Emitters

Emitters are physics-driven sound generators: each time an Emitter “fires,” it spawns an audio Node that falls, bounces, and collides - playing its sample with a volume scaled to the impact.
Use them for granular drum scatters, rainstick-like textures, or unpredictable Foley beds.

How an Emitter Works

Create the Emitter (either from the add menu, or with Shift + Alt + A)
Load an audio file by dragging it from the browser panel into the Emitter Device Editor Panel.
Trigger the device (manually or via a sequencer) → a Node appears.
Physics take over - gravity, drag, and collisions.
Sound plays each time the Node hits a surface, loudness ∝ collision speed.
Node loses one “life” per impact; when lives = 0 and playback ends, it disappears.

All parameters are editable in real time from the Emitter UI.

Emitter Interaction Controls

Action	Gesture
Select	Click to load its info in the UI.
Move	Drag in any direction.
Clone	Hold C + left-click.
Delete	Hold Backspace + click (no undo yet).
Open/Close UI	Right-click or double-click.
Manual Emit	Hover and hold Spacebar.
Connect to Ticker	Select Emitter → Ctrl + click a Ticker.

Emitter Controls User Interface

The Emitter UI allows you to customize Emitter parameters in detail and displays information relating to the Emitter. You can open this by clicking the Edit button in the top bar and selecting the Emitter tab. Alternatively, double-click or right-click an Emitter.

Section	Controls / Info
Header	• Device ID • Loaded file name
Waveform	Visualises the sample; drag-drop to load a new file.
Lives	Impacts allowed per Node (∞ if set to 0).
Drag	Air resistance (0 = vacuum, 1 = heavy damping).
Chance %	Probability that a collision triggers audio.
Active	Real-time count of living Nodes.
Keyboard	Pick notes; Nodes choose one at random. None selected → original pitch.
MixChan	Mixer Channel output channel (default 7).
Clear	Despawn all Nodes.
Emit	Spawn one Node now.
Gain	Master level for this Emitter.
Granulate	Enable, then drag-select a region of the waveform for randomised start/end points.
Chain / Cycle Times	Visible only when driven by Logic Boxes.

Triggering Emitters

Method	Notes
Spacebar	Quick manual test while hovering over the device.
Emit Button	Fires from the UI—useful during parameter tweaks.
Ticker	Clocked pulsing; perfect for drum-machine roles.
Sequenced Ticker	Place the Ticker on the Timeline for DAW-style scheduling.
Logic Boxes	LBs can be used to trigger Emitters with generative sequencing.

Creative Tips

Vary Lives and Drag to shift from tight percussions (low drag, few lives) to dense shakers (high drag, many lives).
Use Chance < 100 % for granular-style randomness without extra Logic Boxes.
Route high-energy Emitters to their own mixer channel for dedicated compression or distortion.
Combine multiple Emitters at different heights to build layered rain-down or crowd-ambience effects.

Master Emitters and you add an element of controlled chaos - sounds that literally “bounce” through your Audiocube world.

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