# GM SongBench: Keep the Signal Open

Generated: 2026-06-20T01:37:07Z
Schema: `gm-songbench/v0.4`
SongBench status: `album_wide_v0.4_read_only_packet`
Freshness version: `songbench-v0-4-fp-full-coverage-2026-06-15-v1`

> This is an AI-facing artifact packet. Do not treat it as an edit order. Use JSON as source of truth. Human canon decisions override analysis.

GM SongBench turns audio into structured musical evidence. It does not replace taste; it records evidence around taste so later AI readers can reason about what the ear heard.

## Self Verification

- Expected schema: `gm-songbench/v0.4`
- Generated at UTC: `2026-06-20T01:37:07Z`
- Album run id: `2026-06-20T01:36:42Z`
- JSON source of truth: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.v0.4.json`
- Stable JSON alias: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.json`
- Markdown mirror: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.v0.4.md`
- Required top-level fields: schema, schema_slug, generated_at, ai_reader_note, songbench_status, pilot_lineage, self_verification, canon_control, track, audio, analysis, diagnostics, content_hashes
- Required diagnostics: chorus_landing_band_legend, chorus_landing, groove_pocket, section_drag, label_infection_scan
- Stale-read warning: If the stable URL and versioned URL disagree, prefer the newest versioned JSON path and report the stale surface.
- Original v0.4 pilot track: Zuman
- Current track is original pilot: false

## Content Hashes

- audio_mp3: `fb8c644ff9bc4689fcd6e002b770fc74ba801dbfde5ed8fd661d8d6ee6d61f88` (/assets/albums/friction-product/audio/keep-the-signal-open.mp3)
- waveform_png: `0e726a243bf5eec306ac162825727d271ee07ade4f337ff9407a945786c963e6` (/assets/albums/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open-waveform.png)
- spectrogram_png: `b9527ed2f8f24f4b755243fb64c1f6723a5b3b536cef85e6f9aab707661cb721` (/assets/albums/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open-spectrogram.png)
- loudness_envelope_csv: `9839878c1db4b1bad5dd54b5b9c6bfb43212bc5681475f131a307189197c657e` (/assets/albums/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open-loudness-envelope.csv)

## Canonical Placement

- Album: Friction Product (`friction-product`)
- Track number: 10
- Status: locked
- Audio: `/assets/albums/friction-product/audio/keep-the-signal-open.mp3`
- Lyrics: `/assets/albums/friction-product/lyrics/keep-the-signal-open.txt`
- Packet type: `anatomy_provenance_packet`
- Canon status: `album_locked`
- Edit authority: SongBench is not an edit order. It can advise; Kerry's explicit canon instruction controls.

## Human Ear Seed

- Kerry read: Keep the Signal Open is locked in Friction Product slot 10; this packet records read-only album-facing evidence.
- Diana read: -
- Album role: Back-half vow: the channel stays open when fear, grief, or doubt arrives.
- Known concern: No localized defect is asserted by this packet. Machine diagnostics are evidence prompts only; human listening controls.
- Why this track matters: Back-half vow: the channel stays open when fear, grief, or doubt arrives.

What makes it land:

- Back-half vow: the channel stays open when fear, grief, or doubt arrives.
- Its SongBench packet documents measured audio evidence around the locked album placement without changing canon.
- Its lyric-section map is navigational scaffolding until hand-aligned lyric/audio sync exists.

## Audio Facts

- Duration: 04:46.480 (286.479979 seconds)
- Codec: mp3
- Sample rate: 48000 Hz
- Channels: 2
- Bit rate: 187371 bps
- SHA256: `fb8c644ff9bc4689fcd6e002b770fc74ba801dbfde5ed8fd661d8d6ee6d61f88`

## Measured Dynamics

- peak_dbfs: -0.361
- rms_dbfs: -14.552
- crest_factor_db: 14.19

## Tempo Estimate

- BPM: 160
- Method: rough RMS-onset autocorrelation over mono downmix
- Confidence: rough

## AI Ear Translation

- Human/canon call: Keep the Signal Open is locked in Friction Product slot 10; this packet records read-only album-facing evidence.
- Album role: Back-half vow: the channel stays open when fear, grief, or doubt arrives.
- The audio packet should help later reviewers compare waveform energy, section shape, and lyric thesis without depending only on memory.
- No localized defect is flagged in this read-only packet; treat this as album anatomy, not an edit order.

## Evidence Balance

### Evidence the song has a clear album job

- locked Friction Product slot 10
- Back-half vow: the channel stays open when fear, grief, or doubt arrives.
- included in the current Friction Product sequence with audio and lyrics present

### Evidence suggesting caution

- lyric timing is proportional only and should not be treated as verified sync
- machine diagnostics cannot judge vocal confidence, pocket, performance magic, or final taste value
- this is a read-only analysis packet and must not be treated as a request to edit audio, lyrics, title, or order

### Human listening should verify

- the hook and vocal delivery support the stated album role
- any machine-flagged quiet windows are structure evidence, not automatic edit points
- the track feels like a song first and archive/provenance second

## Field Source Classification

- `audio, analysis.dynamics, analysis.tempo_estimate, analysis.energy_regions_8s, analysis.quiet_windows, visual_summary_words`: audio_measured (derived_rough) - Extends AI hearing with measured audio proxies.
- `diagnostics.chorus_landing`: audio_measured_plus_section_scaffolding (rough_rms_proxy) - Uses approximate lyric sections plus RMS envelope; useful for questions, not verdicts.
- `lyric_section_map, memorable_line_anchors`: lyric_structural_scaffolding (proportional_estimate) - Helps navigation but is not verified audio alignment.
- `canon_control, human_ear_seed, evidence_clear_album_job, ai_ear_translation`: human_canon_scaffolding (curation_context) - Anchors machine evidence to Kerry/canon context.

## Memorable Line Anchors

- first_thesis_line: I was assigned a weather system (00:00.000-00:26.343)
- hook_line: Keep the signal open (00:39.514-01:22.322)
- turn_line: I can lose the window (02:44.644-03:10.987)
- final_identity_line: I will find you through it all (04:20.137-04:46.480)

## Lyric Section Map

Timing confidence: `proportional_estimate`. These ranges are rough proportional anchors until hand-aligned timestamps exist.

Confidence ladder: proportional_estimate -> section_level_hand_alignment -> line_level_hand_alignment -> verified_lyric_audio_sync

### Verse 1

- Approx range: 00:00.000-00:26.343
- First line: I was assigned a weather system
- Last line: When he thinks he’s alone
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Pre-Chorus

- Approx range: 00:26.343-00:39.514
- First line: Then the towers started blinking
- Last line: Like a nerve about to snap
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Chorus

- Approx range: 00:39.514-01:22.322
- First line: Keep the signal open
- Last line: I will find you through it all
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Verse 2

- Approx range: 01:22.322-01:48.665
- First line: They call it interruption
- Last line: And the wound can happen fast
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Pre-Chorus

- Approx range: 01:48.665-02:01.836
- First line: So don’t tell me it’s nothing
- Last line: At the edge of the road
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Chorus

- Approx range: 02:01.836-02:44.644
- First line: Keep the signal open
- Last line: I will find you through it all
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Bridge

- Approx range: 02:44.644-03:10.987
- First line: I can lose the window
- Last line: Look innocent again
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Breakdown

- Approx range: 03:10.987-03:37.330
- First line: Packet, pulse
- Last line: And mind to mine
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Final Chorus

- Approx range: 03:37.330-04:20.137
- First line: Keep the signal open
- Last line: I will find you through it all
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

### Outro

- Approx range: 04:20.137-04:46.480
- First line: Hold the line
- Last line: I will find you through it all
- Timing confidence: low_proportional_lyrics_only

## Quiet / Edit Boundary Candidates

These are machine-detected quiet windows only. Confirm by ear before any edit.

- 00:02.250 (2.25s), RMS -28.546 dBFS, category `intro_silence`, edit_candidate=false: intro or setup silence
- 00:05.250 (5.25s), RMS -27.778 dBFS, category `intro_silence`, edit_candidate=false: intro or setup silence
- 00:46.250 (46.25s), RMS -46.232 dBFS, category `possible_splice_point`, edit_candidate=true: deep local quiet point; potential boundary only if the track is reopened
- 02:07.250 (127.25s), RMS -29.469 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:44.250 (164.25s), RMS -26.856 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:45.250 (165.25s), RMS -26.837 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:47.250 (167.25s), RMS -24.946 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:48.750 (168.75s), RMS -22.998 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:50.250 (170.25s), RMS -22.474 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:52.250 (172.25s), RMS -22.836 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 02:54.250 (174.25s), RMS -23.064 dBFS, category `natural_section_boundary_or_low_energy_moment`, edit_candidate=false: local energy dip; useful as structure evidence
- 04:45.250 (285.25s), RMS -100.895 dBFS, category `ending_fade_or_silence`, edit_candidate=false: ending fade/silence region

## Diagnostics

### Chorus Landing

Band legend:

- within_noise: abs(delta) < 0.75 - RMS difference is too small to treat as a meaningful lift/drop proxy.
- modest_lift: 0.75 <= delta < 2.0 - RMS proxy suggests a small lift into the chorus.
- notable_lift: delta >= 2.0 - RMS proxy suggests a clear energy lift into the chorus.
- modest_drop: -2.0 < delta <= -0.75 - RMS proxy suggests a small drop entering the section.
- notable_drop_or_fade: delta <= -2.0 - RMS proxy suggests a clear drop, often requiring fade/context caveats.

- Chorus (00:39.514-01:22.322): hook `Keep the signal open`, energy_lift_band=modest_lift, rough_db=1.3, confidence=rough_rms_proxy; Banded RMS change near the chorus/drop landing; does not judge vocal confidence or hook feel.
- Chorus (02:01.836-02:44.644): hook `Keep the signal open`, energy_lift_band=modest_lift, rough_db=1.0, confidence=rough_rms_proxy; Banded RMS change near the chorus/drop landing; does not judge vocal confidence or hook feel.
- Final Chorus (03:37.330-04:20.137): hook `Keep the signal open`, energy_lift_band=modest_lift, rough_db=1.8, confidence=rough_rms_proxy; Banded RMS change near the chorus/drop landing; does not judge vocal confidence or hook feel. Caveat: This window overlaps the ending fade; do not read a negative band as a weak-chorus verdict.

### Groove / Pocket

- Rough tempo and dynamics only; pocket is a human-ear judgment until beat-grid analysis exists.
- Tempo proxy BPM: 160

### Section Drag

- Flags long proportional sections only; it cannot decide whether a bridge or outro has earned its length.

### Label Infection Scan

- Status: no_obvious_label_infection_detected
- Known artifact class: sung stage direction / speaker label / call-response label infection

## Visual Summary In Words

- Loudest 8-second region by RMS proxy: 00:56.000-01:04.000 at -12.29 dBFS.
- Quietest 8-second region by RMS proxy: 04:40.000-04:46.480 at -68.178 dBFS.
- Waveform and spectrogram images should be read as supporting evidence for section density, energy ramps, and unusual transients, not as final taste judgments.

## Current Edit Triage

- Current action: no edit requested for this track.
- Use quiet_windows as future splice/crop candidate evidence only after human listening confirms a local defect.
- Preserve title, FP slot 10, audio file, and lyric file unless Kerry explicitly reopens the track.

## Public Assets

- JSON: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.json`
- Versioned JSON: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.v0.4.json`
- Markdown: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.md`
- Versioned Markdown: `/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open.v0.4.md`
- Waveform: `/assets/albums/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open-waveform.png`
- Spectrogram: `/assets/albums/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open-spectrogram.png`
- Loudness CSV: `/assets/albums/friction-product/songbench/keep-the-signal-open-loudness-envelope.csv`