[tuning]Finale pitch Bends

Hi.

Any realizing of scores I've done so far with microtones has been with a
programming language, but I would like to get a handle on doing this with
midi as well specifically in finale because thats what I use for notation.

I hear that midi pitch bend units depend on hardware. Is that true?
If it is I have a SB live ... no midi keyboard but it has a built in synth of
course.

How do I control exact pitch bends in finale? Can somone lead me through the
process?

Thanks in advance.

Andy

--- In tuning@y..., JoJoBuBu@a... wrote:

> I hear that midi pitch bend units depend on hardware. Is that true?
> If it is I have a SB live ... no midi keyboard but it has a built
in synth of
> course.

With an SB Live you don't need to worry. It will initially be
set to the default standard range.

> How do I control exact pitch bends in finale? Can somone lead me
through the
> process?

To manually put pitch bends in your MIDI file is very tedious and
error prone. It will also make changes very hard, imagine having to
change channels if you add notes later. Fortunately the command
EXAMPLE/MIDI in Scala can take care of this. It will leave the track
ordering intact and put all the pitch bend messages in a single extra
track. You need to make a mapping between note numbers and scale
degrees and use this entering your score in Finale. Remember you
can't have more than 128 pitches. For example if you use a 36-note
scale you have at most 128/36 octaves if you use all of them.
You could also make a mapping for all 128 midi notes separately
instead of using octave repetition.
In Scala you LOAD the scale you wish to use, then LOAD/MAP the
mapping you created, then transform the midi file with EXAMPLE/MIDI.
You can also leaves midi channels untouched with the SET EXCLUDE
command. Look in the help file for how to do everything.
I'm out of town now, if you need help I probably won't respond soon.

Manuel

In a message dated 7/4/2001 7:53:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
manuel.op.de.coul@eon-benelux.com writes:

> > I hear that midi pitch bend units depend on hardware. Is that true?
> > If it is I have a SB live ... no midi keyboard but it has a built
> in synth of
> > course.
>
> With an SB Live you don't need to worry. It will initially be
> set to the default standard range.
>
> > How do I control exact pitch bends in finale? Can somone lead me
> through the
> > process?
>
> To manually put pitch bends in your MIDI file is very tedious and
> error prone. It will also make changes very hard, imagine having to
> change channels if you add notes later. Fortunately the command
> EXAMPLE/MIDI in Scala can take care of this. It will leave the track
> ordering intact and put all the pitch bend messages in a single extra
> track. You need to make a mapping between note numbers and scale
> degrees and use this entering your score in Finale. Remember you
> can't have more than 128 pitches. For example if you use a 36-note
> scale you have at most 128/36 octaves if you use all of them.
> You could also make a mapping for all 128 midi notes separately
> instead of using octave repetition.
> In Scala you LOAD the scale you wish to use, then LOAD/MAP the
> mapping you created, then transform the midi file with EXAMPLE/MIDI.
> You can also leaves midi channels untouched with the SET EXCLUDE
> command. Look in the help file for how to do everything.
> I'm out of town now, if you need help I probably won't respond soon.
>
> Manuel
>

Thats fine I'm not in a hurry on this.

What is the default value for midi then if an SB live uses the standard value
or where can I look this up? I know the numbers are equal to like +/- 7000 or
something like that but what equals a semitone?

Second I would actually prefer to just set up accidentals that have pitch
bend values rather than using scala. I dont want to enter it all manually
with the midi tool you can control midi by creating accidentals. Why would
that be error prone? I figured it would be pretty easy ... I made an example
once like this and it worked fine I just didn't know what the values meant.
In other words I'd like to enter accidentals into the score and have them
play it back rather than just making midi files. I haven't done this much
with finale though so I dont know ... any thoughts?

Thanks,

Andy

Andy wrote 04-07:
>What is the default value for midi then if an SB live uses the standard
value
>or where can I look this up? I know the numbers are equal to like +/- 7000
or
>something like that but what equals a semitone?

The range of -8192..8191 is a whole tone up and down, so 4096 is a 100
cents
semitone.

>Second I would actually prefer to just set up accidentals that have pitch
>bend values rather than using scala. I dont want to enter it all manually
>with the midi tool you can control midi by creating accidentals. Why would
>that be error prone? I figured it would be pretty easy ...

You have to remember that midi pitch bend controls the whole channel, you
can't have two simultaneous notes with different pitch bend value on the
same
channel. So with one sound and a limited set of pitches this can be well
managed
by hand, allocating a different channel for each pitch class. But if you
use
different midi instruments, different channel controller values and
polyphony,
the number of required pitch bend messages can get quite large.

Manuel

In a message dated 7/9/2001 11:15:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
manuel.op.de.coul@eon-benelux.com writes:

> You have to remember that midi pitch bend controls the whole channel, you
> can't have two simultaneous notes with different pitch bend value on the
> same
> channel. So with one sound and a limited set of pitches this can be well
> managed
> by hand, allocating a different channel for each pitch class. But if you
> use
> different midi instruments, different channel controller values and
> polyphony,
> the number of required pitch bend messages can get quite large.
>
>

So then. If I were to write a large score, hypothetically, with like 40
different instrument. Obviously there are 16 channels of midi. Does that mean
if, for example, saxophones are on channel 1, that if I pitch bend the alto
sax in finale that the other saxes get bent in pitch as well?

So essentially I would only be able to play 16 pitch bends at the same time
no matter how many instruments I have? Is that right?

Andy

--- In tuning@y..., JoJoBuBu@a... wrote:

/tuning/topicId_25988.html#26130

>
> So then. If I were to write a large score, hypothetically, with
like 40
> different instrument. Obviously there are 16 channels of midi. Does
that mean
> if, for example, saxophones are on channel 1, that if I pitch bend
the alto
> sax in finale that the other saxes get bent in pitch as well?
>
> So essentially I would only be able to play 16 pitch bends at the
same time
> no matter how many instruments I have? Is that right?
>
> Andy

Hi Andy...

I believe the 16 channels pertain to each PORT... and you could have
a "multi port" interface... which I, personally, don't have, but
I've seen it done...

_______ ______ ________
Joseph Pehrson

Andy/Joe,

--- In tuning@y..., jpehrson@r... wrote:
> I believe the 16 channels pertain to each PORT... and you could
> have a "multi port" interface... which I, personally, don't have,
> but I've seen it done...

I don't do this work in Finale, but Joe is correct: you can address
multiple groups of 16 with a multiport interface. I'm currently using
a 4-in/4-out USB midi box called the MidiSport 4x4 from Midiman.
Works like a charm, especially to 'orchestrate' your stuff out to
differing synths, samplers, etc.

Cheers,
Jon

In a message dated 7/10/2001 5:03:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
jpehrson@rcn.com writes:

> Hi Andy...
>
> I believe the 16 channels pertain to each PORT... and you could have
> a "multi port" interface... which I, personally, don't have, but
> I've seen it done...
>
> _______ ______ ________
>

Yaa me neither. I guess if there are chords that I cant realize in finale
I'll just have to program them in supercollider. Oh well. I just use an SB
live for midi and dont feel like purchasing anything else really.

Thanks Joe,
Andy