layers

the system ensures complete coverage of sonic behavior through the following domain-to-function mapping:

• when things happen

  • grid – periodic, metrical pulse structures
  • field – non-metrical, naturalistic or chaotic onsets
  • offset – deviations from nominal timepoints (swing, jitter)
  • pattern – local rhythmic phrasing atop base onsets

• how long things last

  • duration – per-event duration values, structurally expressive

• how loud they are

  • loudness – per-time and per-voice loudness control
  • envelope – intra-note amplitude shaping
  • amplitudes – spectral distribution of energy

• what they are

  • identity – per-event identity label
  • frequencies – spacing of partials (harmonic/modal/etc.)
  • tonal, atonal, generative – abstract pitch materials

• how they are spaced

  • spatial – position in stereo/space
  • voicing – assignment of events to voices
  • interaction – inter-voice structures (call/response, canon)

• how they are formed

  • envelope, envelopes – time shape and per-partial shaping
  • dynamics – within-note transformations
  • amplitudes, decorators – spectral shaping and augmentation

• how they evolve

  • mutation – memory-based progressive variation
  • variation – stateless transformation
  • repetition – motif recurrence and derivation

• how they are structured

  • segmentation – division of time into sections
  • ordering – macro-level segment order
  • hierarchy – recursive segment nesting
  • selection – combinatorial sequence grouping and curation

while domains are designed to be independently meaningful, many operate in concert across layers:

• duration ↔ loudness

  • longer events consume more energy; shaping must balance over time
  • loudness envelopes often align with duration contours

• voicing ↔ identity

  • each trigger assigned to a voice may use identity to determine which instrument or mapping it invokes

• grid / field ↔ pattern / offset

  • regular or irregular triggers are shaped further by patterns and timing deviations

• envelopes ↔ frequencies / amplitudes

  • per-partial shaping aligns with spectral layout

• repetition ↔ mutation

  • motif copies may evolve progressively or remain invariant

• loudness ↔ segmentation / hierarchy

  • regional emphasis and global energy arcs align with structural divisions

• spatial ↔ voicing / identity

  • position and motion may depend on which voice or instrument is playing

each layer in the parametric composer system addresses a specific axis of sonic behavior. together, they span all necessary dimensions for the generation of fully-structured, expressive, and deterministic sound. the model ensures that:

• no domain is overloaded or redundant
• interaction remains transparent and precomputed
• extensibility is preserved through clear boundaries this document serves as the top-level map of system scope and domain interaction.