Audio node
Pulse
Pattern engine -- one held note becomes an endless rhythm. Euclidean patterns, claves, arp motions, ratchets. Add inside an Audio Modular System.
Inputs
| Port | Type | Default |
|---|---|---|
| EnableTurns the pattern engine off. Off silences it and resets the step grid, so it starts clean when switched back on. | bool | true |
| NotesThe notes the pattern plays from (128 bins, one per MIDI note). Cable a MIDI keyboard or another note source; with nothing connected the built-in Note and Chord are used instead. | float | — |
| Instant KeysOn, a freshly pressed key speaks immediately as a pickup and then folds into the grid — playable and forgiving. Off, every new note waits for the next step. | bool | true |
| SyncOn locks the step grid to the system transport, so every synced pattern interlocks and different Rates become polyrhythms. Off frees this node onto its own BPM. | bool | true |
| NoteRoot note of the built-in drone, used only when nothing is cabled to Notes. Clamped to 0…127, where 60 is middle C. | int | 60 |
| ChordChord built on that built-in root — single, octave, fifth, major, minor, sus4, min 7, maj 9. Values outside the list fall back to a single note. | int | 0 |
| BPMThis node's own tempo, used only when Sync is off. Clamped to 20…300. | float | 120 |
| RateStep length, from 1/1 down to 1/32 including triplets and a dotted eighth. Values outside the list fall back to 1/8. | int | eighth |
| PatternWhich steps of the bar actually hit — straight, offbeat, Euclidean spreads, claves, bossa, sparse or a per-bar reroll. Values outside the list fall back to Straight. | int | 0 |
| MotionHow the held notes are picked apart: whole chord, up, down, up-down, random, walk, converge, diverge, spread or octaves. Values outside the list fall back to Up. | int | up |
| Octave RangeHow many extra octaves are stacked above the held notes before the motion walks them. Clamped to 0…3; copies above the playable range are dropped. | int | 0 |
| GateNote length as a fraction of one step — short and staccato, or fully legato. Clamped to 0.05…1. | float | 0.6 |
| SwingDelays every odd step for a shuffled feel. Clamped to 0…1, where 1 pushes the offbeat about a third of a step late. | float | 0 |
| ProbabilityChance that each scheduled hit actually sounds — lower it and the pattern breathes holes. Clamped to 0…1; 1 plays every hit. | float | 1 |
| RatchetChance that a step bursts into a fast decaying triple. Clamped to 0…1. | float | 0 |
| AccentHow much quieter the off-downbeat notes are, so beat one stands out. Clamped to 0…1, up to about a third softer. | float | 0.3 |
| HumanizeRandom timing scatter so the groove is not machine-perfect. Clamped to 0…1, up to roughly 30 ms of drag. | float | 0.1 |
| SeedThe identity of every random decision — probability, ratchets, random motions, humanize. The same Seed always replays the same groove; any whole number is a different one. | int | 0 |
Outputs
| Port | Type |
|---|---|
| NotesThe notes the pattern plays from (128 bins, one per MIDI note). Cable a MIDI keyboard or another note source; with nothing connected the built-in Note and Chord are used instead. | float |
| Step | int |
| Trigger | bool |
How It Works
Pulse turns one held note into an endless rhythm. Fourteen patterns (Euclid 3/8 through 9/16, son and rumba clave, bossa, shuffle, random-bar), ten motions (chord, up, down, ping-pong, walk, converge, diverge, spread, octaves), nine rates and eight fallback chords, with probability, ratchet, swing, accent and humanize — all seed-deterministic.
Sync phase-locks every pulse to the container's shared transport, and the clock is a phase accumulator, so changing BPM never silences it. The first key after silence fires immediately; keys pressed mid-pattern speak as pickups and then join the clock (Instant Keys toggles that).
Use Cases
- Arpeggiator — hold a chord, choose a motion.
- Rhythm from a single note — Euclidean patterns on a drum instrument.
- Live performance — cable BPM from anything; the pattern follows without dropping out.
Tips
- Same Seed, same performance — humanize and probability are reproducible.
- Feed its output into any synth in the system; several Pulses on one transport stay locked together.
Open Pulse in the interactive catalog →
Pulse is one of 381 nodes in Grafit Pro.
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