Project Retune

Project Retune is my Adaptive JI program, in progress, applied to
single-voice MIDI files, as I can find them. Though the program is
still VERY young, I happened across a sequence that blows my ears away
when retuned, even in such a primitave fashion.

The sequence is Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata, as recorded by Bunji
Hisamori, used with his permission (thanks to David Finnamore for
turning me on to www.prs.net, a huge wealth of good MIDI files!).

For those who are capable of playing .midi (.mid) files, I've stored
three versions on my web site (http://www.idcomm.com/personal/jadl).

be-ps-08.mid As originally recorded by Bunji.
be-ps-08z5.mid Retuned to 5-limit.
be-ps-08z7.mid Retuned to 7-limit.

If you have the chutzpah, listen to the 7-limit version. To my ears,
this is real music!!!

Warning: as this is a PRELIMINARY retuning, there are places (you'll
know when) where the transitions are less than perfect. I'm working on
it! Stay tuned for further revisions...

JdL

[me, TD 291.18:]
>>Project Retune is my Adaptive JI program, in progress, applied to
>>single-voice MIDI files, as I can find them. Though the program is
>>still VERY young, I happened across a sequence that blows my ears away
>>when retuned, even in such a primitive fashion.

>>If you have the chutzpah, listen to the 7-limit version. To my ears,
>>this is real music!!!

[Carl Lumma, TD 293.4:]
> John- did you make these with JI Relay? This is now at the point
> where it needs an article explaining it. Exactly how where these two
> versions tuned?
> -Carl

Thanks for listening! My theories about dynamic retuning are actually
partially in flux as a result of hearing this piece. It is retuned in
an absolutely brutal fashion, with one moment caring nothing about
another even if the tuning of a sounding note shifts radically on the
fly; and retunings take place instantly instead of gradually. The sudden
tuning shifts are evidently partially masked by newly sounding notes.
My methods need to calculate a "pain reduction factor" based upon how
much of the sound at a given moment is from notes newly sounding.

The tuning specification files are nothing more than a bend set and a
numerical rating of the desirability of each of the intervals formed,
which I've pulled out of the air over time. Each tuning is assumed
applicable in any of 12 keys. I tuned the 5-limit dom7 7th to 16/9 of
root rather than 9/5, but in all honesty I don't listen to the 5-limit
version, I like the Sweet Sound of Seven so much!

Many other sequences sound just awful when retuned in this brutal
fashion, but I'm poised to dig into the heart of fixing up the glitchy
places. There's a LOT of wonderful sound yet to come, I'm convinced!!

JIRelay has not yet advanced, but it shares 90% or more of the code in
the project I'm working on. I hope to have an interesting version
available by the end of the year.

JdL

[Rick McGowan, TD 335.14:]
> Thanks to John deLaubenfels for offering JIRelay... For some years
> I've heard about adaptive tuning. I tried out JIRelay a little bit,
> and listened to some of the Beethoven. This adaptive tuning is
> really interesting... I'd encourage John to keep hacking at this
> program.

> I also wonder if John could provide some kind of more detailed
> algorithmic description of what the program is doing, and guidelines
> for making ".tux" files?

> Is there any on-line resource for more information on adaptive tuning?

Some recent posts that address at least the basics of your questions:

TD 333.9 describes how to use JI Relay and includes an example
5-limit tuning file.
TD 332.7 includes a 7-limit utonal tuning file.
TD 330.7 includes a 7-limit otonal tuning file, along with a
description of how the tuning files are constructed.
TD 326.7 describes how Project Retune decides what tuning to use.

Have you seen all of these? Are they clear? Are you looking for more
detail? Are you looking to write your own program (this I encourage!).

As for on-line resources for adaptive tuning, I can't think of any that
I'm aware of - does anyone else know of any? When it comes to these
kinds of games, it's a small world, after all...

JdL