Microtuning: Which tables do we "need"?

[Howard]

Can Zebra accept tuning files that create more than 12 notes per octave?

Sure - u-he synths use .TUN files i.e. all 128 MIDI notes. That means you can set up e.g. 19-note scales, in which case your 5-octave keyboard becomes bit shorter

[jumpercable]

For someone whos never used microtuning - how exactly do you use it and why would I? Are you trying to emulate a certain style/recreate a certain instrument?

When you have a microtuning scale are you just applying it to a melody line yet stick pretty much to the 12 tone scale for the rest of the track?

Ive experiment with putting stuff in and out of tune all the time, and Im aware of how just intonation sounds and the theory behind it all (wendy carlos and all that). But is there any quality this provides for synths/sounddesign that would be beyond having a lfo tied to pitch of the oscillators, or sharpening/flattening the whole instrument, or adjusting the keyboard scale across the keys?

Are you specifically trying to create microtuning music or is there a specific arrangement/sound design idea that you can achieve with it?

[pdxindy]

Can Zebra accept tuning files that create more than 12 notes per octave?

Sure - u-he synths use .TUN files i.e. all 128 MIDI notes. That means you can set up e.g. 19-note scales, in which case your 5-octave keyboard becomes bit shorter

Oh, cool... I wanna try that!

I've downloaded TUN files off the internet, but they did not work. And often the names of tuning files make no sense. I look forward to having some included tun files that I know just work to play with!

[orebronerd]

I really appreciate this initiative. I discussed the problems with microtunings just a week ago in another thread, and got some helpful advice from ArousedbyJarJar, which helped me some. I only made it work for a few notes in the middle though, so somehow I got the mapping wrong.
I would be very happy just to start with some pure major files, (1, 9/8, 5/4, 4/3, 3/2, 5/3,15/8, 2) with different roots. That would be 12 files if you make one for every half step. As stated earlier, I think it would be wise to find a consistent naming strategy so you can understand from the name what scale it is and the root being used.

[Howard]

For someone who's never used microtuning - how exactly do you use it and why would I?

Some people like to experiment with "weird" tunings, others (e.g. me) are more interested in consistent detune (e.g. Mellotron) or Baroque/Classical tuning. Different strokes...

[Howard]

I would be very happy just to start with some pure major files, (1, 9/8, 5/4, 4/3, 3/2, 5/3,15/8, 2) with different roots. That would be 12 files if you make one for every half step.

Me too! Need a source...

[Howard]

I'd recommend using Scala technology

After spending ages trying to install Scala plus all the prerequisites on my little iMac, I give up.

[Aroused by JarJar]

I'd recommend using Scala technology

After spending ages trying to install Scala plus all the prerequisites on my little iMac, I give up.

Scala is fantastic, but installing it on Macs is known to be problematic. Try contacting here:

http://www.huygens-fokker.org/contact_en.html

I had Sander Germanus (chef at H.F.) as a guest at my microtonal/alternative music festival, great guy, and hopefully I'll be able to drum up the cash for the SCALA ensemble in '15.

[Aroused by JarJar]

I really appreciate this initiative. I discussed the problems with microtunings just a week ago in another thread, and got some helpful advice from ArousedbyJarJar, which helped me some. I only made it work for a few notes in the middle though, so somehow I got the mapping wrong.
I would be very happy just to start with some pure major files, (1, 9/8, 5/4, 4/3, 3/2, 5/3,15/8, 2) with different roots. That would be 12 files if you make one for every half step. As stated earlier, I think it would be wise to find a consistent naming strategy so you can understand from the name what scale it is and the root being used.

If you live in Europe you could come to one of my workshops, should have several in the next year. Except for contemporary electronically-moderated Pop music, the music of the world is inherently "microtonal" so it's just a matter of finding where your soul connects to pitch in music.

[Ch00rD]

For someone who's never used microtuning - how exactly do you use it and why would I?

Some people like to experiment with "weird" tunings, others (e.g. me) are more interested in consistent detune (e.g. Mellotron) or Baroque/Classical tuning. Different strokes...

Yet another way to use it - my favourite, actually - is not using tuning files for 'micro' tuning at all, only using them to force notes into a specific scale.

[Sendy]

For someone whos never used microtuning - how exactly do you use it and why would I? Are you trying to emulate a certain style/recreate a certain instrument?

It is essential for world music, yes. But there's more - our Western tuning system is great but it has some problems -

One, it's a best fit compromise for an impossible mathematical problem of fitting a bunch of ratios together into a space they just won't fit, so it's "out of tune" slightly in order to allow free modulation around the keys.

Two, all keys have the exact same ratios in them (again, by design), which means modulating to different keys doesn't really bring anything new to the table, apart from a pitch offset. Compare this to older tunings in which each key had a different sound and set of ratios, and a couple were even virtually unusuable because they contained "wolf" tones.

Three, and this is more subjective, but so much music is made on these "normal" western pitches that to be honest for me it begins to chafe after a while. As soon as you change the game and introduce slightly different pitches, it can bring an air of the exotic to music.

It's a popular misconception that microtuning is about crazy dissonant intervals and music that sounds completely alien. While it can do these things brilliantly, it has untold more subtle uses. If, however, you're using a tuning that differs from 12-tet greatly though, you'll probably need all of your instruments to play in that tuning or a compatible one to be able to harmonize, though it depends what exactly is going on specifically.

[Aroused by JarJar]

For someone who's never used microtuning - how exactly do you use it and why would I?

Some people like to experiment with "weird" tunings, others (e.g. me) are more interested in consistent detune (e.g. Mellotron) or Baroque/Classical tuning. Different strokes...

Yet another way to use it - my favourite, actually - is not using tuning files for 'micro' tuning at all, only using them to force notes into a specific scale.

That's what people usually mean by "microtuning": alternative tunings. I prefer the concept "tuning according to your artistic goals rather than using a default inherited system".

[xh3rv]

That's what people usually mean by "microtuning": alternative tunings. I prefer the concept "tuning according to your artistic goals rather than using a default inherited system".

Yeah, there seem to be various categories of microtonal application. It might be nice to have these clearly separated in file structure - something like: temperament, instrument-related, derivatives of 12-tone Western scale, ethnomusicology, and the truly-odd-and-somewhat-unstable?

Camel Audio had a nice set for Alchemy that IIRC plays pretty well with Zebra.

[3ee]

Found most of them.
150 .tun files
https://app.box.com/s/u4tsbjl8dxe9uc9l6k54
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names with info here:
http://www.huygens-fokker.org/docs/scalesdir.txt

[Adrian B]

Kellner
Werckmeister 3
Kirnberg
Valotti
Pure major
Pure minor
Pythagorean
Mean
12-TET
10-TET
5-TET
Slendro
Pelog
Those are some that I like And thank you
http://www.huygens-fokker.org/docs/scalesdir.txt