Suggestions? Best, friendliest software synthesis on the cheap?

Perhaps few if any have read my previous plea, probably because of
it's subject ending up having nothing to do with the content. I am
not currently in a position to acquire microtonal keyboard
capability. Must use software synthesis to hear my work realized.
Suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance!

--- In tuning@y..., BobWendell@t... wrote:

> Perhaps few if any have read my previous plea, probably because of
> it's subject ending up having nothing to do with the content. I am
> not currently in a position to acquire microtonal keyboard
> capability. Must use software synthesis to hear my work realized.
> Suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance!

I find that using Scala to create a .mid (midi) file from a .seq
file, and then using a midi renderer such as Timidity or Midisyn
works quite well. All of the above are free!

In-Reply-To: <9qi93n+m51o@eGroups.com>
Bob Wendell wrote:

> Perhaps few if any have read my previous plea, probably because of
> it's subject ending up having nothing to do with the content. I am
> not currently in a position to acquire microtonal keyboard
> capability. Must use software synthesis to hear my work realized.
> Suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance!

Hello!

You could try VAZ+ <http://www.softech.u-net.com/info/softech/vaz.htm>.
The sound's a matter of taste, but it does what it does without much
latency. Apparently it does support tuning tables. I didn't get the full
version, but only because Kyma duplicates most of the functionality.

It has a built-in sequencer, so you won't need a keyboard. But you should
still get a keyboard. What makes you think you can't afford one? You
said you already have a keyboard with MIDI out, so all you need is the
soundcard cable. About $20.

Graham

Thanks, Graham. I checked out the link and it is indeed an
interesting-looking option. Appreciate the suggestion very much and
the input on using my current keyboard.

--- In tuning@y..., graham@m... wrote:
> In-Reply-To: <9qi93n+m51o@e...>
> Bob Wendell wrote:
>
> > Perhaps few if any have read my previous plea, probably because
of
> > it's subject ending up having nothing to do with the content. I
am
> > not currently in a position to acquire microtonal keyboard
> > capability. Must use software synthesis to hear my work realized.
> > Suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance!
>
> Hello!
>
> You could try VAZ+ <http://www.softech.u-
net.com/info/softech/vaz.htm>.
> The sound's a matter of taste, but it does what it does without
much
> latency. Apparently it does support tuning tables. I didn't get
the full
> version, but only because Kyma duplicates most of the functionality.
>
> It has a built-in sequencer, so you won't need a keyboard. But you
should
> still get a keyboard. What makes you think you can't afford one?
You
> said you already have a keyboard with MIDI out, so all you need is
the
> soundcard cable. About $20.
>
>
> Graham

--- In tuning@y..., graham@m... wrote:

/tuning/topicId_29216.html#29239

> In-Reply-To: <9qi93n+m51o@e...>
> Bob Wendell wrote:
>
> > Perhaps few if any have read my previous plea, probably because
of
> > it's subject ending up having nothing to do with the content. I
am
> > not currently in a position to acquire microtonal keyboard
> > capability. Must use software synthesis to hear my work realized.
> > Suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance!
>
> Hello!
>
> You could try VAZ+ <http://www.softech.u-
net.com/info/softech/vaz.htm>.
> The sound's a matter of taste, but it does what it does without
much latency. Apparently it does support tuning tables. I didn't
get the full version, but only because Kyma duplicates most of the
functionality.
>
> It has a built-in sequencer, so you won't need a keyboard. But you
should still get a keyboard. What makes you think you can't afford
one? You said you already have a keyboard with MIDI out, so all you
need is the soundcard cable. About $20.
>
>
> Graham

Actually, this looks like it would be pretty easy to operate. I
recently purchased the soft-synth "Infinity" from Sound Quest. I can
get it to do some stuff, and it's interesting, but there is a
significant learning curve involved. Maybe not quite like Csound,
but still substantial... And that's even before we get into the
xenharmonic part of it all...

________ _______ _______
Joseph Pehrson

I have a basic keyboard with signle-channel midi in and out. It just
can't be retuned from 12-tET by any means at all. Howver, it can
generate midi output from the keyboard so I can use it to play in
sequences to software that can be retuned. The problem is I have only
USB ports for external devices on my Gateway Solo 1150 laptop running
Windows ME.

--- In tuning@y..., jpehrson@r... wrote:
> --- In tuning@y..., graham@m... wrote:
>
> /tuning/topicId_29216.html#29239
>
>
> > In-Reply-To: <9qi93n+m51o@e...>
> > Bob Wendell wrote:
> >
> > > Perhaps few if any have read my previous plea, probably because
> of
> > > it's subject ending up having nothing to do with the content. I
> am
> > > not currently in a position to acquire microtonal keyboard
> > > capability. Must use software synthesis to hear my work
realized.
> > > Suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance!
> >
> > Hello!
> >
> > You could try VAZ+ <http://www.softech.u-
> net.com/info/softech/vaz.htm>.
> > The sound's a matter of taste, but it does what it does without
> much latency. Apparently it does support tuning tables. I didn't
> get the full version, but only because Kyma duplicates most of the
> functionality.
> >
> > It has a built-in sequencer, so you won't need a keyboard. But
you
> should still get a keyboard. What makes you think you can't
afford
> one? You said you already have a keyboard with MIDI out, so all
you
> need is the soundcard cable. About $20.
> >
> >
> > Graham
>
>
> Actually, this looks like it would be pretty easy to operate. I
> recently purchased the soft-synth "Infinity" from Sound Quest. I
can
> get it to do some stuff, and it's interesting, but there is a
> significant learning curve involved. Maybe not quite like Csound,
> but still substantial... And that's even before we get into the
> xenharmonic part of it all...
>
> ________ _______ _______
> Joseph Pehrson

If it has a joystick/MIDI port, then you only need
a small box with a MIDI optocoupler and 5-pin DIN
connectors from about $20.

Manuel

In-Reply-To: <9qmt73+fbhs@eGroups.com>
Bob Wendell wrote:

> I have a basic keyboard with signle-channel midi in and out. It just
> can't be retuned from 12-tET by any means at all. Howver, it can
> generate midi output from the keyboard so I can use it to play in
> sequences to software that can be retuned. The problem is I have only
> USB ports for external devices on my Gateway Solo 1150 laptop running
> Windows ME.

You can get USB MIDI ports. I use a Midiman, and it works fine with SysEx
messages, alongside a soundcard or two. So long as you can work out a way
of getting sound out, that should work for you. You can even try sending
the pitch bends back to your keyboard, for that classic monosynth effect.

Graham

Thanks, Graham, Manuel! All interesting options. I'll check what is
most convenenient and best suits my system. I have an old Midiman,
but it uses the huge printer cable and goes into the printer port,
which my laptop doesn't have. I used it with Rhapsody, maybe familiar
to you as a subset of Encore, pretty nice music-publishing software
I've been using for arranging and composing common-practice music.

--- In tuning@y..., graham@m... wrote:
> In-Reply-To: <9qmt73+fbhs@e...>
> Bob Wendell wrote:
>
> > I have a basic keyboard with signle-channel midi in and out. It
just
> > can't be retuned from 12-tET by any means at all. Howver, it can
> > generate midi output from the keyboard so I can use it to play in
> > sequences to software that can be retuned. The problem is I have
only
> > USB ports for external devices on my Gateway Solo 1150 laptop
running
> > Windows ME.
>
> You can get USB MIDI ports. I use a Midiman, and it works fine
with SysEx
> messages, alongside a soundcard or two. So long as you can work
out a way
> of getting sound out, that should work for you. You can even try
sending
> the pitch bends back to your keyboard, for that classic monosynth
effect.
>
>
> Graham

--- In tuning@y..., BobWendell@t... wrote:

/tuning/topicId_29216.html#29290

> I have a basic keyboard with signle-channel midi in and out. It
just can't be retuned from 12-tET by any means at all. Howver, it can
> generate midi output from the keyboard so I can use it to play in
> sequences to software that can be retuned. The problem is I have
only USB ports for external devices on my Gateway Solo 1150 laptop
running Windows ME.
>

Hello Bob!

As long as you have a sound card in your laptop, and a MIDI out from
your keyboard... you *should* be able to use the wonderful Graham
Breed MIDI RELAY, which will let you test about anything out... It
uses pitch bends sent to the sound card... It's multi-voiced and uses
different timbres. Running it with a sequencer is a *bit* more
complex, and involves using MIDI YOKE, which I haven't messed with...
but probably isn't very difficult to get going.

________ _______ ___________
Joseph Pehrson