Strangelight Audio
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Inspecting Signals

When a patch does not behave the way you expect, the fastest fix is to look at the signal. Throughline has nodes that show you a value, a level, or a spectrum without changing the patch.

Monitor a value

Monitor taps a signal and shows you its current value. Its wildcard input accepts control, audio, MIDI, or image signals. After you connect it, the input adopts the signal type. Branch a cable into the Monitor to confirm what is flowing.

Use it to answer "is this port actually getting a signal, and what value?"

Watch MIDI events

MIDI Monitor lists incoming MIDI events — notes, velocities, controllers — as they arrive, and passes the stream through unchanged. Because it is transparent, you can leave it inline permanently rather than patching it in only when something breaks.

Use it when a MIDI chain misbehaves and you need to know whether the problem is upstream or downstream of a given point. See MIDI Processing.

Meter audio level

  • RMS Meter reports average RMS and Peak level from an audio input. Use it to spot a signal that is too hot before it clips, as discussed in Filters and Effects.
  • Envelope Follower outputs a control Value that tracks the loudness of an audio signal. It doubles as a modulation source, for example using a drum's level to drive a filter.

Read a Node's Own Display

Many nodes show their own state without a separate analyser. The ADSR draws its envelope, the Filter and EQ draw their response curve, and Shaper draws its shape. Check the node itself before adding an analyser.

Common Patch Examples

Confirm a connection is live

  1. Drop a Monitor inline on the cable you are unsure about.
  2. Read the value while the patch runs.

Catch a hot signal

  1. RMS Meter on the audio feeding Audio Output.
  2. If Peak is pinned, lower the level upstream with a Gain or add a Limiter.

Use level as modulation

  1. Envelope Follower on an audio source.
  2. Its Value output → a control input such as a filter cutoff. See Modulation and Envelopes.

Rules of Thumb

  • Inspect before you guess. A Monitor inline shows what a cable actually carries.
  • Use RMS Meter to find clipping before it reaches the output.
  • Envelope Follower both measures and modulates.
  • Use MIDI Monitor to see events, and Monitor to see values.
  • Check a node's own display before reaching for an analyser.