The new standard in modular audio software - Is this a familiar picture? Cables lead from a microphone input into a small digital effect. More cables connect the effect to a mixer. Elsewhere, a MIDI cable links a MIDI input to a synthesizer, which is in turn connected to a mixer. Old hat, right? Now, imagine this: the same single output socket sprouting no less than eight different cables connecting eight different effects. It gets better: A sound is broken down into 256 individual bands, then each is tweaked one at a time in a unique way. As he performs, a musician decides to add an LFO to a synth's filter cutoff knob, where no LFO existed before. Sound crazy? Not anymore. The new paradigm of computer audio can be summed up in two words: "real-time" and "modular" – both of which are embodied by one application.

Extended information

Plogue Bidule's many uses:
Use Bidule's DSP building blocks to create your own custom effects
Each of Bidule's many math and DSP building blocks can be used to "program" your own custom instruments and effects. The image below, for instance, shows a construct representing the famous open source FreeVerb algorithm, made entirely with building block bidules.

Save Bidule constructs as groups for later re-use - Any collection of bidules together in a layout can be saved as a bidule "group". A group can exist either within a particular Bidule file, or you can save it as an independent file to share with other Bidule users. Bidule comes with a great selection of pre-made groups: effects, synthesizers, stochastic MIDI note generators, and more! The online group catalogue (available inside the application itself) allows you to browse through a list of free groups for downloading, created by none other than the Bidule community themselves!

Connect VST/AU plugins and Bidule groups to your favourite ReWire-capable sequencer! It's easy to host any arrangement or layering of virtual instruments in Bidule, and connect these to a ReWi re-capable sequencer application. Bidule can even synchronize plugins with the sequencer's tempo. Mix multichannel audio files offline or online, for complex ambisonic / surround mixes!

Bidule can play and record multichannel audio files of up to 32 channels. These files can be manipulated in real-time (with multichannel audio hardware), or you can use Bidule's offline mode to render ambisonic audio files at much faster speeds. Create unique textures using our spectral manipulation tools!

Transform audio in the spectral domain, with Bidule's FFT modules. Time domain audio is split into two types of data, frequencies and magnitudes, which can be manipulated using a wide variety of spectral bidules.

Technical specifications

# Realtime Audio/MIDI/FFT processing
# Completely modular architecture
# VST and AU hosting
# Runs as both ReWire mixer or slave
# Building blocks for FX/inst creation
# More than a 100 ready-to-use modules
# Supports multiple tempos at once
# Inter-module parameter linking
# Zoomable OpenGL-based canvas
# Multi-channel audio file streaming
# ASIO/CoreAudio low-latency support
# Offline mode (rendering) available
# Uses 32-bit precision throughout
# Online catalog of ready-made groups
# Open Sound Control (OSC) Server

Windows Minimum System Requirements:
- Pentium class CPU (500 Mhz or better)
- Microsoft Windows 2000/XP or later
- OpenGL compatible video card

Macintosh Minimum System Requirements:
- G3 class CPU (500 Mhz or better)
- Mac OSX 10.2 or later