guide to non-tempered synthesizers

Actually i believe that the Kurzweil k2000 and the new k2500 have the ability
to have each individual key tuned to whatever pitch you need. I've programmed
my k2000 for 19-tones et. it is however a tedious process to retune the
kurzweil. but if you put in the effort it's really worth it. the kurzweil is a
beautifulsynthesizer with some very realistic samples. additionally in terms
of tuning because every note is completely programmable you can say for
instance start on c1 program 19 pitches skip a few keys and repeat the process
starting on c3 and then again on c5 etc. this helps alot when improvising. you
tend to run out of keys a bit more quickly but on the new k2500 88key models
that problem is minimized.

goodluck,

denis atadan

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As far as I know at least, 88CET tuning is my own discovery (invention or
whatever), but several others on the list have come up with some good music in
it as well (Bill Sethares, Paul Fly, and Warren Burt, to name three).

"CET" stands for "Cent [per step] Equal-Temperament", so 88CET tuning is an
equal temperament where each step is 88c apart. For nonoctave tunings, that
sort of nomenclature is less cumbersome than the usual "TET" nomenclature. But
it works out to about 13.63TET.

I did a series of posts with a lot of detail about 88CET several months ago,
but the essential goal of 88CET tuning could probably best be summarized as to
represent the frequency ratios 4:6:7:9:10:11:15 and their combinations (like 5:3
and 5:2) in an equal-tempered environment, and at the expense of the octave.

Were I to characterize 88CET music in a general way, I would say that it has
a flourescent glow to it. Speaking for myself, I have found that it's
appropriate for musical ideas and styles that are a little raucous, or that
sound mysterious. It's probably not terribly appropriate for Mozart/Haydn-like
styles. Incredibly though it does turn to be possible, although with great
effort, to produce that sort of harmony and style in 88CET.


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