Isotonik Studios has introduced a new Max for Live device by Alessandro Miracapillo aka Aylesim. Birds generates 16-step melodic sequences and mutates them in real time, drifting away from the original idea and back again, creating melodies that breathe, shift, and surprise without losing their thread.
Programming a melody takes time — and the results can feel fixed, predictable, finished. Birds by Aylesim approaches MIDI composition from the opposite direction. It generates 16-step melodic sequences and evolves them in real time, so the music you hear keeps moving without you having to rewrite a single note. A living sequence, not a static one.
The interface makes the concept tangible. Birds sit on wires. Each bird is a note, its position on the wire is the pitch, and its horizontal position is the timing. As the sequence evolves, birds migrate between wires and you watch the melody change as it plays. Yellow birds are the original sequence. Red birds are evolved notes that have drifted from the original. Transparent birds are inactive steps. The picture tells you exactly where the sequence stands at any moment.
Birds features
- 4 generative styles (Stormo, Ostinato, Cantabile, and Puntillista), each producing distinct melodic character.
- 8 pitch evolution algorithms including Chromatic, Gravity, Smooth, Drift, Interval, and Rotate.
- Difference Limit control to set how far the sequence drifts from the original reference.
- Independent gate evolution with Shuffle, Density, and Chaos controls for rhythmic mutation.
- Generation tab with full control over density, note range, velocity range, and motif length.
- 2 clock modes, internal Steps or external MIDI Trigger for hardware and software sync.
- Sequence Length from 1 to 16 steps.
- Direct Ableton Live scale integration, diatonic or full chromatic mode.
- Visual bird-on-wire interface showing every note state at a glance.
Available for Ableton Live 12.2.5 or higher (Suite or Standard with Max for Live), Bird is priced $18 USD at Isotonik Studios and from the Aylesim Devices store.
