Re: [tuning] classic TX81Z

I hafta say this ... on this list, especially to Daniel Wolf.
I hafta say that I almost got a TX81Z from Daniel Wolf.
But I had a medical & psycho-emotional crisis & at practically
the last bloody moment I - as I think Daniel Wolf said -
"reneged" on the deal when afterall was said & done (his wife
brought me the TX81Z all the way from Germany on her trip...
not an easily done deal).

..._mea culpa_...

again... Sorry , Mr. Wolf. (I am not asking or expecting any
"forgiveness" -
I just feel that I hafta clear my end of things as best as I can while I can).

zHANg // Jon Chang

In-Reply-To: <3952E082.BB211DB6@compuserve.com>
Joseph Pehrson wrote:

> This is, as Darren mentioned, all predicated on the fact that you can
> actually PLAY simple midi files from your sequencer through your TX81Z.
> The Soundblaster cards all have a MIDI OUT port that you can use for
> this purpose.

Yeah, but she said she's using a USB Midi port, which may well be a
problem. It almost certainly won't be usable from a DOS sequencer, which
is what originally came with Scala (I'm behind now).

I used to use Cakewalk Apprentice for sending the tuning dumps. I got
Scala to open it and play the files automatically. I forget the details
now, but I think I wrote a Scala script to save the file and launch
Cakewalk with it. It may even have been easier than that. You can launch
Cakewalk from the command line, provided you know the exact path name.
Give it a /Play option, and the name of the file. One problem is that you
have to close Cakewalk first.

I'd be surpised if Cakewalk had stopped sending SYSEX for standard MIDI
files. There may be an option you have to change. I remember the Windows
Media Player not sending the SYSEX.

There are a few things you have to set on the TX81Z, as has been
mentioned. I think Scala makes the files for channel 1, so the TX81Z has
to have it's MIDI receive as either 1 or omni, or it won't get the tuning.
You should get a buffer overflow message if the buffer overflows, and
usually you can ignore it.

> The synth seems like a great "classic" box to me. Sure, some of the FM
> sounds are probably greatly improved upon today, but the tuning
> possibilites are amazingly flexible (any pitch in the entire keyboard
> can be tuned to ANYTHING-- since any of the set keyboard pitches can
> become ANY OTHER pitch in the entire range, and then can be adjusted by
> the TX81Z tuning units... The only limitation is the size of the tuning
> unit 1.56 cents.

I find the background hiss to be the biggtest problem with mine.

> Actually, the bell sounds in FM boxes, this and others I have "played
> with" are extraordinary. I doubt those have been much "improved upon."

There's that new Yamaha box, but it doesn't support tuning. I reckon my
Kyma system could just emulate a TX81Z, if I can work out how to do
operator feedback. More likely I'll use it for effects, and try to get a
noise filter working. That should leave enought of the DSP to do
something cleverer. If only I could play with it all day!

Graham

I am so glad folks on the list are using the TX81z. I found out it could be
microtuned from Dr. Jim Sain at UF electroacoustique studio that it would
take the Dump. The problem seemed to be that the soundblaster live would not
send the dump via gsplay because it is a dos program. So i spent like two
weeks bitching and complaining before i realised that if Scala made Midi
files surely one could play the midi file into the module. I am so glad
Darren was able to help you listers!
Another wonderful contribution fro SEJIS.

Thanks Darren.

Shreeswifty
SEJIS