Artsbuilder comes with several examples, which can be opened through File->Open Example.... Some of them are in the directory, some of them (which for some reason don't work with the current release) are left in the todo directory.
The examples fall into several categories:
Standalone examples illustrating how to use each of the built-in arts modules (named example_*.arts). These typically send some output to a sound card.
Instruments built from lower level arts modules (named instrument_*.arts). These following a standard convention for input and output ports so they can be used by the midi manager in artscontrol.
Templates for creating new modules (names template_*.arts).
Effects which can be used as reusable building blocks (named effect_*.arts) [ all in todo ]
Mixer elements used for creating mixers, including graphical controls (named mixer_element_*.arts). [ all in todo ]
Miscellaneous modules that don't fit into any of the above categories.
Detailed Description Of Each Module:
Generates a 440Hz sine wave tone in the left channel and an 880Hz sine wave tone in the right channel, and sends it to the sound card output. This is referenced in the aRts documentation.
Generates a 440 Hz sine wave.
Generates a 440 Hz pulse wave with a 20% duty cycle.
Generates a 440 Hz sawtooth wave.
Generates a 440 Hz square wave.
Generates a 440 Hz triangle wave.
Generates white noise.
Generates a dual tone by producing 697 and 1209 Hz sine waves, scaling them by 0.5, and adding them together. This is the DTMF tone for the digit "1" on a telephone keypad.
Runs a triangle wave through the atan saturate filter.
Uses an autopanner to pan a 400 Hz sine wave between the left and right speakers at a 2 Hz rate.
Scales a sine wave by a factor of 5 and then runs it through a brickwall limiter.
Downlinks from a bus called "Bus" and uplinks to the bus "out_soundcard" with the left and right channels reversed.
Downlinks from a bus called "Delay", uplinks the right channel through a 0.5 second cdelay, and the left channel unchanged. You can use artscontrol to connect the effect to a sound player and observe the results.
This is the same as example_cdelay but used the delay effect.
This uses the Synth_CAPTURE_WAV to save a 400 Hz sine wave as a wav file. Run the module for a few seconds, and then examine the file created in /tmp. You can play the file with a player such as kaiman.
This uses the Data module to generate a constant stream of the value "3" and sends it to a Debug module to periodically display it. It also contains a Nil module, illustrating how it can be used to do nothing at all.
Shows how to create a simple instrument sound using the Envelope Adsr module, repetitively triggered by a square wave.
This uses the FM Source module to generate a 440 Hz sine wave which is frequency modulated at a 5 Hz rate.
This connects the Freeverb effect from a bus downlink to a bus outlink. You can use artscontrol to connect the effect to a sound player and observe the results.
This implements a simple flanger effect (it doesn't appear to work yet, though).
This structure combines the two channels from a bus into one, passes it though the Moog VCF filter, and sends it out the out_soundcard bus.
This structure passes the left channel of sound card data through the Pitch Shift effect. Adjust the speed parameter to vary the effect.
This structure passes a white noise generator though an RC filter and out to the sound card. By viewing the FFT Scope display in artscontrol you can see how this varies from an unfiltered noise waveform.
This demonstrates the Sequence module by playing a sequence of notes.
This structure passes a white noise generator though a Shelve Cutoff filter and out to the sound card. By viewing the FFT Scope display in artscontrol you can see how this varies from an unfiltered noise waveform.
This demonstrates the Std_Equalizer module. It boosts the low and high frequencies by 6 dB.
This demonstrates the Tremolo effect. It modulates the left and right channels using a 10 Hz tremolo.
This example mixes 440 and 880 Hz sine waves using a cross fader. Adjust the value of the cross fader's percentage input from -1 to 1 to control the mixing of the two signals.
This illustrates the Pscale module (I'm not sure if this is a meaningful example).
This illustrates the Play Wave module. You will need to enter the full path to a .wav file as the filename parameter.
This shows the Multi Add module which accepts any number of inputs. It sums three Data modules which produce inputs of 1, 2, and 3, and displays the result 6.