A Bidule group is any number of bidules that have been collected together to form one single bidule. Some group facts:

• A bidule name in italics indicates that it is a group.
• A group can contain any number of bidules and VST plugins.
• A group CANNOT contain an audio device or a slaved output device (like BiduleVST or Bidule Rewire slave output).
• Saving a group creates a .bgrp file in the \Bidule\groups folder where Bidule is installed. These .bgrp files can be shared with other Bidule users.

The tutorial below shows you how to create a Bidule group, and save it so that you can re-use it in later layouts. In it you will create a stereo version of the Saturate group (which is only mono).

1 The first step is to add two copies of the Saturate group to the layout. Right-click the patchbay and select Groups > Saturate. Repeat to create the second instance.

To keep things clear, rename each of the Saturates: Saturate L and Saturate R (for the left and right channels, respectively).

2 Now, the two Saturates must be grouped together. Select both, then right-click and select Grouping > Group selected object(s). The Group Properties dialog box will appear.

Even though you can modify group properties after the fact, it helps to get them right from the beginning. Since the group's job will be to add saturation to both channels of stereo audio, set only 2 Sample inputs, and do the same for the outputs. Name the group Stereo Saturate, and type in your name as the author. Leave the version set to 1.0.

Once you click OK, the group bidule should look like this:

3 The next step is to connect the audio inside of the group. To look at the inner workings of a group, right-click it and select Grouping > Expand. A faster way is to hold CTRL and double-click the group.

Connect the left-hand output on the top of the patchbay to the input on Saturate L, and the right-hand output to the input on Saturate R.

To have more control over the output of the group, add a Gain bidule (right-click > Mixing > Gain) to the layout. Connect the outputs of both the Saturates to the inputs on the Gain bidule, then finish up by connecting the Gain outputs to the inputs at the bottom of the layout.

4 Press the button to return to the original layout. You can also press the BACKSPACE key to do the same thing.

Time to create the controls for the group's GUI. Right-click the group, and select Grouping > Parameters. The Exported group parameters dialog box appears.

Here you can take any of the controllable parameters from the groups' components, and export them to GUI for control from the patchbay. Because the Saturate groups have no real parameters to tweak, the only one you need in this case is the Amplitude parameter from the Gain bidule. Select Amplitude from the list, then click Add.

Let's give the new Amplitude slider a more appropriate name, so make sure it is selected and click the Rename button. Call it Gain.

Click OK when finished. Double-click the Stereo Saturate group to display its GUI. The dialog box should look like this:

5 The final step is to save the new group. Right-click the Stereo Saturate bidule, and select Grouping > Save selected group. The Select a file dialog box will appear. Just leave the file name as Stereo Saturate.bgrp (or change it, if you want), and click Save.

The new group can now be added to your layout any time you need it. Just right-click the patchbay and select Groups > Stereo Saturate, or drag it from the Palette.