@whale-av I have given it a good shot but it may be the [set open] message and the way I have labelled the [.wav]. Keep getting error message argument number not in range and [wrttesf] no method for [set] Archive.zip

Thank you David @whale.av Yes I am seeing that "a mess" is the right word for where I am ending up lol. I feel like i'm so near yet so far...still trying!

I am so grateful for you David, you're an absolute whiz, that makes so much sense. At the moment when I hit the space bar and start recording, each [track] overwrites the last as in the abstraction the [open] is [open testing.wav] meaning when I add another [track] they're all the same. But if I make a change to one it changes all? But renaming the abstractions slightly and changing the [open] should rectify this? Or a [set open] message box containing dollar variables (arguments)?

@whale.av I decided to use [key] to [open testing.wav] and start and stop recording using the keyboard for a little more user friendly control. Just wondering Could I have used [send and receive] or [catch~] [throw~] to have the [writesf} operate within a subpatch or abstraction?

@whale-av aaah will check it out now tracka.pd.zip then that may work better than this, added a {tbb}?

@whale-av Hey David please forgive my late reply, I have been completely snowed under and stressed. Thanks so much for your time It's the [spigot] that threw me through a loop and the get $0/$1. Also what a difference some (a) space makes I have added some distortion [clip], [vd delay,] a [lop] and a {writes~] function to the [track] it is pretty cool. I have added the updated version for you to have a look at. I know I have messed up somewhere on adding the gui function for the save file [writesf~]tracka.pd.zip

@whale-av Thanks David...you were absolutely right the audio and combination of the update...arrghh...I have scaled down the patch so now it's one track not 4 and hopefully this works...don't laugh
SPLPATCH.pd

HI David yes there seems to be a bug, but also my zip file seems to be too large to attach and even just the actual patch ... I am unsure what to do

thanks so much @whale-av this helps a lot, your answers are really informative I can't thank you enough. and the show me $ information was excellent, I just have to get my head around creating arguments/abstractions and the like...Regarding 'externals'...aah, I see, in that case I think what I meant was I wish to save the patch into my externals folder within pd for use within other patches, so anytime I place a command 1 object in a new file and type the name of my sampler, it will just appear like magic, is that possible or was I dreaming? I have added my patch in a zip file for you to see all my noobie missteps

Thanks again

Insert Code Here
```Naomi.

Thanks so much @whale.av David that makes sense and helps a lot. Would you mind if I asked a few further questions, as My aim is to save the fully completed patch as an external, so I have been building up the elements (within a graph on parent with Gui objects) using subpatches. I'm just wondering can I run each subpatch through one dac~ ? And if this is the case would I just change the dac~ within each subpatch to outlet~ ? Would I then need to reconnect them to dac~ each time I open the (completed) external patch ? Lastly I decided to use my ring mod code as a standalone preset reading from an open object...is there a way to open different files through one open object?
I have added some screenshots to help explain what I mean.

Thanks so much in advance David,

Naomi