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ArtSong™ composition projects consist of a composer-defined hierarchy of various types of musical components. This picture displays the project in the 'General Editor'. The 'General Editor displays components in a 'Component Tree' (left) and the component's data is displayed in the 'Data Pane' (right).

Projects can contain as many 'components' as your compositional objectives require and your computer memory permits.

Setting component parameter properties and manipulating component data is the principal means of controlling the algorithmic composition process.

Popup menus provide quick access to property data editors and instrument editors.

The composition component is the highest level component in all projects.

The composition component establishes certain 'global' composition properties such as composition length, key signature, basic duration quantisation values, etc.

Track components generate and contain the actual note event data.

Note generation is controlled by a Track's composition variables; composition variables are used to establish value ranges for pitch, volume, duration, and generation probability.

Tracks have have associated MIDI performance parameters organised as instruments.

User-defined chords and chord progressions can be used as generated pitch filters.

Algorithms are the agents of change in ArtSong. Component composition variables are assigned to algorithms.

During the algorithmic composition process algorithms generate values and map them onto the allowed range for any composition variable.

Some algorithms can work with any composition variable such as the Fourier algorithm shown at left. The Fourier algorithm creates a 'periodic-cyclic' sequence of variable values.

The ChaosMapper algorithm generates a chaotic function attractor and uses the positions and/or changes in position along the attractor’s trajectory to vary any composition variable.

There are two general ChaosMapper algorithms both of which can potentially generate an infinite variety of attractors having fractal characteristics. One uses 2D quadratic functions, the other uses 2D iterated function system (IFS) to generate attractors.

Chord progressions can also be generated algorithmically. The algorithmic chord progression algorithm allows flexible setting of the chord root progression, chord types, and chord durations.

Most of this functionality is exposed as composition variables.

ArtSong also provides 'META' algorithms, such as the Envelope Algorithm, which can operate on entire composition variables.

The Envelope Algorithm provides the cabability to control generated variable values with a flexible 3-stage envelope.

Envelopes can be applied to any ArtSong composition variable.

ArtSong 6 also provides powerful Basic and Pascal scripting options which can be used for composition, editing, analysis, or creation of custom algorithms.