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 15 generations the expression "X" became this:
((transpose(((transpose(transpose(((((arpeggio(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((shuffle(X) +step(X,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(echo(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,4,6) ,12) ) +step((X+transpose((X+transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) |((((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X|X) ,12) ) +transpose((X+transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) ,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose((((arpeggio(((X+(X|X) ) |(X|X) ) ) +((X|transpose((X+X) ,4) ) +transpose((X|echo(X,4,6) ) ,12) ) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) |(((transpose(X,-7) |X) +transpose(transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose((X|(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((((X|X) |(X|X) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose((X+(X|X) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,-5) ,4) +((transpose((shuffle(X) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(transpose(X,4) ) ,4) ,12) ) ,-7) +arpeggio(transpose((X+transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,-5) ) ) |(arpeggio(arpeggio(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ) |transpose(shuffle(transpose(X,-7) ) ,-7) ) ) ) |echo((transpose((((transpose(echo(transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-7) ,4,6) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose((step(echo((transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-7) +(X+X) ) ,4,6) ,12) +transpose((step(X,12) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) +(((X+arpeggio(X) ) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-5) ,12) ) |((transpose(X,4) +((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) ) +transpose(transpose(echo((((X+X) |X) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4,6) ,-5) ,7) ) ) ) ,-7) +echo(shuffle(shuffle(X) ) ,4,6) ) ,4,6) ) ,-7) +transpose(((((((echo((transpose((X+X) ,4) |transpose(X,-7) ) ,4,6) +(shuffle(((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) ) ) +transpose((X+transpose((((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) |(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(step(transpose(X,4) ,12) ,7) ) +transpose(((X+X) |transpose(transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) ,-5) ,4) ) ,-5) ) +(arpeggio(echo(((((transpose((X+X) ,4) +transpose(echo(arpeggio(X) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) ,7) ) |transpose(X,-5) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(transpose(X,4) ) ,-5) ,12) ) ,4,6) ) |(shuffle(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) ) |transpose(((transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-5) |X) +transpose((arpeggio(X) |((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,4) ) ,4) ) ) ) +transpose(((transpose(arpeggio((arpeggio(((echo(transpose(X,-5) ,4,6) +transpose(((X+transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) |(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((shuffle(X) |(X+X) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(echo(step(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) ,12) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose((arpeggio((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ) +transpose((X|X) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ) +transpose(shuffle(step(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ,4) ) ) ,4) +transpose(step(echo(step(((transpose((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,4) +transpose(((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(echo((X+transpose((X+X) ,12) ) ,4,6) ,7) ) ,12) ,4,6) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((((step(echo(((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +X) |transpose(X,4) ) ,4,6) ,12) +transpose((transpose((X+transpose((shuffle(X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ,12) ) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(((((X+X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) ) +transpose(((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(((shuffle(X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(step(echo(X,4,6) ,12) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((X|transpose(X,4) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(echo(X,4,6) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose(X,4) |echo((echo((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ,12) ) ,4,6) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) |((echo(shuffle((transpose((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(step((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ,7) ) ,4) +arpeggio((X+X) ) ) ) ,4,6) +(arpeggio((arpeggio(X) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ) |shuffle(((transpose((arpeggio(X) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) ,4) +transpose(shuffle(arpeggio(echo(X,4,6) ) ) ,7) ) +((transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ,-7) +transpose(shuffle((X|echo(X,4,6) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) |arpeggio(transpose(X,4) ) ) ,7) ) ) ) ) ) |echo(transpose(transpose(transpose(((arpeggio((arpeggio((X+((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +X) ,7) ) ) +transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose((X+(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,-7) ,-5) ,7) ) ,-5) ,-7) ,4) ,4,6) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((((transpose(transpose((((transpose(X,-5) |arpeggio((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ) +transpose(echo((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +(X|X) ) +(((step(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(shuffle((X|X) ) ,-5) ) ) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose((step(echo((X+X) ,4,6) ,12) +transpose((transpose(((echo(X,4,6) |X) +transpose((step(X,12) +X) ,7) ) ,4) |((transpose(step(X,12) ,4) |transpose(X,-7) ) |transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(((transpose(transpose((echo(echo(X,4,6) ,4,6) |(transpose(X,-7) |shuffle(X) ) ) ,-5) ,4) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose((X+transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,-7) ,4) ,-5) ,12) ) |((shuffle((X+X) ) +transpose((((transpose(X,-7) +echo((X|X) ,4,6) ) +transpose(step(shuffle(transpose(X,-5) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) +shuffle(X) ) |transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) |arpeggio((arpeggio((((X+X) +transpose(echo((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) ,12) ) |shuffle((X+X) ) ) ) |(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +((transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(step(X,12) ,7) ) ) +transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) ) ) ) ) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(((((transpose(arpeggio(echo(shuffle(X) ,4,6) ) ,4) +transpose(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(transpose((X+transpose((step(X,12) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,-5) ) ,-5) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose((step(shuffle(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ) ,12) +transpose((transpose((transpose(step(X,12) ,4) +transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) +((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-7) +transpose((transpose(X,-7) |X) ,4) ) |((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,-5) ) ) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) +transpose(step(((((step(step((X+X) ,12) ,12) +((transpose(X,4) |transpose(X,-5) ) +transpose(shuffle((X|X) ) ,12) ) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(((transpose(step(transpose(X,4) ,12) ,-5) +transpose(step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose(((echo(X,4,6) |(X+X) ) +transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) ,-5) ,7) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((((transpose((arpeggio(step(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(shuffle(X) ) ,-5) ,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) |X) |shuffle(transpose(X,-7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(step(transpose((X+transpose(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) ,-7) ,12) ,7) ) |step(step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(echo(((shuffle(((X+X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ) |(transpose(X,-5) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-5) ,7) ) ) +((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(echo((X+transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ,4,6) ,12) ) ) ,4,6) ,4) ,-5) +echo(transpose(echo(shuffle((transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ,-7) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) ) ) ,4,6) ,-7) ,4,6) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(shuffle(transpose((transpose(step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ,4) |(echo(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-5) ,4,6) |transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) ) ) ,4) ) ) ,4) ,-7) ,7) ) ,7) )
random seed used was 238938336

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