> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nomn.jp/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tips & Troubleshooting

> Getting the most out of FOAM

## Getting Started

1. **Start simple** — begin with default settings and explore one card at a time
2. **Use material presets** — the Material dropdown is the fastest way to dramatically change character
3. **Rate + Size = Foundation** — these two knobs define 80% of your sound
4. **Add motion last** — get your base sound right before adding Chaos, Drift, or Surge

## Common Gotchas

<Warning>
  **Topology CPU Usage** — High Topology values can be CPU-intensive, especially with high Rate. If you experience audio dropouts, reduce Topology or Rate, or enable CPU Cut.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  **Surge Needs Headroom** — Surge modulates parameters including Rate. Set Rate to 30-50% to give Surge room to create dynamic swells.
</Warning>

<Warning>
  **Cascade Chain Reactions** — High Cascade values with high Rate can create exponential bubble growth. If things get out of control, reduce one or both.
</Warning>

<Info>
  **Natural Balance Affects Mix** — At 100% (the default), large/low bubbles dominate the mix because that's physically accurate. If you want more high-frequency content to cut through, reduce Natural Balance toward 0% (equal-loudness mode).
</Info>

## Sound Design Tips

### Sparse, Delicate Pops

* Rate: low (5-15%)
* Size: medium
* Ring: short (20-50ms)
* Flow Type: Poisson
* Material: Water

### Dense Foam Cascade

* Rate: high (70-100%)
* Cascade: medium-high
* Material: Soap Solution
* Surge: Gush or Roil
* Add Drift for evolving texture

### Musical / Tonal

* Flow Type: Melodic or Harmonic
* Set Quantize to 80-100%
* Choose a scale and root note
* Use Scatter for natural variation between voices

### Tunable Cinematic Body

* Flow Type: Melodic
* Resonance: Cave, Cistern, or Bathtub
* Resonance amount: 60-100%
* The resonator pitch-tracks your MIDI input

### Deep Sub Bass

* Size: large
* Rate: low-medium
* Compress low bands (63-250Hz) in Voicing Dynamics
* Natural Balance: reduce to let low frequencies through evenly

### Inharmonic Cloud

* Flow Type: Poisson or Turbulent
* Snap (ADP): 60-100%
* Resonance: Seashell or Skull at 30-50%
* Chaos: LFO mode for slow continuous wobble