{
  "id": 15418195,
  "title": "Algorithmic Sound Design with L-Systems and Granular Synthesis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/algorithmic-sound-design-with-l-systems-and-granular-synthesis",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-18T12:06:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Lobsters",
    "slug": "lobsters",
    "url": "https://nathanho.me/posts/evograin/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A few years ago, I penned an article on L-systems with granular synthesis. Reflecting on it now, I find it unsatisfying, and today I'm attempting to rectify that with a more ambitious project called EvoGrain. This system generates audio using L-systems and granular synthesis. In this article, I'll provide a step-by-step walkthrough of building EvoGrain and delve into the process behind its creation. You can listen to a sample of its output above, with additional examples scattered throughout the article.\n\nTo understand the inspiration behind EvoGrain, let's revisit some notable projects. Iamus, a pioneering algorithmic composition system developed by researchers at the University of Málaga in 2010, generated music devoid of human intervention. Claiming to have developed its own original style in post-tonal modern classical music, Iamus eschewed human training data and relied entirely on rule-based composition. While its first piece, \"Hello World\" (2011), performed by human musicians, may seem aimless, it still showcases impressive work for a composition without a human corpus. The Iamus project, once available for free download of generated scores, has since disappeared, with only limited descriptions of its methodology available in academic papers and Tom Johnson's Self-Similar Melodies.\n\nThe synergy between L-systems and sound synthesis remains relatively unexplored, with Stelios Manousakis' thesis on Musical L-Systems as the most comprehensive resource. My EvoGrain aims to fill this gap by offering an offline synthesizer that synthesizes audio buffers ranging from a few seconds to 30 seconds long. Rather than a complete musical work, the output serves as raw material for sampling and transformation, though interesting auditory results are a bonus. EvoGrain occupies a middle ground between a synthesizer and an algorithmic composition system, designed to operate effectively autonomously with minimal user intervention.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}