise multiple FileRecorders. The only way to do this at present is to use the SoundIn Sync feature, which requires the use of a SoundIn soundfile. The next release will include multichannel file recorders which will be more appropriate for syncronised multichannel and multi-file recording.
Bug fixes
The following bugs were fixed for this release:
* Fixed bug in LoopPlayer which caused a glissando at the start of each loop when a non-integer bar length was used.
* Fixed bug where resizing a property editor could cause it to disappear off the property pane if Windows "show window contents while dragging" option was selected.
* Fixed bug where custom VST editors were resizable when they shouldn't have been.
* Fixed bug where the selected VST preset was not indicated correctly.
* Fixed bug where the user wasn't prompted to find missing soundfiles if the AudioMulch document was opened by double-clicking in Windows Explorer.
* Fixed bug where Parameter Modulation dialog would sometimes display bogus user interface elements which would crash if you tried to edit them.
* Improved behaviour where AudioMulch would ask whether you wanted to save changes when no changes had been made.
* Fixed bug where status bar visibility was not saved between runs.
Homepage
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