Keyboard shortcuts

Press ← or → to navigate between chapters

Press S or / to search in the book

Press ? to show this help

Press Esc to hide this help

05: Midnight Protocol

BPM: 102 | Key: C Minor | Duration: ~3:20

Synthwave triumph. After Skull Fracture’s violence, Midnight Protocol provides melodic relief with uplifting arpeggios and triumphant leads.

The Vision

Track 5 is the album’s emotional pivot:

  1. Melodic focus — Strong, memorable melodies
  2. Synthwave influence — 80s-inspired arpeggios
  3. Triumphant feel — Dark but not depressing
  4. Groove over brutality — Still dark, but you can breathe

What Makes It Unique

Synthwave Arpeggios

Carpenter Brut-inspired patterns:

define :arp1 do |v=1|
  use_synth :pulse
  notes = [:c4, :eb4, :g4, :c5, :g4, :eb4, :c4, :g3]
  notes.each do |n|
    play n, amp: 0.25*v, attack: 0.01, decay: 0.12,
         release: 0.12, cutoff: 102, pulse_width: 0.3
    sleep 0.5
  end
end

C minor arpeggio — dark but with upward motion that feels hopeful.

Triumphant Lead Melody

The lead is more melodic than any other track:

define :lead do |n, dur=0.5, v=1|
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, amp: 0.45*v, attack: 0.06, decay: dur*0.3,
       sustain: dur*0.45, release: dur*0.55, cutoff: 92, res: 0.12
  use_synth :saw
  play n+12, amp: 0.12*v, attack: 0.08,
       sustain: dur*0.3, release: dur*0.4, cutoff: 78
end

Key choices:

  • Longer attack (0.06) — more singing quality
  • Octave shimmer layer — adds brightness/hope
  • Higher cutoff (92) — brighter than darker tracks

The Melodies

Four phrases that tell a story:

define :mel1 do |v=1|  # Rising hope
  lead :c4, 0.5, v; sleep 0.5
  lead :eb4, 0.5, v*0.95; sleep 0.5
  lead :g4, 1, v; sleep 1
  lead :c5, 1.5, v; sleep 2
end

define :mel2 do |v=1|  # Gentle descent
  lead :c5, 0.75, v; sleep 0.75
  lead :bb4, 0.5, v*0.9; sleep 0.5
  lead :g4, 0.75, v*0.95; sleep 0.75
  lead :eb4, 0.5, v*0.85; sleep 0.5
  lead :c4, 1.5, v; sleep 1.5
end

define :mel3 do |v=1|  # Emotional peak
  lead :g4, 0.5, v; sleep 0.5
  lead :ab4, 0.75, v; sleep 0.75  # Ab = emotional tension
  lead :g4, 0.5, v*0.9; sleep 0.5
  lead :f4, 0.75, v*0.95; sleep 0.75
  lead :eb4, 1.5, v; sleep 1.5
end

define :mel4 do |v=1|  # Resolution
  lead :eb4, 0.5, v; sleep 0.5
  lead :f4, 0.5, v*0.9; sleep 0.5
  lead :g4, 1, v; sleep 1
  lead :c4, 2, v; sleep 2
end

The arc: Rise → Descent → Tension (Ab) → Resolution to root (C)

Groovy, Not Brutal Drums

Back to four-on-the-floor, but with swing:

define :drums do |k=1, s=1, h=1|
  in_thread do
    kick k; sleep 1
    kick k*0.75; sleep 0.75
    kick k*0.85; sleep 0.25
    kick k; sleep 1
    kick k*0.8; sleep 1
  end
  in_thread do
    sleep 1; snare s; sleep 1; snare s*0.9; sleep 2
  end
  in_thread do
    8.times { hat h; sleep 0.5 }
  end
  sleep 4
end

Ghost kick at beat 2.75 creates groove without aggression.

Sound Design

Warm Bass

Prophet-based for warmth:

define :bass do |n, v=1, c=78|
  use_synth :prophet
  play n, amp: 0.6*v, attack: 0.02, decay: 0.22,
       sustain: 0.15, release: 0.2, cutoff: c, res: 0.2
  use_synth :sine
  play n-12, amp: 1.05*v, attack: 0.01, sustain: 0.28, release: 0.2
end

No TB303 or dsaw — pure analog warmth.

Pad Layer

Sustained chords for fullness:

define :pad do |notes, v=1|
  use_synth :prophet
  play notes, amp: 0.25*v, attack: 1.5, decay: 0.5,
       sustain: 2, release: 2.5, cutoff: 72
end

Plays full chords: pad [:c3, :eb3, :g3]

Bright Hi-Hats

define :hat do |v=1|
  sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.28*v, rate: 2.0, release: 0.06
end

Slightly lower rate (2.0 vs 2.2+) — less metallic, more musical.

Patterns

Bassline (Melodic)

define :bassline do |v=1, c=78|
  bass :c2, v, c; sleep 1.5
  bass :c2, v*0.6, c-8; sleep 0.5
  bass :eb2, v*0.85, c; sleep 1
  bass :f2, v*0.9, c; sleep 0.5
  bass :g2, v*0.8, c+5; sleep 0.5
end

The movement: C → Eb → F → G — ascending bassline = building energy.

Second Arpeggio

define :arp2 do |v=1|
  use_synth :pulse
  notes = [:g4, :c5, :eb5, :g5, :eb5, :c5, :g4, :c4]
  notes.each do |n|
    play n, amp: 0.22*v, attack: 0.01, decay: 0.1,
         release: 0.1, cutoff: 98, pulse_width: 0.35
    sleep 0.5
  end
end

Higher register — plays call-and-response with arp1.

Arrangement

INTRO (32) → BUILD (32) → MAIN A (48) → BREAK (16) → MAIN B (48) → OUTRO (32)

The Build: Arp Entry

# BUILD: 8 bars
in_thread do
  8.times { drums 0.85, 0.7, 0.6 }
end

in_thread do
  8.times { bassline 0.75, 70 }
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.6, mix: 0.4 do
    sleep 16
    2.times { arp1 0.5; arp2 0.45 }
  end
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.7, mix: 0.5 do
    sleep 24
    pad [:c3, :eb3, :g3], 0.4
  end
end

sleep 32
hit 1

Elements enter in layers: drums → bass → arps → pad.

The Break: Melody Focus

# BREAK: 4 bars - spotlight on melody
in_thread do
  8.times { hat 0.35; sleep 0.5 }; sleep 8
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.85, mix: 0.55 do
    with_fx :echo, phase: 0.75, decay: 5, mix: 0.45 do
      mel3 0.6; mel4 0.55
    end
  end
end

in_thread do
  with_fx :reverb, room: 0.9, mix: 0.6 do
    pad [:ab2, :c3, :eb3], 0.35  # Ab for tension
  end
end

sleep 16
hit 1.1

Ab chord under the melody creates tension before resolution in Main B.

Key Techniques

1. Synthwave Arp Formula

Classic synthwave arpeggios follow this pattern:

# Root position up and down
[:c4, :eb4, :g4, :c5, :g4, :eb4, :c4, :g3]
#  1    b3   5    8    5    b3   1    5(low)

Variations:

# Extended range
[:c4, :eb4, :g4, :c5, :eb5, :c5, :g4, :eb4]

# With passing tones
[:c4, :d4, :eb4, :g4, :c5, :g4, :eb4, :d4]

2. Triumphant ≠ Happy

Midnight Protocol is triumphant but still dark:

Dark elements:

  • Minor key (C minor)
  • Dark pad tones
  • Sub-bass weight

Triumphant elements:

  • Ascending melodies
  • Bright arp tones
  • Longer, singing lead notes

The balance is key.

3. Ab in C Minor

The Ab note (b6) adds emotional weight:

# Standard C minor: C D Eb F G Ab Bb
lead :ab4  # Creates yearning, emotional tension

Use it sparingly for maximum impact (mel3 uses it at the peak).

4. Groove Through Ghost Notes

The ghost kick at beat 2.75 creates swing:

kick k; sleep 1
kick k*0.75; sleep 0.75   # Ghost: softer, slightly early
kick k*0.85; sleep 0.25   # Lands on beat 3

This makes the track “breathe” instead of hammer.

The Midnight Aesthetic

“Midnight Protocol” evokes:

  • Midnight — The darkest hour, but also possibility
  • Protocol — Digital, systematic, precise (the arpeggios)
  • Synthwave — Neon-lit nights, driving through darkness

A moment of beauty in a brutal album.

Hacker Challenges

  1. Major Key Experiment: Change the arpeggio from C minor to C major (:c4, :e4, :g4, :c5...). How dramatically does the mood shift? Can dark clubbing work in major keys?

  2. Double-Time Arp: Run the arpeggio at 16th notes (sleep 0.25) instead of 8th notes. Does it add energy or become too busy?

  3. Strip the Shimmer: Remove the octave-up :saw layer from the lead. What’s lost? Is the shimmer essential or decorative?

  4. Write a Counter-Melody: Create mel5 that plays against the main melodies — different rhythm, complementary notes. Can two melodies coexist without fighting?

  5. Synthwave the Drums: Replace the industrial kick layers with a cleaner, punchier 80s-style kick:

    sample :bd_haus, amp: 2, rate: 1.0

    Does the track become more or less “Midnight Protocol”?

Full Code

The complete track code is available in 05_midnight_protocol.rb.

Next: Track 06: Void Walker — dark power at slow tempo.