AudioMulch Help > Using MIDI with AudioMulch

Controlling AudioMulch Parameters from MIDI

In AudioMulch you can use MIDI to control various aspects of the program. Messages from a MIDI device can be used to control the parameters of contraptions, the Metasurface and AudioMulch's clock. You can also use Audiomulch to play VST instruments from your MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device, such as a MIDI sequencer, fader box, or other software capable of sending MIDI controller messages.

A knob, slider or other MIDI controller can be quickly and easily mapped to a parameter using AudioMulch's Quick-Mapping feature. You can also create and fine tune your mapping settings via the Parameter Control window.

Further information about all of these features can be found in the sections below.

With AudioMulch you can also play in time with an external MIDI clock source by synchronizing AudioMulch with another piece of audio software or hardware such as a MIDI sequencer or a drum machine. Go to the Synchronizing AudioMulch to Other MIDI Hardware and Software page of this Help File for more information.

Setting up MIDI Control

Before you create your parameter mapping settings, set up AudioMulch for MIDI control. First, make sure that your MIDI device is connected to your computer and switched on.

If you're connecting a new MIDI device to your computer, assign your device to one of AudioMulch's MIDI input ports:

Open the Settings/Preferences dialog box (on Windows select Settings... from the Edit menu; on Macintosh select Preferences... from the AudioMulch application menu) and select MIDI Input and Control from the list. Select a MIDI device from the drop-down menu (your device should appear in the menu) of one or more of AudioMulch's MIDI input ports (MidiIn1 — MidiIn8).

With your device connected and assigned to an input port, enable MIDI control by selecting Enable MIDI from the Control menu or by clicking the Enable MIDI icon on the Transport toolbar.

If you have already assigned a MIDI device to an AudioMulch input port in a previous session but it is not connected or switched on, you can connect it and/or switch it on while AudioMulch is running. However, before AudioMulch will receive messages from it you will need to disable and re-enable MIDI by selecting Enable MIDI from the Control menu or by clicking the Enable MIDI icon on the Transport toolbar.

Mapping a Contraption Parameter to a MIDI Control Source Using Quick-Mapping

Quick-mapping allows you to rapidly assign MIDI controllers to parameters and is a particularly useful method to use during a performance.

First, make sure your MIDI device is switched on and connected, selected in AudioMulch's settings and that MIDI control is enabled, as described above in Setting up MIDI Control.

In a contraption's Property Editor, right-click on the controller of the parameter you want to control (e.g. a knob or a slider) and select Quick Map MIDI Control from the popup context menu, or Alt-double-click. Move the controller (i.e. a slider, knob or wheel) on your MIDI device that you want to use to control the parameter. When AudioMulch receives your controller message it will close the Quick-Map dialog box and automatically map the controller to the parameter you selected.

To view and edit your mapping settings, use the Parameter Control window (see Mapping a Contraption Parameter to a MIDI Control Source with Parameter Control below).

Mapping a Contraption Parameter to a MIDI Control Source with Parameter Control

You can use the Parameter Control window to create, view and edit your settings for controlling parameters with MIDI.

Open the Parameter Control window by selecting it from the View menu or by pressing the F3 key on your keyboard. On the left of the Parameter Control window a menu displays all of the contraptions in the current document. Expand the menu items by clicking on the + (Windows) or arrow (Macintosh) symbols, or by double-clicking on a contraption name in the list. This will display the controllable parameters for that contraption. Click on a parameter to select it, and the MIDI control source settings for that parameter will appear on the right hand side of the window in the Sources tab.

In the Sources tab you can manually enter your MIDI control source settings: Control Type, Port / Channel, and Control number.

Alternatively, you can get AudioMulch to automatically generate these settings. To do this, first, make sure your MIDI device is switched on and connected, selected in AudioMulch's settings and that MIDI control is enabled, as described above in Setting up MIDI Control. Then click the Capture Next MIDI Controller button in the bottom right corner of the Sources tab, then manipulate a controller on your MIDI device. When AudioMulch receives your controller message it will automatically register that controller as the control source.

An icon representing a MIDI connector is displayed next to each parameter in the list that has a MIDI modulation source assigned to it.

Note: You can also open the Parameter Control window with your parameter automatically selected. To do this, right-click on the parameter you want to control in the contraption's Property Editor and select Parameter Control from the popup context menu. Alternatively, Ctrl-double-click on the controller (e.g. a knob or a slider) and the Parameter Control window will open. If you want to open the Parameter window with all the parameters for a contraption displayed and ready for selection, right-click on the title bar of the contraption's Property Editor and select Parameter Control from the popup menu.

MIDI Control of the Metasurface

The X and Y parameters of the Metasurface can be externally controlled with MIDI. An XY pad, for example, is an ideal MIDI controller for controlling the Metasurface. Alternatively you can use two separate controllers, such as a pair of knobs or sliders. Metasurface parameters are mapped to MIDI controllers via the Parameter Control window.

To set up MIDI control of the Metasurface:

Follow the instructions for setting up MIDI control as described above (see Setting up MIDI Control above).
Open the Parameter Control window from the View menu. Find the Metasurface in the menu and double click it to access the Metasurface's Interpolate_X and Interpolate_Y parameters.
Select a parameter by clicking on it.
In the right side of the window in the Sources tab, set the Control Type and Control number of your MIDI control source for both the Interpolate_X and Interpolate_Y parameters.

You can also use MIDI quick-mapping or jump directly to the Interpolate_X and Interpolate_Y parameters in the Parameter Control window by right-clicking on the Metasurface's Interpolation Surface and selecting from the items in the X Axis and Y Axis menus.

Parameter Control for VST Plugins

You can control most of the parameters of your VST plugins via MIDI control. You can set up the MIDI control mappings for your VST plugin parameters using the Parameter Control window (see Mapping a Contraption Parameter to a MIDI Control Source with Parameter Control above).

When a VST plugin is displayed using the Generic Editor (right-click in the VST contraption editor title area and choose Generic Editor from the popup menu) it is also possible to use MIDI quick mapping by right clicking or Alt-double-clicking the sliders in the Generic Editor (see Mapping a Contraption Parameter to a MIDI Control Source Using Quick-Mapping above).

MIDI Control of the Clock

In the Parameter Control window you can set up MIDI control for AudioMulch's clock parameters, including Tempo and transport functions (start, stop, etc.). Double-click on Clock in the menu on the left to access these controls. You can also set up MIDI control for these parameters by right-clicking the buttons on the Transport Toolbar and selecting from the context menu.

Transport functions such as Start and Stop use the trigger parameter type. It is possible to specify how incoming MIDI signals are interpreted as triggers using the Mapping Tab described below.

Sources Tab

Here you can edit the MIDIIn port, controller type, number and channel. These settings can be assigned automatically: First, make sure you have followed the steps in see Setting up MIDI Control above, then click the Capture Next MIDI Controller button in the bottom right corner of the Sources tab. The next controller received will be assigned as the control source.

Mapping Tab

Use the Mapping tab to fine tune the way your MIDI controller modulates the selected parameter.

When working with numeric parameters the Mapping tab allows you to specify an Upper and Lower limit, Smoothing and a Mapping Curve. When working with boolean parameters (an on/off value, a check box) the Mapping tab allows you to select Toggle mode, Inverted mode, and to set a switching Threshold. When working with trigger parameters (such as the Tansport buttons and buttons on the LiveLooper) the Mapping tab allows you to set a trigger threshold. These settings are described below.

Numeric Parameters

Upper Limit and Lower Limit denote the range over which the parameter is modulated. For example, by setting the Upper Limit to 300 and the Lower Limit to 100, the maximum input value from the MIDI controller will translate to a parameter value of 300, and the minimum input value will map to a value of 100.

Smoothing applies an averaging algorithm to the MIDI data to dampen any rapid fluctuations in controller message values. A longer smoothing time results in more gradual parameter value changes over time.

The mapping Curve interface allows you to adjust the way the controller input values are mapped to the parameter values over the range between the upper and lower limits. The curve can be edited in the same way as editing Automation curves: Click and drag to move handles; click on the line to add new handles; drag handles outside the mapping curve interface to delete them. The curve will always have at least two handles to specify the mapping at the upper and lower limits.

Boolean (checkbox) Parameters

MIDI mapping of boolean (checkbox) parameters is based on detecting whether the MIDI controller value is above the threshold set in the Threshold number editor. In the normal mode (Toggle checkbox unchecked), when the MIDI controller value is above the threshold, the parameter value will be on and when the MIDI controller value is at or below the threshold the parameter will be off. You can change the Threshold to determine the point at which the parameter switches. By checking the Inverted check box, the behavior is reversed such that when the MIDI controller value is at or below the threshold the parameter value is on and when the MIDI controller value is above the threshold, the parameter value is off.

The Toggle checkbox alters the way the mapping works. When Toggle mode is selected, the parameter value is toggled (switched to the opposite state) each time the MIDI controller value crosses the threshold in a single direction. In Toggle mode, when the Inverted checkbox is unchecked, the parameter value is toggled whenever the MIDI controller value passes above the threshold (from at or below it to above it.) When the Inverted checkbox is checked, the parameter value is toggled whenever the MIDI controller value passes from above the threshold to at or below it.

Trigger (button) Parameters

As with MIDI mapping of boolean parameters (described above), mapping trigger parameters is based on detecting whether the MIDI controller value is above the threshold set in the Threshold number editor. The parameter will be triggered every time a source MIDI message is recieved whose value is above the set Threshold.

Contraption Preset Number and Metasurface Snapshot Number

The reason for this setting is primarily for backwards compatibility with earlier AudioMulch versions.

AudioMulch labels the first preset or snapshot slot, "1" and counts upwards from there. By default, this first preset/snapshot corresponds to the first MIDI controller values (such as Control Change values or Program Change numbers). The first MIDI value may be labeled 0 or 1 on your controller, since some controllers display MIDI values in the range 0-127 while others display them in the range 1-128.

The Offset number editor alters the correspondence between the AudioMulch Preset or Snapshot number and MIDI controller values. This works by adding the Offset to the incoming MIDI value. The default Offset setting of 0 (zero) means that the first incoming MIDI Controller value corresponds to the first Preset or Program change. Offset values can be positive or negative. Positive Offset values result in the first MIDI value recalling higher Preset (or Snapshot) numbers. For example, if Offset is set to 1, sending a MIDI controller value of 0 (the first value) will recall AudioMulch preset 1. Negative values lead to earlier MIDI values being ignored. For example, if Offset is set to -1, sending a MIDI controller value of 0 will result in that message being ignored.

Note that prior to AudioMulch version 2.2, the effective Offset was always -1. For backwards compatibility old documents are loaded with that value.

Previous Next