core concept
a rotating line completes one full turn per cycle. wherever it crosses a polygon vertex, a note fires. 8 concentric rings, 8 independent layers — each layer its own polygon, freely placed or generated by algorithm.
the underlying idea: rhythm and harmony are the same physical phenomenon on different timescales. a 3:2 polyrhythm, accelerated into the audio range, becomes a perfect fifth. the polygon is the unifying structure.
what it does
polygon geometry
place vertices freely on 8 concentric rings. or generate them: euclidean (bjorklund), well-formed / MOS, perfect balance. rotate, scatter, swing per layer.
correlated curves
draw velocity, gate, and probability curves per layer — directly tied to the polygon geometry. the shape that makes the rhythm also shapes its articulation. this correlation is what makes MUZUNGUMASCHIN different.
polyrhythm
all layers share one common cycle. a layer with N vertices fires exactly N× per rotation — true polyrhythm against the DAW transport.
polymeter
each layer has its own 16th-note subdivision. euclidean mask with K onsets out of N steps.
konstruktor
node-based signal routing: polygon generators, math nodes, MIDI tools — connected with bezier cables. FUNK! wireless modulation system for binding any stream to any parameter.
DAW integration
VST3 + AU. full transport sync. automatable parameters via DAW PARAM IN/OUT nodes.
the geometry
rhythm and harmony share the same mathematics. the ratio of two frequencies is the same ratio as two rhythmic pulses — just at different timescales:
| ratio | as rhythm | as harmony | cents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 : 2 | 3 against 2 | perfect fifth | 701.96 |
| 5 : 4 | 5 against 4 | major third | 386.31 |
| 6 : 5 | 6 against 5 | minor third | 315.64 |
| 4 : 3 | 4 against 3 | perfect fourth | 498.04 |
H / 2^N = R — pitch divided by octave doublings = rhythm. a harmony node that generates pitches from the same polygon geometry is planned.
status
the polygon engine is fully working: free vertex placement, euclidean / well-formed / perfect-balance patterns, all 8 polyrhythm layers in sync with the DAW transport. CTRL curve editor per layer (velocity, gate, probability as drawn curves). step sequencer view, mute / solo, swing, scatter, per-vertex jitter and probability.
the KONSTRUKTOR node canvas is partially implemented. cables and basic routing work. FUNK! modulation and the full node library are still being built. harmony generation from polygon geometry is planned for a later version.
this build is for selected testers only — if you received a link, grab the VST3 below.