Digital Pianos for Temperaments

(I just subscribed to this list recently, and I'm not sure if the top-
ic for this post is appropriate to the list. I apologize if it isn't;
I can be reached directly at mvogle1@gl.umbc.edu if necessary.)

I am a college student planning on getting a digital piano for my dorm
room. It is important to me that whatever model I choose let me ex-
periment with different temperaments. Are there any particular digit-
al pianos that are especially good for this purpose?

I have been leaning towards a Yamaha or Roland model, because I prefer
the touch of their keyboards. All the official information I have
been able to find says that their digital pianos only support a small
number of preset temperaments, without support for custom tuning.
However, I have heard that both companies' MIDI extensions (XG for
Yamaha, GS for Roland) do provide this support. If so, that means
that I could get a GS or XG digital piano and then use my computer to
set its temperament. Has anyone else tried this?

Matt Voglewede

> From: mvogle1@gl.umbc.edu
>Subject: Digital Pianos for Temperaments
>
>I am a college student planning on getting a digital piano for my dorm
>room. It is important to me that whatever model I choose let me ex-
>periment with different temperaments. Are there any particular digit-
>al pianos that are especially good for this purpose?
>
>I have been leaning towards a Yamaha or Roland model, because I prefer
>the touch of their keyboards. All the official information I have
>been able to find says that their digital pianos only support a small
>number of preset temperaments, without support for custom tuning.
>However, I have heard that both companies' MIDI extensions (XG for
>Yamaha, GS for Roland) do provide this support. If so, that means
>that I could get a GS or XG digital piano and then use my computer to
>set its temperament. Has anyone else tried this?
>

Visit the Microtonal Synthesis web site at http://freeweb.pdq.net/jloffink/
for information on digital pianos with tuning capabilities. It lists
current digital pianos from Korg, Technics and Yamaha with user tuning
tables. There may be many more models with tuning tables, but as you've
found, this information is not easy to come by.

Technically any XG or GS instrument should support the tuning extensions,
but since I've heard Yamaha and Roland say that their "standards" don't
require the implementation of all features, you always take the risk that
they omitted the tuning tables from some products, though I haven't heard of
a specific instance of this.

John Loffink
jloffink@pdq.net
http://freeweb.pdq.net/jloffink/
The Microtonal Synthesis Web Site

> (I just subscribed to this list recently, and I'm not sure if the top-
> ic for this post is appropriate to the list.
> I am a college student planning on getting a digital piano for my dorm
> room.

I'd say that that's plenty appropriate! Good luck with your decision
there.

Matt Voglewede wrote on 1-1:

> However, I have heard that both companies' MIDI extensions (XG for
> Yamaha, GS for Roland) do provide this support. If so, that means
> that I could get a GS or XG digital piano and then use my computer to
> set its temperament. Has anyone else tried this?

Yes, only remember that it is restricted to at most 12 tones per octave
and a deviation of +/- 63 cents from equal tempered.
I will put support for GS and XG in the next release of my tuning program
Scala. It's written but not yet tested. If you buy such a piano, then let
me
know so we can test together if it works. Until then you would need another
program or hand edit system exclusive codes. I don't know anyone who tried
it.

Manuel Op de Coul coul@ezh.nl

> I will put support for GS and XG in the next release of my tuning program
> Scala. It's written but not yet tested. If you buy such a piano, then let
> me know so we can test together if it works. Until then you would need
> another program or hand edit system exclusive codes. I don't know anyoneo
> who tried it.

Official word from Roland is that their GS digital pianos do not support
temperaments, even through SysEx (though their GS synths do). I don't
know yet about Yamaha, but I'm leaning toward getting a Generalmusic
RealPiano PRO Expander instead, which supports tuning each key individu-
ally over the entire MIDI range. Will your software support that module?

-Matt

> I'm leaning toward getting a Generalmusic
> RealPiano PRO Expander instead, which supports tuning each key
> individually over the entire MIDI range.
> Will your software support that module?

I don't know this type, but if you provide me with the
system exclusive codes and data format of the tuning
numbers and possibly checksum number, then I am willing
to implement it.

Manuel Op de Coul coul@ezh.nl