Quick Start
1. Load RESERVOIR
Insert RESERVOIR on a MIDI or instrument track in your DAW. Route its MIDI output to any virtual instrument.
2. Start Generating
RESERVOIR syncs to your DAW transport automatically. When the transport is running, RESERVOIR generates MIDI in real-time across its active layers.
3. Explore the Defaults
Out of the box, RESERVOIR generates with:
- 8 active layers in Independent interaction mode
- Stochastic rhythm at 2–8 attacks per beat
- Euclidean perforation at 30%
- Sequential pitch pattern over the C Major scale across 4 octaves
- Infinite duration mode — keeps generating until you stop
You should hear a continuously evolving polyphonic texture. Switch the Layer Interaction to Complementary for hocketing across layers — typically more immediately musical than Independent.
4. Shape the Texture
Try these adjustments to hear immediate changes:
| Parameter | Effect |
|---|
| Density Min/Max | More or fewer notes per beat |
| Perforation | Higher = more gaps in the texture |
| Rhythm Pattern | Switch between algorithmic approaches (Euclidean, Polyrhythm, Cloud, etc.) |
| Scale | Change the harmonic palette — try Iwato, Yaman, or Whole Tone |
| Active Layers | More layers = denser polyphony |
5. Try a Different Algorithm Combination
Switch the Rhythm Pattern to Euclidean and the Perforation Method to Fibonacci. Change the scale to Kumoi. You’ll hear a completely different compositional character — evenly-distributed rhythms filtered through self-similar Fibonacci gaps, over a Japanese pentatonic.
6. Open the Codex
Click Codex in the bottom bar. The Codex panel slides over the visualizer and displays an explanation of each currently-active engine — its math, its lineage, and what every parameter does. Drag a slider while the Codex is open: the parameter block updates in real time to show the current value and a worked example.
7. Export MIDI
When you have a texture you like:
- Use your DAW’s MIDI capture/recording to capture RESERVOIR’s output in real-time
- Or use RESERVOIR’s Export MIDI button to write the current generation to a MIDI file
The exported MIDI is standard multi-track — one track per layer — ready for editing, orchestration, or further processing in your DAW.
RESERVOIR produces raw compositional material. The real creative work begins when you route different layers to different instruments, edit the exported MIDI, and build arrangements around RESERVOIR’s algorithmic output.
