diff --git a/musicw.cabal b/musicw.cabal
--- a/musicw.cabal
+++ b/musicw.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                musicw
-version:             0.3.6
+version:             0.3.7
 synopsis:            Sound synthesis library, to be used with GHCJS and Web Audio API
 description:         A library for sound synthesis, currently targeting GHCJS and the Web Audio API. Used by Inner Ear, Estuary, Punctual and possibly other projects.
 homepage:            https://github.com/dktr0/musicw/blob/master/README.md
diff --git a/src/Sound/MusicW/Node.hs b/src/Sound/MusicW/Node.hs
--- a/src/Sound/MusicW/Node.hs
+++ b/src/Sound/MusicW/Node.hs
@@ -530,3 +530,11 @@
 foreign import javascript unsafe
   "$1.startable"
   js_startable :: Node -> Bool
+
+foreign import javascript unsafe
+  "$1.numberOfInputs"
+  numberOfInputs :: Node -> Int
+
+foreign import javascript unsafe
+  "$1.numberOfOutputs"
+  numberOfOutputs :: Node -> Int
diff --git a/src/Sound/MusicW/Synth.hs b/src/Sound/MusicW/Synth.hs
--- a/src/Sound/MusicW/Synth.hs
+++ b/src/Sound/MusicW/Synth.hs
@@ -60,14 +60,41 @@
   disconnectOnStop ns
   return $ Synth { cachedDestination = dest, spec = x, nodes = ns }
 
+
 makeConnections :: AudioIO m => Node -> [Node] -> NodeRef -> NodeRef -> m ()
-makeConnections dest ns (NodeRef from (_,_)) DestinationRef = connectNodes (ns!!from) dest
-makeConnections _ ns (NodeRef from (_,_)) (NodeRef to (_,_)) = connectNodes (ns!!from) (ns!!to)
-makeConnections _ ns (NodeRef from (_,_)) (ParamRef to pType) = createParameter (ns!!to) pType >>= connectNodes (ns!!from)
-makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef fromNode fromChannel) (NodeRef to (_,_)) = connectNodes'' (ns!!fromNode) fromChannel (ns!!to)
+
+-- connections to (deferred) destination
+makeConnections dest ns (NodeRef from _) DestinationRef = connectNodes (ns!!from) dest
+makeConnections dest ns (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) DestinationRef = connectNodes'' (ns!!from) fromIndex dest
+makeConnections dest ns (ExternalNodeRef from _) DestinationRef = connectNodes from dest
+makeConnections dest ns (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) DestinationRef = connectNodes'' from fromIndex dest
+
+-- connections to NodeRef
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeRef from _) (NodeRef to _) = connectNodes (ns!!from) (ns!!to)
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (NodeRef to _) = connectNodes'' (ns!!from) fromIndex (ns!!to)
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeRef from _) (NodeRef to _) = connectNodes from (ns!!to)
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (NodeRef to _) = connectNodes'' from fromIndex (ns!!to)
+
+-- connections to ExternalNodeRef
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeRef from _) (ExternalNodeRef to _) = connectNodes (ns!!from) to
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ExternalNodeRef to _) = connectNodes'' (ns!!from) fromIndex to
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeRef from _) (ExternalNodeRef to _) = connectNodes from to
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ExternalNodeRef to _) = connectNodes'' from fromIndex to
+
+-- connections to ParamRef
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeRef from _) (ParamRef to pType) = createParameter (ns!!to) pType >>= connectNodes (ns!!from)
 makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef fromNode fromChannel) (ParamRef to pType) = createParameter (ns!!to) pType >>= connectNodes'' (ns!!fromNode) fromChannel
-makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef fromNode fromChannel) (NodeInputRef toNode toChannel) = connectNodes' (ns!!fromNode) fromChannel (ns!!toNode) toChannel
-makeConnections _ _ _ _ = error "Malformed graph structure."
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeRef from _) (ParamRef to pType) = createParameter (ns!!to) pType >>= connectNodes from
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ParamRef to pType) = createParameter (ns!!to) pType >>= connectNodes'' from fromIndex
+
+-- connections to NodeInputRef (note that connections from NodeRef/ExternalNodeRef not supported)
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (NodeInputRef to toIndex) = connectNodes' (ns!!from) fromIndex (ns!!to) toIndex
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (NodeInputRef to toIndex) = connectNodes' from fromIndex (ns!!to) toIndex
+
+-- connections to ExternalNodeInputRef (note that connections from NodeRef/ExternalNodeRef not supported)
+makeConnections _ ns (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ExternalNodeInputRef to toIndex) = connectNodes' (ns!!from) fromIndex to toIndex
+makeConnections _ ns (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ExternalNodeInputRef to toIndex) = connectNodes' from fromIndex to toIndex
+
 
 -- *** Note: there is probably a bug connected to the definition of disconnectOnStop below:
 -- it attaches an onended callback to a single source node from a list of nodes, which doesn't
diff --git a/src/Sound/MusicW/SynthDef.hs b/src/Sound/MusicW/SynthDef.hs
--- a/src/Sound/MusicW/SynthDef.hs
+++ b/src/Sound/MusicW/SynthDef.hs
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@
 data NodeRef
   = NodeRef Int (Int,Int) -- tuplet is number of input and output channels for this node
   | NodeInputRef Int Int -- for a numbered node, a specific numbered input of that node
-  | NodeOutputRef Int Int -- for a numbered node, a specific numbered input of that node
+  | NodeOutputRef Int Int -- for a numbered node, a specific numbered output of that node
+  | ExternalNodeRef Node (Int,Int) -- a node that prexists a synth instantiation, not disconnected etc when synth ends
+  | ExternalNodeInputRef Node Int -- for an external node, a specific numbered input of that node
+  | ExternalNodeOutputRef Node Int -- for an external node, a specific numbered output of that node
   | ParamRef Int ParamType
   | DestinationRef
   deriving (Show)
@@ -20,6 +23,9 @@
 nodeRefInputCount (NodeRef _ (i,_)) = i
 nodeRefInputCount (NodeInputRef _ _) = 1
 nodeRefInputCount (NodeOutputRef _ _) = 0
+nodeRefInputCount (ExternalNodeRef _ (i,_)) = i
+nodeRefInputCount (ExternalNodeInputRef _ _) = 1
+nodeRefInputCount (ExternalNodeOutputRef _ _) = 0
 nodeRefInputCount (ParamRef _ _) = 1
 nodeRefInputCount DestinationRef = 2 -- hard-coding of stereo output here might be problematic or irrelevant...
 
@@ -27,6 +33,9 @@
 nodeRefOutputCount (NodeRef _ (_,o)) = o
 nodeRefOutputCount (NodeInputRef _ _) = 0
 nodeRefOutputCount (NodeOutputRef _ _) = 1
+nodeRefOutputCount (ExternalNodeRef _ (_,o)) = o
+nodeRefOutputCount (ExternalNodeInputRef _ _) = 0
+nodeRefOutputCount (ExternalNodeOutputRef _ _) = 1
 nodeRefOutputCount (ParamRef _ _) = 0
 nodeRefOutputCount DestinationRef = 0
 
@@ -73,8 +82,12 @@
 connect :: Monad m => NodeRef -> NodeRef -> SynthDef m ()
 connect from to = modify $ \s -> s { connections = connections s ++ [(from,to)] }
 
+-- given two NodeRefs that are either NodeRef or ExternalNodeRef, connect specific inputs and outputs of them to eachother
 connect' :: Monad m => NodeRef -> Int -> NodeRef -> Int -> SynthDef m ()
-connect' (NodeRef fromNode (_,_)) fromIndex (NodeRef toNode (_,_)) toIndex = connect (NodeOutputRef fromNode fromIndex) (NodeInputRef toNode toIndex)
+connect' (NodeRef from _) fromIndex (NodeRef to _) toIndex = connect (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (NodeInputRef to toIndex)
+connect' (NodeRef from _) fromIndex (ExternalNodeRef to _) toIndex = connect (NodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ExternalNodeInputRef to toIndex)
+connect' (ExternalNodeRef from _) fromIndex (NodeRef to _) toIndex = connect (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (NodeInputRef to toIndex)
+connect' (ExternalNodeRef from _) fromIndex (ExternalNodeRef to _) toIndex = connect (ExternalNodeOutputRef from fromIndex) (ExternalNodeInputRef to toIndex)
 connect' _ _ _ _ = error "unsupported connection type in connect'"
 
 addChange :: Monad m => Change -> SynthDef m ()
@@ -182,7 +195,13 @@
 audioIn = addNodeBuilder (0,1) $ createGain 1.0 -- TODO: hard-coded single input channel will be problematic later
 
 microphone :: AudioIO m => SynthDef m NodeRef
-microphone = addNodeBuilder (0,1) createMicrophone 
+microphone = addNodeBuilder (0,1) createMicrophone
+
+externalNode :: AudioIO m => Node -> SynthDef m NodeRef
+externalNode x = do
+  let iChnls = numberOfInputs x
+  let oChnls = numberOfOutputs x
+  return $ ExternalNodeRef x (iChnls,oChnls)
 
 resink :: AudioIO m => NodeRef -> NodeRef -> SynthDef m NodeRef
 resink target input = connect input target >> return target