Using Time-line Node-RED nodesRequires Pro

Time-line adds its own nodes to Node-RED, allowing your flows to react to what is happening in the music. This guide gives you an overview of the available Time-line nodes and when to use them.

For detailed settings and message data, hover over any node in the Node-RED palette and click the book icon to open its documentation in the sidebar.

The Time-line Node Categories

Time-line nodes are organized into 5 categories. Note that more Time-line nodes may be added in the future.

Live in

These nodes provide information about the music currently playing in Time-line Live.

• Current Song
  • Fires when the active track changes and streams information about the track.
  • Use it to change something for each new track — for example, load a new color palette.
• Drive · Drive Break · Build · Rhythmic Build · Pre-Drop · Drop · Fake Drop · Drop Break · Breakdown · Outro · Unknown:
  • Each node reacts only to that specific Key Point type.
  • Use these when a specific musical section should trigger its own behavior.
  • Each Key Point node can provide Events (top connector) and a Stream (bottom):
    • Event sends one message when the section starts and one when it ends.
    • Stream sends around ~30 messages per second while the section is active, carrying live progress.
    • Full detail: Key Point Nodes — Reference.
• Current Key Point
  • Provides Events and a Stream for whichever Key Point is currently active.
  • Use it when one flow should handle multiple Key Point types.
• Offset:
  • Fires a single event a set number of bars or seconds before or after a target Key Point or Family. Timed from the track's Key Point timeline and the live BPM.
  • Use it for early or delayed cues - for example, fire a cue 4 bars before a Drop, countdowns and early warnings.

Live functions

These nodes process or modify information coming from the Live in nodes.

• Beat
  • Sends one message per beat while the active deck is playing, including beat-in-measure (1–4), BPM, pitch, and track position.
  • Use it for beat-synched triggers and chases.
• BPM Debounce:
  • Holds an incoming message and releases the latest value on the next beat or selected beat division (e.g. ½, ¼, ⅛ beat)
  • Use it to snap value changes to the musical grid.
• If
  • Routes messages based on the previous, current or next Key Point, Group or Family.
  • Use it to create conditional logic without having to write a Function in Javascript — e.g. if the next family is a Drop, go left; otherwise right.
• Progress
  • Turns a Stream into a value that tracks progress through a Key Point, Group or Family. Progress includes Window and Curve settings for controlling when and how the value changes.
  • Use it to control something over time, e.g. ramp a fader.
• Enter / Exit
  • Filters Events so that only the start or end passes through.
  • Use Enter to trigger something when a section starts, and Exit when it ends.

Live out

These nodes send information from your flow to other systems.

• Output: Sends incoming messages via OSC to a saved Server (host + port). Set the OSC Address and Message in the node, or pass them with the incoming message.

Live Resolume

These nodes connect directly to Resolume Arena. You can setup a Resolume Arena Server and target it through the Resolume API, giving you info about the composition of your Arena project.

• Clip: launch a specific clip.
• Column: trigger a whole column.
• Composition: control composition-level settings.
• Layer level: control a layer's opacity or level from a number (pairs with Progress).
• OSC: send raw OSC messages for additional Resolume controls.

Live Dashboard

These nodes add information to a browser-based dashboard for an operator to monitor the show. Setup and usage: Using the Dashboard.

• Key Point details: shows the currently playing musical section.
• Song details: shows the currently playing track.
• Upcoming Key Point — shows the Key Point that will play next.

Further Documentation

Key Point Nodes — Reference

Function Nodes — Reference

Output Nodes — Reference

Resolume Nodes — Reference