CV - Timing & Clock

Timing is fundamental to music. These nodes generate and process clock signals, triggers, and transport information that keep everything in sync.

Key Concepts

Before diving into the nodes, here are the timing concepts used throughout MNodes:

Concept	What it is	Example
Position (PPQ)	A number representing where you are in time, measured in quarter notes. PPQ 0 = the start, PPQ 4 = one whole note (4/4) into the piece	The Transport node outputs this from your DAW
Phase	A number from 0 to 1 that represents progress through one cycle. 0 = start, 0.5 = halfway, 1 = end (wraps back to 0)	LFOs and Phase nodes output this
Trigger	A short pulse that fires at a specific moment. Like a "click" that tells other nodes "now!"	Clock nodes, step boundaries, beat boundaries
Gate	A signal that stays high for a duration, then goes low. Like holding a button down	Note gates, step gates in sequencers

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Transport

The Transport node gives you access to your DAW's timing information (or its own internal clock in standalone mode). This is the main way to get tempo, position, and beat information into your patch.

Outputs

Output	Type	Description
BPM	CV	Current tempo in beats per minute
Playing	CV	1 when playing, 0 when stopped
PPQ	CV	Position in quarter notes (absolute time position)
Bar	Data	Current bar number
Beat	Data	Current beat within the bar
Beat Trigger	Data	Fires an event on every beat
Bar Trigger	Data	Fires an event at the start of every bar
Bar Phase	CV	0-to-1 ramp within the current bar. Completes one full cycle per bar

Inputs

Input	Type	Description
Sync	Data	0 = use internal clock, 1 = sync to DAW host
BPM	Data	Set the tempo manually (useful in standalone)
Play	Data	Start/stop playback
Time Sig Num	Data	Time signature numerator (e.g., 4 in 4/4)
Time Sig Den	Data	Time signature denominator (e.g., 4 in 4/4)

In plugin mode, the Transport reads timing from your DAW automatically. In standalone mode, it uses its own internal clock.

How to use Transport with Sequencers

Connect the Transport's PPQ output to a sequencer's Position input and set the sequencer to "External Position" mode. All connected sequencers will follow your DAW's transport perfectly. See the Sequencing page for more details.

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CV Clock

A standalone clock generator with its own Play, Pause, Stop, and Reset controls. Use this when you want a clock that runs independently from the DAW transport.

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Play	Event	—	Start the clock
Pause	Event	—	Pause (keeps position)
Stop	Event	—	Stop and reset to the beginning
Reset	Event	—	Reset position without stopping
BPM	1 - 999	120 bpm	Clock tempo

Outputs: Trigger (event per beat), Phase (0-1 ramp per beat), Position (beat count)

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CV Clock Divider

Takes a clock input and outputs at a slower rate. For example, if the input fires every quarter note and you set the division to 4, the output fires every whole note. Essential for creating slower rhythmic patterns from a fast clock.

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Cycles/Beat	—	1.0	Division ratio

Input: Position (from a Clock or Transport) Outputs: Phase (divided), Trigger (divided)

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CV Random Trigger

Each time it receives a trigger, outputs a random CV value between Min and Max.

Parameter	Range	Default	Description
Trigger	Event	—	Fire manually
Min	unbounded	0.0	Minimum random value
Max	unbounded	1.0	Maximum random value

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CV Edge

Detects when a CV signal crosses a threshold (goes from low to high or high to low) and outputs a trigger pulse at that moment. Useful for converting continuous signals into discrete events.

Input: CV signal Output: Trigger pulse on each edge crossing

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CV Trigger

Generates a clean, short trigger pulse. Can be fired manually or from an input signal.

Input: Trigger (event or CV) Output: Clean trigger pulse (CV)