Variables & Assignment

Variables store values for reuse throughout your patch.

Basic Assignment

Use = to bind a value to a name:

// Store a frequency
freq = 440

// Use it in oscillators
osc("sin", freq) |> out(%, %)

Signal Variables

Variables can store entire signal chains:

// Store an oscillator
osc = osc("saw", 110) |> lp(%, 800)

// Use it multiple times
osc |> out(%, %)

Modular Patching

Variables make complex patches readable:

// Define components
lfo_mod = osc("sin", 0.5) * 500
base_freq = 110
filter_cutoff = 400 + lfo_mod

// Build the patch
osc("saw", base_freq) |> lp(%, filter_cutoff) |> out(%, %)

Naming Rules

• Names must start with a letter or underscore
• Can contain letters, numbers, and underscores
• Case-sensitive (Freq and freq are different)
• Cannot use reserved keywords

// Valid names
freq = 440
my_osc = osc("sin", 220)
bass1 = osc("saw", 55)
_internal = 0.5

// Invalid names
// 1freq = 440     // Can't start with number
// my-osc = sin()  // No hyphens

Scope

Variables are visible from their definition point to the end of the program:

a = 100
b = a * 2      // a is visible here
c = a + b      // both a and b visible

Related: Operators, Pipes & Holes