Sequencing & Clock

CLK

A one-knob master clock: turn it for tempo, patch it to drive every other module in time.

What is a CLK?

Basic Clock is the simplest tempo source: one BPM knob, one CLK output, always running. Set the speed, patch the output into anything that wants a clock or a gate (envelopes, sequencers, sample-and-hold), and the rest of your patch moves in time. There is no run/stop, no division outputs, no rate multiplier - just pulses at the rate you set, with a fixed 50% pulse width. This is the canonical "tempo, reduced" lesson: the foundation behind every drum machine and every step sequencer. The Basic-series sibling of the full Clock, designed to teach "what is BPM" with as little surface area as possible. When you outgrow it, the full Clock adds a Run toggle (with a reset trigger on start), pulse-width control, a PPQ rate switch, and /2 //4 /8 /16 division outputs.

In a patch

Patch OUT into Basic AD's GATE - your envelope now fires every beat. Patch OUT into a sequencer's clock input (SEQ4, SEQ8, Euclidean) to advance steps in time. Patch into a sample-and-hold trigger to step a CV source on every pulse. Sweet ranges: 40-80 BPM for ambient and downtempo, 100-150 BPM for melodic and rhythmic patches, 120-140 BPM for dance and techno. Because Basic Clock is always running, the moment you add it the rest of your patch starts moving - this is intentional for absolute beginners, where "press play" is one extra concept too many. If a course needs run/stop or precise phase alignment with a sequencer, pair Basic Button -> sequencer RST manually, or reach for the full ibp.clock which has both a Run toggle and a dedicated reset trigger.

Outputs

OUT (gate) — Clock output, 10V gate at 50% pulse width (locked, no PW knob). Eurorack-standard gate amplitude. Fires on every beat at the rate set by BPM - no division, no multiplication. Patch into envelope GATE inputs (Basic AD, ADSR), sequencer clock inputs (SEQ4, SEQ8, Euclidean), sample-and-hold triggers, or any other gate-accepting CV input. Holds at 0V on the low half of each cycle. Always running - there is no off state.

Controls

BPM — Tempo. Range 20-300 BPM, linear scale, default 120. 20 BPM is one beat every 3 seconds (slow ambient drift, drone-style movement). 40-80 BPM matches downtempo and ambient music - good for teaching "this is one beat" because each pulse is clearly audible. 100-150 BPM is the melodic / rhythmic sweet spot - the rate at which most pop and rock songs sit, where a four-note pluck pattern feels natural. 120-140 BPM is dance and techno territory - the rate where individual pulses fuse into a steady beat. 200-300 BPM crosses into "sub-rhythmic" territory where the ear starts to hear the pulse train as a low buzz rather than discrete hits. The default 120 BPM matches the full ibp.clock and is the DAW convention.

Inspired by

A reduced clock topology: one BPM knob, one CLK output, 50% pulse width, always running. Beginners reach for it as their first tempo source. Deliberately omits the run/stop toggle that traditional Eurorack clocks have - the always-running design matches Basic LFO and keeps the lesson on "what is tempo" rather than "what is a transport." Pair with Basic Button if a course needs a manual reset; reach for the full ibp.clock when divisions, rate (PPQ), or run/stop become pedagogically relevant.

ALM Pamela's Workout
Make Noise Tempi
Doepfer A-160 (clock divider section)

← Back to all modules