Can a computer klutz MMM??

Hi Jim,

Maybe you haven't discovered the Midi Keyboard view in FTS yet?

Here is how to get started playing in the Arabic Pythagorean
scale in FTS:

Change to View | Midi Keyboard Retuning Intro.

Click the Standard Settings button.

Select Arabic 17-tone Pythagorean from the list of scales.

Glance at the In and Out menus to check you have the correct devices selected there.

Now when you play on the music keyboard the white keys will play
in one of the modes of the Arabic Pythagorean scale. Black keys will
play accidentals where available.

To check to see if your synth is pitch bending the notes correctly use
Bs | Test Pitch Bend Range - if you hear two notes identically tuned
then the pitch bend range is set as desired.

- if you can pitch bend notes in your synth, then it should be fine.

Trouble shooting:

FTS sets the pitch bend range to +- two semitones in all the channels when it opens
Midi Out. HOwever, perhaps your synth doesn't respond to this, if so,
set it at the synth yourself - needs to be +- 2 semitones.
Also of course, make sure you have it set to play in twelve equal.

(Incidentally, you can also change the pitch bend range to use in FTS
from In | Options | Kbd Options | Pitch Bend Range in semitones - useful at times
- you don't have to keep with the usual +- 2 semitones, but can have octave
swoops, or the other way, double the sensitivity with a range of +- 1 semitone)

Limitations - maximum of 16 simultaneous pitch bends (15 for GM synths)
- but that is fine as Arabic 17 tone scale will never need all 17 notes
in play at once :-).

May limit possibilities significantly if you want to play several instruments
at once and vary the effects from one to the other, as that may mean that
they can't share the same channels, which reduces the number of channels
available for each for pitch bending. This would be the main reason I think
for preferring tuning tables for an octave scale or mode with less than
16 (15) notes in it.

This uses the pitch bend method - inserts an "instant" pitch bend before
the notes to be retuned - or perhaps immediately on opening Midi out
(as FTS does if possible).

The modes are from the Scala modes lists, which ignore any distinctions between
ascending and descending modes. However, it is easy to make ones that ascend
one way and descend another way - explained in the help or ask me
how to do it. If any expert on Arabic modes is interested to compile
a list then I'm delighted to include it with FTS.

I think your are out of luck right now if you want a notation software program that is
all set up to play in any just intonation scale - well I haven't heard of one.
Some have multiples of 12-et type accidentals, such as quarter or sixth tones I believe.
But maybe that is on its way - there is some hope because of the increasing
interest in this field these days :-).

Meanwhile, fTS can help by letting you use your notation software retuned in
FTS to make scordatura type scores - some examples are included with FTS to show
the idea.

These are keyboard player scores - they show the player which keys
on the keyboard to play rather than the notes one should expect to hear. So,
if you have the keyboard tuned appropriately for the score,
you can just play it as you would any keyboard score, and the notes
will sound with the pitches intended by the composer.
The composer can write an instruction on the score to
tell the player how the keyboard should be tuned.

With this method, _any_ tuning is possible. "octaves" on the score need not correspond
to octaves in the pitches played, as you can tune any of the notes anywhere you like,
needn't even be ascending pitches. So it is extremely flexible in terms of what scales are possible.

This method should also be suitable for players of suitably tuned harps, dulcimers, marimba etc,
as they can use their already learnt hand / eye coordination to play the notes
but maybe not so very suitable for voice, woodwind, strings etc depending on the tuning.

I think any versatile microtonal notation software will surly _have_ to include a
feature to make scordatura scores like this - and to make it inter-convertible
with other systems so that with a click of a button it gets changed to
one of the microtonal sccidental type scores with all the accidentals in place
- so the composer can run off one version for a keyboardist and another version
for a vocalist or string / wind player etc.

No technical reason why not, just a matter of time. I'm going to start on
such a project presently, but never expect to finish it to satisfaction - just to make
a very basic rudimentaty such program to try to help get the concept under way.

FTS is now at version 2.3

http://www.tunesmithy.co.uk

There is friendly support here if you have any questions at all about practical aspects
of how to use FTS. Just ask - try to be concrete and detailed about what you want
to do and that will make it easier to give an answer best suited to your situation.
If I don't seem to have understood, ask again!

Thanks,

Robert