Perforation Engine
The Perforation Engine is RESERVOIR’s defining feature. After the Rhythm Engine generates a stream of events, the Perforation Engine decides which events are kept and which are removed — creating holes, gaps, and silence within the texture.
This is not random muting. Each perforation method uses a distinct mathematical structure to determine its pattern of presence and absence, producing characteristic textural signatures.
Perforation Methods
| Method | Character |
|---|
| Euclidean | Distributes gaps as evenly as possible across the event stream. Produces the most uniform distribution of silence achievable for a given density. |
| Prime Sieve | Removes events at positions divisible by primes. Creates quasi-periodic patterns with long-range structure. |
| Fibonacci | Filters events based on a Fibonacci index decomposition. Events with simpler representations are more protected from removal, creating self-similar filtering at all scales. |
| Modular | Keeps events whose index satisfies a modular congruence. Creates perfectly periodic patterns with configurable modulus and phase offset. |
| Golden Ratio | Quasiperiodic lattice based on phi. Two modes: Phi creates beating between irrational and integer ratios; Spiral Holes uses the golden angle for maximally uniform distribution. |
| Cellular | A 1D cellular automaton evolves each cycle, producing complex emergent perforation structures from simple local rules. Creates chaotic non-repeating patterns. |
| Corpus Density | Rest patterns shaped by a learned phrase-density model. Context-aware — considers note length, pitch direction, and repetition. Produces musically natural rest placement. |
Parameters
| Parameter | Range | Default | Description |
|---|
| Perforation | 0.0–1.0 | 0.3 | Gap density — 0 = no gaps, 1 = maximum removal |
| Perforation Method | — | Euclidean | Algorithm selection |
| Spiral Holes | On/Off | Off | Golden Ratio mode toggle |
| Corpus Bias | 0.0–1.0 | 0.7 | How strongly the corpus model influences decisions (Corpus Density only) |
Layer Interaction Modes
Perforation can operate independently per layer or coordinate across layers:
| Mode | What It Does |
|---|
| Independent | Each layer’s perforation pattern is unrelated to other layers. Maximum textural complexity. |
| Inverse | Layers become more active when other layers are quiet, and quieter when others are busy. Creates natural breathing between voices. |
| Complementary | Layers actively fill each other’s gaps, producing interlocking patterns where silence in one voice is filled by another. |
| Synchronized | Perforation holes appear at similar times across all layers. Creates collective silence — the entire texture breathes together. |
A Perforation amount of 0.3 means roughly 30% of generated events are removed. At 0.0, every event plays; at 1.0, maximum removal is applied. The exact density depends on the method — some methods are inherently denser than others at the same setting.
