Melodic Generator (version 1)

Melodic Generator is a piece of software that generates MIDI data based on various musical constraints. MIDI data can be synthesized by the user’s native sound card, or routed to and synthesized by a third-party application (such as Ableton Live, GarageBand, Reason…). Melodic Generator is a product of a larger creative movement that is exploring how technology can be utilized to create, and aid in the creation of aesthetically sound music. This movement is referred to as generative music, algorithmic music, and computer music. Melodic Generator was made by Grant Nestor using Max/MSP.

• Global properties:
  • Tempo
  • Time signature
  • Metronome
  • Octave range
  • Preset memory

• Individual track properties:
  • Programmable scale
  • 47 pre-programmed melodic scales
  • Learn-mode: learns melodic sequences by building a probability distribution based on MIDI input
  • Dynamic step sequencer
  • Note velocity range
  • Note duration
  • MIDI channel
  • Preset memory

• MIDI Settings:
  • MIDI input driver
  • MIDI output driver
  • MIDI clock sync: internal/external

• Rhythmic generator:
  • Pre-programmed rhythms
  • Learn-mode support for rhythm

• Motivic approach: create melodic and rhythmic constraints based on several motifs, collected using Learn-mode
  • Motifs represented by segments (I, II, II…)
  • Resemblance control
  • Segment blending
  • Motivic development function graph: x-axis (segments), y-axis (resemblance), plots (individual tracks)

• OSC map support
• MIDI map support