How to remap my keyboard tuning from my PC?

I'm a novice when it comes to sound cards, MIDI, keyboards, etc., so
I'm looking for people who are experienced enough to tell me how I
can do what I want to do.

I have a 600 Mhz PC with a soundcard, running Windows 98 first
edition. There is no MIDI connector on the back of the PC, but there
is a USB connector. I would like to be able to create alternate
tunings on my PC and then send them to my CASIO keyboard through its
MIDI interface in order to re-map the CASIO keyboard from 12 tone
Equal to just intonation tunings, irrational tunings, etc.

I stumbled on the homepage of the freeware program SCALA, which
allows you to create any alternate tuning you want. But from that
web page it's not clear to me what I need to do in order to get what
I want. Also, is there some other software available more
appropriate to the task?

So I have these questions:

1. What's the best software to use?
2. Could my current sound card be adequate to the task? If so, how
do I find out?
3. If I need another sound card, what features does it need to have?
4. Can I send the necessary MIDI code to the keyboard out through the
USB port, or do I need a sound card with a MIDI port?
5. What type of cable do I need, and where do I get it?
6. Do I need an operating system upgrade (e.g. to Win 98 second
edition)?

Thanks for your help.

Hiya,

>I have a 600 Mhz PC with a soundcard, running Windows 98 first
>edition. There is no MIDI connector on the back of the PC, but there
>is a USB connector. I would like to be able to create alternate
>tunings on my PC and then send them to my CASIO keyboard through its
>MIDI interface in order to re-map the CASIO keyboard from 12 tone
>Equal to just intonation tunings, irrational tunings, etc.

You need a USB/MIDI interface of some kind. Plenty to choose from.

Or, if your soundcard has a SoundBlaster-style joystick jack, that
can be converted to MIDI with a special cable.

>I stumbled on the homepage of the freeware program SCALA, which
>allows you to create any alternate tuning you want. But from that
>web page it's not clear to me what I need to do in order to get what
>I want. Also, is there some other software available more
>appropriate to the task?
>
>So I have these questions:
>
>1. What's the best software to use?

Scala is about the best general solution. And you can't
complain about the price.

>2. Could my current sound card be adequate to the task? If so, how
>do I find out?

Try to find some documentation for your card. Not always easy.

Check the microtonal-synthesis website...

http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com/

Try sending it generic retuning messages from Scala and see if
it responds.

Another thing is, you can always use pitch-bend retuning.
Almost every MIDI device on the market supports pitch bends, and
Scala has tools to do alternate tunings with them. Usually this
method doesn't give entirely satisfactory results, but it's a
great expedient to get going with alternate tunings.

>3. If I need another sound card, what features does it need to have?

Sound cards are out in favor of software synthesis and external
audio interfaces. But you won't be doing a whole lot of software
synthesis with a 600MHz. PC...

The Korg OASYS sound card was a really awesome card that had
microtuning support, IIRC. I don't know if they still make them.

>4. Can I send the necessary MIDI code to the keyboard out through the
>USB port, or do I need a sound card with a MIDI port?
>5. What type of cable do I need, and where do I get it?
>6. Do I need an operating system upgrade (e.g. to Win 98 second
>edition)?

Your OS should be fine. This isn't the place for very basic
computer music questions, but a little google searching should
bring up to speed very quickly. Try "usb midi" for starters.
Or go to your local book store and pick up a magazine such as
Computer Music, Future Music, Keyboard, or Electronic Musician.

-Carl