# fl.read buffer: instantiation only?
**URL:** https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49
**Category:** Usage Questions
**Created:** [9 November 2019 16:32 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49 "2019-11-09T16:32:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@o.green](https://framelib.discourse.group/u/o.green)
#### Post date: [9 November 2019 16:32 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49/1 "2019-11-09T16:32:36Z")
Should I be able to update `fl.read~`'s buffer on the fly? I do hope so.
If yes, then, should I also expect to work with a multichannel stream? I’m getting badness where it seems to drop the tag:
So that `fl.pack~` is going into `fl.read~`, and `fl.tomax~` seems to confirm that the vector is properly tagged…
It stops complaining if I `untag` and then `tag` again. But I’m not convinced it actually changes buffer. If it should be, I’ll untangle everything and see if I can get it working with a more deterministic test than my current patch.
Also: if this is something I’m meant to be able to do, what’s the least horrid way of getting a bunch of buffer names into fl? `frommax~` doesn’t like it at all if I send it a list of symbols (presumably because fl doesn’t allow a vector of strings?), nor receiving a string at all in `mode value`. So it looks like I need as many `frommax~`s as I want streams? 😭
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### Author:  [@o.green](https://framelib.discourse.group/u/o.green)
#### Post date: [9 November 2019 16:45 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49/2 "2019-11-09T16:45:59Z")
Answered most of my own questions, sorry for noise:
1. Yes, I can change buffers on the fly
2. Yes, this works with streams
3. No, there isn’t a cleverer way of getting a bunch of symbols into fl. I think I’d like it if `fl.frommax~ =` gave me `n` inlets and produced a stream. (I’d like it _even more_ if I had a unfaffy way of putting a list in and getting that turned into a stream)
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### Author:  [@Rodrigo](https://framelib.discourse.group/u/Rodrigo)
#### Post date: [13 November 2019 17:12 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49/3 "2019-11-13T17:12:59Z")
_(kind of OT, but it looks like someone’s using FrameLib for their performance next week!..)_
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### Author:  [@o.green](https://framelib.discourse.group/u/o.green)
#### Post date: [13 November 2019 17:29 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49/4 "2019-11-13T17:29:56Z")
🕶 (I used it for that bill we shared at electric spring last year too! I’m full of love for it)
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### Author:  [@james.bradbury](https://framelib.discourse.group/u/james.bradbury)
#### Post date: [14 November 2019 20:52 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49/5 "2019-11-14T20:52:04Z")
> [@o.green](#):
>
> No, there isn’t a cleverer way of getting a bunch of symbols into fl. I think I’d like it if `fl.frommax~ =` gave me `n` inlets and produced a stream. (I’d like it _even more_ if I had a unfaffy way of putting a list in and getting that turned into a stream)
I cannot think a way of doing this without multiple `fl.frommax~`. In fact, while experimenting with other ways I can’t seem to make `untag~` actually untag a frame with a string value.
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### Author:  [@a.harker](https://framelib.discourse.group/u/a.harker)
#### Post date: [19 November 2019 17:48 UTC](https://framelib.discourse.group/t/fl-read-buffer-instantiation-only/49/6 "2019-11-19T17:48:31Z")
I am aware that some kind of numeric symbol table would be a useful thing, but no-one bugged me for one yet - issues or requests on GitHub are the way to make me do things now 😉