Function Nodes
Function nodes create musical material algorithmically instead of playing a stored pattern. Add one from the toolbar at the top of the Scene canvas, or by double-clicking (long-pressing on mobile) empty space to open the bubble menu.
Select a function node to edit its parameters in the Dock panel.
Engines
Section titled “Engines”| Engine | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Turing Machine | Shift-register sequencer — generates pseudo-random sequences that evolve over time |
| Quantizer | Snaps incoming notes to a scale — most useful chained after a Turing Machine |
| Tonnetz | Navigates harmonic relationships to generate chord progressions |
Merge Mode
Section titled “Merge Mode”When a function node writes to a pattern, the merge mode controls how generated notes combine with existing content:
| Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Replace | Generated notes fully replace the target track |
| Merge | Generated notes fill only empty (inactive) steps — existing content is preserved |
| Layer | Generated notes are added as chords on top of existing notes |
By default, generation uses a new random seed each time, producing different results. Set a fixed seed to get reproducible output — the same seed always produces the same sequence.
- Randomize — pick a new random seed
- Clear — remove the seed (return to non-deterministic mode)
Presets
Section titled “Presets”Each engine comes with factory presets. Select one from the preset dropdown in the Dock panel to load a starting point, then tweak from there.
Generate in the Step Sequencer
Section titled “Generate in the Step Sequencer”When a function node is connected upstream of a pattern, a sparkle button (✦) appears in the Pattern Toolbar. This lets you generate directly from the step sequencer without switching to the Scene view.
- Arm — tap the sparkle button to arm generative mode (button highlights)
- Generate on loop head — while Loop playback is running, generation fires automatically at the start of each loop, writing fresh content to the pattern
- Disarm — tap again to stop generating
A track selector next to the sparkle button lets you choose which track receives the generated notes. This mirrors the target track setting on the function node itself.
This workflow is ideal for live experimentation: loop a pattern, arm the generator, and tweak parameters in the Dock while hearing results on every loop.
Related
Section titled “Related”- Scene Nodes — node types overview
- Playback — how function nodes integrate with scene playback
- Decorators — per-node modifiers (also apply to function nodes)