Saxophone quartet in 36 equal

I've uploaded this to

/makemicromusic/files/Gene/saxfare.mid

Comments solicited.

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "genewardsmith" <genewardsmith@j...>
wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_2753.html#2753

> I've uploaded this to
>
> /makemicromusic/files/Gene/saxfare.mid
>
> Comments solicited.

****I enjoyed what appeared to be variations in the small step sizes
on the repeat of certain intervals. Appealing, overall, but, of
course, it will be greatly improved in some sound milieu other than
MIDI, but that can be done...

J. Pehrson

Gene,

{you wrote...}
>Comments solicited.

Hiya! Well, I dl'd the thing and listened to it, and I do have a question: one of the problems of a raw midi sequence is that the end listener will be hearing it played on who-knows-what kind of output, everything from a very cheezy soundcard to a midi-out to a sophisticated synth.

Mine, going to a mid-level sound card (some form of SB Live), went to a generic "sax" sound, but the weird thing is that the timbre changed almost constantly, from very smooth, "Paul Desmond"-like tones to very raw, honky baritone sax sounds, with a lot of reed buzz. Is this a phenomena that occurs as the tuning itself, as evidence in the harmonies generated through contrapuntal lines, causes the tonal qualities of the soundcard samples/synth-voices to change?

Either it is a by-product of the tuning, or an anomaly. Even if it is either, is it remarkably the same across all different manner of playback devices, or could it be radically different from card to card, computer to computer, and synth to synth? And, if so, is this *good* thing, a *bad* thing, or a completely *inconsequential* thing (speaking as the composer of the piece, that is)?

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Jonathan M. Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:

> Hiya! Well, I dl'd the thing and listened to it, and I do have a question:
> one of the problems of a raw midi sequence is that the end listener will be
> hearing it played on who-knows-what kind of output, everything from a very
> cheezy soundcard to a midi-out to a sophisticated synth.

I know, I had a hell of a time getting the midi output rendered to a wav file I liked, but my version to appear at mp3.com has mellow soprano saxes, the clarinet, and a bass sax which has a lot of reed buzz but not of a kind which I found annoying. I perhaps should not have posted the midi, since I know it was problematic, but it seemed relevant in the light of Graham's postings of Fux-style contrapuntal exercises.

> Mine, going to a mid-level sound card (some form of SB Live), went to a
> generic "sax" sound, but the weird thing is that the timbre changed almost
> constantly, from very smooth, "Paul Desmond"-like tones to very raw, honky
> baritone sax sounds, with a lot of reed buzz. Is this a phenomena that
> occurs as the tuning itself, as evidence in the harmonies generated through
> contrapuntal lines, causes the tonal qualities of the soundcard
> samples/synth-voices to change?

I'm no expert, but I can say that the results with this piece did seem to depend to an unusual extent on the samples being used. I don't see why the tuning (which actually is quite consonant) should have thrown things off. It seems saxes are rather touchy.

>And, if so, is this *good* thing, a *bad*
> thing, or a completely *inconsequential* thing

I suppose Cage would think it is wonderful; I'm inclinded to regard it as a pain in the ear.

Gene,

{you wrote...}
>I know, I had a hell of a time getting the midi output rendered to a wav >file I liked, but my version to appear at mp3.com has mellow soprano >saxes, the clarinet, and a bass sax which has a lot of reed buzz but not >of a kind which I found annoying. I perhaps should not have posted the >midi, since I know it was problematic, but it seemed relevant in the light >of Graham's postings of Fux-style contrapuntal exercises.

Ahhhhhh. I *should* have looked at the raw midi data first, and realized that you had assigned different instrument patches! I got confused as the description said "sax quartet", and thought that the varying timbres (which were nothing more than the differing instrument sample/patches) were caused by the tuning. As they say, "never mind"...

>I'm no expert, but I can say that the results with this piece did seem to >depend to an unusual extent on the samples being used. I don't see why the >tuning (which actually is quite consonant) should have thrown things off. >It seems saxes are rather touchy.

See above. In any event, the wild variables of sound cards cause me to never release things in raw midi files, unless a single timbre file would be illustrative of an effect, harmony, or other that would be independent of the *sound* that someone would hear. And your explanation of the reasoning of sending it this way (ala Graham's comments, etc.) makes sense.

>I suppose Cage would think it is wonderful; I'm inclinded to regard it as >a pain in the ear.

In pain there is pleasure? :)

Cheers,
Jon