reFuse Software, best known for plugins like Bucketverb and Lowender, recently released a utility app for Pro Tools. Called Mulligan, this standalone piece of software provides users a simple functional advantage over standard keyboard and mouse navigation. In this Mulligan reFuse review, we’ll see what makes this an interesting app for engineers.
reFuse Mulligan Review: What Is It?
Mulligan is a straightforward application that maps any MIDI controller’s knobs to any plugin’s parameters in Pro Tools. It’s not a plugin itself, but just an app that lets you use any controller with eight knobs to adjust plugins, hands-on, in Pro Tools. Essentially, Mulligan acts as a “translator” between your MIDI device and Pro Tools, while PT recognizes it as a MIDI peripheral.
Upon setting it up for the first time, Mulligan has default mapping to help you get running quickly. Of course, all parameter mapping is customizable. For plugins with more than eight parameters, Mulligan maps them to different pages you can cycle through. You can also set up buttons for plugin navigation as well as transport controls in Pro Tools.
The app itself provides a HUD (heads-up display) at the bottom of your screen showing you which parameters are currently mapped to which knob on your controller. Overall, the software offers an easy, automatic way of utilizing your MIDI device as a hands-on plugin controller for Pro Tools. Currently, reFuse Mulligan is MacOS only.
MIDI Controllers to Use with Mulligan
You can use practically any MIDI controller with reFuse Mulligan. That’s what makes it such a versatile app. To get the best experience, though, you’ll firstly want a device with at least eight encoders. The last part there, encoders, is especially important — these are endless rotary knobs that spin continuously, as opposed to pots which have a set start and end point. Endless encoders let you spin through plugin parameters with ease.
MIDI Fighter Twister
reFuse recommends the MIDI Fighter Twister to pair with Mulligan. It’s a simple MIDI device that has a 4×4 bank of encoders. The encoders themselves are pushable and can be assigned button functions as well.
Behringer X-Touch Mini
The X-Touch Mini by Behringer is another great pairing with Mulligan software. It features eight rotary encoders and 16 mappable buttons — perfect for integrating with all that reFuse Mulligan offers. Not to mention, it’s extremely compact and affordable for taking on the run.
Arturia Beatstep
reFuse also recommends Arturia Beatstep as a solid controller to integrate with Mulligan. Beatstep comes with 16 encoders and 16 pads for a variety of mapping options. It, too, is quite affordable.