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TUNING digest 1397

🔗Daniel Wolf <DJWOLF_MATERIAL@...>

4/28/1998 7:47:40 AM
John Loffink wrote:

''You made some valid points, but since the MIDI Tuning Standard is alrea=
dy
in divisions of 2^n, I think it would be a bad idea to promote some other=

division. I was more interested in the desired frequency resolution.''

Perhaps you misunderstood me. If the tuning resolution is, for example, 1=

Hz, in lower registers there is going to be good intonation for the
harmonic series above 1 Hz, and all else will be rough approximations. I
think that the contrast between the exact and approximate tunings would b=
e
musically unacceptable (with a resolution of 1 Hz, try modulating from th=
e
key of 80 Hz to its subdominant!). If I can't have a tuning with the
accuracy of the Rayna, then I would like the potential deviation from Jus=
t
to be spread around as much as possible in a temperament that represents
harmonic identities consistently. As long as you are not working with
sustained textures that really require something like the Rayna, I think
that absolute frequency resolution will be secondary to consistency. I ma=
de
the suggestion that equal-tempered division of the octave divisible by 12=

be considered because, MIDI standard or not, tuning tables seem to be
expressed at the software level most often in terms of unit deviations fr=
om
12tet pitch classes, not in terms of octave divisions alone, and
manufacturers will probably be interested in supporting microtonal capaci=
ty
only when that does not eliminate an accurate 12tet. From my experience,
768tet and 1200tet are not good choices but there are ET of this magnitud=
e
that would be better. =