PPQN [Pulse Per Quarter Note]

When you send a clock signal (usually a gate signal or other electrical pulse) around a modular synth to move sequencers through their steps and the such, it’s good to know how fast that clock is pulsing. This is usually defined in terms of how many pulses there are per quarter note – PPQ or PPQN for short. If the clock is just happening every quarter note, then the clock speed is 1 PPQN; in the case of DIN Sync (a popular standard among early Roland synths, with DIN being the type of electrical connector used) or MIDI clocks, the standard is 24 PPQN. This means the master pulse can define a triplet for every 8th note (8 x 3).