Under Construction @ Keele 2016 Volume 1 Issue 1 | Page 53

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accessible interface. However, while serving as an effective proof of concept, the
system has a number of drawbacks. Firstly, it requires a user to continuously rank
sounds from 1 to 9. This is likely to become tedious for a user fairly quickly. Also, as
it only controls one sound synthesis algorithm, the range of material which can be
generated is limited.
Palle Dahlstedt describes various approaches to implementing an interactive
genetic algorithm for controlling sound synthesis techniques and the properties such
a system requires to be successful.4 He discusses MutaSynth which is a system
designed to be compatible with a wide range of synthesisers, providing an example
of an open ended approach. The generality of MutaSynth proved to be both its
strength and weakness. While it could control almost any MIDI (Musical Instrument
Digital Interface) synthesiser, extensive manual configuration was required.5
MutaSynth was then developed into Patch Mutator in collaboration with the
synthesiser manufacturer Clavia.6 This is particularly notable as it is the first time that
a professional sound synthesis tool has been provided with an interactive evolution
mechanism. In contrast to MutaSynth, Patch Mutator is integrated into the synthesis
environment, so is therefore a domain specific approach. Due to this approach, it is
possible for the breeding engine to make fairly intelligent choices about which
parameters should be included in the genotype and exclude those which are not
likely to be useful. It appears that the domain specific knowledge of Patch Mutator is
a significant advantage as the exclusion of parameters which are not useful
decreases the probability of unsuitable solutions being evolved and speeds up the
process. Also, Patch Mutator arguably limits the drawbacks of the domain specific
approach by controlling a modular synthesiser, which offers a vast range of sonic
material.
Collins applies genetic algorithms to reverberation, wavetable synthesis,
synthesis of percussive sounds and an analytical solution to the stiff string.7 A
notable aspect of this work is that a trial and error approach to search through the
parameter space in these situations is exceptionally time consuming and not
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4

Palle Dahlstedt, ‘A MutaSynth in Parameter Space: Interactive Composition through Evolution,’
Organised Sound 6.2 (2001): 121-124.!
5
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol which allows communication between
electronic musical instruments and computers.
6
Dahlstedt, ‘Evolution in Creative Sound Design’.
7
Nick Collins, ‘Experiments with a New Customisable Interactive Evolution Framework,’ Organised
Sound 7.2 (2002): 267 – 273.!!