mc.sync~

Synchronize MSP with an external source (multichannel)

Description

sync~ outputs a 0-1 ramp, like phasor~. The frequency of the ramp can be specified in beats per minute (BPM), or by sending sync~ a tempo reference via tap tempo, MIDI beat clock, or an audio signal containing a 'click track.' Also, sync~ generates MIDI beat clock to synchronize external devices.

Arguments

None.

Attributes

Common Box Attributes

annotation [symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in the Clue window when the user moves the mouse over the object.

background [int] (default: 0)

Adds or removes the object from the patcher's background layer. background 1 adds the object to the background layer, background 0 removes it. Objects in the background layer are shown behind all objects in the default foreground layer.

color [4 floats]

Sets the color for the object box outline.

fontface [int]

Sets the type style used by the object. The options are:

plain
bold
italic
bold italic

Possible values:

0 = 'regular'
1 = 'bold'
2 = 'italic'
3 = 'bold italic'

fontname [symbol]

Sets the object's font.

fontsize [float]

Sets the object's font size (in points).

Possible values:

'8'
'9'
'10'
'11'
'12'
'13'
'14'
'16'
'18'
'20'
'24'
'30'
'36'
'48'
'64'
'72'

hidden [int] (default: 0)

Toggles whether an object is hidden when the patcher is locked.

hint [symbol]

Sets the text that will be displayed in as a pop-up hint when the user moves the mouse over the object in a locked patcher.

ignoreclick [int] (default: 0)

Toggles whether an object ignores mouse clicks in a locked patcher.

patching_rect [4 floats] (default: 0. 0. 100. 0.)

Sets the position and size of the object in the patcher window.

position [2 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the object's x and y position in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its size unchanged.

presentation [int] (default: 0)

Sets whether an object belongs to the patcher's presentation.

presentation_rect [4 floats] (default: 0. 0. 0. 0.)

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in the patcher's presentation, leaving its patching position unchanged.

rect [4 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the x and y position and width and height of the object in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation).

size [2 floats]

g/s(set)

Sets the object's width and height in both patching and presentation modes (if the object belongs to its patcher's presentation), leaving its position unchanged.

textcolor [4 floats]

Sets the color for the object's text in RGBA format.

textjustification [int]

Sets the justification for the object's text.

Possible values:

0 = 'left'
1 = 'center'
2 = 'right'

varname [symbol]

Sets the patcher's scripting name, which can be used to address the object by name in pattr, scripting messages to thispatcher, and the js object.

Multichannel Group Attributes

chans [int]

The chans attribute sets the number of channels and instances in the MC wrapper object. If you want a fixed number of channels regardless of what is connected to the object, you could set chans via a typed-in argument, for example typing mc.cycle~ @chans 100 would create 100 instances of a cycle~ object inside the MC wrapper. If chans is 0, the wrapper object will auto-adapt to the number of channels in its input multichannel signals (using the maximum of all connected signals). For objects without connected multichannel signals, the chans attribute will need to have a non-zero value if you want more than one instance.

If chans is changed while the audio is on, the number of instances will not updated until audio is restarted. However, if chans is reduced while the audio is on, any extra channels will no longer process audio and will output a zero signal.

values [list]

The values attribute only applies to object creation time so it must be set via typed-in argument syntax. values sets the first (and only the first) initial argument for successive instances in the MC wrapper. For example, typing mc.cycle~ @chans 4 @values 50 60 70 80 would assign an initial frequency to the cycle~ instances inside the wrapper. The first instance would be assigned a frequency of 50, the second a frequency of 60, the third 70, and the fourth 80. Note that values does not determine the actual instance count; this can be done using the chans attribute. If there are more instances than elements for the values attribute, those instances are instantiated with the default value.

If you want to set a default initial value for all instances, simply type it as an argument before any typed-in attributes. For example, modifying our example above: mc.cycle~ 100 @chans 10 @values 50 60 70 80. In this example, the first four instances are set as before, but the next six are created with a frequency argument of 100.

To change instance values or attributes after the wrapper object has been created, use the setvalue, applyvalues, or replicatevalues messages.

replicate [int]

When replicate is enabled, input single-channel or multichannel signals containing fewer channels than the number instances in the MC wrapper object are repeated to fill all input channels. For example, when replicate is enabled and you connect a two-channel multichannel signal to the input of an MC wrapper object with four instances, channel 1 of the input will be repeated to channel 3, and channel 2 of the input will be repeated to channel 4. If replicate were disabled, channels 3 and 4 of the input would be set to zero.

target [int]

The target attribute sets a voice index for targeting specific wrapper instances. Subsequent messages are directed to an individual instance instead of all instances. It is strongly recommended you use the more reliable setvalue message instead of the target attribute. The voice index of setvalue will override the current setting of target. When target is 0, incoming messages are sent to all instances. When target is -1, incoming messages do nothing.

usebusymap [int]

When usebusymap is enabled, the MC wrapper controls whether individual instances process audio using a busy map maintained by either an mc.noteallocator~ or mc.voiceallocator~ object. When a channel in the busy map is marked as "free" or "released" no audio processing occurs by any instance on the channel corresponding to the voice index. When usebusymap is disabled, instances in the MC wrapper process audio at all times. This will also be true if usebusymap is enabled and there is no local or named busy map available. (See the busymapname attribute for a description of local and named busy maps). For brevity the name @bz can also be used.

zero [int]

When the zero attribute is enabled, channels in the MC wrapper due to the use of a busy map output zero signals. To save a small amount of CPU at the risk of loud and unpleasant noises due to uncleared signal data, you can disable zero. In this case, disabled channels in the MC wrapper do nothing to their output channels. If usebusymap is disabled or there is no active local or named busy map available, the setting of the zero attribute has no effect.

Conveniently, when usebusymap is enabled in mc.mixdown~ object, disabled channels are not mixed to the output. When unused signals from wrapped objects with zero disabled feed into mc.mixdown~, they will be ignored, reducing the risk of unpleasantness getting past the mix output.

busymapname [symbol]

When the usebusymap attribute is enabled, an MC wrapper object uses the local busy map of any mc.voiceallocator~ or mc.noteallocator~ in the same patcher by default. To use a named global busy map instead, set the busymapname attribute to the desired name. For brevity the name @bzname can also be used.

Messages

bang

A sequence of bang messages is used to set the tap tempo. A bang message is interpreted as one tap. If the sync~ object receives three taps in a row with reasonably consistent timing, it changes the tempo to match them.

int

Arguments

MIDI-data [int]
MIDI beat clock. Integer input is interpreted as MIDI data - you can directly connect the output of an rtin object. sync~ responds to MIDI beat clock start/stop (int 250 and 252), and tick (248). All other values are ignored.

float

Arguments

beats-per-minute [float]
Sets the BPM for the clock.

bpm

Arguments

bpm-rate [float]
The word bpm, followed by a number, sets the rate of the current output ramp to a frequency corresponding to the specified beats/minute.

midioffset

Arguments

output-phase [float]
The word offset, followed by a floating point number in the range 0.-1.0, adjusts the MIDI output "phase" of the current output ramp.

offset

Arguments

ramp-phase [float]
The word offset, followed by a floating point number in the range 0.-1.0, adjusts the "phase" of the current output ramp.

ppq

Arguments

number-of-ticks-per-quarter-note [int]
The word ppq (parts per quarter), followed by a number, specifies the number of ticks output for each quarter note. By default, MIDI beat clock specifies a PPQ of 24. The ppq message is useful mainly for doubling or halving the tempo for an external device that is set to a different time signature. The ramp signal generated by the sync~ object can be scaled for output further by using the rate~ object.

signal

The sync~ object will set its tempo to match an audio click track input. The click track should contain amplitude peaks at quarter-note intervals of the desired tempo. Signal input will affect the tempo only if sync~ detects peak values greater than 0.1 and within the tempo range of approximately 30-240 BPM.

start

The word start causes the current output ramp to halt, and resets the ramp to 0. The start message has the same effect as receiving the MIDI beat clock start value (250). When the start message is received, sync~ outputs the number 250 from the MIDI beat clock output so that any external devices will also start.

stop

The word stop causes the current output ramp to halt, and to remain stationary until a start message is received. It is equivalent to sending the MIDI beat clock stop value (252). When the stop message is received, the sync~ object sends the number 252 from its MIDI beat clock output. The sync~ object does not send MIDI beat clock ticks while it is stopped.

Multichannel Group Messages

deviate

Arguments

range [float]
message-name [symbol]
center-value [float]
Generate a random value for each channel around a center value. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default.

exponential

Arguments

exponent [float]
base [float]
The exponential message generates an exponential series using the second argument as a base and the first argument as an exponent.

scaledexponential

Arguments

exponent [float]
base [float]
The scaledexponential message generates an exponential series using the second argument as a base and the first argument as an exponent. Values are scaled by the instance number, so the total range of the series is independent of the number of channels.

increment

Arguments

increment-amount [float]
message-name [symbol]
start-value [float]
Generate a increasing value for each channel starting at a specified value. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default.

harmonic

Arguments

multiplier [float]
fundamental [float]
The harmonic message generate a harmonic series using the second argument as the fundamental frequency and the first argument as a multiplier.

subharmonic

Arguments

multiplier [float]
fundamental [float]
The subharmonic message generate a subharmonic series using the second argument as the fundamental frequency and the first argument as a multiplier.

spread

Arguments

boundary-value [float]
message-name [symbol]
other-boundary-value [float]
Generate a range of values distributed to each channel. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default. The first boundary value is included in the range outputs, but the last boundary value is not.

spreadinclusive

Arguments

boundary-value [float]
message-name [symbol]
other-boundary-value [float]
Generate a range of values distributed to each channel. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default. Both the first and last boundary values are included in the range outputs.

spreadexclusive

Arguments

boundary-value [float]
message-name [symbol]
other-boundary-value [float]
Generate a range of values distributed to each channel. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default. Neither the first nor last boundary values are included in the range outputs.

spreadincludefirst

Arguments

boundary-value [float]
message-name [symbol]
other-boundary-value [float]
Generate a range of values distributed to each channel. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default. The first boundary value is included in the range outputs, but the last boundary value is not. The spreadincludefirst message is the same as the spread message.

spreadincludesecond

Arguments

boundary-value [float]
message-name [symbol]
other-boundary-value [float]
Generate a range of values distributed to each channel. If no message name is provided then a float message is used by default. The first boundary value is not included in the range outputs, but the last boundary value is included.

setvalue

Arguments

channel [int]
message [symbol]
message arguments [list]
The word setvalue, followed by both a channel index (starting at 1) and any message that can be sent to the wrapped object, sends the message to an individual instance within the MC wrapper. setvalue 0, followed by a message, sends the message to all instances. The setvalue message can be used in any inlet.

setvaluerange

Arguments

low channel [int]
high channel [int]
message [symbol]
message arguments [list]
The word setvaluerange, followed by a low and high channel index (starting at 1) and any message that can be sent to the wrapped object, sends the message to the specified range of channels. setvaluerange 1 4 50, sends the message '50' to channels 1-4. If the second argument is -1, the message is sent to all subsequent channels. For example, setvaluerange 2 -1 50 sends the message '50' to all channels between 2 and the current number of voices.

applyvalues

Arguments

message-name [symbol]
values [list]
The word applyvalues, followed by an optional message name and one or more message arguments, sends individual values in the arguments successively to instances in the MC wrapper, starting with the first instance. For example, the message applyvalues 4 5 6 will send 4 to the first instance, 5 to the second instance, and 6 to the third instance. If there are more instances than arguments to applyvalues, the extra instances are unaffected.

replicatevalues

Arguments

message-name [symbol]
values [list]
The word replicatevalues, followed by an optional message name and one or more message arguments, sends individual values in the arguments successively to instances in the MC wrapper, starting with the first instance. Unlike applyvalues, the replicatevalues message continues sending values to successive instances, restarting with the first element, if it runs out of arguments to send. For example, replicatevalues 4 5 to an MC wrapper object with three instances will send 4 to the first instance, 5 to the second instance, and 4 to the third instance.

Output

bpm

Out middle outlet: Whenever the tempo changes, sync~ outputs the message bpm, followed by a float value that specifies the new tempo.

click

Out middle outlet: When the sync~ object receives an audio click, it sends a click message out the middle outlet.

int

Out right outlet: sync~ generates a MIDI beat clock stream that matches its output ramp. Typically, when needed, this outlet is connected directly to a midiout object.

midi

Out middle outlet: When the sync~ object receives a MIDI beat clock tick, it sends a midi message out the middle outlet.

signal

Left outlet: Like the phasor~-object, the sync~ object generates a sawtooth waveform that increases from 0 to 1 for each quarter note of the current tempo. This ramp can be scaled as necessary with the rate~ object, for use with wave~ and other objects.

tap

Out middle outlet: When the sync~ object receives a tap, it sends a tap message out the middle outlet.

See Also

Name Description
midiout Transmit raw MIDI data
phasor~ Generate sawtooth signals
rate~ Time-scale the output of a phasor~
rtin Receive MIDI real time messages
seq Sequencer for recording and playing MIDI data
transport Control a master clock
wave~ Variable size wavetable