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counterpointer

counterpointer is an original transport-aware MIDI processor for generating a monophonic counter-melody from the incoming MIDI pattern.

Current scope:

  • capture incoming MIDI against the host transport cycle;
  • generate a deterministic complementary melodic line from that captured pattern;
  • expose controls for follow/counter movement, rhythm following, density, embellishment density, regularity, consonance, color, register, short randomness, and long cycle variation;
  • keep the implementation portable before adding DPF/VST3 glue.

The input MIDI stream is the source pattern. There is intentionally no separate source selector; this should behave like cadence and follow whatever upstream MIDI generator or performer is routed into it.

Current status:

  • portable core types, transport helpers, and engine exist;
  • deterministic core tests exist;
  • a first DPF-backed counterpointer.vst3 wrapper and custom UI exist.
  • scale choices now include Lydian, Phrygian, Locrian, Melodic Minor, Phrygian Dominant, Whole Tone, Altered, diminished, and bebop colors, appended after the original scale IDs so saved-state scale values remain stable.
  • the Color control makes the generated counterline less strictly consonant and more chromatic/adventurous, especially on Jazz-capable scales.
  • the Inertia control (default 0, which leaves output unchanged) biases the counterline after a leap of a fourth or more to turn back without overshooting, and after a step to keep going, in the manner of Narmour's melodic implication. The idea comes from Subsequence (see docs/subsequent.md).
  • strict, Bach-like answering is available through existing controls: high Regularity, high Counter, and low random amounts preserve learned subject intervals and answer them around the dominant.
  • Mode chooses the response shape. Counterpoint keeps the original monophonic counter-melody behavior. Bass Descend shifts the generated line down into a bass register and favors consonant contrary downward motion against rising input phrases.
  • the UI reports separate MIDI In, MIDI Out, and phrase-ready status so host routing can be checked before the learned counter-melody starts.

Routing notes:

  • with Pass enabled, incoming MIDI is forwarded immediately, including while transport is stopped or before a phrase is ready;
  • Counterpointer generates its own counter-melody only after transport is running and a full BARS cycle of incoming MIDI has been captured;
  • if MIDI In lights but MIDI Out does not, the plugin is receiving the send and is probably still learning, muted by density, or not routed onward;
  • if MIDI In never lights, the problem is upstream host routing rather than the learned phrase model.

Host compatibility

The DPF/VST3 wrapper exposes a silent stereo output bus for compatibility with hosts that reject event-only plugins with no audio outputs. The portable core remains MIDI-only, and the wrapper clears both output channels every block.