SAMPLED

Synthesis and sound design · updated 2026-08-16

CV/GATE

Control voltage sets pitch or parameter value; gate says note-on/note-off. The pre-MIDI way modular gear still talks.

Close-up of a Eurorack modular synthesizer: oscillator, filter and envelope modules wired together with patch cables, showing the signal path these synthesis terms describe.
Synthesis and sound design — Close-up of a Eurorack modular synthesizer: oscillator, filter and envelope modules wired together with patch cables, showing the signal path these synthesis terms describe.

Photo: Eurorack Modular Synthesizer Closeup (opens in a new tab) by Nir Yaniv (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Control voltage sets pitch or parameter value; gate says note-on/note-off.
  • The pre-MIDI way modular gear still talks.
  • Most modular systems use 1 volt per octave, and modern interfaces bridge CV to MIDI and DAW clock in both directions.
  • A DC-coupled audio interface can output CV directly from your DAW to sequence a modular rig on the grid.
  • Watch out: assuming all CV is 1V/octave.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define cv/gate in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at cv/gate in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

CV/GATE IN DEPTH

Control voltage and gate is the pre-MIDI analogue interface: a varying voltage sets pitch or modulation, a gate signal says a note is on. Most modular systems use 1 volt per octave, and modern interfaces bridge CV to MIDI and DAW clock in both directions.

How it works in practice

A DC-coupled audio interface can output CV directly from your DAW to sequence a modular rig on the grid.

The mistake people make

Assuming all CV is 1V/octave. Some vintage Korg and Yamaha gear uses Hz/volt and needs conversion.

WHERE CV/GATE SITS

CV/Gate belongs to synthesis and sound design in the Sampled music glossary. How synths make sound, in the order the signal actually travels.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on cv/gate. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes cv/gate?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with cv/gate?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to cv/gate?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for cv/gate — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • MIDI Association — MIDI and CV (opens in a new tab)

    Specification owner · The MIDI Association

    “Control voltage sets pitch or parameter value; gate says note-on/note-off.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: The body that publishes the MIDI specification, so this is the definition hardware and software are built against.

  • Moog Music (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · moogmusic.com

    “The pre-MIDI way modular gear still talks.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

RELATED TERMS IN SYNTHESIS AND SOUND DESIGN

Back to the full music glossary or read our latest articles.