# REVERIE - User Manual

by Quiet Music

Version 1.0

---

## Contents

1. What Reverie is
2. Quick start
3. How it works (signal flow)
4. The interface
5. The two engines
6. The three identity controls: EXCITE, TRACK, MORPH
7. String engine reference (MAIN + SHAPE)
8. Texture engine reference
9. Space: Reverb and Delay
10. The Modulator
11. Scales and materials
12. Presets and factory content
13. Recipes
14. Installation and formats
15. Troubleshooting
16. FAQ

---

## 1. What Reverie is

Reverie is an audio effect, not a synthesizer. You do not play it from a keyboard and it has no MIDI input. Instead, it listens to the audio you send it and turns that audio into resonance.

It contains two sound engines:

- STRINGS: a bank of sympathetic strings (Karplus-Strong) tuned to a scale. Incoming audio makes them ring, so the strings sing a harmonic version of whatever you feed in.
- TEXTURE: an audio-reactive sampler. It fires or loops a sample of your choice in response to the dynamics of the input.

You can use either engine alone or both together. The character of Reverie comes from letting them interact (see section 6).

Because it is an effect, put it on an insert or a send, on any track: drums, vocals, synths, guitars, field recordings, noise. What comes back is tuned, evolving, and alive.

---

## 2. Quick start

1. Insert Reverie on a track that already has audio playing.
2. Open the preset browser (top of the plugin) and load a factory preset to hear it working. Presets starting with a scale name or "Harp" are pure-string; ambient presets combine both engines.
3. To build from scratch:
   - Make sure STRINGS ON is lit (top right).
   - Raise the MAIN Dry/Wet so you can hear the resonance.
   - Choose a Tuning Set and Root Note that match your track's key.
   - Adjust Decay for how long the strings ring.
4. To add the sampler: turn on TEXTURE ON, open the TEXTURE tab, drag a sample onto the waveform, and raise Tex Dry/Wet.
5. To make it one instrument instead of two layers: set EXCITE to Texture and the strings will resonate with the sample's timbre (see section 6).

Tip: if you hear nothing, check that at least one engine is on and that its Dry/Wet is above zero. Reverie needs incoming audio to make sound; on silence it stays silent.

---

## 3. How it works (signal flow)

```
                 +-----------------------------+
   input ---+--->|  TEXTURE engine (sampler)   |---+
            |    +-----------------------------+   |
            |                                      | (EXCITE selects what
            |                                      |  drives the strings:
            v                                      |  Input / Texture / Mix)
   +-----------------------------+                 |
   |  STRINGS engine (resonator) |<----------------+
   +-----------------------------+
            |                    |
     strings wet            texture wet
            |                    |
            +--------+  +--------+
                     v  v
              [ MORPH balances the two ]
                     |
             shared SPACE (reverb + delay) on the combined wet
                     |
        dry + wet, scaled by MASTER (Out Gain) --> output
```

Key points:

- Each engine has its own Dry/Wet. The dry signal is only mixed in once.
- SPACE (reverb + delay) is applied to the combined wet of both engines.
- MASTER (Out Gain) sets the final level.
- EXCITE decides whether the strings resonate with the raw input (parallel, classic) or with the output of the Texture engine (series, the signature sound).

---

## 4. The interface

Reverie has three views, selected by the tabs at the top left:

- MAIN: the string engine and the three identity controls.
- TEXTURE: the sampler, its waveform, and its controls.
- FX: reverb and delay (opens as an overlay over MAIN).

Two extra overlays:

- MODULATOR: the drawable modulation curve and its routing. Opens over MAIN and hides the lower control row while open.
- FX and MODULATOR are mutually exclusive: opening one closes the other.

Top right: two engine switches, STRINGS ON and TEXTURE ON. When an engine is off, its controls are dimmed. Shared controls (Dry/Wet balance, space, master) stay active as long as either engine is on.

Preset bar: at the top, with previous / next arrows, save and load. Factory presets are read-only; use Save As to store your own (they go to the User area).

Note about editing the layout: an in-app layout editor exists in development builds only. The release build you use has the layout baked in; you will not see an edit mode, which is normal.

---

## 5. The two engines

### STRINGS (the resonator)

A set of tuned strings that ring in sympathy with the input. This is the core of Reverie. Its full parameter list is in section 7. In short: pick a scale and root, set how many strings and how long they ring, and shape the tone with damping, warmth, material and the excitation filter.

### TEXTURE (the sampler)

An audio-reactive sampler. Load a sample (WAV, AIFF or FLAC) by dragging it onto the waveform view or with the LOAD button. It has two modes (Tex Mode):

- Trigger: fires one-shots of the sample on the transients of your input. Great for percussion, rhythmic foley, and adding attack. Each hit gets its own amplitude shape (Attack / Hold / Decay) and can be humanized with Variation.
- Flow: plays the sample as a continuous loop whose level breathes with the dynamics of your input. Ideal for long textures (water, drones, birds) that you want to weave under a pad without the rhythmic chopping of Trigger.

The waveform view shows draggable loop markers. Drag them to set the region that plays (a loop in Flow, a slice in Trigger). Loop playback direction is set by Tex Loop Mode (Forward, Reverse, Ping-Pong). A moving playhead shows where the sample is reading while it sounds.

---

## 6. The three identity controls: EXCITE, TRACK, MORPH

These three controls turn two separate engines into one instrument. They live on the MAIN tab.

### EXCITE (Excite Source): Input / Texture / Mix

Chooses what excites the strings.

- Input (default): the strings resonate with the raw incoming audio. This is the classic parallel behaviour; the two engines run side by side.
- Texture: the strings resonate with the OUTPUT of the Texture engine. Load a foley or percussion sample, give it a rhythm, and the strings ring with the timbre of that sample and the harmony of your scale. This is Reverie's signature: a resonator you feed with textures.
- Mix: a 50/50 blend of both.

If TEXTURE ON is off, the effective source falls back to Input, so the strings are never silenced.

### TRACK (Note Track): 0 to 100%

Reverie analyses the pitch of your input and, on each new tonal note, plucks the string of the scale nearest to that pitch. The result is an arpeggio or harp that follows your melody, so the sample and the strings sing the same note. At 0% (default) the pitch detector does not run, so there is no CPU cost and no change to the sound. Raise it to bring the melody-following behaviour in. It works best on tonal material (bass, voice, lead); on drums it stays quiet because there is no clear pitch.

### MORPH: 0 to 100%

A single macro that balances the two engines:

- 0%: strings only (texture muted).
- 50% (default): both engines at full (no change, neutral).
- 100%: texture only (strings muted).

MORPH scales the two Dry/Wet amounts together, so it is perfect for automation and for sweeping between the two sounds in one move. It does not change the EXCITE routing or the individual Dry/Wet knobs.

---

## 7. String engine reference (MAIN + SHAPE)

Defaults are shown in parentheses.

MAIN:

- Decay (4.00 s): how long the strings ring, from 0.2 to 20 seconds.
- Damping (35%): high-frequency loss in the string; higher values sound duller and shorter.
- Dispersion (0%): inharmonicity / stiffness, from pure to more metallic and detuned overtones.
- Warmth (15%): low-end body and softness of the resonance.
- Material (Plain): a named string voicing. Options: Plain, Nylon, Gut, Steel, Bronze, Crystal, Felt. Plain is neutral.
- Density (12 strings): number of sympathetic strings, from 1 to 24. More strings means a thicker, more chordal bed.
- Root Note (48): the base note the scale is built from, in MIDI note numbers (24 to 84).
- Tuning Set (Pent Minor): the scale the strings are tuned to. See section 11.
- Spread (2.0 oct): how many octaves the strings span, from 1 to 3.
- Detune (5.0 c): random detuning between strings, in cents, for a natural chorus.
- Retune Glide (120 ms): time the strings take to glide when the scale or root changes.
- Drive In (0.0 dB): input gain into the resonator, from -24 to +24 dB.
- Excite Tilt (0%): spectral tilt of the excitation, from dark (negative) to bright (positive).
- Transients (30%): how much of the input's attack is emphasised when exciting the strings.
- Width (80%): stereo width of the string bank.
- Dry/Wet (35%): balance between the dry input and the string resonance.
- Morph (50%): see section 6.
- Out Gain / MASTER (0.0 dB): final output level, from -24 to +6 dB.

SHAPE (excitation shaping, opens on the MAIN face):

- Excite HP (20 Hz): high-pass filter on the excitation signal. At 20 Hz it is effectively off.
- Excite LP (20000 Hz): low-pass filter on the excitation. At 20 kHz it is effectively off. Lowering it makes the resonance darker and more felt-like.
- Bloom (0%): a swell in the excitation, softening the attack of the resonance.
- STEREO (Stereo Input, on): process the left and right input independently for a wider image; off collapses to mono excitation.

---

## 8. Texture engine reference

Load a sample first (drag onto the waveform or use LOAD). Defaults in parentheses.

- Tex Dry/Wet (50%): level of the texture layer in the mix.
- Tex Attack (1.0 ms): attack of each hit's amplitude envelope (Trigger) or the breathing envelope (Flow).
- Tex Hold (40 ms): hold time of the envelope.
- Tex Decay (150 ms): decay/release of the envelope. Long values give sustained textures.
- Tex Gate (-40 dB): input level threshold below which nothing triggers.
- Tex Cutoff (20000 Hz): low-pass filter on the sample.
- Tex Reso (0%): resonance of that filter.
- Tex Tune (0 st): pitch of the sample in semitones, from -24 to +24.
- Tex Pan (center): stereo position of the layer.
- Tex Variation (0%): humanizes each Trigger hit with small, loudness-neutral pitch and pan variation.
- Tex Tone Follow (0%): the brightness of the input pushes the sample's cutoff, so the texture tracks the input's tone.
- Tex Pitch Follow (0%): the detected pitch of the input tunes the sample. Only meaningful on tonal material.
- Tex Sensitivity (50%): how easily the transient detector fires in Trigger mode. Higher = triggers more readily.
- Tex Shape (50%): the envelope curve per hit. 50% is linear; above is punchy/plucky, below is softer and more sustained.
- Tex Mode (Trigger): Trigger (one-shots on transients) or Flow (continuous loop). See section 5.
- Tex Loop Mode (Forward): loop direction, Forward / Reverse / Ping-Pong. In Trigger, Reverse plays the one-shot backwards.

Waveform view: draggable loop markers set the played region. In Flow the intro plays once, then the region between the markers loops. Loops embedded in the WAV/AIFF file are respected; if the file has none, the whole sample is used and the markers let you define your own region.

---

## 9. Space: Reverb and Delay

Both are shared by the two engines and applied to the combined wet signal. Open the FX overlay to reach them. Both mixes default to 0 (off).

Reverb:

- Reverb Mix (0%): amount of reverb.
- Reverb Size (65%): size of the space.
- Reverb Decay (8.0 s): tail length, from 0.1 to 60 seconds.
- Reverb Damping (15%): high-frequency absorption in the tail.
- Reverb Freeze (off): holds the current reverb tail indefinitely, for infinite pads and drones.

Delay:

- Delay Time (350 ms): delay time, from 20 to 2000 ms.
- Delay Feedback (35%): number of repeats.
- Delay Mix (0%): amount of delay.

---

## 10. The Modulator

Reverie has one drawable modulation lane. Open the MODULATOR overlay to see the canvas and draw a curve with the mouse. The curve is stored with the preset.

- Mod Dest (Off): where the modulation goes. Off is inactive. Destinations: Width, Damping, Dry/Wet, Out Gain, Pitch, Reverb Mix, Root, Drive, Exc HP, Exc LP, Tilt, Delay Time, Tex Cutoff, Tex Tune, Tex Pan, Tex Layer. Note that destinations cover both engines and the shared space.
- Mod Amount (0%): depth, bipolar, from -100% to +100%.
- Mod Sync (Sync): Free runs the curve at a rate in Hz; Sync locks it to the host tempo.
- Mod Rate (1.00 Hz): cycle rate in Free mode, from 0.01 to 30 Hz.
- Mod Div (1/4): musical division in Sync mode, from 8 bars per cycle to 1/32, including dotted and triplet values.
- Mod Dir (Forward): direction the curve is read, Forward, Reverse or Ping-Pong.

When the destination modulates the strings, it is active with the string engine; when it modulates a shared or texture target, it follows the relevant engine's state.

---

## 11. Scales and materials

Tuning Set options (21 scales):

Chromatic, Major, Minor, Pent Major, Pent Minor, Sitar Tarafs, Drone Fifths, Piano Pedal, Harmonic, Custom, Just Major, Pythagorean, Slendro, Pelog, Quarter Tones, Lydian, Dorian, Whole Tone, Hirajoshi, Akebono, Kurd Handpan.

The microtonal sets (Quarter Tones, Just Major, Pythagorean, Slendro, Pelog) tune the strings to non-equal-tempered intervals for exotic and world-instrument colours.

Custom scale builder: choosing Custom activates a 16-slot editor. Each slot has a note (Off, or C through B) and an octave offset (-2 to +2) from the root, so you can build any chord or scale shape by hand.

Materials (7): Plain, Nylon, Gut, Steel, Bronze, Crystal, Felt. Each biases the string voicing toward a different physical character; Plain is neutral.

---

## 12. Presets and factory content

Reverie ships with 48 factory presets, grouped in the Factory folder of the browser:

- String voicings: pure-string presets across the scales and materials.
- Two tracking presets, Harp Tracker and Bass Tracker, that use Note Track to follow a melody or bassline.
- Ambient presets: beds that combine strings and texture, many using the series routing (EXCITE = Texture). Some of these rely on their loaded sample, so they are at their fullest once the factory samples are in place.

Reverie's factory presets are built into the plugin, and its sample library is installed automatically. The first time you open Reverie, the content is deployed to a per-user folder:

- Windows: Documents\QuietMusic\Reverie\
- macOS: ~/Library/QuietMusic/Reverie/

with Presets and Samples subfolders. Later launches are fast; the plugin only re-deploys when the factory content version changes.

Factory presets are read-only. To keep your own version of a preset, use Save As; your presets are stored in the User area and are never overwritten by updates.

If a preset that uses a sample sounds silent, its sample may be missing from the Samples folder. Deleting the file factory_version.txt in the content folder forces a full re-deployment on the next launch, which restores the factory samples and presets.

---

## 13. Recipes

Tuned pad from a drum loop:
Insert Reverie on the drums. STRINGS ON, EXCITE = Input, pick a Pent Minor or Drone Fifths scale in your key, Decay around 6 to 10 s, raise Dry/Wet. Add reverb. The rhythm of the drums becomes a pulsing, tuned pad.

Texture resonator (the signature):
TEXTURE ON, load a granular or foley sample, set Tex Mode = Flow. Set EXCITE = Texture. Now the strings resonate with the sample, not the raw input. Sweep MORPH to taste. Great on pads and sustained sources.

Melody-following harp:
STRINGS ON, EXCITE = Input, raise TRACK to around 60 to 80%. Play a monophonic line (bass, vocal, lead) into it. The strings pluck the scale notes closest to your melody. Load the Harp Tracker preset as a starting point.

Infinite drone:
Set a long Decay, open FX, raise Reverb Mix, and turn on Reverb Freeze while a sustained note is ringing. The tail holds forever; automate Freeze off to release it.

Reactive percussion layer:
TEXTURE ON, load a percussion or foley sample, Tex Mode = Trigger, adjust Tex Sensitivity so it fires on the hits you want, use Tex Shape above 50% for punch and Tex Variation for natural variation. Leave STRINGS off or blend with MORPH.

---

## 14. Installation and formats

Formats: VST3 and AU (macOS). On macOS the plugin is a universal binary (Intel and Apple Silicon) and is code-signed and notarized.

Default install locations:

- Windows VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
- macOS VST3: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/
- macOS AU: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/

Reverie's factory presets and sample library are installed automatically, so there is no separate preset download. On Windows the content is built into the plugin and deploys on first launch; on macOS the installer places the samples and the plugin deploys the presets on first launch.

---

## 15. Troubleshooting

No sound:
- Check that at least one engine (STRINGS ON or TEXTURE ON) is lit.
- Check that the corresponding Dry/Wet is above zero, and MASTER is not at minimum.
- Reverie needs incoming audio; on a silent track it produces silence.

A preset with a sample is silent:
- The sample may be missing from the content Samples folder, or EXCITE is set to Texture with no sample loaded (the strings are then excited by nothing). Load a sample, or set EXCITE to Input, or delete factory_version.txt to force a re-deployment.

The UI looks plain / knobs have no skin:
- This should not happen in the shipping build; the graphics are embedded. If it does, report it.

Reverie shows up in an odd category in Logic:
- It is an audio effect (aufx) and should appear among audio effect inserts, not among MIDI-controlled effects.

---

## 16. FAQ

Does Reverie accept MIDI?
No. It is a resonator effect by design; its performance is the audio you send it. If you want to play the resonance from a keyboard, route a synth or sampler into Reverie.

Can I use only the sampler, without the strings?
Yes. Turn STRINGS off and TEXTURE on, or set MORPH to 100%.

Can I use only the strings?
Yes, that is the default. TEXTURE is off out of the box.

What is the difference between EXCITE = Texture and just turning both engines on?
With both engines on and EXCITE = Input, they run in parallel and their outputs are simply summed. With EXCITE = Texture, the sampler's output becomes the excitation for the strings, so they resonate with the sample's character. That series routing is the core sound of Reverie.

Where are my presets and samples stored?
In Documents\QuietMusic\Reverie\ on Windows, or ~/Library/QuietMusic/Reverie/ on macOS.

Is it CPU heavy?
Running both engines with reverb is moderate. If you only need one engine, turn the other off; disabled engines are skipped.

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(c) 2026 Quiet Music. Reverie and Quiet Music are trademarks of their owner. All other names are property of their respective owners.
