microtuning with Yamaha DX7 II-FD

Has anyone here done microtuning with the DX7 II-FD? Is this a good choice for
microtuning or is the cents resolution insufficient. Microtonal-synthesis.com is not
entirely clear on this matter. -Justin

http://www.nativeinstruments.de/index.php?fm7_us&ftu=025204aeef

----- Original Message -----
From: "Justin Weaver" <improvist@usa.net>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 4:27 PM
Subject: [tuning] microtuning with Yamaha DX7 II-FD

> Has anyone here done microtuning with the DX7 II-FD? Is this a good choice
for
> microtuning or is the cents resolution insufficient.
Microtonal-synthesis.com is not
> entirely clear on this matter. -Justin
>
>
>
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On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 20:27:46 -0000, "Justin Weaver" <improvist@usa.net>
wrote:

>Has anyone here done microtuning with the DX7 II-FD? Is this a good choice for
>microtuning or is the cents resolution insufficient. Microtonal-synthesis.com is not
>entirely clear on this matter. -Justin

The resolution is 1024 steps per octave, which actually happens to give a
_very_ close approximation of the 3/2 ratio. I don't know how accurately
those 1024 steps are tuned, but in theory the 3/2 is off by only about
0.002 cents (!) and the 5/4 is only off by about 0.4 cents. For most tuning
needs that should be good enough. It has two user-definable scales that
cover the whole range of MIDI note numbers (each note is separately
tunable), and a few preset scales (24-et, 48-et, Werckmeister, Kirnberger,
Vallotti/Young, two JI scales, and a meantone scale). You can also save
your own tunings to memory cartridges, but it's easier just to use Scala.

Do you happen to know if there's an advantage to microtuning if the unit has a Grey
Matter E! unit-- also, can this unit be added later if it's absent? My last question is
whether doing the tuning is *easy* or if it's labor intensive to set a new tuning. Many
thanks, -Justin

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Herman Miller <hmiller@I...> wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 20:27:46 -0000, "Justin Weaver" <improvist@u...>
> wrote:
>
> >Has anyone here done microtuning with the DX7 II-FD? Is this a good choice for
> >microtuning or is the cents resolution insufficient. Microtonal-synthesis.com is
not
> >entirely clear on this matter. -Justin
>
> The resolution is 1024 steps per octave, which actually happens to give a
> _very_ close approximation of the 3/2 ratio. I don't know how accurately
> those 1024 steps are tuned, but in theory the 3/2 is off by only about
> 0.002 cents (!) and the 5/4 is only off by about 0.4 cents. For most tuning
> needs that should be good enough. It has two user-definable scales that
> cover the whole range of MIDI note numbers (each note is separately
> tunable), and a few preset scales (24-et, 48-et, Werckmeister, Kirnberger,
> Vallotti/Young, two JI scales, and a meantone scale). You can also save
> your own tunings to memory cartridges, but it's easier just to use Scala.

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 17:00:21 -0000, "Justin Weaver" <improvist@usa.net>
wrote:

>Do you happen to know if there's an advantage to microtuning if the unit has a Grey
>Matter E! unit-- also, can this unit be added later if it's absent? My last question is
>whether doing the tuning is *easy* or if it's labor intensive to set a new tuning. Many
>thanks, -Justin

The easiest way to do the tuning is use Scala to save a MIDI file that
sends the sysex messages to the DX7II. Doing it by hand using the control
panel buttons is very tedious, since you have to do every note separately
using the buttons or sliders to set the numbers (and do the 1024 note per
octave calculations to get the right numbers). The Grey Matter E! provides
the ability to tune 12-note-per-octave scales, which can be useful for
experimentation, but other than that there isn't much advantage. It also
provides more memory for patches. One problem, at least with the version
that I have, is that it introduced a bug in the control panel that prevents
you from setting the key of the meantone scale -- the button that's
supposed to set the key takes you to the next menu instead (it used to work
before I had the E! installed).

Thanks that's very useful info-- I probably wouldn't want the Grey Matter, but I can't
use Scala because I'm on Mac OS X.

What would you say the "Cadillac" of microtuning synths is on the market today? I
looked into the Kurzweil K2600SX, but it can only tune equal-tempered full-keyboard
scales and I want to be able to tune unequal scales in any octave to any cents value.
What are your recommendations for 1) affordable but good and 2) maybe not so
affordable but top-of-the-line.

Many thanks,

-Justin

> The easiest way to do the tuning is use Scala to save a MIDI file that
> sends the sysex messages to the DX7II. Doing it by hand using the control
> panel buttons is very tedious, since you have to do every note separately
> using the buttons or sliders to set the numbers (and do the 1024 note per
> octave calculations to get the right numbers). The Grey Matter E! provides
> the ability to tune 12-note-per-octave scales, which can be useful for
> experimentation, but other than that there isn't much advantage. It also
> provides more memory for patches. One problem, at least with the version
> that I have, is that it introduced a bug in the control panel that prevents
> you from setting the key of the meantone scale -- the button that's
> supposed to set the key takes you to the next menu instead (it used to work
> before I had the E! installed).

> The easiest way to do the tuning is use Scala to save a MIDI file that
> sends the sysex messages to the DX7II.

Justin Weaver wrote:

>Thanks that's very useful info-- I probably wouldn't want the Grey Matter,
but I can't
>use Scala because I'm on Mac OS X.

You can! Get Scala 1.82 beta for OS X and save the MIDI file with
SET SYNTH 2
SEND/FILE sysex.mid

Manuel

I find the 1.82 beta impenetrably difficult and unintuitive to use from the Linux
terminal-- I'd do better to retune from Max/MSP... I have a friend who is supposedly
working on writing a self-contained Max/MSP tuning program. -Justin

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Manuel Op de Coul" <manuel.op.de.coul@e...>
wrote:
>
> > The easiest way to do the tuning is use Scala to save a MIDI file that
> > sends the sysex messages to the DX7II.
>
> Justin Weaver wrote:
>
> >Thanks that's very useful info-- I probably wouldn't want the Grey Matter,
> but I can't
> >use Scala because I'm on Mac OS X.
>
> You can! Get Scala 1.82 beta for OS X and save the MIDI file with
> SET SYNTH 2
> SEND/FILE sysex.mid
>
> Manuel

PS- If anyone has a DX7 II-FD w/ ram cartridge for sale, send me an offlist email.
(Also let me know if posts like this aren't appropriate for the tuning list...) -Justin