Features

Text to MIDI

Type any text and Words transforms it into MIDI patterns. Letters determine pitch, syllables determine duration, and the shape of each word influences velocity. The base algorithm is deterministic, but the real magic comes from layering probability and randomization on top - gate chance, velocity variation, octave shifts, duration randomness - so patterns evolve unpredictably over time. Let it play for an hour and you'll hear things you never would have written.

Scales & Root Note

Choose from 99 scales across 17 categories:

Western modes (Major, Minor, Dorian, Lydian, etc.)
Pentatonic & Blues
Japanese (Hirajoshi, Iwato, Kumoi, etc.)
Jazz & Bebop
Middle Eastern (Hijaz, Arabic, Double Harmonic, etc.)
Indian Ragas (Bhairav, Todi, Yaman, etc.)
Hungarian & Balkan
Chinese, Indonesian, Thai
Spanish/Flamenco
Celtic/Scottish
Symmetrical (Whole Tone, Chromatic, Diminished, etc.)
And more

Set the root note (C through B) and base octave to place your patterns in the right range.

Polymetric Patterns

Each line of text creates a loop. Short phrases naturally create loops of different lengths - a three-word phrase and a four-word phrase cycle against each other, producing evolving patterns that take a long time to exactly repeat.

Tempo & Ableton Link

Set BPM from 20-300. When Ableton Link is enabled, Words syncs tempo and transport with Live and other Link-enabled apps automatically.

Voice Layers

Add up to 5 voices per pattern for polyphonic output. Each voice plays at a different interval (scale degree offset) from the root - thirds, fifths, octaves, whatever you want.

But here's where it gets powerful: each voice has its own independent randomization. Different gate chances, velocity variations, octave shifts, duration settings. So instead of triggering rigid chords every time, voices drop in and out independently, creating evolving arpeggio-like textures from what started as a simple chord stack. One voice might play 90% of the time, another at 50%, another at 30% - and suddenly your static harmony becomes something alive and breathing.

Transpose Presets

Eight transpose presets (keys 1-8) let you shift all patterns to different pitch ranges instantly. Lock individual loops with the transpose lock (T) to keep them in place while others move.

Per-Loop Controls

Each loop has its own settings accessible in the inspector:

Channel: Route to any of 16 MIDI channels
Mute/Solo: Standard controls for auditioning
Transpose Lock: Ignore global transpose changes
Local Transpose: Shift this loop independently
Dynamics: Adjust velocity
Bloom: Control harmonic density - lower values filter to more consonant notes
Clock Division: Speed up or slow down (÷8 to ×4)
Playback Direction: Forward, reverse, palindrome, or random
Legato: Notes sustain until the next note

Probability & Randomization

This is where the magic happens. Each loop can have:

Gate Chance: Probability each note plays (0-100%). At 70%, notes randomly drop out, creating space and variation.
Velocity Variation: Random range added to each note's velocity
Octave Variation: Random octave shifts per note
Pitch Randomization: Chance to replace a note with a random scale degree
Duration Randomness: Variation in how long each note sustains

These parameters mean that even a simple three-word phrase becomes endlessly evolving when you let it run. The same pattern never plays exactly the same way twice.

Drum Mode

Switch any loop to drum mode to use a fixed MIDI note instead of text-derived pitches. Useful for triggering drum sounds where you want the rhythm from your text but a consistent pitch.

Comments

Lines starting with // become comments - they don't play MIDI but help you organize your session. All loops below a comment belong to that comment's group.

Toggle the inspector (⌘\) to access all per-loop settings, voice layer configuration, and CC randomization options.

MIDI Output

Words has two output modes:

Virtual MIDI Source: Words appears as a MIDI device in your DAW. Best for most setups - just select "Words" as the input on your DAW tracks.
MIDI Device Output: Send directly to a hardware MIDI interface or the IAC Driver. Use this when connecting to external hardware synths, drum machines, or other gear.

Words sends note on/off messages, MIDI clock (24 PPQ) for external sync, start/stop transport, and control change messages for CC randomization.

MIDI Export

You can export patterns as standard MIDI files (⌘⇧E), but this captures only a single pass through each loop without any of the probability-based variation. The real experience of Words is letting it play live - the randomization, the evolving patterns, the happy accidents that happen over time. Export is there if you need it, but the magic is in the live performance.

Save and Load

Save your Words sessions as .words files to return to later. All loops, settings, and voice layers are preserved.