Gigastudio Microtonal-friendly, part 2

Hi everyone,
Last month I asked for your help in making the NEXT version of
Gigastudio microtonal-friendly. Version 2, which I have now, will
require over 300,000 manually entered computer commands just to get
the string section retuned to 53-equal (which I'm beginning to
pursue). They're working on version 3.0, which I hope will allow for
custom tuning macros or even built-in templates. I was told the more
demand for this there is the better my chances of getting my request.
Thank you, those of you who wrote to them and asked about this. They
have written back and said they are considering it! So I'm asking
again, if you haven't already done so, to tell them what kind of
tuning system interests you (the more different kinds the better, and
they don't even have to understand exactly which tuning systems you
want to use), and tell them you might be interested in Gigastudio if
they have microtonal-friendly features, at least a macro so that any
tuning template you create can be reused for other samples in the
sound library.
By the way, their sample sound library is awesome. It's so good, you
can only tell the difference between their samples and a real
instrument in an intimate solo setting. The orchestral and ensemble
sounds of any kind are so well-sampled you could make a commercial CD
from them (and a lot of movie score writers are). Too bad they only
work well with 12-equal so far.
Their e-mail addresses are gigateam@... and
custser@.... I'd love it if you could write them very soon.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!
Chris Mohr

Very good news about GigaStudio--I've sent them an email encouraging them to
make it easy for the less technical among us.

Can you recommend a sample library for solo orchestral instruments? I have a
big project to do quickly and the Xsample solo instruments I have, although
very good, are not useable "out of the box"--they require a great deal of
monkeying with to get them to sound right. Unfortunately, this is for
intimate chamber music texture, so ensemble sounds won't work. Thanks,

Stan

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Stan Hoffman <stanhoffman@m...> wrote:
> Very good news about GigaStudio--I've sent them an email
encouraging them to
> make it easy for the less technical among us.
>
> Can you recommend a sample library for solo orchestral instruments?
I have a
> big project to do quickly and the Xsample solo instruments I have,
although
> very good, are not useable "out of the box"--they require a great
deal of
> monkeying with to get them to sound right. Unfortunately, this is
for
> intimate chamber music texture, so ensemble sounds won't work.
Thanks,
>
> Stan

Stan,
Thank YOU. I'm still new to Gigastudio myself, especially since I
couldn't get it to work micrtonally. However, Garritan Strings (about
$1000) are fantastic, as is Gigaharp. That leaves lost of unknown
territory in the winds and brass, I know. I think there's a Garritan
Strings lite for $300, but I'm only guessing that it woiuld be just
as good but with fewer obscure bowings.
Chris Mohr

Hi Chris,

Probably you know this already, and of course tuning table like support
is much better if one can get it, but just in case it is new to you
it may be worth mentioning you can do microtonal work
in Giga using pitch bends.

I've got a few examples up on my mp3.com web site.
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/330/robert_inventor.html
- the improvisation in Margo's sesquisexta, and the
17-et improvisations at the end of the page, and the
octony lullaby, and improvisation in 55-et. The string
quartet is in twelve equal.

The main thing is that many of the instruments are locked
with a pitch bend range of 0, and so don't respond to pitch
bends (or the pitch bend wheel), but you can unlock that

What one does is to go to Edit Instument. Then in the Instrument Editor, go to
the Instrument Bank, right click on each instrument in turn,
look for the Pitch bend (semitones) field, and set this to 2.

Now you can retune the Giga instruments using pitch bends
in FTS or SCALA. You can also bend the notes using the
pitch bend wheel.

Robert

---
Thanks again Stan.
Did I already reply to you? I think so, but if not, I have to say I'm
new to Gigastudio and these samples. The Garritan Strings are
absolutely fabulous, and so is Garritan harp. I'm not wild about the
brass and winds out there for soloistic use, tho they sound pretty
good in a full orchestral texture. Gary Garritan says he is working
on winds and brass, so I will hold out until he gets his on the
market.
East West Sounds has audio CDs full of examples of how these sampled
sounds can sounhd in the context of complete pieces.
Hope this helps.
Chris Mohr

In MakeMicroMusic@y..., Stan Hoffman <stanhoffman@m...> wrote:
> Very good news about GigaStudio--I've sent them an email
encouraging them to
> make it easy for the less technical among us.
>
> Can you recommend a sample library for solo orchestral instruments?
I have a
> big project to do quickly and the Xsample solo instruments I have,
although
> very good, are not useable "out of the box"--they require a great
deal of
> monkeying with to get them to sound right. Unfortunately, this is
for
> intimate chamber music texture, so ensemble sounds won't work.
Thanks,
>
> Stan

--- In MakeMicroMusic@y..., "Robert Walker" <robertwalker@n...> wrote:
> Hi Chris,
>
> Probably you know this already, and of course tuning table like
support
> is much better if one can get it, but just in case it is new to you
> it may be worth mentioning you can do microtonal work
> in Giga using pitch bends.
>
> I've got a few examples up on my mp3.com web site.
Hey Robert,

That's potentially great news! I'm very new to Gigastudio, so this is
ALL new to me. I'm taking one last summer vacation and when I get
back, I'll be putting myself through the paces to learn Gigastudio
and add this to the mix. The big question is whether I would be able
to set up a "template" of pitch bended notes that I can use over and
over, or will every single note I play have to be manually pitch
bended? Ina ny event, several microtonalists have now answered my
plea, which is also good news for my prospects for getting Gigastudio
intpo the microtonal realms in the Version 3.0. I'm very encouraged.
Woreking on this alone, coming into it cold, has been very isolating,
and finding a few like-minded souls on the internet is very
heartwarming!
Chris Mohr>

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/330/robert_inventor.html
> - the improvisation in Margo's sesquisexta, and the
> 17-et improvisations at the end of the page, and the
> octony lullaby, and improvisation in 55-et. The string
> quartet is in twelve equal.
>
> The main thing is that many of the instruments are locked
> with a pitch bend range of 0, and so don't respond to pitch
> bends (or the pitch bend wheel), but you can unlock that
>
> What one does is to go to Edit Instument. Then in the Instrument
Editor, go to
> the Instrument Bank, right click on each instrument in turn,
> look for the Pitch bend (semitones) field, and set this to 2.
>
> Now you can retune the Giga instruments using pitch bends
> in FTS or SCALA. You can also bend the notes using the
> pitch bend wheel.
>
> Robert

Hi--

I'm working on a piece for contrabassoon, soprano, and glockenspiel. It is
12TET based but with lots of pitches bent up or down approximately a quarter
tone.

The singer has an excellent ear, but seems to have a mental block against
quarter tones. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to work with her?
Excercises for developing quarter-tone awareness?

Thanks,

Stan

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, Stan Hoffman

/makemicromusic/topicId_3681.html#4383

<stanhoffman@m...> wrote:
> Hi--
>
> I'm working on a piece for contrabassoon, soprano, and
glockenspiel. It is
> 12TET based but with lots of pitches bent up or down approximately
a quarter
> tone.
>
> The singer has an excellent ear, but seems to have a mental block
against quarter tones. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to
work with her?
> Excercises for developing quarter-tone awareness?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Stan

***Hi Stan,

It's Joe Pehrson. I suggest you post this message over on the "main"
Tuning List forum, since this is the kind of thing that is frequently
discussed over there... Maybe Johnny Reinhard or Paul Erlich would
have some suggestions...

/tuning/

I'm looking for information on microtones and multiphonics for the
contrabassoon (fingering charts would be nice). I've got Johnny Reinhard's
article on the bassoon--seems to be a fair amount of stuff available. But
the contra is a different beast. Any pointers would be much appreciated.
Thanks,

Stan

Stan,

I see you've cross-posted and are already getting advice from Johnny elsewhere...

Jon

Stan,

{you wrote...}
>I'm looking for information on microtones and multiphonics for the
>contrabassoon (fingering charts would be nice). I've got Johnny Reinhard's
>article on the bassoon--seems to be a fair amount of stuff available. But
>the contra is a different beast. Any pointers would be much appreciated.

There still wouldn't be any resource better than Johnny. I seriously doubt there has been much micro - contra work outside of his, and you should probably write him directly and ask for guidance. If he knows of other resources, he'll let you know.

Cheers,
Jon