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Add documentation for EP-133 project: Neon Laundromat

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# Imaginary EP-133 project: Neon Laundromat
`Neon Laundromat` is a dusty broken-beat/dub track made from drum-machine hits, Rhodes, bass, a spoken phrase and field recordings from a laundromat. It is meant to feel like a musician's project first and a coverage fixture second.
The four-group split—drums, bass, harmony and vocals/textures—is conventional enough to remain playable on the hardware. The unusual details are things an adventurous KO II user could plausibly accumulate while finishing the track.
## Identity
| Setting | Value | Musical reason |
|---|---:|---|
| Firmware assumption | EP-133 OS 2.5.1 | Current behavior, including project key/scale and resampling improvements |
| Tempo | `112.50 BPM` | Broken-beat pace with space for swung percussion |
| Key | `D` | Tonal center for bass and Rhodes |
| Scale | `Dorian` | Minor color with a brighter sixth |
| Swing | `57%` at the 1/16 interval | Hats lean without making the kick unstable |
| Default meter | `4/4` | Main groove |
| Approximate song length | `216 quarter notes`, or `1:55.2` | Derived from the song-position list, including meter changes |
Pad IDs such as `A1` and `A12` below are human-facing logical pad numbers for this design document. They are not claims about `pads/a/pNN`, SysEx pad IDs or the printed keypad glyph order. A real hardware fixture must record the physical-pad-to-TAR mapping explicitly.
## Saved mix and output concept
### Current selected send FX
The final saved project has one selected **Delay**:
- X / length: about `35%`;
- Y / feedback: about `52%`;
- Group A static send: `10%`;
- Group B static send: `4%`;
- Group C static send: `28%`;
- Group D static send: `38%`.
Several group patterns contain recorded `FX` fader motion for delay throws. Earlier Filter and punch-in performances were resampled into D11, so they are not competing “second master effects” in the final saved project.
### Output dynamics
- Output compressor DRIVE: about `68%`;
- Output compressor SPEED: about `32%`.
### Note-triggered sidechain
- Source pads: audible kick A1 and silent trigger A12;
- Destination groups: B, C and D;
- LENGTH: about `42%`;
- SHAPE: about `65%`.
A12 must duck the destinations even though it produces no source audio.
### Runtime-only group project volume
During the final live performance the musician sets the separate held-group project volumes to A `100%`, B `90%`, C `82%`, D `88%`.
This is intentionally *not* part of the archived sonic oracle. The official 1.1.2 release notes say group project volume resets when a project loads. A backup-based exporter cannot infer the temporary values at which the musician most recently listened or performed.
## Sound and sample provenance
| Slots | Origin | Important property |
|---|---|---|
| 041–370 | imported and factory drum/percussion samples | mono one-shots plus a lower-rate shaker and a two-bar break |
| 412–430 | imported bass recordings | long tonal notes, a loop and one-bar sub drop |
| 501–570 | Rhodes, guitar, tape pad and organ recordings | mono/stereo, KEY chords, BAR/BPM stretch and a live-chopped phrase |
| 601–608 | spoken vocal and laundromat field recordings | one source phrase reused as several trims |
| 620 | internal stereo resample | punch-in/filter performance and live Delay X/Y movement baked into audio |
| 621 | resampled external polysynth | external MIDI result made self-contained as audio |
Chopping is non-destructive in this project: several pads point to one source slot with different trim regions. Slot 620 and 621 are different: they are newly rendered samples whose creation history is no longer editable.
## Group A — drums and sidechain triggers
| Pad | Sample/slot | Musical use and pad-specific state |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 041 `kick_tape.wav` | Main kick; ONE; AMP `100/200`; pitch `0`; centered; short trim; audible sidechain source. |
| A2 | **same slot 041** | Accent/click from the same kick; ONE; AMP `150`; pitch `+12`; only the first ~95 ms. This is the clearest same-WAV/different-AMP case. |
| A3 | 118 `snare_room.wav` | Main snare; ONE; AMP `108`; full body and room tail. |
| A4 | **same slot 118** | Reverse snare suction; REV; AMP `72`; pitch `-3`; pan L15; tail-only trim. |
| A5 | 205 `hat_closed.wav` | Closed hat; ONE; AMP `74`; pan L12; shared mute/choke group. |
| A6 | 213 `hat_open.wav` | Open hat; ONE; AMP `88`; pan R12; long release; same mute/choke group as A5. |
| A7 | 145 `clap_short.wav` | Clap layer; ONE; AMP `82`; deliberately late/free-timed. |
| A8 | 309 `shaker_soft_22050.wav` | 22.05 kHz mono shaker; ONE; AMP `66`; pan R28; recorded with pressure-sensitive note repeat. |
| A9 | 335 `conga_low.wav` | Low percussion; ONE; AMP `85`; pitch `-5`. |
| A10 | 370 `garage_break_2bar.wav` | Two-bar mono break; BPM mode from source `89.6 BPM`; AMP `48`; retriggered before the tail finishes in one fill. |
| A11 | 236 `crash_dirty.wav` | Crash; ONE; AMP `70`; long tail. |
| A12 | sound `000` | Silent sequenced pad used only as an additional sidechain note source. |
Audible requirements:
- A6 must be cut when A5 arrives.
- A2 must remain independent even though it references A1's WAV.
- A12 must duck B/C/D while remaining silent.
- A10 must retrigger according to EP ONE behavior rather than looping a Simpler region.
## Group B — bass
| Pad | Sample/slot | Musical use and pad-specific state |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | 412 `moog_D2_long.wav` | Principal bass; LEG; root D2; AMP `100`; very short attack; release about 180; played chromatically with overlapping notes. |
| B2 | **same slot 412** | Pluck variant; KEY; AMP `64`; pitch `+12`; first ~220 ms only; short release. |
| B3 | 414 `sub_D2.wav` | Clean sub; KEY; root D2; AMP `92`; long release. |
| B4 | 420 `reese_loop_90.wav` | Reese phrase; BPM stretch from `90 BPM`; AMP `78`. |
| B5 | 421 `bass_fret.wav` | Fret/noise accent; ONE; AMP `55`; pan R18. |
| B6 | 422 `bass_fall.wav` | Reversed bass fall; REV; AMP `80`. |
| B7 | 309 `shaker_soft_22050.wav` | Reuses A8's global slot, but trims one low transient, pitches it `-18` and treats it as bass percussion. |
| B8 | 430 `sub_drop.wav` | One-bar drop; BAR `1`; AMP `75`. |
| B9 | 412 `moog_D2_long.wav` | Soft-attack double of B1; KEY; AMP `128`; slower attack and shorter release. |
B1 contains the LEG test: a D2 note remains held when an A2 note begins, so the pitch changes while playback continues from the existing sample position. B2/B3 contain overlapping KEY notes.
## Group C — harmony and chops
| Pad | Sample/slot | Musical use and pad-specific state |
|---|---|---|
| C1 | 501 `rhodes_Dm9.wav` | KEY; root D4; AMP `100`; simultaneous multi-note chords from one pad source. |
| C2 | **same slot 501** | Soft double; ONE; AMP `61`; fractional pitch `-0.09 semitone`; pan L24; trim begins slightly later. |
| C3 | 502 `rhodes_G13.wav` | ONE; AMP `92`; pan R8. |
| C4 | 503 `rhodes_Am7.wav` | ONE; AMP `88`; pan L8. |
| C5 | 504 `guitar_harmonic.wav` | REV; AMP `73`; pitch `+7`; pan R30. |
| C6 | 550 `tape_pad_stereo_32000.wav` | Four-bar 32 kHz stereo ambience; BAR `4`; slow attack and long release. |
| C7 | 551 `toy_arp_85bpm.wav` | BPM stretch from `85 BPM`; AMP `64`. |
| C8 | 560 `organ_stab_D.wav` | KEY; root D4; AMP `84`; short release. |
| C9 | 570 `rhodes_phrase.wav` | First live-chopped slice; trim 0–0.48 s; pan L30. |
| C10 | **same slot 570** | Second slice; trim 0.48–1.02 s; AMP `76`; centered. |
| C11 | **same slot 570** | Third slice; trim 1.02–1.63 s; AMP `69`; pitch `+5`; pan R30. |
| C12 | sound `000`, MIDI channel 3 | External-synth sketch pad, root D3. Pattern C90 drives a polysynth but is not used in the song list. |
C1 contains a single-pad polyphony test: notes D, F, A and C overlap. C2 exercises the known negative fractional-pitch edge case. C9–C11 require separate playable instances of one WAV.
## Group D — vocals, field recordings and printed performances
| Pad | Sample/slot | Musical use and pad-specific state |
|---|---|---|
| D1 | 601 `stay_for_the_wash.wav` | Full spoken phrase; ONE; AMP `98`; centered. |
| D2 | **same slot 601** | “stay” chop; ONE; AMP `138`; pitch `-5`; pan L28. |
| D3 | **same slot 601** | “wash” chop; ONE; AMP `72`; pitch `+7`; pan R28. |
| D4 | 602 `breath.wav` | REV; AMP `58`; slow attack. |
| D5 | 603 `laundromat_crowd.wav` | Two-bar stereo ambience; BAR `2`; AMP `44`. |
| D6 | 604 `washer_cycle_83bpm.wav` | Rhythmic field recording; BPM stretch from `83 BPM`; AMP `52`. |
| D7 | 605 `riser.wav` | ONE; AMP `75`; long trim. |
| D8 | 606 `metal_door_impact.wav` | ONE; AMP `110`; pitch `-7`. |
| D9 | 607 `water_drip.wav` | ONE; AMP `68`; pan L35. |
| D10 | 608 `phone_beep.wav` | KEY; root A4; AMP `54`; pitch `-0.09`; pan R35. |
| D11 | 620 `printed_punchin_hook.wav` | Stereo two-bar resample of the hook while beat-repeat/filter punch-ins and live Delay X/Y changes were performed; BAR `2`. |
| D12 | 621 `printed_external_chord.wav` | Resampled external polysynth chord originally played from C12/C90; KEY; root D3. |
D11 and D12 are provenance tests: Live should reproduce their rendered audio, but should not pretend to recover the gestures or external synthesizer that created them.
## Pattern performance
The project contains quantized notes, free timing, tick nudges, varied velocity and meaningful durations:
- A03 has broken kicks both on and off the quarter-note grid, snares at beats 2 and 4 with different velocities, 1/16 hats with alternating velocities and several `-3/+5` tick nudges.
- A08's pressure-recorded note repeat becomes a shaker velocity ramp. The intended artifact is the resulting notes, not the player's finger-pressure history.
- A04 begins A6 before A5 arrives; the open hat must be choked by the later closed hat.
- A04 places A2 immediately before the final snare, followed by a short group FX-send throw.
- B03 overlaps B1 LEG notes: D2 remains held as A2 begins. Durations and velocities vary.
- C02/C04 use C1 for overlapping chord tones and layer independent C2 underneath.
- C05 contains a D-Dorian arpeggio originally performed with note-repeat/arpeggio; the resulting note sequence is what matters.
- D03 alternates D2 and D3 with different velocities and throws only the final word into Delay.
- D08 triggers D11 as a rendered two-bar fill while the other groups become sparse.
Every playback mode has a meaningful test:
- ONE: complete sample playback plus retrigger before the preceding hit ends;
- KEY: overlapping notes/polyphony from one pad source;
- LEG: held-playhead pitch changes.
## Scenes and independent pattern lengths
Human labels below are documentation annotations; numeric scene IDs are the project structure.
| Scene | Label | Meter | A | B | C | D | Duration |
|---|---|---:|---|---|---|---|---:|
| 01 | Spin-up | 4/4 | A01, 4 bars | B01, 2 | C01, 4 | D01, 4 | 4 bars |
| 02 | Door shuts | 4/4 | A02, 2 | B02, 4 | C02, 4 | D02, 1 | 4 bars |
| 03 | Verse | 4/4 | A03, 2 | B03, 4 | C03, 4 | D03, 1 | 4 bars |
| 04 | Hook | 4/4 | A04, 4 | B04, 4 | C04, 4 | D04, 4 | 4 bars |
| 05 | Three-beat rinse | 3/4 | A05, 2 | B05, 1 | C05, 2 | D05, 2 | 2 bars |
| 06 | Dirtier verse | 4/4 | A06, 4 | B03, 4 | C03, 4 | D06, 2 | 4 bars |
| 07 | Missing-beat cut | 2/4 | A07, 1 | B07, 1 | C07, 1 | D07, 1 | 1 bar |
| 08 | Final spin | 4/4 | A08, 4 | B08, 8 | C08, 4 | D08, 2 | 8 bars |
| 09 | Power down | 4/4 | A09, 4 | B09, 4 | C09, 4 | D09, 4 | 4 bars |
| 10 | Dub lab | 4/4 | A10, 4 | B10, 4 | C10, 4 | D10, 4 | 4 bars; not in song list |
Shorter group patterns repeat until the longest pattern in the scene ends. D03 therefore loops four times in Scene 03, while C08 loops twice in Scene 08.
## Song positions
```text
01 → Scene 01
02 → Scene 02
03 → Scene 03
04 → Scene 03
05 → Scene 04
06 → Scene 05
07 → Scene 06
08 → Scene 03
09 → Scene 07
10 → Scene 04
11 → Scene 08
12 → Scene 08
13 → Scene 09
```
The song deliberately reuses scenes. Session View should expose reusable Scenes 01–10 once each. Arrangement View should follow all thirteen positions, including repeated Scenes 03, 04 and 08.
The duration calculation is:
```text
4/4 sections: 52 bars × 4 quarter notes = 208 quarter notes
Scene 05: 2 bars × 3 quarter notes = 6 quarter notes
Scene 07: 1 bar × 2 quarter notes = 2 quarter notes
total 216 quarter notes
```
## Fader automation in the main song
- A01: HPF opens the intro from thin to full.
- A04: FX-send throw on the final snare.
- A06: VEL rises into the fill while preserving the differences among original note velocities.
- A08: LVL build plus final FX throw.
- A09: HPF and LVL close down the outro.
- B03: LPF opens gradually and settles.
- B05: PTC bends down into the 3/4 breakdown.
- B08: subtle TUNE drift over eight bars.
- C01: ATK falls from a soft swell to a clearer entrance.
- C04: FX-send accents chord endings.
- C05: REL grows through the breakdown.
- C08: HPF and FX move over the final hook.
- D03: short FX throws on vocal endings.
- D04: PTC tape-down gesture.
- D08: PAN moves the printed fill across the stereo field.
These lanes belong to group patterns and repeat whenever those patterns repeat.
## Scene 10: the retained Dub Lab experiment
Scene 10 is a plausible musician's scratch/jam scene left outside the song list. It exercises all fader assignments without making the main arrangement absurd:
| Group | Lanes |
|---|---|
| A10 | PAN, TUNE, VEL |
| B10 | PTC, TIM, MOD |
| C10 | ATK, REL, FX |
| D10 | LVL, LPF, HPF |
Musician-facing envelope anchors over four bars:
```text
A PAN: 0.25 → 0.75 → 0.25 → 0.50
A TUNE: 0.50 → 0.58 → 0.42 → 0.50
A VEL: 1.00 → 0.60 → 1.00
B PTC: 0.50 → 0.75 → 0.50
B TIM: 0.50 → 0.80 → 0.50
B MOD: 0.00 → 1.00 → 0.00
C ATK: 0.05 → 0.75
C REL: 0.80 → 0.10
C FX: 0.10 → 0.75 → 0.10
D LVL: 0.80 → 0.00 → 0.80
D LPF: 0.20 → 0.90
D HPF: 0.00 → 0.70 → 0.00
```
These values are normalized musical intentions, not claims about exact acoustic transfer curves. A real capture should preserve the recorded raw points rather than regenerate only these anchors.
## External MIDI sketch
C90 is a four-bar D-Dorian polysynth sketch using empty pad C12 on MIDI channel 3. It contains:
- notes and varied velocities/durations;
- pitch bend into the final chord;
- mod-wheel movement;
- channel pressure after the chord attack;
- one program-change event at the start, recorded/relayed even though current firmware no longer maps it internally.
C90 is not in the song list but should remain available as a Session clip. The main song uses D12, a resample of its best chord, so sonic playback of the arranged song does not depend on external hardware. A project-aware export should still expose C90's MIDI dependency rather than inventing the missing synthesizer patch.
## Creation journal: what the musician actually did
1. Imported drums, bass and Rhodes; recorded the voice and laundromat ambience from line/mic.
2. Assigned groups by role and made several pad variants from the same global slots.
3. Live-chopped the Rhodes phrase across C9–C11, then refined trims without cropping the source.
4. Programmed the core beat with a mix of live recording, step entry, note repeat, free timing and tick nudges.
5. Played B1 and C1 in KEYS mode, using LEG for the bass and KEY for polyphonic Rhodes.
6. Recorded multiple fader assignments into group patterns.
7. Built sections by Commit, then edited the A/B/C/D pattern selection and lengths in each scene.
8. Temporarily selected Filter and performed punch-ins while resampling a two-bar hook. This became slot 620/D11.
9. Sequenced the external polysynth from C12/C90, then resampled the useful chord to slot 621/D12.
10. Selected Delay as the project's final send effect, set output compression and configured note sidechain.
11. Constructed the thirteen-position song list, deliberately repeating and returning to scenes.
12. Kept Scene 10 and C90 as useful experiments even though neither appears in the final song.
## Live-only performance score
The musician may perform these gestures while recording a stereo master, but they are not assumed to be part of the project archive:
- Position 2: momentarily solo Groups A and D.
- Position 5: apply pressure-sensitive beat-repeat punch-in to the final half-bar.
- Position 6: engage the output LOOP buffer, shorten it, slide it backward, then exit on the bar.
- Position 9: combine a tape-stop-style punch-in with a group solo.
- Position 12: manually increase Delay feedback X/Y and release it before the outro.
- Throughout: temporary held-group project-volume changes for performance balance.
Only the earlier resampled D11 performance is durable. A backup-only export should not fabricate Arrangement automation for this live score.
## Source gesture versus recoverable result
| Action | What should survive | What should not be invented |
|---|---|---|
| Live/step pad recording | final source pad, note, velocity, duration and tick | whether it was finger-drummed, step-entered, quantized or nudged |
| Note repeat/arpeggio | resulting note events | original pressure/gesture history unless separately encoded |
| Chopping | per-pad assignment and trim | AUTO/equal/attack/LIVE method |
| Fader recording | raw automation records | a smoothed lane that loses the captured points |
| Scene Commit | resulting scene/pattern references | commit and undo history |
| Song editing | ordered positions including repeats | one-scene-equals-one-position simplification |
| Punch-in FX | nothing assumed as normal pattern automation | imagined punch-in event lanes |
| Resampled punch-in performance | D11 audio and pad state | editable punch-in history |
| Resampled external synth | D12 audio | external patch and oscillator state |
| Live Delay X/Y during resampling | result inside D11 and perhaps final static X/Y | X/Y automation unless real records prove it exists |
| LOOP, FX+Group solo, live scene choices | performance cue only | Arrangement automation unless explicitly stored |
| Silent sidechain trigger | A12 notes and saved routing | audible trigger audio |
| External MIDI sketch | C90 events/channel/root | sound of disconnected hardware |
## Ableton Live 10 acceptance questions
1. Does Live open with A–D Group Tracks and separate children for independent pad instances?
2. Does Session View contain Scenes 01–10, including out-of-song Dub Lab?
3. Does Arrangement follow all thirteen song positions rather than unique numeric scenes?
4. Is Arrangement exactly 216 quarter notes long?
5. Do meter markers change 4/4 → 3/4 → 4/4 → 2/4 → 4/4 without shifting later clips?
6. Do short group patterns loop until the longest pattern in their scene finishes?
7. Are repeated song positions identical, including pattern automation?
8. Do A1/A2, C1/C2 and C9–C11 share WAV files while retaining independent pad settings?
9. Does C2 sound `-0.09` semitone detuned rather than roughly `-1.9`?
10. Do all EP pads use non-looping transport, with KEY/LEG behavior represented without Simpler Classic loops?
11. Does A5 choke A6 across separate child tracks?
12. Does B1 continue its playhead through LEG pitch changes?
13. Can C1 play overlapping chord voices from one pad source?
14. Are note velocity, duration, microtiming and pitch variations intact?
15. Are BPM stretch, BAR stretch and reverse distinct, including BAR in the 3/4 scene?
16. Do lower-rate and stereo sources retain intended pitch, length and channels?
17. Is pad AMP independent from group LVL and the runtime-only project volume?
18. Is every fader lane visible, including TIM/MOD when its acoustic mapping is unresolved?
19. Does the selected Delay exist once, with A–D sends and recorded send motion?
20. Are static Delay X/Y distinguished from the baked X/Y performance inside D11?
21. Is output compression after dry groups plus Delay return?
22. Do audible A1 and silent A12 both trigger ducking of B/C/D?
23. Do D11/D12 play as literal rendered audio without invented source automation?
24. Does C90 export as a MIDI-only Session clip with channel/expression and remain out of Arrangement?
25. Is the musician warned about live-only performance cues that no backup can reconstruct?
## Listening oracle
- Mute A2, then A1: their roles must differ strongly despite sharing a file.
- Solo A5/A6: closed hat must terminate the open hat.
- Solo B1: the LEG phrase should change pitch without restarting its attack.
- Solo C1: its chord must remain polyphonic.
- Solo C1+C2: C2 should create subtle detuning, not a large downward transpose.
- Mute A1 audio but keep A12 notes: bass, harmony and vocal groups must still duck.
- Compare Scene 03 at positions 3, 4 and 8: it should be identical each time.
- Listen across Scenes 05 and 07: meter changes must not displace later clips.
- Solo D11: the performed effect is already in the WAV and should need no generated punch-in automation.
- Disable the Live master dynamics counterpart: the difference should demonstrate why AMP cannot be judged without output-stage context.
## Explicit uncertainties
- The exact acoustic laws for AMP, every fader function, output compressor and sidechain remain measurement questions.
- TIM, TUNE and MOD are legitimate musician controls, but their best Live counterparts are not established.
- Master FX X/Y should not be considered recorded automation without an identified event stream.
- The exact meaning of MIDI-looking project records must be captured before assigning all C90 expression events to binary kinds.
- Per-scene meter is structurally evidenced, but a real mixed-meter project should verify all proposed transitions.
- Human scene/pattern names here are annotations, not assumed archive fields.
Sources: [official workflow](https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/workflow), [sound and song modes](https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/modes), [recording and fader automation](https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/play-and-record), [sampling/resampling/timing](https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/functions), [effects/output/sidechain](https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/effects), and [current firmware features](https://teenage.engineering/guides/ep-133/whats-new).

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docs/research/ep133-musician-audit/README.md
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## Files ## Files
- `MUSICIAN_WORKFLOW_INVENTORY.md` describes how a musician can build and perform an EP-133 project and separates saved project state from rendered audio and live-only gestures. - `MUSICIAN_WORKFLOW_INVENTORY.md` describes how a musician can build and perform an EP-133 project and separates saved project state from rendered audio and live-only gestures.
- `IMAGINARY_PROJECT_AFTERIMAGE_TRANSIT.md` specifies one coherent imaginary project in enough detail to act as a translation oracle. - `IMAGINARY_PROJECT_NEON_LAUNDROMAT.md` specifies one coherent imaginary project in enough detail to act as a translation oracle.
- `LIVE10_TRANSLATION_AUDIT.md` asks whether the current group-track Live 10 export represents every decision in that imaginary project. - `LIVE10_TRANSLATION_AUDIT.md` asks whether the current group-track Live 10 export represents every decision in that imaginary project.
## The three kinds of musical truth ## The three kinds of musical truth