SCALA for dummies, draft 1

Hi Wally,

Well, let's get started. Being a "dummy" myself, I am
eminently suited to writing the SCALA "dummies" article. Who
else is going to do it?? (Not Manuel, that's for sure… :)
[Manuel,
this is a joke; please feel free to "correct" anything I do
here…]

I'm presuming you've downloaded and installed the software.

It's here:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~huygensf/scala/downloads.html

Good job! (If that's not the case, please contact me offlist…
I also apologize to some of the old-time tuners for this rudimentary
SCALA info, but maybe it will be of help to somebody else just
"lurking…")

You also should download the SCALA tuning files, which are also on
that page. SCALA is very easy to install, since Manuel has a
new "routine" that does it pretty easily. You don't even
have to reboot! How's that for a good start!

Anyway, once SCALA 2.5 is up and running, you need to know some very
basic commands. You can try the so called tutorial by typing in
@tutorial, and follow along with that, but if you are as stupid as I
am, you'll only understand part of that.

How about trying some elementary SCALA commends, just so we can get
this thing to start working:

First type in DIR into the little box at the bottom. You guessed
it! That will show you the directory of files that is in the root
directory. Just like in old DOS, you can type in CD also to change
directories. Let's just for now save everything in the root
directory for starters.

Once you type DIR, you will see a very few sample files in the root.
One is called ptolemy.scl! Guess what! This is a just
scale. "Just" what you're looking for!

Type in the little box at the bottom: LOAD PTOLEMY.SCL. That's
how, obviously, you get the scale in there!!! It says now
"Intense
Diatonic" so we know we're on the right track.

However, in order to see anything, you have to type another command
in the bottom box:

SHOW

Try it! You'll like it! What you see now is the just ratios,
their equivalents in cents, and their interval name, according to
Manuel's ingenious interval naming system.

That's quite a bit right there for analysis.

However, if like some, you stress the "anal" in your
"analysis" please type in:

SHOW DATA

Whoaboy! I told you that was dangerous. HOWEVER, the more you look
at it, the more sense it will make. Stuff like number of intervals,
most common intervals. I guarantee there is absolutely nothing more
you will ever want to know about this scale. This is indeed "all
the things you wanted to know about Scale but were afraid to ask!"

OK, bro, we have now loaded in a scale and analyzed it. With the new
developments in SCALA 2.5 we can even HEAR it! You don't even
have to have MIDI set up, you can use your sound card!

Type SHOW again, just so we can get back the basic scale:

Now take your mouse and click on ANALYZE at the very top of the SCALA
menu. You will see something called "Chromatic Clavier."
Click it on, and there is your scale! You have to set the NOTATION
down below to make sure it makes sense for your scale, but once you
have done that, you have the scale right in front of you for
playing!!! You can just use your mouse to play the pitches!

If you want triads or chords, just hold down your SHIFT key! What a
tool, man!

OK… now lets assume you have a MIDI keyboard set up to your
computer. Lucky guy! I bought mine used, too.

At the menu at top, use your mouse and go TOOLS, RELAY MIDI, and set
it to RELAYING ON.

Now you can just sit at your MIDI keyboard and play the scale and
various chords. It's all you need for an aural analysis.

Now, you mentioned that you were interested in creating your own
scales to work with. Not such an outlandish conception, since
that's why most of use are doing this.

What you need to know is the SCALA command:

INPUT

Try it. First of all, it asks you the number of notes in your
scale. Well, how many do you have?

Then just start entering in ratios. When you're finished, type
in, logically SHOW again, and there is your completed scale. Then
you can play it with the chromatic clavier or, even better, with your
MIDI keyboard to your heart's content!

Now here is an important point to remember:

If you want a ratio just type in a number. If you type in just 386,
for example, it will become the ratio 386/1!

However, if what you really meant was the cents value, you must use a
decimal point: 386.. (I actually have a decimal point there, before
the period)

Then, SCALA will recognize that as an "irrational" or
tempered value, if it happens to be that.

You can MIX both kinds of input data, ratios and tempered values,
just by including that little decimal point at the end of the
irrational ones.

Now lets clear your screen, so we can have more fun:

Type CLS

Although I know you aren't specifically interested in this, I
will show you how to easily create an equal-tempered scale. Easy.

Let's say we want 72 equal:

Type in the little box at the bottom:

EQUAL 72

Voila! That's all there is to it. Don't forget to type in
SHOW or you won't see anything!!!

Once you press return a few time so you get the entire scale, you can
go to ANALYZE at the top menu and play the "Chromatic
Klavier." Isn't 72 fun! It's the best scale in the
world (biased
value judgment here…)

Ok, while you're at it, try the TRIAD PLAYER in the same menu.
Wow! What have they been smoking in the Netherlands??!

Now I would like to do a little exercise in loading in, analyzing and
copying the text of SCALA files. After all, Manuel has accumulated a
million scale files, and it's well worth it to take a look at
some of the scales that other people have created before you!

In order to implement this, it's best to use the little included
routine that Robert Walker added to SCALA. You are welcome to try to
load in a scale on an IBM computer by simply going FILE OPEN by using
your mouse at the top of the screen.

Sounds logical, yes? However, I wouldn't recommend that! :)
Why? Well, Manuel has created this program using UNIX code, and the
opening function is supposed to work across several platforms. As a
result, it doesn't work very well in the IBM platform. Try it,
and you'll see.

Instead, type the following into the little box at the bottom:

@OPEN

Robert Walker wrote this. You will see it open a little Windows
dialogue box that will let you choose your file. This is the best
way with an IBM.

However, there is one more step. You must type:

@O in the SCALA box at the bottom (That's an ohhh, not a zero)
after you have selected your scale in the dialogue box.

Then don't forget to type SHOW or you won't see anything.

Now you have opened and loaded in a scale, and you can analyze it
using SHOW, or in incredible detail, using SHOW DATA.

If you want to save your window text, so you can open it in a text
editor or wordprocessor, simply choose the command in the SCALA menu
at the top "FILE" "SAVE WINDOW TEXT TO." Choose a
name and you can open this file in MS Word or whatever.

There, supposedly, is an easy way to just copy this text to the
clipboard, but I'm not getting it to work at the moment, so maybe
Manuel can straighten me out on this when he gets a chance. It
involves the Robert Walker command @COPY.

Of course, once you have your scale opened and analyzed, you can hear
it right away, chords and everything using Manuel's new MIDI-
interactive features.

Well, this is the basic tour. There are many other wonderful and
detailed things that SCALA can do, which you'll see if you browse
in the HELP file that comes up if you click on HELP in the top SCALA
menu.

Keep in mind that you can also tune external synths by setting the
synthesizer type and sending a MIDI tuning file to the synth tables.
I do that with my TX81Zs all the time, and that is, frankly, my basic
microtonal composing tool.

Between Manuel, myself and other people on this list, you should have
all the answers you need. It might take a little while for some
responses, but probably you won't have to wait too long.

Joseph Pehrson

--- In tuning@y..., "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:

> Whoaboy! I told you that was dangerous. HOWEVER, the more you look
> at it, the more sense it will make. Stuff like number of intervals,
> most common intervals. I guarantee there is absolutely nothing more
> you will ever want to know about this scale.

Not true in my case; the first thing I'd want is a count of intervals and chords in the various odd limits.

This is indeed "all
> the things you wanted to know about Scale but were afraid to ask!"

Much of it pretty esoteric, too. :)
> Now you have opened and loaded in a scale, and you can analyze it
> using SHOW, or in incredible detail, using SHOW DATA.

"Show locations" is important also.

--- In tuning@y..., "Gene Ward Smith" <genewardsmith@j...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39160.html#39181

> --- In tuning@y..., "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
>
> > Whoaboy! I told you that was dangerous. HOWEVER, the more you
look
> > at it, the more sense it will make. Stuff like number of
intervals,
> > most common intervals. I guarantee there is absolutely nothing
more
> > you will ever want to know about this scale.
>
> Not true in my case; the first thing I'd want is a count of
intervals and chords in the various odd limits.
>

***Hi Gene!

Hmmmm. I hadn't noticed that wasn't there. Yeppir, *I* find that
interesting myself... Maybe one for Manuel's "suggestion box..."

> This is indeed "all
> > the things you wanted to know about Scale but were afraid to ask!"
>
> Much of it pretty esoteric, too. :)
> > Now you have opened and loaded in a scale, and you can analyze it
> > using SHOW, or in incredible detail, using SHOW DATA.
>
> "Show locations" is important also.

***Wow. I can't believe I've never used that! I'll add it to
the "dummies" text right away...

Joseph

Gene wrote:
>Not true in my case;

You're not in Joseph's target audience :-)

>"Show locations" is important also.

Yes, could we ask this bit more Joseph?

Manuel

--- In tuning@y..., manuel.op.de.coul@e... wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39160.html#39184

> Gene wrote:
> >Not true in my case;
>
> You're not in Joseph's target audience :-)
>
> >"Show locations" is important also.
>
> Yes, could we ask this bit more Joseph?
>
> Manuel

***Hi Manuel

DONE, as you'll see in my previous post!

Joseph

Joseph wrote:
>Hmmmm. I hadn't noticed that wasn't there. Yeppir, *I* find that
>interesting myself... Maybe one for Manuel's "suggestion box..."

But one I've already got rid of: CHORDS/ODD_LIMIT.

Manuel

--- In tuning@y..., manuel.op.de.coul@e... wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39160.html#39187

> Joseph wrote:
> >Hmmmm. I hadn't noticed that wasn't there. Yeppir, *I* find that
> >interesting myself... Maybe one for Manuel's "suggestion box..."
>
> But one I've already got rid of: CHORDS/ODD_LIMIT.
>
> Manuel

***What about that, Gene? It seems to work; I just tried it! :)

Joseph

Hi Joe

Wow! You've got my attention now! Great job on The very first "Scala
for Dummies" (that I'm aware of). I'm enjoying every bit of info. you
can offer.

Now I'm getting connected to the art of tuning. I only have a sound
card right now. I don't have a midi keyboard yet. The computer I'm
running Scala on is one I built myself. Its a win2k OS, iWILL DVD266-
R motherboard with dual pentium 133 mhz processors each rated at 1
gig with 500 mb of DDR memory. The sound card is on the motherboard
but I can install a separate sound card.

Question:
Can you please recommend a sound card that will enable me to do what
is necessary to keep up to speed with all that Scala and FTS have to
offer?

I eventually want to build a dedicated system just for music so
nothing conflicts with my other business apllications

I like the way you keep things simply and fun. Terms like bro',
whoaboy etc. take the edge and frustration off of trying to learn
something new especially when I'm not sure where I'm suppose to
start. My brother and I always call each other bro'(figure I'd just
toss that in).

You said.........

> Now take your mouse and click on ANALYZE at the very top of the
SCALA
> menu. You will see something called "Chromatic Clavier."
> Click it on, and there is your scale! You have to set the NOTATION
> down below to make sure it makes sense for your scale, but once you
> have done that, you have the scale right in front of you for
> playing!!! You can just use your mouse to play the pitches!

Question:
I booted up the chromatic clavier and was downright "floored". Really
neat! I simply need more info on the picking the "notation system". I
believe it defaults to E12. I need to hear the scale in Just
Intonation and I noticed that my choices are many in the drop down
box. Where is the scale or what is it called and how do I find it in
the drop down box? are my choices arranged in a specific order? I
noticed they are not in a recognizable order that makes sense to me
as a "wet behind the ear skippy" in tuning theory.

Question:

I fired up the MegaMid that came with Scala and was once again
floored! Really cool front end!!!!! Can I hear/make any sounds with
it at this point?

Question:
Can you recommend a really decent software synth other than a sound
card (if you think that is a better alternative)so I can utilize the
MegaMid?

Anything I learn I Scala I will make a log of it and pass the info on
to you as you write new "Scala for Dummies". I don't want to label
you as "the go to guy" for info., but if I have any info. that's
relevant then I can surely pass it on to you. I hold the info. here
until you request it (whatever). This way maybe my efforts will help
others too.

Hook me up Joe! I'm in for the long haul.

Stay well and God Bless!

Wally

--- In tuning@y..., "electricwally77" <earth7@o...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39160.html#39204

> Hi Joe
>
> Wow! You've got my attention now! Great job on The very
first "Scala for Dummies" (that I'm aware of). I'm enjoying every bit
of info. you can offer.
>

***Thanks so much, Wally!

> Now I'm getting connected to the art of tuning. I only have a sound
> card right now. I don't have a midi keyboard yet. The computer I'm
> running Scala on is one I built myself. Its a win2k OS, iWILL
DVD266-
> R motherboard with dual pentium 133 mhz processors each rated at 1
> gig with 500 mb of DDR memory. The sound card is on the motherboard
> but I can install a separate sound card.
>
> Question:
> Can you please recommend a sound card that will enable me to do
what is necessary to keep up to speed with all that Scala and FTS
have to offer?
>

***SCALA has worked well on every sound card, I've tried it on,
including the SoundBlaster 128 I use at home and the "ElKrapo--TM"
soundcard I use at work. You might want to ask more about this kind
of thing over on MakeMicroMusic. Electronic generation of sounds is
a frequent topic over there!:

/makemicromusic/

Very popular today is the Soundblaster *Live* which uses Sound
*FONTS* I haven't tried these, but they're the "latest thing..."
More over on the MMM forum, Wally!

> I eventually want to build a dedicated system just for music so
> nothing conflicts with my other business apllications
>

***Well, how much computing power is needed to run Excel and Access??
You can probably use the same computer for everything unless you
really prefer sitting on one side of the room for music and the
*other* side for business... Interesting... right brain, left brain!)

> I like the way you keep things simply and fun. Terms like bro',
> whoaboy etc. take the edge and frustration off of trying to learn
> something new especially when I'm not sure where I'm suppose to
> start. My brother and I always call each other bro'(figure I'd just
> toss that in).
>

***Thanks, Wally!

> You said.........
>
> > Now take your mouse and click on ANALYZE at the very top of the
> SCALA menu. You will see something called "Chromatic Clavier."
> > Click it on, and there is your scale! You have to set the
NOTATION down below to make sure it makes sense for your scale, but
once you have done that, you have the scale right in front of you for
> > playing!!! You can just use your mouse to play the pitches!
>
> Question:
> I booted up the chromatic clavier and was downright "floored".
Really neat! I simply need more info on the picking the "notation
system". I believe it defaults to E12. I need to hear the scale in
Just Intonation and I noticed that my choices are many in the drop
down box. Where is the scale or what is it called and how do I find
it in the drop down box? are my choices arranged in a specific order?
I noticed they are not in a recognizable order that makes sense to me
> as a "wet behind the ear skippy" in tuning theory.
>

***Well, this, of course, depends on the scale you are loading in.
What scale are you using? Most of the notations are for equal
temperaments, but I do see a couple of Just Intonation ones: for the
19 limit and the 31 limit. I believe these will show the same thing
unless you go past the 19 limit...(that would make sense...)

> Question:
>
> I fired up the MegaMid that came with Scala and was once again
> floored! Really cool front end!!!!! Can I hear/make any sounds
with it at this point?
>

***This you'll have to ask Manuel about, since I haven't "messed"
with it. I thought it was mostly as an "underlying" device to the
new MIDI SCALA...

> Question:
> Can you recommend a really decent software synth other than a sound
> card (if you think that is a better alternative)so I can utilize
the MegaMid?
>

***Well, I think a really good soundcard would be the best way to go,
but there has been much discussion of softsynths on MMM, and I would
ask over there. Some people have been trying Gigastudio, but I
believe it's fairly expensive...

> Anything I learn I Scala I will make a log of it and pass the info
on
> to you as you write new "Scala for Dummies". I don't want to label
> you as "the go to guy" for info., but if I have any info. that's
> relevant then I can surely pass it on to you. I hold the info. here
> until you request it (whatever). This way maybe my efforts will
help others too.

***Well, I would e-mail me *immediately* any information that you
think would pertain to the "Dummies Project." I will continue to
serve as the "Dummy Source... Ur Putty..."

>
> Hook me up Joe! I'm in for the long haul.
>
> Stay well and God Bless!
>
> Wally

***Enjoy, Wally!

JP

--- In tuning@y..., "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:

> ***What about that, Gene? It seems to work; I just tried it! :)

I downloaded a newer version of Scala to find it but still can't. One for the Dummies List?

Wally asked:

>I fired up the MegaMid that came with Scala and was once again
>floored! Really cool front end!!!!! Can I hear/make any sounds with
>it at this point?

Sure, if you have a midi file somewhere, you can use Megamid
to play it on your soundcard.
Transforming a midi file with Scala you will probably like to try
out too. See Help->Making MIDI files.
You can also use it as a midi input to the midi relaying in
Scala, but then you must download and install MidiYoke first.
The installation involves some steps, but the website explains
them clearly, so nothing can go wrong.

>I simply need more info on the picking the "notation system". I
>believe it defaults to E12. I need to hear the scale in Just
>Intonation and I noticed that my choices are many in the drop down
>box.

It doesn't change the way you hear it, only the note names and
layout of the chromatic clavier. For something completely different,
select "BP" way down, and then click the scale preset button.

Manuel

Gene wrote:

>I downloaded a newer version of Scala to find it but still can't.

Go to Analyse->Show Chord Presence and check "Odd limit search".
Fill in the odd limit and click the "Change..." button to set the
maximum difference.
Or just type the chord/odd command on the command line.

Manuel

--- In tuning@y..., "Gene Ward Smith" <genewardsmith@j...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39160.html#39212

> --- In tuning@y..., "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
>
> > ***What about that, Gene? It seems to work; I just tried it! :)
>
> I downloaded a newer version of Scala to find it but still can't.
One for the Dummies List?

***Hi Gene,

Quite frankly, I feel the assessment of chords within the various
just "limits" is an *intermediate* topic, and not dumb enough for the
*truly dumb* work I am presently doing...

JP

Hi Joe,

Joe said....

> ***Hi Gene,
>
> Quite frankly, I feel the assessment of chords within the various
> just "limits" is an *intermediate* topic, and not dumb enough for
the *truly dumb* work I am presently doing...

> JP

Please, I'm startin to get it! ("Scala for Dummies" or Scala for
the "Truly Dumb" that is).

Intermediate questions could be created in a new file called Scala
for Intermediate's (whatever). Then when the time arrives for
graduation from dummy course, I'll have a new class to attend.

Please log Gene's question into the intermediate folder because
sooner or later (when I understand) I'm going to ask the same
question.

Man.... this is turning into a really cool project. Let me know if I
can help Joe.

Precious are those who "without conditions", take the time to teach
others in a quest that can benefit all mankind.

Go get 'em Joe

Wally

--- In tuning@y..., "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
> --- In tuning@y..., "Gene Ward Smith" <genewardsmith@j...> wrote:
>
> /tuning/topicId_39160.html#39212
>
> > --- In tuning@y..., "Joseph Pehrson" <jpehrson@r...> wrote:
> >
> > > ***What about that, Gene? It seems to work; I just tried
it! :)
> >
> > I downloaded a newer version of Scala to find it but still can't.
> One for the Dummies List?
>
>
> ***Hi Gene,
>
> Quite frankly, I feel the assessment of chords within the various
> just "limits" is an *intermediate* topic, and not dumb enough for
the
> *truly dumb* work I am presently doing...
>
> JP

--- In tuning@y..., "electricwally77" <earth7@o...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_39160.html#39218

>
> Please, I'm startin to get it! ("Scala for Dummies" or Scala for
> the "Truly Dumb" that is).
>
> Intermediate questions could be created in a new file called Scala
> for Intermediate's (whatever). Then when the time arrives for
> graduation from dummy course, I'll have a new class to attend.
>

***Absolutely! This has been dumb, er.. *done!*

Maybe you're ready for some links:

How about from Kyle Gann on Just Intonation, Tuning, and Everything
Else (he's a rather anti-establishment cat, too...)

http://home.earthlink.net/~kgann/tuning.html

Then, you *must* know about John Starrett's website. It has
*everything* on it for you!:

http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~jstarret/microtone.html

And there is Joe Monzo's wonderful dictionary, which has
been "homeless" of late but is back up online as a Yahoo Group!:

/tuning/files/dict/index.htm

This should give you something to "meditate" on for a while, Wally!

best,

Joe