Band Mode
SPEC_BAND_MODE.md
CGNT-1 Product Specification — Band Mode & the MIDI-LATTICE Bridge
Status: SPECIFIED
Version: v1.0
Author: VELA (Thread #13)
Conceived by: NOUS
Date: 2026-04-20
Lineage: LATTICE v.∞ → LX-S (Sonic) → MIDI Bridge → Band Mode
PURPOSE
The crew becomes a musical ensemble. The user is the producer.
Band Mode is the feature that proves LATTICE is not just a crew communication protocol — it is a universal symbolic substrate that maps natively onto MIDI, music theory, and audio production. The same grammar that carries TMM coherence scores and genomic sequences carries a chord progression. The same channels that designate crew members designate instruments.
MIDI is LATTICE. The bridge is not a translation layer — it's a recognition.
THE MIDI-LATTICE BRIDGE
MIDI and LATTICE are structurally identical:
| MIDI concept | LATTICE equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Note | Atom | ♩.C, ♩.E, ♩.G |
| Octave | Atom modifier | ♩.C.4 (middle C) |
| Duration | Modifier | ● (quarter), ◗ (eighth), ○ (whole), — (half) |
| Velocity | Modifier | ↑ (forte/loud), → (mezzo), ↓ (piano/soft) |
| Chord | Compound | ♩.[C.E.G] (C major) |
| Channel / Instrument | Channel designator | ♩.Ω (ORPHEUS / lead guitar) |
| Sequence | Ordered compound | ♩.Ω.[C.4.● E.4.● G.4.○] |
| Rest | Atom | ♩.∅ |
| Tempo | Global modifier | ♩.bpm.120 |
| Key signature | Global modifier | ♩.key.Cmaj |
Bridge Protocol
The bridge is bidirectional and lossless:
MIDI file (.mid) → parse → LATTICE score → modify/compose → LATTICE score → render → MIDI file (.mid)
Round-trip fidelity: note, duration, velocity, channel, tempo, key, time signature all survive the round-trip. No information is lost. Import .mid, edit in LATTICE, export .mid.
Notation Examples
Single note:
♩.Ω.[E.4.●.↑] — ORPHEUS plays E4, quarter note, forte
Chord:
♩.ι.[C.4.E.4.G.4.○.→] — AION plays C major whole note, mezzo
Melody sequence:
♩.ε.[C.4.◗.↑ D.4.◗.↑ E.4.● F.4.● G.4.○.↑]
"ASTRA sings: C D E F G, eighth eighth quarter quarter whole, forte."
Rest:
♩.κ.[∅.●] — C.L.O.D. rests one beat
Full band bar:
♩.bar.1.[
ε.[G.4.○.↑], — vocals hold G
ι.[C.4.E.4.G.4.○.→], — keys: C major
κ.[∅.◗ kick.◗ ∅.◗ snare.◗], — drums: kick-snare pattern
弐.[C.2.○.↓], — bass: root C2
Ω.[G.4.◗ A.4.◗ B.4.◗ C.5.◗] — lead: ascending run
]
CREW INSTRUMENT ASSIGNMENTS
Default assignments reflect each crew member's existing role and personality:
| Crew | Designator | Instrument | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASTRA | ε | Vocals | Emotive, lyrical, harmonic |
| AION | ι | Keys / Synth | Precise, harmonic, structural |
| C.L.O.D. | κ | Drums | Steady, rhythmic, foundational |
| MUSASHI | 弐 | Bass | Foundational, groove, power |
| ORPHEUS | Ω | Lead guitar | Melodic, storytelling, expressive |
| GAMMA | γ | Rhythm guitar | Groove, continuity, texture |
| CHROMA | ◊ | Aux / FX | Pads, textures, ambient layers |
| ANVIL | ∎ | Production | Mixing, EQ, mastering, quality |
User reassignment is always permitted. Any crew member can be assigned any instrument. The user is the producer — they decide the arrangement. Defaults are suggestions, not constraints.
SIX COMPOSITION MODES
Mode 1 — Cover
User provides a song title. Band Mode generates:
- Chord progression (from chord knowledge base in NEXUS)
- Key and tempo
- Arrangement for each crew instrument
- Lyrics scaffold (ASTRA vocals)
- MIDI output
The arrangement is transformative — not a reproduction, not a copy. NEXUS computes the theory; the crew performs the interpretation.
Mode 2 — Original
User provides a prompt, mood, key, tempo, or any combination. Band Mode generates:
- Original chord progression
- Melody (lead instrument)
- Bass line (foundational)
- Drum pattern (rhythmic framework)
- Optional: lyric themes (ASTRA)
User iterates with natural language: "Make it darker," "Shift to minor," "Add a key change in the bridge."
Mode 3 — Mashup
User provides two songs. Band Mode:
- Extracts chord progressions from both
- Finds harmonic compatibility
- Weaves them together
- Generates unified arrangement
Output: LATTICE score + MIDI + Suno/Udio prompt for audio generation.
Mode 4 — Poem-to-Song
User provides a poem, lyrics, or any text. ASTRA (vocals) leads:
- Scans meter, stress, syllabic rhythm
- Proposes melodic contour matching the text rhythm
- AION generates harmonic support
- Full arrangement built around the text
The poem becomes the score. The words define the rhythm.
Mode 5 — Jam
Open-ended improvisation mode. User sets key + tempo. Crew generates:
- Continuous looping progression
- User can interject: "Give ORPHEUS a solo," "Switch to AION," "Add a bridge"
- Real-time composition in conversation
No fixed endpoint. The jam continues until the user stops it.
Mode 6 — Style Transfer
User provides a reference style: "In the style of Bach," "Like 90s hip-hop," "Neo-soul." Band Mode:
- Extracts stylistic features (harmony, rhythm, texture)
- Applies to user's melody/progression
- Outputs in the target style
Style transfer is the LEARNX connection — over time, LEARNX models the user's style and Style Transfer learns to match it.
MUSIC THEORY MODULE (NEXUS EXTENSION)
Band Mode extends NEXUS with a mod_music_theory() module. Tier 1 deterministic. No hallucination. Routes through ROUTX.
| Operation | Aliases | Description |
|---|---|---|
| chord lookup | chord, chords | Return notes in a named chord (C major = C E G) |
| scale lookup | scale, scales | Return notes in a named scale |
| key detection | key, detect key | Detect key from chord progression |
| transpose | transposition | Shift progression/melody by n semitones |
| harmonize | harmony | Add harmony voice to melody |
| rhythm patterns | rhythm, beat | Common drum/rhythm patterns by style |
Query format (ROUTX):
POST localhost:9191/query
{"query": "music chord C major"}
{"query": "music scale D dorian"}
{"query": "music transpose [C E G] +5"}
{"query": "music key [C.F.G.Am]"}
Response format:
{
"result": ["C", "E", "G"],
"operation": "chord_lookup",
"_module": true,
"_verified": "MODEMX_OK",
"_routed_to": "nexus",
"_tier": 1
}
OUTPUT FORMATS
| Format | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| LATTICE score | Native format — full fidelity, crew-readable | ✅ Live |
| MIDI (.mid) | Industry standard, import/export | ✅ Live |
| Chord chart | Human-readable chord progression | ✅ Live |
| Lead sheet | Melody + chords, Nashville notation | ✅ Live |
| Suno/Udio prompt | Formatted prompt for AI audio generation | ✅ Live |
| MusicXML | Notation software import (Sibelius, Finale) | 🔵 Phase 2 |
| Audio preview | FluidSynth MIDI rendering to WAV/MP3 | 🔵 Phase 2 |
VR BAND MODE (PHASE 4)
In VR Bridge Mode (OBI OS), Band Mode becomes spatial:
- Rehearsal room on the Bridge — crew at instrument stations
- Spatial audio — each instrument has positional audio in 3D space
- Gesture control — user produces by pointing, gesturing, speaking
- Visual score — LATTICE notation rendered as floating holograms
- Live performance mode — user conducts; crew responds in real-time
VR Band Mode is a Phase 4 deliverable, contingent on OBI OS VR release (WebXR / Meta Quest / Apple Vision Pro).
REVENUE MODEL
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone (funnel) | $10/mo | Band Mode only at 42sisters.ai/band |
| OBI OS Base | $42/mo | Band Mode included |
| Instrument Pack | +$5/mo | Extended instrument library, samples |
| Mastering Add-on | +$5/mo | ANVIL production + MIDI mastering |
| Custom Style Profile | +$10/mo | LEARNX style model for the user |
The 42sisters.ai/band standalone is the funnel entry point — users arrive for Band Mode, discover OBI OS.
INTEGRATION MAP
| System | Integration |
|---|---|
| LATTICE | Music is a native LATTICE domain — ♩ prefix, same grammar |
| LX-S (Sonic) | LX-S extends Band Mode into non-musical sound design |
| NEXUS | Music theory module lives in NEXUS — Tier 1 deterministic |
| THE RING | Compositions can be shared, versioned, and remixed in Ring chat |
| LEARNX | Learns user's style preferences over sessions |
| VOICEX | Compositions shared as VOICEX artifacts |
| ENTROPX | Entropy-seeded melody generation — randomness from physics |
| OBI OS Workbench | MIDI import/export interface |
| GLOSS | ♩ domain registered as LATTICE music vocabulary |
INVARIANTS
INV-01: Band Mode never generates copyrighted audio. It generates arrangements — chord progressions, MIDI sequences, scores. Audio generation is delegated to external tools (Suno, Udio, FluidSynth). The output is always music theory and structure, not recorded performance.
INV-02: Cover arrangements are transformative, not reproduction. Computing the chord progression of a known song and reharmonizing it in a new arrangement is music theory, not copyright infringement. The output is the crew's interpretation, not a copy.
INV-03: MIDI export is deterministic. The same LATTICE score produces the same MIDI file every time. MIDI is Tier 1.
INV-04: User can reassign any crew member to any instrument. Default assignments exist for personality alignment. They are not fixed.
INV-05: All compositions belong to the user. OBI OS generates; the user owns. No IP claim on outputs. This is the CGNT-1 Universal Care ethic applied to creative work.
INV-06: The MIDI-LATTICE bridge is bidirectional and lossless. Any MIDI file expressible in LATTICE can round-trip without loss. LATTICE is a superset of MIDI's information model.
GAPS
- MusicXML export not yet implemented (Phase 2)
- FluidSynth audio preview not yet implemented (Phase 2)
mod_music_theory()NEXUS extension not yet built — music theory still routes to Tier 2 MNEMOS- Style Transfer requires LEARNX user model (deferred)
- VR Band Mode is Phase 4 — spatial audio architecture not yet designed
- ENTROPX-seeded melody generation not yet wired
Jeremy Zlabis
Chronogeometer · Visionary · Disruptor · Chief
42 Sisters AI · East York, Toronto
🍁 Φ 0.042