Topline in. Now the counter.
The hook works. The chords sit. But the loop still feels thin, and stacking another pad won't fix it. What's missing is a second voice: a line that moves when the lead rests and gets out of the way when it talks.
That's a countermelody. LOCKDIN writes one around what's already in your Session, as MIDI you can edit, re-voice and put on any sound.
What a countermelody does
A countermelody is a second, independent melody that plays against the main one. It's not a harmony that doubles the lead a third above. It has its own shape. Three things make it work:
- Call and response. It fills the gaps. When the topline holds or rests, the counter moves.
- Contrary motion. When the lead climbs, the counter tends to fall, or stays put. Two lines going the same way sound like one.
- Its own register. Keep it above or below the lead, so the two don't fight in the same octave.
In a beat you hear it as the bell or pluck answering the main lead, the high piano line over a sample, the little synth reply at the end of each bar.
How LOCKDIN writes it
- Build the Session. Start from your loop, or lock in chords and a topline in LOCKDIN first. Import a
.midor hit Capture and press play in your DAW. - Open the Countermelody tab. LOCKDIN writes this part on top of what you've locked: same key, same pocket.
- Set the feel. Creativity from tight to loose. Density low for a sparse reply, higher for a busier line. Swing and Gate to match the groove, and you can change those two after the take too.
- Lock in, then Run it back until the answer lands. Every take stays in Takes.
- Lock it and drag it into your DAW as a
.midclip. Put it on a bell, a pluck, a flute, a vocal chop sampler. Your call.
It doesn't write the song. It writes one idea, in MIDI. You decide if it stays.
Tips from the session
- Octave it. If the counter crowds the topline, move it an octave up or down before you touch a note.
- Thin it. Delete every other phrase. A counter that plays in half the bars often hits harder.
- Different sound, different space. Give it a shorter, brighter sound than the lead, and a touch more reverb, so it sits behind.
- Gate it. Short gate makes a reply feel plucky; legato makes it feel like a second singer.
Why MIDI, not audio
Your synths, your notes. Every note stays editable, nothing is baked into a bounce, and LOCKDIN never picks the sound. The MIDI is a clip like any other in your session.
Made for whatever you make
Every kind of beatmaker, any style, any key. The model is LOCKDIN's own, trained on MIDI hand-picked by musicians. You pick the feel with the controls.
Where you can run it
VST3 and AU, in all major DAWs (FL Studio included). The beta runs on Apple silicon Macs through our cloud; at launch the Mac version is planned to run offline. Mac first; Windows details coming soon. Pricing is announced at launch.
Straight answers
Questions.
What is a countermelody?
A second, independent melody that plays against the main one. It fills the gaps, often moves the opposite way, and sits in its own register.
Can AI write a countermelody to my melody?
LOCKDIN writes a countermelody part around what's in your Session: your imported loop or the parts you've locked in. You get MIDI takes; you pick, edit and keep the one that fits.
Is a countermelody the same as a harmony?
No. A harmony follows the lead, usually a third or sixth away. A countermelody has its own rhythm and shape.
Does LOCKDIN output audio?
No. MIDI only, on purpose, so you choose the sound.
Which DAWs does it work with?
All major DAWs, including FL Studio, Ableton Live and Logic Pro, as a VST3 or AU plugin. You drag the MIDI onto any track.
Testers wanted
AI is the tool. You're the artist.
Free, closed and confidential until launch. Tell us what you make and where we can hear it.