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    These docs are a work in progress. The software can already be used — download WavePhase.

    Documentation

    Docs for WavePhase v0.9.3 · reviewed 2026-08-10

    A newer app release may have shipped since this review. These pages describe the latest public WavePhase release. If something looks different in your build, check for an app update.

    Nodes & Signals

    Animators & Curves

    The Animator is WavePhase's all-in-one modulation node. It can run as a classic LFO or play back a custom keyframed curve, locked to seconds or to the beat.

    Two modes in one node

    • Shape (LFO) — choose Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square, or Random for instant, repeating motion.
    • Custom curve — draw your own shape with keyframes for precise, bespoke movement.

    Either way the animator outputs a modulated F32 on its out pin and a normalised phase (0..1) you can use to drive other things in sync.

    Time base: seconds or beats

    Set the animator's length (its period) in either seconds or beats. In beat mode it stays locked to tempo, so a one-bar sweep keeps matching the music as the BPM changes.

    • BPM source for beat mode can be the internal detector, incoming OSC, or DAW timecode.
    • Looping — loop continuously, or run once as a one-shot envelope triggered by an input.

    Tempo-locked motion

    Beat mode is what makes pans, colour sweeps, and chases feel intentional rather than random — they breathe with the track.

    Shaping the output

    • Depth — how much the animator modulates (its amplitude).
    • Bias — shifts the centre point up or down.
    • Phase offset — where in the cycle it starts; offsetting several animators creates spread and counter-motion.

    Building a custom curve

    1. 1

      Switch to Custom

      Set the animator's shape to Custom to reveal the curve editor.
    2. 2

      Add keyframes

      Click to add keyframes at a position (0..1 along the cycle) and a value, and choose how each segment interpolates.
    3. 3

      Play it back

      The animator drives the playhead automatically across the curve at your chosen length and time base.

    Migrating older patches

    The standalone LFO and curve-envelope nodes are superseded by the Animator. If you have an older patch, convert them to Animators to get beat-locking and the unified editor.

    Sequences

    For longer, timeline-style automation with multiple keyframed parameters, use a Sequence — a clip you can lock to seconds or beats. Pair animators and sequences with groups and spread to animate whole rigs at once.

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