RE: PMA

>Roland's PMA-5 has been out for more than a year. It supports Roland"s GS
>specification, an extension of General MIDI. My understanding is that all
>Roland GS instruments have one octave based microtuning per part, or MIDI
>channel, but that they may only be accessible through MIDI System Exclusive
>codes. If the sequencer in the PMA-5 allows the user to define and embed
>Sysex, then the unit would be capable of self-contained microtonal music,
>otherwise an external sequencer would be needed to generate the microtonal
>parts. Worst case, it ought to be possible to generate the Sysex microtuning
>file on your computer, record it on the PMA-5, then use that setup file as
>the basis for any compositions.
>
>The PMA-5 is listed at my Microtonal Synthesis web site, located at:
>http://freeweb.pdq.net/jloffink/
>
>John Loffink
>john.loffink@compaq.com
>
>
>
> I just heard that Roland recently released what they call a "Personal
>Music Assistant". It is, essentially, a music-oriented PDA (Personal
>Digital Assistant, like the Newton). Apparently it lets you do some pretty
>typical (ooo, that might be a problem right there!) compositional tasks
>with a pen-based interface, and play the results over MIDI, presumably
>General MIDI. I hear it sells for a few hundred US$.
>
> Anybody know if this beastie has any microtonal capability, or any other
>info or thoughts on it? I suppose microtonal capability would be too much
>to ask.
>
>


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From: Prent Rodgers
Subject: Our instruments
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Message written at 10 Jan 1998 17:10:42 +0000

I am not sure that this question, what microtonal instruments you own
and play, was directed at me. But in the spirit if the reckless
pursuit of truth....

My main microtonal instrument is an SGI Indigo R3000, aging but still
in fine voice. The secondary instruments are a PC/Pentium166
(recently upgraded from a 60MHz), and a new PentiumII/266, which will
be upgraded to Linux as soon as the 166 has settled down. I also have
a portable 133Hz ThinkPad560 which is used largely for sounds, and a
PowerMac which is sometimes pressed into service.

In addition I have a consort of recorders (no bass, alack) on which I
can and sometime do play almost any pitch. I am actually way out of
practice on these though.

Others have reported voice as well; it is nigh on 35 years since I
sang except on a bike of course.....

==John ffitch


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From: "Bob Lee"
Subject: Tritone ratios
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