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: