Overhead Fractal Music Generator

Creating music using specialized applications is nothing new in the field of computer tech, with an abundance of choices at your disposal. With a simple search over the web, you can pick synthesizers, DJ decks, mixing studios, VST hosts that can be fitted with loads of plugins, as well as some unusual methods like generating sound from pictures, or from a spot on the Mandelbrot set, which is the case with Overhead Fractal Music Generator.

The application holds all of its features in a compact and simple interface, with no shiny visual elements. You get to choose from several drop-down menus and fill in a few value points to get the right pitch. What's more, the application uses a MIDI device for a sound database, so you'll need to specify a corresponding device as well.

Since the sound file is generated from a section on the Mandelbrot set, you also have access to a small preview section to zoom in on it and move around. The visible area is read and analyzed by the application while transforming detected colors into different frequencies.

You gain a little control over what and how it plays. In other words, there are up to five slots you can fill in with MIDI instruments supported by the selected device. Each instrument can be set to play on one of the available colors, have the note length set or get it equipped with an effect.

Moreover, the application puts a keyboard at your disposal with which to further customize instruments. This is done by selecting the keys to use, or there's an option to use all of them.

As a general rule, a starting color can be selected for the sound file, with a standard palette at your disposal. There are also two fields you can fill in to set the bar number, as well as the tempo to determine speed.

Unfortunately, there's no option to input the exact length of the song, so you'll have to patiently go through each preview. While you receive feedback, it would have been useful to be able to view progress and skip through the song.

Each time you want to trigger a preview you need to press the “Compose” button to generate the sound. This can happen a fair number of times because of no real time updating feedback, and mostly due to the result, which is rather something pulled out of a thriller or horror most of the times.

To sum it up, Overhead Fractal Music Generator is not to be looked at as a professional audio studio, but as a fun, alternative and maybe practical method of generating effects and music. It's not much to look at in terms of design, but it's easy to use and offers enough variety in sound customization. You'll surely not earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with the output, but it can be used as sound effects or songs for retro-style games and various projects.