Every time I try and use $ variables beyond 3, they don't work. So I can feed numbers into $1 $2 $3 in a line object and they work fine - but if I try and use $4 onwards as a variable it doesnt work. Anyone know why? I'm using $1-3 in 3 synth absractions and only one will work correctly at a time
Best, Steve

@redstevo $4 .... $24 will work if the object is expecting them.
For [line] which has 3 inlets a message with 3 floats will be distributed across the inlets so...
$1 value, $2 time, $3 grain time, $4 will do nothing.
Is your problem actually with [line] or something else?
It looks like a different problem so maybe you should upload your patch.

If you have 3 identical synth abstractions then you need to make them different with creation arguments.... https://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/9774/pure-data-noob/4
David.

@redstevo $4 works: test.zip

Thank you all. My actual problem was not appreciating send broadcasts across all abstraction so I had 3 conflicting send messages which worked when I made them unique. Thanks for the clarification about line and $ variables - useful to know that it was line demanding 1, 2 and 3 because that is it's inlet capacity. Happy to post my program when I finished working on it - I've got each synth abstraction working now and working on the coding for automated mixing. The whole patch is designed to work with live input and follow sympathetically - using fiddle to generate overtones.