Twelve-tone generative audiovisual work
XII
XII is an experimental audiovisual work for iPhone and iPad. It combines music generated from a user-defined twelve-tone sequence with real-time 3D graphics animated by the sound, turning the app into both a compositional system and a self-contained performance.
A Mobile Audiovisual Work
XII was created as an early experiment in distributing an audiovisual artwork through a mobile application. Rather than presenting a fixed recording or video, the app performs its music and graphics in real time each time it runs.
Twelve-Tone Sequence and Automatic Composition
The user can define the order of a twelve-tone sequence through the sequence setup interface. The system can then perform the sequence in forward or reverse order while generating the surrounding musical structure automatically.
Most compositional decisions remain inside the system’s hidden layers. XII calculates octave placement, note duration, velocity, polyphony, tempo, structure, and expression automatically. Apart from the sequence itself, these elements are generated continuously rather than arranged through a conventional editing interface.
Because XII leans toward automatic composition, it intentionally provides only a small number of controls. The limited interface keeps attention on the behavior of the generative system rather than on manual parameter editing.
Real-Time Audio-Visual Graphics
The real-time 3D scene responds to the music through animation and lighting. This relationship between generated sound and generated image is central to XII: the visual component is not a separate playback layer but part of the live system.
Tap and Gesture Interaction
Tapping the screen produces notes, while gestures rotate the 3D graphics. These direct interactions let the user intervene in the audiovisual performance without replacing the app’s automatic compositional process.
Wi-Fi MIDI Output
XII can send MIDI notes over Wi-Fi to host software such as a DAW. This allows the app’s generated note activity to be associated with an external music-production or performance environment.
Listening Note
This version performs with a piano sound. The musical result is intentionally experimental and may be dissonant or unfamiliar because it is based on twelve-tone organization and automatic generation rather than conventional tonal composition.
Core Features
Twelve-Tone Sequence Setup
Lets the user define the ordered twelve-tone sequence used by the system.
Forward and Reverse Orders
Performs the sequence in forward or reverse order.
Automatic Composition
Generates octave placement, duration, velocity, polyphony, tempo, structure, and expression.
Real-Time 3D Graphics
Renders and animates a three-dimensional visual environment during performance.
Audio-Visual Relationship
Uses the generated music to drive animation and lighting in real time.
Tap-Generated Notes
Produces notes in response to taps.
Gesture-Controlled Rotation
Rotates the 3D graphics through touch gestures.
Wi-Fi MIDI Output
Sends MIDI notes to external hosts such as DAWs over Wi-Fi.
Background Audio
Supports continued audio operation as part of a broader mobile workflow.
Piano Sound
Uses piano timbre for the generated music in this version.
XII FAQ
What is XII?
XII is an experimental audiovisual app for iPhone and iPad that combines twelve-tone music generation with real-time 3D graphics.
What can the user control?
The user can set the order of the twelve-tone sequence, produce notes by tapping, and rotate the 3D graphics with gestures.
What does XII generate automatically?
The system automatically generates octave placement, note duration, velocity, polyphony, tempo, structure, and expression.
Does XII repeat the same composition?
The sequence can remain the same, but the surrounding musical parameters are generated by the system rather than fixed as a conventional precomposed arrangement.
Can XII send MIDI to a DAW?
Yes. XII supports Wi-Fi MIDI output for sending generated notes to external hosts such as DAWs.
Is XII intended to sound conventionally pleasant?
Not necessarily. XII is an experimental twelve-tone and automatically generated music system, so its results may be dissonant, unfamiliar, or deliberately outside conventional tonal expectations.