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Documentation
Modulaser has a global tempo clock that drives beat-synced nodes like the Phasor and Sequencer. You can set the tempo manually, tap it in, receive it from MIDI clock, or sync across the network with Ableton Link.
The BPM panel sits in the bottom bar. It shows the current tempo, a beat grid animation, and controls for each sync source.
A segmented control in the BPM panel lets you pick the active tempo source:
You choose one source at a time. The selection is saved with the project.
Drag the BPM value in the panel to set it directly. Range is 20–300 BPM, default 120.
Tap sets the tempo by feel: Modulaser averages the intervals between your last four taps and syncs the beat phase to the final one. The history resets after 2 seconds of inactivity. Tap is only available when the source is set to Internal.
Sync resets the beat phase to now without changing the tempo. Useful for aligning the downbeat to a drop or cue point. Sync works regardless of which source is active.
If you have a drum machine, DAW, or other device sending MIDI clock, Modulaser can follow it.
Enable the clock port for the sending device in Settings (the gear icon), under the Devices tab. The clock port is configured separately from the regular MIDI input: a device can be enabled for input, clock, or both.
MIDI clock sends 24 pulses per quarter note. Modulaser averages them over one beat and filters out small fluctuations: the displayed BPM only updates when the change exceeds 0.5 BPM. The BPM value is read-only while MIDI is the active source, since the incoming clock is authoritative.
If you select MIDI but no clock signal arrives, the BPM freezes at the last known value and the beat grid keeps ticking at that rate. The panel shows a warning: "Waiting for MIDI clock…" if clock ports are configured, or "No MIDI clock ports configured" if none are set up. The latter is clickable and opens Settings directly.
Ableton Link syncs tempo and beat phase over the network with other Link-enabled applications: Ableton Live, Traktor, Resolume, and others.
Select Link in the source selector to join a session. The segment shows the peer count when active (e.g. "Link (2)").
Link is a collaborative protocol, not master/slave. Any peer can change the session tempo. When Link is the active source, the BPM value stays editable: dragging it proposes a new tempo to all connected peers. Beat phase is aligned on a 4-beat grid (one bar in 4/4), so downbeats land together even if apps joined at different moments.
The BPM panel shows a 4-quadrant beat grid that visualizes the current beat and bar position. Each quadrant lights up on its beat, with the first beat of a phrase highlighted.
Separate from BPM, the speed multiplier scales global playback speed. Use it to halve or double the rate of all beat-synced effects without changing the underlying tempo.
The timeline has a Use BPM grid toggle (the metronome button in the top bar) that switches it to beat-oriented mode:
Alt + ←/→ nudges selected clips by 1 beat; Alt + Shift + ←/→ nudges by 1 barCmdCtrlCmd/Ctrl + drag forces bar-level snapping (minimum 4-beat grid)The grid adapts to zoom level: at high zoom individual beats are visible; zoomed out, only bar or phrase boundaries appear.
The global tempo drives any node or feature with a beat sync option:
All BPM controls support MIDI and OSC mapping:
| Control | OSC Address |
|---|---|
| BPM value | /bpm/value |
| Tap tempo | /bpm/tap |
| Resync | /bpm/resync |
Map a knob to BPM, a pad to tap tempo, or a button to resync: whatever fits your controller layout.