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:
 

Results may not appear for a few seconds.
Be patient!
Do you like this result? Do you want to let other people listen to it?

Save this one in the
Tune Trove!


See what's already
in the Tune Trove!

After 20 generations the expression "X" became this:
transpose((arpeggio((((((arpeggio(echo(((X|X) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,4,6) ) +transpose(transpose((((((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |X) +transpose((((X+X) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ,4) ) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,7) ) ,-5) ,12) ) +transpose(((echo(transpose(step((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((shuffle(X) |transpose(X,-7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ,-5) ,4,6) +transpose((((((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,4) ) +shuffle(transpose(X,-7) ) ) +transpose((X+transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) ,-7) ) +transpose(shuffle(echo((X|(X|X) ) ,4,6) ) ,-7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(step((echo(echo(X,4,6) ,4,6) +transpose((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) +transpose((arpeggio((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,12) ,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(((transpose((transpose((transpose(X,4) |(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,-7) |X) ,-7) +transpose((step(transpose((arpeggio(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) +transpose(((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +X) +X) ,7) ) ,-7) ,12) +shuffle(((step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) +transpose(echo((X|X) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(((X+X) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(echo(((X+(X|X) ) |(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |(shuffle(X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) ) ) ) ,4,6) ) ,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose(echo(((((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |X) +(step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) +transpose(step(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-7) ,12) ,12) ) ) ,4,6) ,-7) ,12) ) ,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio((step((echo((transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(X,-7) ) ,4,6) |(transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) +(transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-7) ,7) ) ) ) ,12) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) ) ) ,-7) ) |transpose((shuffle(((((transpose((X+X) ,4) |transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) ) +transpose((((step(X,12) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) |X) +transpose(step(((X+transpose(X,12) ) |X) ,12) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) |echo(step(X,12) ,4,6) ) +transpose(echo((echo(X,4,6) +echo(X,4,6) ) ,4,6) ,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(((transpose(((X+X) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) ,4) +transpose(shuffle((X+echo(X,4,6) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((((transpose(X,-7) +X) +transpose((((X+X) |X) |step(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(X,4) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) +transpose(transpose(step(transpose(((shuffle(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ) +(transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) +(transpose((X+transpose((X|X) ,12) ) ,-5) |(((X+X) +transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,-7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((X|X) +(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) ) ) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((arpeggio((X|X) ) |transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) ,12) ) ,4) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ,12) ,-5) ,12) ) ,-5) ) ) +transpose((transpose(echo(shuffle(shuffle((((transpose(X,4) +transpose(shuffle(((X+transpose(transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,4) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((arpeggio((transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) +(X+X) ) ) +transpose(transpose(((X+X) +X) ,-5) ,12) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(echo(((echo(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ) ,4,6) |arpeggio(transpose(X,-7) ) ) +((step(step((X|X) ,12) ,12) +transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-7) +(X|X) ) ,4) ,7) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,4,6) ,-5) ,12) ) ) ) ,4,6) ,-7) |((((transpose((transpose(shuffle((transpose(step((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(X,-7) ) ,12) ,4) |echo(echo((X|X) ,4,6) ,4,6) ) ) ,-7) +(transpose(((step(shuffle((((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) +transpose((transpose(X,-5) |transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,4) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) ,7) ) ,4) +transpose(((((echo(X,4,6) |X) +transpose((X+transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,-5) +((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ) ,-7) +transpose(((transpose(transpose(((echo((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) ,-5) +(transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,4) ,-7) ,-7) |shuffle(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) ,4) ) ) ) |step((((transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(transpose((X+transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X+X) ,4) ) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) +step((echo((step(arpeggio((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,12) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) ,7) ) ,4,6) +transpose(step(shuffle((echo((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) |transpose(X,-5) ) ) ,12) ,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose((transpose(((((X+transpose(X,7) ) |(transpose(X,-7) |shuffle(X) ) ) +transpose(transpose((((X+X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose((transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) |echo(X,4,6) ) ,-7) ,4) ,4) ,4) ,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose((echo(transpose(step(shuffle(echo(X,4,6) ) ,12) ,-5) ,4,6) +transpose((shuffle(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ) +echo((X+X) ,4,6) ) ,4) ) ,4) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(((arpeggio((transpose(arpeggio(shuffle(X) ) ,-7) +transpose((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) |((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((transpose(X,-7) |transpose(X,-5) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ) +echo((((transpose((((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) +X) ,-7) +transpose((((((transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-5) |((X|X) +echo(X,4,6) ) ) +transpose(((X|X) |(X|X) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose((X+(X+X) ) ,-5) ,-7) ,12) ) ,12) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) +transpose((transpose(X,-7) +arpeggio(X) ) ,12) ) ,4) ,4) +transpose(transpose(transpose((X+transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(((transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(X,-5) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) ,4) +(echo(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) |((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) |arpeggio((X+X) ) ) |((X+transpose(X,12) ) +(transpose(X,-5) +(X|X) ) ) ) ) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) ) +transpose(((transpose(((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((X|X) ,12) ) +transpose(X,-5) ) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-5) ,7) ) ,4) |(transpose((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,7) ) ,-5) +echo(transpose((X|X) ,4) ,4,6) ) ) +transpose(((shuffle(((step(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) ,12) +transpose(echo(shuffle(X) ,4,6) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) +transpose((((X|echo(X,4,6) ) +transpose(step((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ,7) ) +(X+(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose((((((X|X) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) +(step(X,12) +transpose((X+transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) |(transpose((transpose(X,4) +(X+X) ) ,4) +(step(step(X,12) ,12) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose(step(((((arpeggio((X+X) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-5) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) |(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) ) +transpose((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(((X|X) +X) ,7) ) +transpose((((X|X) +transpose((X+X) ,12) ) +transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) +(((transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) +transpose((((X+X) +transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) +((X+transpose((X|X) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(X,-5) ) ,7) ) +transpose(X,-5) ) ) ,12) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,-7)
random seed used was 238504668

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