Re: SCALA (Help!)

Hi Bob,

> Hi, everyone! I have downloaded SCALA and am suspecting that I can
> use it to generate actual scales that I can play with to build midi
> files I can hear. I would like to know for sure whether SCALA can do
> this and if so, how. I have myriad microtonal ideas floating around
> in my head at this point that I would like to turn into sound for
> feedback and further experimentation!

> Can anyone help me? Thanks in advance!

If you want help with using the scales in Fractal Tune Smithy, let me know.
http://members.tripod.com/~robertinventor/tunes/ftsbeta.htm

My pieces on
http://members.tripod.com/~robertinventor/tunes/tunes.htm
are all written by relaying through FTS from the midi output
of my Score editing program I use, Noteworthy Composer -
you can do the same thing with most score editors or
sequencers I expect.

Idea is to write a normal looking 12-tet score, but add an instruction
to it saying the actual tunings to use for the notes shown on the staves.

Then when you play it, you relay the midi output through FTS.
So, whenever one would normally hit the play button to hear what
a bar sounds like that you've just edited, you will hear it retuned in FTS.

To do this I use Midi Yoke, which adds extra Midi output "devices".
You select one of those for output in the score editor / sequencer, and then
select the same one for input in FTS, then this gets relayed, retuned,
through the normal midi out:

Score editor -> Play -> Midi Yoke -> FTS -> Normal Midi out.

May sound complicated but it works fine. (At least, does so for me).

This turns any score editor into a microtonal score editor!

Of course, not with the custom staves and accidentals a proper
microtonal editor would have, but as far as I gather, there is no
such program yet, that will show a microtonal score and respect
the playing instructions on it. So useful pro-tem I think.

The scores on the page give examples of how this is done, and
I am happy to explain in more detail.

You can also retune the scores by saving them as ordinary midi files
then retuning those in SCALA - same idea, - add instruction to the
score with the scale, and use that to retune it.

New version of FTS will also let you open a midi file for playing
and retuning as you play - this last is very new and experimental, but
works.

FTS is shareware, rather than freeware as SCALA is, but you
can use it indefinitely as freeware, and the restrictions aren't
that great (I hope).

Robert

Thanks so much, Robert. This information should be very useful.

Sincerely,

Bob

--- In tuning@y..., "Robert Walker" <robertwalker@n...> wrote:
> Hi Bob,
>
> > Hi, everyone! I have downloaded SCALA and am suspecting that I
can
> > use it to generate actual scales that I can play with to build
midi
> > files I can hear. I would like to know for sure whether SCALA can
do
> > this and if so, how. I have myriad microtonal ideas floating
around
> > in my head at this point that I would like to turn into sound for
> > feedback and further experimentation!
>
> > Can anyone help me? Thanks in advance!
>
> If you want help with using the scales in Fractal Tune Smithy, let
me know.
> http://members.tripod.com/~robertinventor/tunes/ftsbeta.htm
>
> My pieces on
> http://members.tripod.com/~robertinventor/tunes/tunes.htm
> are all written by relaying through FTS from the midi output
> of my Score editing program I use, Noteworthy Composer -
> you can do the same thing with most score editors or
> sequencers I expect.
>
> Idea is to write a normal looking 12-tet score, but add an
instruction
> to it saying the actual tunings to use for the notes shown on the
staves.
>
> Then when you play it, you relay the midi output through FTS.
> So, whenever one would normally hit the play button to hear what
> a bar sounds like that you've just edited, you will hear it retuned
in FTS.
>
> To do this I use Midi Yoke, which adds extra Midi output "devices".
> You select one of those for output in the score editor / sequencer,
and then
> select the same one for input in FTS, then this gets relayed,
retuned,
> through the normal midi out:
>
> Score editor -> Play -> Midi Yoke -> FTS -> Normal Midi out.
>
> May sound complicated but it works fine. (At least, does so for me).
>
> This turns any score editor into a microtonal score editor!
>
> Of course, not with the custom staves and accidentals a proper
> microtonal editor would have, but as far as I gather, there is no
> such program yet, that will show a microtonal score and respect
> the playing instructions on it. So useful pro-tem I think.
>
> The scores on the page give examples of how this is done, and
> I am happy to explain in more detail.
>
> You can also retune the scores by saving them as ordinary midi files
> then retuning those in SCALA - same idea, - add instruction to the
> score with the scale, and use that to retune it.
>
> New version of FTS will also let you open a midi file for playing
> and retuning as you play - this last is very new and experimental,
but
> works.
>
> FTS is shareware, rather than freeware as SCALA is, but you
> can use it indefinitely as freeware, and the restrictions aren't
> that great (I hope).
>
> Robert