Punctual's cps is fixed at 0.5 when run standalone; it only reflects the ensemble tempo inside Estuary

The cps (cycles per second) value in Punctual controls the rate of time/beat-based expressions. When running Punctual standalone (e.g., at dktr0.github.io/Punctual), cps is hard-coded to 0.5, giving a 2-second cycle. It does not respond to any DAW transport or external tempo source. The ensemble tempo is only available when Punctual runs inside the Estuary collaborative platform, where the host can set a shared cps. This means beat-locked animation to external audio is not possible in standalone use, and patterns that change every beat will repeat every 2 seconds regardless of the music’s actual BPM.

Examples

A pattern synced to beat counts at 0.5 cps = 1 cycle per 2 seconds (30 BPM equivalent), not the music’s 120 BPM unless inside Estuary.

Assessment

Explain why trying to match BPM via cps in standalone Punctual has no effect, and describe the one context where cps reflects real musical tempo.