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:
transpose(shuffle((transpose(((echo(transpose(transpose(transpose(shuffle(((step((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) ) +transpose((shuffle(transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,4) ) ,7) ) ) ,-7) ,-7) ,4) ,4,6) +transpose((transpose((transpose(step(((X+transpose((X+X) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ) ,12) ,4) +transpose(shuffle((transpose((X+X) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,-7) |(transpose((((X|transpose(X,-5) ) +(arpeggio(X) +transpose((((X|shuffle(X) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) ) |transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) ,12) ) ) |transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-5) ,4) ) ,4) +transpose((((arpeggio(echo(transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) ,-7) ,4,6) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) |((X+X) +transpose((X|X) ,12) ) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,7) ) ,4) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose((step(transpose(shuffle(transpose(X,-5) ) ,4) ,12) +transpose(shuffle(shuffle((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) +transpose((((transpose((echo((transpose(X,4) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ,4,6) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,-5) |transpose(((X+X) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) ,-5) ) |(echo(X,4,6) +transpose(transpose(transpose(((((X+X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,4) ,12) ) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +((((step(X,12) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose((X|(X+X) ) ,7) ) +transpose(step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(step(X,12) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(((transpose((((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) ,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose((transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-5) +transpose((echo(arpeggio((X|X) ) ,4,6) |arpeggio(arpeggio((X|X) ) ) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(((transpose((step(X,12) +((X+X) |X) ) ,4) +transpose((shuffle(X) +transpose(shuffle(echo(X,4,6) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) |(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,-5) |((transpose((arpeggio((transpose(transpose((transpose(X,4) +step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) ,4) ,4) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ) |transpose(transpose(((((transpose(((step(X,12) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) ,-7) |transpose((transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,12) ) ,4) +transpose((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) |(transpose(X,-5) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) |transpose((transpose(X,-5) +X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(step(step(X,12) ,12) ,-5) ,-5) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(((((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,-7) ) +arpeggio((arpeggio(X) |transpose(X,4) ) ) ) ,-7) ,4) ) ,-5) ,-7) ) ,4) +transpose(((arpeggio(((echo((arpeggio(step(transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ,12) ) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ,4) ) ,12) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose((((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose((((X+transpose(((X|X) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(((X|((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) +transpose(((X|X) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((X|X) +transpose(((step(X,12) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose((step(transpose(X,-7) ,12) +transpose(transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ,4) ,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(step(((X+transpose(X,12) ) |transpose(X,-5) ) ,12) ,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) |((transpose((((transpose(echo((transpose((X+X) ,-7) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4,6) ,-7) +transpose((((step(X,12) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) |X) ,7) ) +((X|X) |((transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-7) |X) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(X,-5) ) ,12) ) ) ) |(arpeggio(echo(X,4,6) ) +X) ) ,-7) +transpose((((transpose(((step(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) ,4) ,12) +transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-7) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((X+transpose((X+X) ,12) ) ,4) ,7) ) ,4) +transpose(arpeggio(step((((((X+transpose((X|X) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ) |((X|X) |transpose(X,4) ) ) +transpose(transpose((X|(shuffle(X) |echo((X|X) ,4,6) ) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) +transpose(shuffle((((transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) +arpeggio(((transpose(X,-5) |X) |X) ) ) +transpose(shuffle(((transpose(transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,-7) ,-5) +transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(X,-5) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(transpose(step(X,12) ,4) ,-5) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(((transpose(arpeggio((X+X) ) ,4) +transpose(step(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((step(((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(X,-5) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(step(X,12) ) ,-7) ,4) ) ,7) ) ,-7) ,-7) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-5) ,-7) ,4) |transpose(((((((((X+X) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(echo(transpose(X,-5) ,4,6) ,4,6) ,7) ) +transpose((step(X,12) +((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,12) ) +transpose(echo((((X+X) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(((arpeggio((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) |(echo(X,4,6) +((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +X) ,7) ) ,4) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(((((transpose((transpose(X,-7) +X) ,-5) +transpose(((X+X) |((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) +(transpose(((step(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) |transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) ) +transpose(transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |shuffle(X) ) ,-7) ,12) ) ,-5) |shuffle(transpose((shuffle(transpose(X,-7) ) +transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |(X+X) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) ) ) |transpose(arpeggio(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,12) ) ) ,4) ) |(((((step(X,12) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ,7) ) |(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ,4) ,4) +transpose((X|X) ,4) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-5) ,4) ,7) ) +transpose(echo((shuffle(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-5) ) |(((X+transpose(X,12) ) |(X|X) ) +transpose(step(step(echo((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) ,12) ,12) ,12) ) ) ,4,6) ,12) ) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(step((((step(transpose(((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(transpose((arpeggio(X) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,-7) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle((X+X) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,-7) ,12) +transpose((echo((echo(echo(X,4,6) ,4,6) +transpose((X+transpose(arpeggio(X) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose((((((transpose((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(step(step(X,12) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) +transpose((X+X) ,-7) ) +transpose(step(shuffle(arpeggio(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose((((X|X) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(X,-7) ) ,4) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +transpose(((X+X) +(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,7) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((echo(step(echo(X,4,6) ,12) ,4,6) +((transpose(X,4) +transpose(((X+(X+X) ) |transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(shuffle(step(X,12) ) ,-5) |transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose(step(transpose((transpose(transpose(((X+X) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,4) ,4) +transpose(arpeggio((echo(transpose(X,-5) ,4,6) +transpose(echo(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) ,-5) ) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ,12) ,-5) ) ,12) ,7) ) ) ) ,-7)
random seed used was 218586910

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