Re: [tuning] notation experiment is stupid (??)

Joseph!
OK! Now to throw a wrench in the works let me direct your attention to
http://www.anaphoria.com/xen3.html . Here we have the premise that as just about any tuning
can be mapped to the Bosanquet (some better to Hansons). Notations of different systems could
have as a commonality how they are mapped onto the keyboard. This way one could go from tuning
to tuning and share an underlying logic and not have to use elaborate symbols when working
with tunings with less notes.
My own experience parallels Johnny's in that given enough clues, players can zero in on
any pitch. It is important that they hear what it is they are going for. Players will
gravitate towards those acoustical relations (all kinds!) that are approximated by the tone in
question though-hence a problem with ETs :)

Joseph Pehrson wrote:

>
> This experiment would be a short exercise which would be in
> quarter-tone notation with cents "adjustments" as Johnny fervently
> advocates and then, presuming it is in a tuning system compatible
> with it :), the same exercise translated to 72-tET.
>
> Then let the player comment on which "seemed" more intuitive. Is
> this interesting, or is it a dumb exercise?
> __________ ____ __ __ _
> Joseph Pehrson
>

-- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria island
www.anaphoria.com

--- In tuning@egroups.com, Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@a...> wrote:

http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12307

> Joseph!
> OK! Now to throw a wrench in the works let me direct your
attention to
> http://www.anaphoria.com/xen3.html . Here we have the premise that
as just about any tuning
> can be mapped to the Bosanquet (some better to Hansons).

Thanks so much Kraig for directing me to this. It is quite
fascinating. How did I somehow know that I would have to go
"swimming" in the deep waters of Anaphoria before I could come to the
bottom of the notation issue!

Well, this system is indeed releated to Monz' in the sense that the
notation is not really the tuning, but a "template" for it... It
surely seems to be able to cover about everything...

Recently, Joel Mandelbaum extolled to me the virtues of the Bosanquet
keyboard. It does seem very interesting and also logical... It's
to bad the electronic one that was featured recently on a website
with Chalmers in the photo is not yet in production... I keep
forgetting the name of it...

Are some of the beautiful instruments performed by the Anaphorians
also in a quasi Bosanquet keyboard formation? It appears as though
they might be.... Also, do the Anaphorians use the Wilson Bosanquet
notation for their pieces??

Thanks again!

__________ _____ __ __ __ _
Joseph Pehrson

> [Joseph Pehrson]
> http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12322
>
> Recently, Joel Mandelbaum extolled to me the virtues of the
> Bosanquet keyboard. It does seem very interesting and also
> logical... It's to bad the electronic one that was featured
> recently on a website with Chalmers in the photo is not yet in
> production... I keep forgetting the name of it...

It's called the 'MicroZone'. Click on 'keyboards' at

http://catalog.com/starrlab/

for all the info.

Starr Labs is right across the park here in San Diego, and
I'm in touch with Harvey Starr (MicroZone's builder) from time
to time. AFAIK, the instrument *is* in production (in two
different sizes, as can be seen on the website).

The problem is that no-one can afford to buy it...
Stephen James Taylor is the only person I know of who's bought
one. (other than - I presume, since it's *his* invention
- Erv Wilson himself)

-monz
http://www.ixpres.com/interval/monzo/homepage.html

--- In tuning@egroups.com, " Monz" <MONZ@J...> wrote:

http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12375

>
> It's called the 'MicroZone'. Click on 'keyboards' at
>
> http://catalog.com/starrlab/
>
> for all the info.
>

Thanks so much, Joe.... I had lost this link again.

>
> Starr Labs is right across the park here in San Diego, and
> I'm in touch with Harvey Starr (MicroZone's builder) from time
> to time. AFAIK, the instrument *is* in production (in two
> different sizes, as can be seen on the website).
>
> The problem is that no-one can afford to buy it...
> Stephen James Taylor is the only person I know of who's bought
> one. (other than - I presume, since it's *his* invention
> - Erv Wilson himself)

How much are they going for again?? I didn't see any pricings on the
website... but that surely is intentional...

Actually, I will relay this info. to Joel Mandelbaum. He seemed to
be willing to pay just about anything for this...

Joetoo
_____________ ____ __ __
Joseph Pehrson

Always happy to help :-)
--
M. Edward (Ed) Borasky
znmeb@teleport.com
http://www.borasky-research.com/

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joseph Pehrson [mailto:pehrson@pubmedia.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 6:12 AM
> To: tuning@egroups.com
> Subject: [tuning] Re: the electronic Bosanquet keyboard
> --- In tuning@egroups.com, " Monz" <MONZ@J...> wrote:
>
> http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12375
>
> >
> > It's called the 'MicroZone'. Click on 'keyboards' at
> >
> > http://catalog.com/starrlab/
> >
> > for all the info.
> >
>
> Thanks so much, Joe.... I had lost this link again.
>
> >
> > Starr Labs is right across the park here in San Diego, and
> > I'm in touch with Harvey Starr (MicroZone's builder) from time
> > to time. AFAIK, the instrument *is* in production (in two
> > different sizes, as can be seen on the website).
> >
> > The problem is that no-one can afford to buy it...
> > Stephen James Taylor is the only person I know of who's bought
> > one. (other than - I presume, since it's *his* invention
> > - Erv Wilson himself)
>
> How much are they going for again?? I didn't see any pricings on the
> website... but that surely is intentional...

The Wilson Uath-108 (MicroZone) 810-key microtonal MIDI keyboard 7500.00

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Ed Borasky" <znmeb@t...> wrote:

http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12387

> > > http://catalog.com/starrlab/

> The Wilson Uath-108 (MicroZone) 810-key microtonal MIDI keyboard is
7500.00

gulp. Thanks for the info! I was just speaking with Mandelbaum...
How about the "little one??"
_________ ____ ___ __ __ _
Joseph Pehrson

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Ed Borasky" <znmeb@t...> wrote:
> Always happy to help :-)
> --
>
> The Wilson Uath-108 (MicroZone) 810-key microtonal MIDI keyboard
7500.00

Well folks, at $7500.00 I think I'll continue learning creative ways
to use the old "5 black-7 white", my midi wind and percussion
controllers to get the job done.

I find Margo's idea's about using 2 midi manuals to be much more cost
efficient - and besides your not in danger of losing years of
acquired keyboard skills with this method.

Has anyone on this list actually played these Starr Labs boards, or
better yet do you know of anyone that has composed music on one that
may be able to tell us what the transition to this Bosanquet keyboard
was like? Monz? What was it like for you when you played it? I've
seen you play keyboards before, and you've got skills - how'd it feel
to you? Surely there would be a bit of a learning curve - and
especially when it would come to setting up mappings.

Got to admit, it does look really cool!! If only money were no
object. I wonder if Starr Labs might be searching for a Beta tester.
Hey - give me a call!

Jacky Ligon

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Joseph Pehrson" <pehrson@p...> wrote:
> http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12385
>
> --- In tuning@egroups.com, " Monz" <MONZ@J...> wrote:
> >
> > It's called the 'MicroZone'. Click on 'keyboards' at
> >
> > http://catalog.com/starrlab/
> >
> > for all the info.
> >
>
> <snip>
>
> How much are they going for again?? I didn't see any pricings on
> the website... but that surely is intentional...

Yeah, I think that is intentional, because they're quite expensive.

IIRC, the larger model is around $8000, and the smaller around
$3000. The contact info for Starr Labs is on the website:
give Harvey a call - he's always willing to talk about this baby.

> Actually, I will relay this info. to Joel Mandelbaum. He seemed to
> be willing to pay just about anything for this...

I would be too... if only some generous benefactor realized
how much I could use one ;-) .... I don't see being able to
drum up enough $$$ on my own any time soon...

My 'JustMusic' software will eventually include Bosanquet keyboards
as one of its 'virtual instruments'. It's not exactly the same as
having a real one to play, but it helps. Actually, the version
that you have allows you to map pitches to the computer keyboard
in a very similar way, and record MIDI files from it.

Darren Burgess also told me about 'MIDI keys', another program
that will do this better than mine does right now. Darren?

Also, Fred Kohler, the person writing the software for the
MicroZone, is on this List. He must not be reading it lately,
or he surely would have said something about this by now.

-monz
http://www.ixpres.com/interval/monzo/homepage.html

--- In tuning@egroups.com, "Jacky Ligon" <jacky_ekstasis@y...> wrote:
> http://www.egroups.com/message/tuning/12390
>
> Has anyone on this list actually played these Starr Labs boards,
> ... Monz? What was it like for you when you played it? I've
> seen you play keyboards before, and you've got skills - how'd
> it feel to you?

Hi Jacky. Thanks for the 'good review' of my keyboard playing.

Even tho I speak to Harvey now and then, the last (and only)
time I actually saw the MicroZone was almost 2 years ago, and
while it was mechanically intact, it still wasn't producing any
sound at that point. So I 'played' it silently, but of course
that's not the same thing.

> Surely there would be a bit of a learning curve - and especially
> when it would come to setting up mappings.

Well... I'm not so sure. I've been looking at lattice diagrams
and wishing I could play them for so many years now, that when
I put my fingers on the MicroZone I was *immediately* dreaming
up myriad ways to map lattices to this great generalized keyboard.
My feeling is that I'd take to it like a duck to water. Of
course, that's me personally...

I thought I'd mention something else here about new microtonal
keyboard designs. My friend and fellow composer Brink McGoogy
has a setup he built which places one regular keyboard under
another, but offset about 1/3 of a key. Looked to me like a
very playable way to get 24 keys per '8ve' under your fingers.

-monz
http://www.ixpres.com/interval/monzo/homepage.html