Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup makemicromusic Spring is on its way

Robert,

{you wrote...}
> My improvisation in the eleven limit pentatonic is up at mp3.com.au now
>http://www.mp3.com.au/robertwalker/Springisonitsway

I liked that! Tell me: when you say "improvisation", could you describe more about what you mean? I hear different timbres being used, parts if you will. So if it isn't FTS generating the stuff, are you actually improvising separate parts in a midi sequencer?

It *really* doesn't matter, because they have a charm all their own, just curious to hear about the different ways you approach playing/improvising/pushing-buttons.

Cheers,
Jon

🔗Robert Walker <robertwalker@...>

Hi Jon,

> I liked that! Tell me: when you say "improvisation", could you describe
> more about what you mean? I hear different timbres being used, parts if you
> will. So if it isn't FTS generating the stuff, are you actually improvising
> separate parts in a midi sequencer?

> It *really* doesn't matter, because they have a charm all their own, just
> curious to hear about the different ways you approach
> playing/improvising/pushing-buttons.

Glad you like it :-).

I've got an option in FTS to split the keyboard into regions and
assign separate parts, 1/1 of scale, even separate scales and modes
if you like, to each region.

So, I had the left half of the keyboard up to middle c set up to
play in the harp voice, and the right half to the ocarina,
each with its own 1/1.

So the keyboard is set out something like this:

.........1/1.............60............1/1.........
harp ocarina

You can customise it all in FTS - set the 1/1 for each part, and
the place where you want to split the keyboard and number of regions
and the parts you want to play each region, then set the pitch you
want for the 1/1,

So, the parts overlapped in range, and then just improvised on it -
just played it all on the keyboard, in a single take. Used the
default SB live voices and default Sb live reverb.

AS you say, it isn't FTS doing any of it, except the retuning.
I've been practicing polyrhythms a bit which tends to make the
parts sound independent of each other when I improvise.

BTW since there's been some discussion of reverb,
I have done some playing about with the reverb with other pieces.
in SB Live there's an environment controls thing you can show and you can choose
what kind of environment you want - forest, mountain, room,
hallway, bathroom,... which is rather fun. I did my string quartet
using the forest reverb, which gives kind of foresty echoes.

Robert

🔗Jonathan M. Szanto <JSZANTO@...>

Robert,

{you wrote...}
>So, the parts overlapped in range, and then just improvised on it - just >played it all on the keyboard, in a single take. Used the default SB live >voices and default Sb live reverb.
>
>AS you say, it isn't FTS doing any of it, except the retuning. I've been >practicing polyrhythms a bit which tends to make the parts sound >independent of each other when I improvise.

Well then, in a sincere and slightly low-brow manner, I must say:

"you da man!"

That is excellent, R! I think one of the unsung uses of our latest bounty of technologies is the ability to *play*. And I don't mean Play, in a stiff and concertized manner, which is the environment I work in all the time (a professional symphony orchestra). Rather, I mean play as a child does, as one plays in a field of spring wildflowers, as in what one does when simply Having Fun (tm)!

It would be wonderful if this forum, or anyplace else for that matter, can be a supportive and loose enough collective that any and all can feel free to share these moments of 'play'. I *still* want to hear pieces that are worked out, slaved over, prepared with loving grace. But I also want to hear people's unguarded moments, those times when serendipity and electrons (or guitar strings) collide to form those little pieces that, after having played them, we say to ourselves "Holy hell, I couldn't have *written* that if I had meant to!"

Now that the gear and a place to work are set up, I'll have to investigate more of these fun corners of FTS...

Cheers,
Jon

P.S. You also wrote:

>BTW since there's been some discussion of reverb, ...
>and you can choose what kind of environment you want - forest, mountain, room,
>hallway, bathroom,... which is rather fun.

I desperately want to choose the environment in this one pub when I was in Glasgow, but then I might not get any work done. Yet I might get a lot of 'playing' done!

🔗Robert Walker <robertwalker@...>

Hi Jon,

> That is excellent, R! I think one of the unsung uses of our latest bounty
> of technologies is the ability to *play*. And I don't mean Play, in a stiff
> and concertized manner, which is the environment I work in all the time (a
> professional symphony orchestra). Rather, I mean play as a child does, as
> one plays in a field of spring wildflowers, as in what one does when simply
> Having Fun (tm)!

Great! Yes indeed, and I hope FTS will help with this, the more it goes on the
more intuitive I hope the interface will become so that one doesn't need to
think about how to do it, but just Have Fun :-).

The midi keyboard presets are an easy way to get started:
In | Options | Presets

also
Views | Midi Keyboard Retuning | Presets
in the latest beta.

They have some examples with the keyboard split into two or more regions
each with its own voice, and sometimes other things.

Includes Margo's sesqusexta with the two halves of the keyboard playing pythagorean
scales at an interval of 7/6 with each other. Also a couple of variable comma
meantone scales - that's Graham Breed's idea. You vary the size
of the comma using the modulation wheel. Various othre things.

Then if one wants to change layout of the regions on the keyboard,
or the positions of the 1/1s for each one, and so forth, it's:
In | Options | Kbd regions.

One of the drop lists in In | Options | Configure midi keyboard needs
to be duplicated into keyboard regions window as it is the one that lets
one choose how to synchronise the 1/1s for the various parts - e.g.
all treating the same note as the 1/1 key so that you get a single ascending
scale all the way across the keyboard, or overlapping so that each
region has its own 1/1 key.

I've just done that ready for the next upload of the beta prob. later tonight,
or tomorrow.

Robert