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dac~ Reference

Audio output and on/off

dac~

Description

The dac~ ("digital-to-analog converter") object sends its signal inputs to audio hardware. Double-click on a dac~ to open the Audio Status window to configure audio settings and hardware.

Examples

Switch audio on and off send signal to the audio outputs

Arguments

outputs [int/symbol]

Optional

You can create a dac~ object with one or more logical channel numbers between 1 and 1024. Logical channels are assigned to audio device channels using either the Audio Status window, its I/O Mappings subwindow, or an adstatus object (with keyword output). If the computer's built-in audio hardware is being used, there will be two output channels available. Other audio drivers and/or devices may have more than two channels. If no argument is typed in, dac~ will have two inlets, for input channels 1 and 2.

If a symbol is provided as the first argument to a dac~ object, its output will be sent to the Max mixer. If dac~ instances in a patcher hierarchy share the same name they will use the same mixer output.

Attributes

Common Box Attributes

annotation [symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in the Clue window when the user moves the mouse over the object.

background [int] (default: 0)

Adds or removes the object from the patcher's background layer. background 1 adds the object to the background layer, background 0 removes it. Objects in the background layer are shown behind all objects in the default foreground layer.

color [4 floats]

Sets the color for the object box outline.

fontface [int]

Sets the type style used by the object. The options are:

plain
bold
italic
bold italic Possible values:

0 = 'regular'
1 = 'bold'
2 = 'italic'
3 = 'bold italic'

fontname [symbol]

Sets the object's font.

fontsize [float]

Sets the object's font size (in points). Possible values:

'8'
'9'
'10'
'11'
'12'
'13'
'14'
'16'
'18'
'20'
'24'
'30'
'36'
'48'
'64'
'72'

hidden [int] (default: 0)

Toggles whether an object is hidden when the patcher is locked.

hint [symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in as a pop-up hint when the user moves the mouse over the object in a locked patcher.

ignoreclick [int] (default: 0)

Toggles whether an object ignores mouse clicks in a locked patcher.

jspainterfile [symbol]

JS Painter File

patching_rect [4 floats] (default: 0. 0. 100. 0.)

Sets the position and size of the object in the patcher window.

position [2 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the object's x and y position in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its size unchanged.

presentation [int] (default: 0)

Sets whether an object belongs to the patcher's presentation.

presentation_rect [4 floats] (default: 0. 0. 0. 0.)

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in the patcher's presentation, leaving its patching position unchanged.

rect [4 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation).

size [2 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the object's width and height in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its position unchanged.

textcolor [4 floats]

Sets the color for the object's text in RGBA format.

textjustification [int]

Sets the justification for the object's text. Possible values:

0 = 'left'
1 = 'center'
2 = 'right'

varname [symbol]

Sets the patcher's scripting name, which can be used to address the object by name in pattr, scripting messages to thispatcher, and the js object.

Messages

int

Arguments

on/off-flag [int]
A non-zero number turns on audio processing in all loaded patches. 0 turns off audio processing in all loaded patches.

list

Arguments

output-channel-designations [list]
list comprised of integers sets the logical output channels for each signal inlet in order from left to right.

(mouse)

Double-clicking on dac~ opens the Audio Status window.

open

Opens the Audio Status window.

set

Arguments

output-channel-designation [int]
In any inlet: The word set, followed by a number, sets the logical output channel for the signal inlet in which the set message was received. For instance, sending set 3 to the left inlet of dac~ makes the signal coming in the left inlet output to logical output channel 3.

Note that if the audio is on and you use the set message to change a dac~ to use logical channels that are not currently in use, no sound will be heard from these channels until the audio is turned off and on again. For example, if you have a dac~ object with arguments 1 2 3 4 and signals are only connected to the two leftmost inlets (for channels 1 and 2), the message set 1 3 will not immediately route the leftmost audio signal to logical channel 3, because it is not currently in use. A method to get around this is to connect a sig~ 0 to each channel of a dac~ you plan on using for a set message. At this point, you might as well use a matrix~ or selector~ object to do something similar before the audio signal reaches the dac~.

signal

A signal coming into an inlet of dac~ is sent to the audio output channel corresponding to the inlet. The signal must be between -1 and 1 to avoid clipping.

start

Turns on audio processing in all loaded patches.

startwindow

Turns on audio processing only in the patch in which this dac~ is located, and in subpatches of that patch. Turns off audio processing in all other patches.

stop

Turns off audio processing in all loaded patches.

wclose

Closes the Audio Status window if it is open.

Output

Audio

dac~ produces no output internal to the application. Signals received in its inlets are sent to its assigned logical audio output channels. You can assign logical channels to device output channels in the I/O Mappings subwindow of the Audio Status window.

See Also

Name Description
MC MC
mc.dac~ Multichannel audio output and on/off
adc~ Audio input and on/off
adstatus Report and control audio driver settings
ezadc~ Audio input and on/off button
ezdac~ Audio output and on/off button
MSP: Audio Input and Output MSP: Audio Input and Output
MSP Basics Tutorial 1: Test Tone MSP Basics Tutorial 1: Test Tone