Home : Tune Toys : Expresso 
  Expresso takes a simple musical expression (literally "X") and mutates it. In each generation, transformations are applied to components of the expression. This is a fractal technique known as an L-system. The more generations there are, the larger and more complex the expression gets (and the longer it can take to compute). The output varies wildly, from boring to fascinating. Press "Mutate" a few times till you get something that looks interesting, then click on the image to play it. See Composer's Quarry for examples of output.

Transformations:
Seed:
Randomize seed:
Generations:
Phrase for X:
# of Tracks:
Randomize patches:
 

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After 20 generations the expression "X" became this:
transpose(transpose(echo(((arpeggio(shuffle(shuffle(transpose(transpose((transpose(((transpose((X+(X+X) ) ,-7) |arpeggio(X) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ,12) ) ,-5) +((transpose((transpose(transpose((echo(X,4,6) |step(X,12) ) ,4) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(((((X+transpose((X|X) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +X) ,7) ) ) ,4) ,-7) ,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(shuffle(shuffle((echo((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4,6) +transpose((((arpeggio(X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,7) ) ,12) ) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose(transpose(step(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ,-5) ,4) +transpose((transpose(transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,-5) ,4) +transpose((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) |transpose(((X+transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,-5) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(transpose(X,-5) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,7) ) ) ,-7) ,-7) ) ) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose((transpose(transpose(((arpeggio((X+transpose(X,7) ) ) +transpose((step(X,12) +transpose(echo((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ,4,6) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ,-7) ,4) +transpose(transpose(transpose((echo(arpeggio(echo(X,4,6) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(transpose(X,4) ) ,-7) ,-7) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ,4) ,7) ) ,-7) +(transpose(transpose(transpose((step(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ,12) +transpose(arpeggio(step(X,12) ) ,7) ) ,-7) ,-5) ,4) +transpose((((((((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) +transpose((arpeggio(X) +transpose(shuffle(step(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(step(X,12) ,7) ) +transpose((X+(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-7) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((arpeggio(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) |(echo(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) +transpose((((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(((transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) ,-5) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(echo(step(transpose(X,4) ,12) ,4,6) ,-5) +transpose((((echo(X,4,6) +(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-5) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose((step(transpose(transpose((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) +transpose((step((X|X) ,12) +(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,-7) ,4) ,12) +transpose(transpose(((transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,4) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ,12) ) ,-5) +transpose(transpose((echo(shuffle((shuffle((X|(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ) +step(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) ) ,4,6) |(((step((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,7) ) ,12) +transpose((transpose(echo(step(X,12) ,4,6) ,4) +transpose(step(((transpose(X,4) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) ,12) ,12) ) ,12) ) +transpose((((X+transpose(X,7) ) |transpose(echo(transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) ,4) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((shuffle((transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) ) +transpose(((step(X,12) +transpose((shuffle(X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(((transpose(transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-5) ,4) ,4) +transpose((transpose((X|transpose(X,-7) ) ,-7) +(X+transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ) ,12) ) |step((((transpose(X,4) +X) +transpose((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,-5) +transpose(((shuffle(transpose(shuffle((shuffle(X) +transpose(X,12) ) ) ,-7) ) +(step((X|step(X,12) ) ,12) +transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,-5) ) ) +transpose(((((((step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) +transpose((shuffle(X) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) |arpeggio(transpose(X,-5) ) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-7) ,-7) +transpose(transpose(((shuffle(X) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,4) ) ,-7) ,12) ) ,12) ) +transpose((shuffle(X) +step(transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ,4) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(((step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) +transpose(step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(((transpose(X,4) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) ,7) ) |((arpeggio(((transpose((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) ,-5) ,12) ) ,4) +transpose((transpose(step(((((X|X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) |transpose((X|X) ,-5) ) +transpose(echo(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ,4,6) ,7) ) ,12) ,-5) +transpose(echo(((X+transpose(shuffle(echo((echo(X,4,6) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,4,6) ,-7) ) ,12) ) +transpose((((echo(arpeggio(transpose((arpeggio(shuffle(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-5) ) ) +transpose(transpose(echo(((X+transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) ,-5) ,7) ) ,4) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(step(echo(((step(X,12) +transpose(arpeggio(arpeggio(X) ) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,12) ) ,4,6) ,12) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(((((echo(transpose((echo(echo(X,4,6) ,4,6) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,-5) ,4,6) +transpose((transpose(X,-7) |step((((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(step(X,12) ,7) ) +arpeggio(step(X,12) ) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) +shuffle(step(X,12) ) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(((step((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(X,12) ) ,12) +transpose(step((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(step((X|transpose(X,4) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose(((echo(transpose(X,-5) ,4,6) +transpose(X,12) ) +transpose((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(shuffle(echo(X,4,6) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ,7) ) +transpose((shuffle(step(X,12) ) +transpose(((transpose((X+X) ,-5) +transpose((transpose((X+X) ,4) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(step(((X+X) |arpeggio(X) ) ,12) ,-5) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-5) +((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,-5) ,4) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(X,-7) ) ,7) ) |(((arpeggio((X+transpose(X,7) ) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(step((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) ) ,-7) ,-7) ,4) ,-7) ,4) |shuffle(((transpose((((transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(echo(shuffle(X) ,4,6) ,4) ,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ) ,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose((((X+X) +transpose((X+X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(echo(transpose((X+X) ,4) ,4,6) ,4) ,4) ,7) ) ) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(((((X+transpose(X,12) ) |shuffle(arpeggio((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ) ) +transpose(transpose(step(step(X,12) ,12) ,-5) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(((arpeggio(X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,7) ) ,-7) ,-7) ,-7) ,-5) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(echo((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(step(arpeggio(X) ,12) ,7) ) ,4,6) ,-7) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,-7) ,-5) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) ,4) ,4)
random seed used was 231341508

The algorithm for Expresso is written in KeyKit, and here's the source code.