diff --git a/packages/core/index.mjs b/packages/core/index.mjs
index 9260e3671..542a54243 100644
--- a/packages/core/index.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/index.mjs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export * from './repl.mjs';
 export * from './signal.mjs';
 export * from './speak.mjs';
 export * from './state.mjs';
-export * from './time.mjs';
+export * from './schedulerState.mjs';
 export * from './timespan.mjs';
 export * from './ui.mjs';
 export * from './util.mjs';
diff --git a/packages/core/repl.mjs b/packages/core/repl.mjs
index 71f68b809..e39b57de3 100644
--- a/packages/core/repl.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/repl.mjs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NeoCyclist } from './neocyclist.mjs';
 import { Cyclist } from './cyclist.mjs';
 import { evaluate as _evaluate } from './evaluate.mjs';
 import { errorLogger, logger } from './logger.mjs';
-import { setCpsFunc, setTime } from './time.mjs';
+import { setCpsFunc, setPattern as exposeSchedulerPattern, setTime, setTriggerFunc } from './schedulerState.mjs';
 import { evalScope } from './evaluate.mjs';
 import { register, Pattern, isPattern, silence, stack } from './pattern.mjs';
 import { reset_state } from './impure.mjs';
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export function repl({
   // NeoCyclist uses a shared worker to communicate between instances, which is not supported on mobile chrome
   const scheduler =
     sync && typeof SharedWorker != 'undefined' ? new NeoCyclist(schedulerOptions) : new Cyclist(schedulerOptions);
+  setTriggerFunc(schedulerOptions.onTrigger);
   setCpsFunc(() => scheduler.cps);
   let pPatterns = {};
   let anonymousIndex = 0;
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ export function repl({
   const setPattern = async (pattern, autostart = true) => {
     pattern = editPattern?.(pattern) || pattern;
     await scheduler.setPattern(pattern, autostart);
+    exposeSchedulerPattern(pattern);
     return pattern;
   };
   setTime(() => scheduler.now()); // TODO: refactor?
diff --git a/packages/core/time.mjs b/packages/core/schedulerState.mjs
similarity index 70%
rename from packages/core/time.mjs
rename to packages/core/schedulerState.mjs
index 2d4caecf5..97a4f56dc 100644
--- a/packages/core/time.mjs
+++ b/packages/core/schedulerState.mjs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 /*
-time.mjs - Core time module. Used to expose parameters from the Scheduler like `time` and `cps`
-Copyright (C) 2026 Strudel contributors - see <https://codeberg.org/uzu/strudel/src/branch/main/packages/core/time.mjs>
+schedulerState.mjs - Module to pipe out various parameters from the scheduler for global consumption
+Copyright (C) 2026 Strudel contributors - see <https://codeberg.org/uzu/strudel/src/branch/main/packages/core/schedulerState.mjs>
 This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Affero General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 */
 
 let time;
 let cpsFunc;
+let pattern;
+let triggerFunc;
 export function getTime() {
   if (!time) {
     throw new Error('no time set! use setTime to define a time source');
@@ -24,3 +26,19 @@ export function setCpsFunc(func) {
 export function getCps() {
   return cpsFunc?.();
 }
+
+export function setPattern(pat) {
+  pattern = pat;
+}
+
+export function getPattern() {
+  return pattern;
+}
+
+export function setTriggerFunc(func) {
+  triggerFunc = func;
+}
+
+export function getTriggerFunc() {
+  return triggerFunc;
+}
diff --git a/packages/midi/midi.mjs b/packages/midi/midi.mjs
index 6233bf60d..ad6b799dc 100644
--- a/packages/midi/midi.mjs
+++ b/packages/midi/midi.mjs
@@ -5,9 +5,22 @@ This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under th
 */
 
 import * as _WebMidi from 'webmidi';
-import { Hap, Pattern, TimeSpan, getCps, getTime, isPattern, logger, ref, reify } from '@strudel/core';
+import {
+  Hap,
+  Pattern,
+  TimeSpan,
+  getCps,
+  getPattern,
+  getTime,
+  getTriggerFunc,
+  isPattern,
+  logger,
+  ref,
+  reify,
+} from '@strudel/core';
 import { noteToMidi, getControlName } from '@strudel/core';
 import { Note } from 'webmidi';
+import { getAudioContext } from '@strudel/webaudio';
 import { scheduleAtTime } from '../superdough/helpers.mjs';
 
 // if you use WebMidi from outside of this package, make sure to import that instance:
@@ -575,6 +588,33 @@ export async function midin(input) {
  */
 const kHaps = {};
 const kListeners = {};
+
+function triggerKbNow(input, cps, now, latencyCycles) {
+  const pattern = getPattern();
+  const trigger = getTriggerFunc();
+  if (!pattern || !trigger) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const t = now + latencyCycles;
+  const eps = 1e-6;
+  const haps = pattern.queryArc(t - eps, t + eps, { _cps: cps });
+  // Only keep haps coming from `midikeys`
+  const kbHaps = haps.filter((hap) => hap.value?.midikey?.startsWith(`${input}_`));
+  const ctxNow = getAudioContext().currentTime;
+  if (!kbHaps.length) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  kbHaps.forEach((hap) => {
+    if (!hap.hasOnset()) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const t = ctxNow + (hap.whole.begin - now) / cps;
+    const duration = hap.duration / cps;
+    trigger(hap, t - ctxNow, duration, cps, t);
+  });
+
+  return true;
+}
 export async function midikeys(input) {
   const device = await _initialize(input);
   if (!kHaps[input]) {
@@ -584,11 +624,14 @@ export async function midikeys(input) {
   kListeners[input] = (e) => {
     const { dataBytes, message } = e;
     const [note, velocity] = dataBytes;
-    const noteoff = message.command === 8;
+    const noteon = message.command === 9;
+    const noteoff = message.command === 8 || (noteon && velocity === 0);
     const key = `${input}_${note}`;
     const cps = getCps() ?? 0.5;
-    const latencySeconds = 0.06; // slight delay so it's not too late for cyclist to catch
-    const t = getTime() + latencySeconds * cps;
+    const triggerAvailable = !!(getPattern() && getTriggerFunc());
+    const latencySeconds = triggerAvailable ? 0.01 : 0.06; // avoid missing notes due to cyclist / trigger latency
+    const now = getTime();
+    const t = now + latencySeconds * cps;
     const span = new TimeSpan(t, t);
     let value = { midikey: key };
     if (noteoff) {
@@ -609,6 +652,14 @@ export async function midikeys(input) {
       value = { ...value, note: Math.round(note), velocity: velocity / 127 };
     }
     kHaps[input].push(new Hap(span, span, value, {}));
+    if (!noteoff && triggerAvailable) {
+      // If we have access to a trigger function, we call it to immediately
+      // dispatch to the audio engine, rather than waiting for cyclist to catch these haps
+      const triggered = triggerKbNow(input, cps, now, latencySeconds * cps);
+      if (triggered) {
+        kHaps[input] = [];
+      }
+    }
   };
   device.addListener('midimessage', kListeners[input]);
   const kb = (noteLength = 0.5) => {