Recipes
The Recipes section focuses on practical starting points and commonly useful techniques for working with Visual. Rather than diving into technical details, it provides concise examples and patterns that can help you quickly understand the main workflows and start building your own visuals.
We won’t discuss advanced topics such as Shader Kit modules here, only the basics and a few quick techniques.
First Steps, No Pressure
Open a project, add a visual source, and start with a Shader. Then add a Projector module.
Set Compositions / Mandala preset
Most visual modules are open-ended, preset-based machines. Each preset can expose completely different functionality. Presets are organized into folders by purpose. Browse them and play with their parameters.
Then add another Shader with the same preset (or copy paste existing).
Tap the second Shader’s Scale knob and select the first Shader’s main Texture output, which is the last output in the column.
Add another modulation for the Spin param the same way.
Now the Scale and Spin parameters of the second Shader are modulated per pixel by the first Shader. Spread the Shaders apart by changing X or Y, then play with the knobs.
Spend some time with it, change presets, add different modulation knobs. With per-pixel modulation things can get wild even with just two simple modules.
Then use standard Drambo modules, such as LFO, Graphic Shaper, or Morph, to modulate visual knobs on a per-frame basis.
Then place a Processor Shader after it and explore the processing presets. Next, try per-pixel modulation on the Processor Shader parameters, using the same Shader or another visual source.
And then when you are there, go wild, experiment freely, and try unexpected combinations. That’s the most fun part, and it really helps everything click sooner.
Play with different presets, modules, per-pixel modulations between them.
You can do the same with Colors, Distortions, effects, use another video or shader to modulate processing presets. You can use many of them and stack different combinations.
This is only a very brief kickstart. Drambo Visual goes much deeper, with Shader Kit, per-pixel modulation, feedback, 3D Shaders, raymarching, cameras, transitions, layers, and many preset-based visual modules to explore. Review the other manual sections.
Instant 2D to 3D
The Scene and 3D Shader modules include presets that use incoming textures to generate 3D scenes. Some presets map textures onto solid objects, while others generate unique 3D forms from RGB data, drive particle systems, or create other visual effects. You’ll find texture-driven presets in the “Texture” subfolder.
Randomize by gate trigger (and Transient Detector)
You can use the Meta Randomizer module from the standard Drambo library to randomize any number of visual parameters on an incoming gate trigger, with optional smooth transitions. This technique is very fast and effective. In this example, the Transient Detector module triggers the Meta Randomizer, so the parameters are randomized on audio transients.
Modulate with DSP signals
Remember, you can use standard Drambo CV signals to modulate visual parameters. In this example, an LFO modulates both the audio filter cutoff and the Scene/3D Tunnel Radius.
Feel free to use LFOs, envelope generators, automation, and p-locks to drive visuals just as you would drive your audio patches. They can even coexist in the same rack and become part of a single, unified patch. A MIDI to CV gate can trigger an envelope that modulates visual parameters, while CV signals can control things like position. An envelope follower can make visuals respond to the amplitude of an audio signal. There is also an Audio Analyzer module that outputs analysis signals for individual frequency bands.
Feedback
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