MMM Group Project #1

List,

On the assumption that one person can't do everything, I'd like to enlist the resources of MMM to effect the following:

- For people who are new to creating microtonal music utilizing the most common medium available to us all (computers), it would be beneficial to have a very short list of actual setups that can do just such a thing.

What I envision is a single web page, with three sections (for the three main platforms: PC, Mac, *nix). In each section, at least one but no more than three examples of what to download, and how to set it up on the platform. A basic template would be the names of the software and links to downloads; followed by a description of how to install, and use, those pieces of software to get a simple piece of microtonal music recorded.

I want to start, if possible, with a freeware solution for each platform. If consensus is that there simply isn't a good way to do that, then we go to shareware, donation-ware, or low cost commercial products. By the time we put something up that newcomers can refer to, we should have two sections: free, and low-cost. That way we can show there is no barrier (save the hardware) to making music (that is, if we do indeed find free resources for all 3 platforms) as well as show the benefits to creativity, quality, work-flow, etc., with the expenditure of just a little bit of money.

I'd even entertain a Wild Card page/sub-section of standalone things that make something microtonal on their own (I happen to be thinking of Robert Walker's "Fractal Tune Smithy"). But only after the main goal is achieved.

Final Important Note [FIN]: I would like anyone who submits a particular scenario to have ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED IT! It won't do us any good to just surf and say "this looks good". I want you to have created a straight-forward solution on your own, and know in fact that it works [with the usual caveats that tweaking may be needed in terms of sound card, i/o if you want to do midi, etc... but you get the picture].

Isn't this really a doable thing? Wouldn't it be great, when we have someone who is asking about sitting down and finding out about microtonality, to be able to point to that one page and say "Here are a number of solutions - give it a go!"?

I think so. I welcome commentary on this, and then after a bit of discussion we'll plunge forward, set a deadline, and see what we come up with...

Cheers,
ListMom