Communications with NI re. FM7 (was Re: Agnula and SC... (and Absynth))

Looks like I sent this to the main tuning list by mistake earlier today, so anyway...

Hi,

Well, it was very casual. I just used their online form to inquire about the microtonal support in FM7, in particular about whether it at least supported TX-802/DX-7II type tuning tables & resolution. I got a reply the next day from Daniel Richter , Native Instruments Online Marketing Assistant, saying that the FM7 did support microtunings to a "high resolution" and that I should try the demo.

By this time I'd found out it only supported 12 note tunings, and I'd seen that there's been previous communication between members of this list & NI regarding implementation of the MIDI Tuning Standard. So, I responded by letting him know about this and that besides considering implementing the MIDI Tuning Standard, FM7 should be able to import & implement tuning tables that exist in Yamaha's SY, DX, & TX machines, which I pointed out were still very much in use by microtonalists & others.

I also pointed him to this list & the Tuning list as places to find people who are seriously interested in this sort of thing.

Daniel replied thanking me for my input. So, the more voices that they hear asking for this kind of support, the better the chances they'll make the effort.

So, give it a shot, go to http://www.native-instruments.de & send them a message using the feedback form.

I don't think sample-playback synths are good for microtonality, which (I believe) by it's nature requires pure synthesis - FM, additive, physical modeling, analog, whatever. My perception is that it's purer from fundamental to overtones. Sounds that are born at their designated pitch behave more realistically, like actual acoustic instruments, which is a good thing if you happen to write for acoustic instruments. I'm speaking from an end-user, low-technical-speak threshold, just-want-to-turn-it-on-and-make-music point of view.

While I'm at it, just want to let any French footie fans on the list know I still have my fingers crossed. Of course the fingers on my other hand are crossed for Portugal. You never know... Ooh, Germany just made 8-0...!!!

Cheers,
Joel

Joel,

Good that you have been in contact with the NI people, and as you mention, you're now aware that a couple of people on the list have had contact as well. If you go back through the archives I'm sure you'll find some of the conversations, including those from someone in development with NI.

One other thing:

{you wrote...}
>I don't think sample-playback synths are good for microtonality, which (I >believe) by it's nature requires pure synthesis - FM, additive, physical >modeling, analog, whatever. My perception is that it's purer from >fundamental to overtones.

While 'pure' synthesis solves some of the problems you mention, I think you need to open up to the wide possibilities of music that can be done microtonally. And I say that specifically because we've had examples from people on this list that extensively use samples, both for emulation of real instruments (Prent Rodgers) and for morphing into new territories (Bill Sethares / Jacky Ligon) and everything in between.

They are all tools, and some may require more work, but in the right hands music will occur.

Cheers,
Jon