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Utilities
The Utilities category gathers the small, everyday building blocks you use in almost every patch. Here you will find the audio in and out points that connect MNodes to your sound card or your music software (your DAW), plus simple math helpers for sound (add, multiply, volume and value clamping), tools for muting, smoothing and delaying a signal, and the Recorder, the VST3 Plugin Host, the project Transport, and canvas helpers like Comment and Colour. On their own none of these makes a sound effect; think of them as the glue you keep reaching for to route, balance, mix and tidy up everything else.
Audio In
Brings sound from your sound card or your music software into the patch, for example a microphone, a guitar input, or a track in your DAW. You choose how many channels to bring in (1 to 8) with the Channels slider in the inspector, and output pin N picks up input channel N from the host.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channels | 1 - 8 | 2 | Number of output pins. Each pin maps to the matching host input channel (inspector only). |
Inputs: none (this is a source node). Outputs: In 1, In 2, ... (one audio pin per channel). Channels the host or device does not provide stay silent.
Audio Out
Sends the finished sound out to your sound card or your music software, so you can actually hear it or record it. You choose how many channels to send (1 to 8) with the Channels slider in the inspector, and input pin N feeds output channel N of the host.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channels | 1 - 8 | 2 | Number of input pins. Each pin maps to the matching host output channel (inspector only). |
Inputs: Out 1, Out 2, ... (one audio pin per channel). Multiple connections to a pin are summed. Outputs: none (this is a sink node). If no Audio Out is connected, the patch is silent.
Delay Line Mono
A bare-bones mono echo: it repeats the incoming sound a moment later. It has no feedback (it will not repeat over and over by itself) and no dry/wet mix, so you only hear the delayed copy. It is meant as a clean building block for echo and feedback setups where you wire the repeats back in yourself.
Needs: the Delay Line Mono node showing the Mode selector set to Free and the Time, Frequency, Subdiv and BPM rows.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Free / Hz / Sync | Free | Picks how the delay length is set. |
| Time | 0.01 - 5000 ms | 500 ms | Delay length in milliseconds (used in Free mode). |
| Frequency | 0.2 - 20000 Hz | 2 Hz | Delay length = 1 / Frequency (used in Hz mode). Useful for Karplus-Strong style pitched feedback. |
| Subdiv | musical subdivisions (1/64 to 4/1) | 1/4 | Note value for the delay length (used in Sync mode). |
| BPM | 1 - 999 | 120 | Tempo that drives the Sync subdivision. |
Inputs: In (audio), Mode (Data), Time (Data, CV-capable), Freq (Data, CV-capable), Subdiv (Data), BPM (Data, CV-capable). Outputs: Out (delayed audio, full wet).
Sig Pass
Lets a mono signal go straight through without changing it. Handy for keeping your cables neat and your patch organised.
Inputs: In (audio). Outputs: Out (audio, identical to the input).
Sig Invert
Turns a mono signal upside down, so the output is the mirror image of the input (in audio terms, a 180 degree phase flip).
Inputs: In (audio). Outputs: Out (audio, polarity inverted).
Sig DC Offset
Adds a fixed amount to a mono signal, nudging it up or down. Useful for re-centring a signal or for building control values that drive other nodes.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offset | -1.0 - 1.0 | 0.0 | Constant value added to every sample. |
Inputs: In (audio), Offset (Data, sets the offset value). Outputs: Out (audio).
Gain
Turns a mono signal up or down by a set amount, with a short smoothing time so the volume change does not click. The amount here is a simple multiplier, not decibels: 1.0 leaves the level unchanged, below 1.0 is quieter, above 1.0 is louder.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gain | 0.0 - 4.0 | 1.0 | Linear gain factor (1.0 = unity). |
| Smooth | 0 - 2000 ms | 15 ms | Time over which gain changes ramp, to avoid zipper noise. |
Inputs: In (audio), Gain (Data, CV-capable), Smooth (Data, CV-capable). Outputs: Out (audio).
Gain Stereo
The same volume control as Gain, but for a stereo (left and right) signal. It turns both channels up or down by the same multiplier, with a short smoothing time so the change does not click.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gain | 0.0 - 4.0 | 1.0 | Linear gain factor applied to both channels (1.0 = unity). |
| Smooth | 0 - 2000 ms | 15 ms | Time over which gain changes ramp, to avoid zipper noise. |
Inputs: In L (audio), In R (audio), Gain (Data, CV-capable), Smooth (Data, CV-capable). Outputs: Out L (audio), Out R (audio).
Sig Gate
Acts like a switch for sound: it lets audio through while the gate is open and fades it down to silence while the gate is closed. The fade is smoothed so opening and closing does not click.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gate | on / off | on | When on, audio passes; when off, it fades to silence. |
| Smooth | 0 - 2000 ms | 5 ms | Fade time for opening and closing the gate. |
Inputs: In (audio), Gate (Data, values above 0 open the gate), Smooth (Data). Outputs: Out (audio).
Sig Add
Combines two mono signals into one by adding them together. The output is simply A plus B.
Inputs: A (audio), B (audio). Outputs: Out (audio, A + B).
Sig Multiply
Multiplies two mono signals together, so the output is A times B. This is handy for shaping one sound with another, for example making a tremolo effect or using one signal to switch another on and off.
Inputs: A (audio), B (audio). Outputs: Out (audio, A x B).
Sig Clamp
Keeps a mono signal inside set limits, so its values can never drop below Min or rise above Max.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min | -2.0 - 2.0 | -1.0 | Lower bound for each sample. |
| Max | -2.0 - 2.0 | 1.0 | Upper bound for each sample. |
Inputs: In (audio), Min (Data, CV-capable), Max (Data, CV-capable). Outputs: Out (audio).
Sig Abs
Makes every part of a mono signal positive, flipping any negative values to their positive equivalent. In audio terms this is a full-wave rectifier.
Inputs: In (audio). Outputs: Out (audio, absolute value of the input).
Sig Mix 2
Blends a Dry input and a Wet input, fading smoothly between the two. At Mix 0 you hear only Dry, at Mix 1 only Wet, and values in between give you a mix of both.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mix | 0.0 - 1.0 | 0.5 | Crossfade amount. 0 = Dry only, 1 = Wet only. |
Inputs: Dry (audio), Wet (audio), Mix (Data, CV-capable). Outputs: Out (audio, the blend of Dry and Wet).
Smooth
Eases a value gradually toward a new setting instead of letting it jump. Use it on pitch to get a sliding glide between notes (portamento), on knob moves to stop clicks, or on triggers to fade gates in and out.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | 0 - 10000 ms | 50 ms | Smoothing time. 0 is instant; larger values ramp more slowly. |
Inputs: Target (Data, the destination value to head toward), Set Now (Data, jumps straight to the received value), Time (Data, CV-capable).
Outputs:
| Output | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Out | Audio | The smoothed value at audio rate. |
| Value | Data | The current value, sent roughly 30 times a second while it is still moving. |
| Is Smoothing | Data | 1.0 while ramping, 0.0 once it has settled at the target. |
Recorder
Records any point in your patch straight to a WAV file, with no fixed time limit, so you can save individual parts (stems), capture a jam, or sample your own sounds. The audio keeps flowing through unchanged whether the Recorder is sitting idle or recording, and you can play your last take back out through the same outputs.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folder | folder path | (your Music folder) | Where recordings are written. Use Choose Folder to pick it. |
| Bit Depth | 16 bit / 24 bit / 32 bit float | 24 bit | Resolution of the WAV file (inspector only). |
| Channels | Stereo / Mono | Stereo | Stereo writes a 2-channel file; Mono sums L+R (inspector only). |
| Position | 0.0 - 1.0 | 0.0 | Playhead position for playback and seeking. |
Each take reuses one temporary file per node, so a new recording replaces the previous one; use Export to save your last take somewhere permanent.
Inputs: In L (audio), In R (audio), plus trigger pins Record, Stop, Play, Rewind, Export (Data, any event or non-zero value triggers them) and Position (Data, a 0..1 value seeks the playhead). Outputs: Out L (audio), Out R (audio). Pass-through while idle or recording; the recorded file while playing.
Plugin Host
Loads and runs a third-party VST3 plugin of any kind: an instrument, an effect, or a MIDI effect. The plugin runs on its own, separate from MNodes, so if it crashes or its graphics get heavy it will not bring MNodes down with it.
The pins change to match whatever plugin you load. An effect shows audio in and out, an instrument shows MIDI in and audio out, and a MIDI effect shows only MIDI pins. From the inspector you can bring individual plugin controls out as pins: each one you expose adds an input pin (which accepts either a single Data value or a moving CV signal) and a matching output pin that reports that control's current value, so the rest of your patch and any widgets stay in step with it.
Inputs: In / In L / In R (audio) and MIDI, depending on the plugin, plus one input pin per exposed parameter. Outputs: Out / Out L / Out R (audio) and MIDI, depending on the plugin, plus one output pin per exposed parameter.
Comment
A plain text note you stick on the canvas. It has no pins and does not touch your sound or your data; use it to label sections, explain how a patch works, or leave yourself reminders.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text | text | Label | The text shown in the comment (inspector only). |
| Font Size | 8 - 72 px | 16 px | Text size (inspector only). |
| Font Weight | Light / Regular / Medium / SemiBold / Bold | SemiBold | Weight of the text (inspector only). |
| Alignment | 9 positions | Centre | Where the text sits in the box (inspector only). |
| Text Colour | colour | white | Colour of the text (inspector only). |
| Bg Colour | colour | dark grey | Background colour of the box (inspector only). |
| Border | on / off | off | Draws a border around the box (inspector only). |
| Border Stroke | 0.5 - 8 px | 1 px | Border thickness (inspector only). |
| Border Colour | colour | white | Colour of the border (inspector only). |
Inputs: none. Outputs: none.
Colour
A colour picker and source in one. It gives you a Hex box and R, G, B, A sliders that always stay in agreement, so editing one updates the others. Any value sent in updates the stored colour and resends every output, which lets you wire it into widgets and appearance controls.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hex | #RRGGBB or #AARRGGBB | white | The colour as a hex string. |
| R | 0 - 255 | 255 | Red channel. |
| G | 0 - 255 | 255 | Green channel. |
| B | 0 - 255 | 255 | Blue channel. |
| A | 0 - 255 | 255 | Alpha channel. |
Inputs: Hex (Data), R, G, B, A (Data). Each control has its own input pin. Outputs: Hex (Data), R, G, B, A (Data). Each control has its own output pin reporting the current value.
Transport
The project's clock and timekeeper: tempo, position in the music, beats, bars, and sync. When MNodes runs as a plugin it can follow your music software (your DAW); when it runs on its own it uses its own built-in clock instead. If you use several Transport nodes they all stay locked together, so changing one updates the rest.
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sync | Internal / Host (DAW) | Host in plugin mode, Internal standalone | Clock source. Host (DAW) is unavailable in standalone. |
| Play | on / off | off | Start or stop the internal clock (Internal mode). |
| BPM | 1 - 999 | 120 | Tempo in beats per minute (Internal mode). |
| Time Sig Numerator | 1 - 32 | 4 | Top number of the time signature (Internal mode). |
| Time Sig Denominator | 1 - 32 | 4 | Bottom number of the time signature (Internal mode). |
Inputs: Sync (Data, 0 = Internal, 1 = Host), BPM (Data), Play (Data), Time Sig Numerator (Data), Time Sig Denominator (Data). The inputs let you modulate the transport from elsewhere in the patch.
Outputs:
| Output | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BPM | CV | Current tempo in BPM. |
| Playing | CV | 1.0 while playing, 0.0 while stopped. |
| Position | CV | Absolute musical position in quarter notes. |
| Bar | CV | Current bar number (0-based). |
| Beat | CV | Beat within the current bar. |
| Beat Trigger | CV | A short pulse on each beat. |
| Bar Trigger | CV | A short pulse at the start of each bar. |
| Bar Phase | CV | A 0-to-1 ramp across each bar. |