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:
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Generations:
Phrase for X:
# of Tracks:
Randomize patches:
 

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After 18 generations the expression "X" became this:
((arpeggio(step(transpose(echo((step((((shuffle(X) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) |transpose(step(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((((step(X,12) |step((X|X) ,12) ) +transpose((shuffle((X+shuffle(X) ) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,12) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(step(((((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) |(transpose(X,-5) |echo(X,4,6) ) ) ,12) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) ,4) ,12) ) |((arpeggio((((shuffle(transpose(((((X+X) +X) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose((arpeggio(X) |X) ,7) ) ,-7) ) +transpose((transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) |step(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ,12) ) ,7) ) +transpose((((((transpose(X,4) |transpose(X,-5) ) +transpose(arpeggio(shuffle(X) ) ,4) ) +transpose(step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ,7) ) +transpose((((X+X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio((X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +((shuffle(X) +transpose(X,12) ) |shuffle((shuffle(X) +transpose(shuffle((X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) ) ) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(step((shuffle((shuffle(X) +shuffle(X) ) ) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-7) ,7) ) ,12) ,4) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(((X|(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) +shuffle(transpose(transpose(echo(step(X,12) ,4,6) ,4) ,-7) ) ) ,12) ) +transpose(step(shuffle(step((arpeggio((shuffle(X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,7) ) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,12) ,12) ) ) |((echo(transpose(shuffle(shuffle(shuffle(((transpose(transpose((X|X) ,4) ,-7) +transpose(echo(transpose(X,-7) ,4,6) ,12) ) +shuffle((X+X) ) ) ) ) ) ,-7) ,4,6) +transpose(shuffle((transpose(transpose(step((transpose(transpose(transpose(((transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) ) +transpose(step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ,12) ) ,4) ,-7) ,-5) +transpose((shuffle(arpeggio(X) ) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,12) ,-7) ,-7) +transpose(((transpose(((transpose(((arpeggio(arpeggio(X) ) |(X|X) ) |shuffle((((X+X) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ) ) ,-5) +transpose(arpeggio((transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ,12) ) ,4) +((arpeggio(X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ) ) ,7) ) |((arpeggio(((shuffle(X) +transpose((transpose(X,4) |X) ,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |(X|X) ) +transpose(((X|(X|X) ) |transpose(X,-5) ) ,4) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose(((X+transpose(echo(echo(X,4,6) ,4,6) ,7) ) |(X+transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) ) ,4) |echo((((X|X) +shuffle(X) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio((X+X) ) ,-5) ,7) ) ,4,6) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,-5) |shuffle(transpose(transpose((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(shuffle(step(step((arpeggio(X) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,-7) ,-7) ) ) +transpose((shuffle(transpose(shuffle((echo((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X+X) ,-5) ) ,4,6) +transpose((((echo(X,4,6) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose((((step(shuffle(X) ,12) +transpose(shuffle((echo(X,4,6) |X) ) ,7) ) +transpose(((X+transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(step(transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,4) +transpose(transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +(X|X) ) ,-7) ,-5) ) ,-7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((shuffle((echo(transpose((echo((step(transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,-5) ,-7) ,12) +transpose(echo(((((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +(X+transpose((X+X) ,12) ) ) +transpose(shuffle(((transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ) ,12) ) ,4,6) ,12) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose((transpose(((((X+X) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) +transpose(step(arpeggio(X) ,12) ,7) ) |((((X+X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) ) ) ,-5) +(shuffle(echo(X,4,6) ) +(((transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,12) ) |((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) |((X+transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) ) ) ,-7) ,12) ) ,4) ,4,6) +transpose((shuffle(((shuffle((transpose(((X+X) +transpose(X,4) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ,7) ) ) +transpose(((transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ,4) +transpose((X+echo(arpeggio(X) ,4,6) ) ,7) ) +transpose((step(X,12) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,4) ) ,7) ) +(transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) |shuffle(((echo((X|X) ,4,6) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose((arpeggio(X) +X) ,4) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(echo(((X+transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) ,4) ,7) ) ) ) ) ) +transpose((shuffle((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(((step(X,12) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(X,-5) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +arpeggio(X) ) ,-7) ,12) ) ) ,-5) ,7) ) ) |(transpose((((X+X) +transpose(X,7) ) |transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ) ,4) +transpose(shuffle(arpeggio((((transpose(echo((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4,6) ,4) +transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(step(step(X,12) ,12) ,7) ) +transpose(arpeggio(arpeggio((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ) ) ,7) ) ) ) ,12) ) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ) +arpeggio(((transpose((shuffle(shuffle(step(shuffle((step((X|X) ,12) +transpose(shuffle(step(X,12) ) ,12) ) ) ,12) ) ) |transpose((((transpose(((X|X) +transpose(shuffle(step(X,12) ) ,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(((((transpose((X+X) ,4) +transpose((X|X) ,-7) ) +(echo(X,4,6) |echo(X,4,6) ) ) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,7) ) |transpose((X|X) ,-5) ) |shuffle((X+transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose((((((transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-7) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle((shuffle(X) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose(((shuffle((X|X) ) |transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(transpose(((X+X) +transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ,7) ) |shuffle(step((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,4) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose(((transpose(shuffle(((shuffle(X) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +(X|X) ) ,7) ) +transpose((((((X+X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose((X|X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ,7) ) ,12) ) ) ,-5) +transpose((shuffle((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(shuffle((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) +transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ) +transpose(step(transpose(arpeggio((X|((X+X) +transpose(step(X,12) ,7) ) ) ) ,-5) ,12) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose(echo((((X+(X+X) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(shuffle(X) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(((X+X) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(step((X+X) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(step(shuffle(((((step(X,12) +transpose(step(shuffle((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) ,12) ) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(shuffle((step(X,12) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) ) ,-5) ) ,4) ) +shuffle(transpose(X,4) ) ) +transpose(transpose(((transpose(X,-5) |(transpose(X,-5) |(shuffle(((echo(X,4,6) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) |(step(shuffle(X) ,12) +shuffle((X+X) ) ) ) ) ) |step(shuffle(shuffle(((X|X) +(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ) ) ,12) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,12) ,7) ) ) ) ,7) ) )
random seed used was 238955084

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