Yahoo Tuning Groups Ultimate Backup makemicromusic [MMM] Fully fledged microtonal synthesizer

Justin had a nice thought... community funding of development.

> There is enough talent and technical expertise in the microtonal
> community to create a commercial line of electronic synthesizers
> that would sell well enough in the market place and be exactly
> what we want.

But there isn't a serious driver with any existing funds. You have to
start somewhere...

Trying to fund a hardware synth or board that is microtunable and a good
synthesizer would cost mega-bucks and take 2-3 years. Trying to fund
development of a software synthesizer that would be good enough for
professional/recording work would cost minimum 500k to 750k US$ and take at
least a year or two... (even assuming you started with experienced
software engineers who know about making software synthesizers.) A
volunteer open-source software synth effort that was comparable to current
commercial products could take ten years, if it could ever get completed.

A better bet than "blind funding" could be attempting to approach one of
the good softsynth makers who already have SOME tuning capability, and
trying to get MORE of the same by approaching as a community instead of
just an individual. I can tick off three suppliers right now:

1. Native Instruments, e.g., the FM7 or Absynth
2. Software Technology, e.g. the whole VAZ line
3. Peter Frazer, author of the "Midicode" synth

If you have a software synth that already is tunable, it can't be all THAT
much effort to make it REALLY tunable. If you have a synth that's really
tunable, it might not take too much effort to make it more flexible...

All of the existing software synths that are tunable seem to have their
good & bad points.

* The FM7, and maybe other Native Instruments models could probably be
easily modified (by the manufacturers) to be better tunable, and they seem
like very versatile synths.

* If you added good point-wise envelope module, and maybe an FM module to
VAZ Modular, it would be great to work with. It already has global
fine-grain tuning support.

* More operators and some expressiveness (MIDI controls & finer envelope
control) added to the Midicode synth would make it a really nice synth. The
tuning support is already awesome.

Rick

🔗jpehrson2 <jpehrson@...>

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Rick McGowan <rick@u...> wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_3029.html#3029

> Justin had a nice thought... community funding of development.
>
> > There is enough talent and technical expertise in the microtonal
> > community to create a commercial line of electronic synthesizers
> > that would sell well enough in the market place and be exactly
> > what we want.
>
> But there isn't a serious driver with any existing funds. You have
to
> start somewhere...
>
> Trying to fund a hardware synth or board that is microtunable and a
good
> synthesizer would cost mega-bucks and take 2-3 years. Trying to
fund
> development of a software synthesizer that would be good enough
for
> professional/recording work would cost minimum 500k to 750k US$ and
take at
> least a year or two... (even assuming you started with experienced
> software engineers who know about making software synthesizers.) A
> volunteer open-source software synth effort that was comparable to
current
> commercial products could take ten years, if it could ever get
completed.
>
> A better bet than "blind funding" could be attempting to approach
one of
> the good softsynth makers who already have SOME tuning capability,
and
> trying to get MORE of the same by approaching as a community
instead of
> just an individual. I can tick off three suppliers right now:
>
> 1. Native Instruments, e.g., the FM7 or Absynth
> 2. Software Technology, e.g. the whole VAZ line
> 3. Peter Frazer, author of the "Midicode" synth
>
> If you have a software synth that already is tunable, it can't be
all THAT
> much effort to make it REALLY tunable. If you have a synth that's
really
> tunable, it might not take too much effort to make it more
flexible...
>
> All of the existing software synths that are tunable seem to have
their
> good & bad points.
>
> * The FM7, and maybe other Native Instruments models could probably
be
> easily modified (by the manufacturers) to be better tunable, and
they seem
> like very versatile synths.
>
> * If you added good point-wise envelope module, and maybe an FM
module to
> VAZ Modular, it would be great to work with. It already has global
> fine-grain tuning support.
>
> * More operators and some expressiveness (MIDI controls & finer
envelope
> control) added to the Midicode synth would make it a really nice
synth. The
> tuning support is already awesome.
>
> Rick

***Hi Rick!

The Midicode synth is really cool, but one problem with it is that it
doesn't seem to sound so good... :(

Maybe it's just the sound cards I use? Do people actually get high-
quality sounds on this thing with high-end cards??

Just curious...

Joe Pehrson

🔗Rick McGowan <rick@...>

Joe Pehrson wrote...

> The Midicode synth is really cool, but one problem with it is that
> it doesn't seem to sound so good... :(

Make sure you're using 44.1k sampling, for starters. (It is known to have
a bug on Windows XP also, and doesn't work right.)

> Maybe it's just the sound cards I use? Do people actually get high-
> quality sounds on this thing with high-end cards??

It is pretty basic, and not as pro-quality as some others. I think it's
the author's hobby, which he happens to sell, and it's cheap. The MIDI
implementation is pretty minimal -- no controllers. But I have gotten some
pretty nice sounds from it.

Rick

🔗jpehrson2 <jpehrson@...>

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Rick McGowan <rick@u...> wrote:

/makemicromusic/topicId_3029.html#3036

> Joe Pehrson wrote...
>
> > The Midicode synth is really cool, but one problem with it is that
> > it doesn't seem to sound so good... :(
>
> Make sure you're using 44.1k sampling, for starters. (It is known
to have
> a bug on Windows XP also, and doesn't work right.)
>
> > Maybe it's just the sound cards I use? Do people actually get
high-
> > quality sounds on this thing with high-end cards??
>
> It is pretty basic, and not as pro-quality as some others. I think
it's
> the author's hobby, which he happens to sell, and it's cheap. The
MIDI
> implementation is pretty minimal -- no controllers. But I have
gotten some
> pretty nice sounds from it.
>
> Rick

***For me, Rick, it looks like a *wonderful* learning tool for
tuning, particularly when accompanied by the author's Website.

I think I'd have to do some pretty heavy processing to use the sounds
in a piece, though... although maybe some effects would be useful for
theatre things.

J. pehrson

🔗Alexandros Papadopoulos <alexmoog@...>

Since I like the sound and tactile feeling of analog synthesizers , especially modulars , I wonder why no company has produced a tuning module .
I asked many companies if they have such plans and I received mixed answers .

If you don't follow closely the synth news , there are currently many old and new companies making modulars.

Tuning stability is not a problem anymore , since new oscillators are very stable.
Ofcourse they are monophonic , but I prefer it that way because you can be more expressive , and you can always multitrack harmony.

One of them , Analogue Systems , has a module that allows you to tune every key with a pot but for the 12 notes only.
The module is called "Scale programmer" when I first saw it I was excited until I looked at the specs.

As for me , I decided to get a new modular with a MIDI interface and the "Continuum fingerboard"
link :
http://www.cerlsoundgroup.org/Continuum/Cont.html.

🔗Rick McGowan <rick@...>

🔗John Loffink <jloffink@...>

Regarding analog modular synthesizers:

Encore Electronics is considering a MIDI Tuning Standard software
upgrade to their "Expressionist" MIDI to control voltage converter.

Modular synthesizers can accomplish equal tempered scales with a simple
attenuator or amplifier.

True analog sequencers can support any microtuning. Unfortunately most
of the self contained analog style sequencers out there (Doepfer, Future
Retro, etc.) are digitized and therefore quantized.

Designing a tuning module is more an issue of interface than internal
design. The basic concept is simple, just a high resolution Analog to
Digital converter, lookup table in memory, then Digital to Analog
converter. But the definition of scales cries out for a digital
interface: numeric keys, LED or LCD displays, etc., which can be
expensive on a per module basis. If you have any suggestions along these
lines then I would be happy to discuss them, probably offline.

John Loffink
jloffink@...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alexandros Papadopoulos [mailto:alexmoog@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 21, 2002 4:55 PM
> To: MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [MMM] Fully fledged microtonal synthesizer
>
> Since I like the sound and tactile feeling of analog synthesizers ,
> especially modulars , I wonder why no company has produced a tuning
> module .
> I asked many companies if they have such plans and I received mixed
> answers .
>
> If you don't follow closely the synth news , there are currently many
> old and new companies making modulars.
>
> Tuning stability is not a problem anymore , since new oscillators are
> very stable.
> Ofcourse they are monophonic , but I prefer it that way because you
can
> be more expressive , and you can always multitrack harmony.
>
> One of them , Analogue Systems , has a module that allows you to tune
> every key with a pot but for the 12 notes only.
> The module is called "Scale programmer" when I first saw it I was
> excited until I looked at the specs.
>
> As for me , I decided to get a new modular with a MIDI interface and
the
> "Continuum fingerboard"
> link :
> http://www.cerlsoundgroup.org/Continuum/Cont.html.
>
>

🔗Alexandros Papadopoulos <alexmoog@...>

The price is 8750$ for the 8 octave sized fingerboard and 4950$ for the
4 octave.
I just saw the prices on the site , and maybe they are old.
I have spoken several times with the maker of the instrument , I will
ask him if the prices have hopefully changed recently.

On Wednesday, May 22, 2002, at 01:06 AM, Rick McGowan wrote:

> > As for me , I decided to get a new modular with a MIDI interface
> > and the "Continuum fingerboard"
> > link :
> > http://www.cerlsoundgroup.org/Continuum/Cont.html.
>
> Very cool! Looks easier than a theremin... What is the price?
>
> Rick
>

>
>
> [MMM info]-------------------------------------------------------
> More music files from MMM are at http://www.microtonal.org/music/
> -------------------------------------------------------[MMM info]
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

🔗Alexandros Papadopoulos <alexmoog@...>

No , all money for music

; - )

On Wednesday, May 22, 2002, at 10:39 PM, jacky_ligon wrote:

> --- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Alexandros Papadopoulos <alexmoog@o...>
> wrote:
> > The price is 8750$ for the 8 octave sized fingerboard and 4950$ for
> the
> > 4 octave.
>
> Could I interest you in a slightly used Yugo?
>
> ; )
>
> J:L
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]