Hi Brandon,
depending on your situation, you might go well with the chn opcodes. They open 
software busses or channels. One example:
instr Alice
   kCutoff = chnget:k("Alice.Cutoff")
   ; do stuff with it
endin

instr Bob
   chn_k("Alice.Cutoff", 3) ; send and receive

   ; Get the value kInput from MIDI, constant, etc.
   chnset(kInput,"Alice.Cutoff")
endin

There is also chnmix which potentially mixes multiple source from all over 
your orchestra. With that: always remember to chnclear the respective channel 
at the end of your receiver instrument.

I chose Alice.Cutoff arbitrarily, just something to keep your code clear and 
clean. :)

If you want to use your score to change things, why not:
instr Manipulator
   ; Get the parameter input
   SchannelName init p4
   iValue init p5
   chnset(iValue, SchannelName)
endin

I didn't test that code exactly, but that's the idea. Of course, you might use 
MIDI, OSC, a websocket or something directly to control your alwayson 
instrument.

HTH.

Best wishes,

Jeanette

Brandon Hale, Mar 17 2026:

> Hello all,
> Michael Gogins introduced me to the connect opcodes (fantastic for creating effects busses) and I was wondering what is the best way to then change p-fields of an alwayson instrument.
>
> I got around this recently by using a global variable and then changing the variable with another instrument, but I think it would be cool to do so in the score without such hacks.
>
> Thank you for your help,
> Brandon Hale
>
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--
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Thanks Jeanette, this looks like the solution to my problem. I kinda 
wish there could be like a chnset score symbol that just does that, but 
maybe I can do that by making an instrument just for manipulating these 
chnsets....it will definitely require experimentation and fun sound making!

Brandon Hale

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