The Unicorn is on our side

Any member visiting the NAMM show in Los Angeles this week-end (14-17 Jan) by chance ?
He (or she) perhaps could check one interesting issue :
Version 2 of ETHNO, the World traditional instruments software sampler from MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn), is now microtonal.
Even better, it should allows tuning by simple drag'n'drop of all your SCALA files ! - and keep them in memory too.
How do I know ? Well I had the honor to be asked, two months ago to supply its factory tunings -
and I answered yes, but at some conditions concerning its microtonal features - that have to be checked out now,
and about the number of microtunings : they were supposed at first to be 50, but I was allowed to the double, and I ended with 155...
all in extended JI, mapped for 12 keys keyboards and available by world regions and scale systems menus.

Note : Ethno v.2 won't be available before the end of the month, I don't know its price, I have no beta version and I know nothing about the final product, but since it is presented in LA this WE, I couldn't resist to spread the news...
- - - - - - -
Jacques

Thanks for good news, I have it, hopefully this new version will be available for registered users as downloadable upgrade. Lack of microtonality was for me a big minus. Let's see.

Daniel Forro

On 15 Jan 2010, at 1:38 AM, Jacques Dudon wrote:

>
> Any member visiting the NAMM show in Los Angeles this week-end > (14-17 Jan) by chance ?
>
> He (or she) perhaps could check one interesting issue :
> Version 2 of ETHNO, the World traditional instruments software > sampler from MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn), is now microtonal.
> Even better, it should allows tuning by simple drag'n'drop of all > your SCALA files ! - and keep them in memory too.
> How do I know ? Well I had the honor to be asked, two months ago to > supply its factory tunings -
> and I answered yes, but at some conditions concerning its > microtonal features - that have to be checked out now,
> and about the number of microtunings : they were supposed at first > to be 50, but I was allowed to the double, and I ended with 155...
> all in extended JI, mapped for 12 keys keyboards and available by > world regions and scale systems menus.
>
> Note : Ethno v.2 won't be available before the end of the month, I > don't know its price, I have no beta version and I know nothing > about the final product, but since it is presented in LA this WE, I > couldn't resist to spread the news...
> - - - - - - -
> Jacques

Jacques>"Version 2 of ETHNO, the World traditional instruments software sampler from MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn), is now microtonal.
Even better, it should allows tuning by simple drag'n'drop of all your SCALA files ! - and keep them in memory too.
How do I know ? Well I had the honor to be asked, two months ago to supply its factory tunings -"

Now that is one flexible micro-tonal synthesizer, largely thanks to you. :-)

Maybe you could convince Steinberg (makers of Cubase) and Propellerheads (makers of Reason) to do the same time with their software...talk about giving people easy access to micro-tonality and a ton of great pre-packaged scales. That and (you and many other masterminds on this list) could possibly include some microtonal demo songs.
Now that would make one great way to convince people to try microtonal, IMVHO.

Also just curious...what are your favorite tunings that you included for the ETHNO synth?

Thanks Michael,
I will be happy to comment or defend these tunings (or to present my excuses for some...), but only after Ethno v.2 is officially realeased.
Not that I don't want to divulgate them, but exchanges should be more interesting once people can experiment these tunings.
At the moment, I feel embarrassed to present some as my favorites, and I am more interested to know what will be the people's favorites !
Generally speaking, tunings that made me most happy where also difficult to class into an area or another, and some landed here or there only according to my imagination.

Anyway, one condition I asked from the developpers was that my scala files would be accessible somewhere in the package.
It means that in a short time these scales will be free to fly from their own wings, and will also be at the disposal of Manuel Op de Coul, so some of them will certainly join our Scala archives in proper time.

Yes, by choosing Scala (at least for that first product, but there no reason they would not extend it to others) Motu did a super good choice and we can only encourage the other sampling majors to do the same (may be, with the help of industrial espionage, they are already working on it ?? ;-)

About microtonal demo songs, you're right ! I think if world-music, ambiant or ethno-pop or whatever-musicians begin to hear what microtonality really brings to the exotic and vibrant atmospheres they're looking for, they would love it. And the more they train their ears with microtonality, the better it is. Not to mention our planet's tunings heritage (among other living things), that must urgently be saved.
I am not worried about the fact that Ethno will sell (and I have no financial interest at all in the issue !), but I do think it would be worthy to have some correct microtonal demo songs for Ethno v.2.
This is what I suggested to the Director of the Motu developpers here in France, and he seemed to be interested in the idea.
I am not at all familiar with electronic keyboards and all the MIDI technology myself, and I would encourage any electronic musician from our list, and I know there are many super-skilled ones, to submit even short demos of the sort.
The only contraints are that those would need to be all done with the Ethno bobox, but that's fair, and that I am not certain that the work would be paid... but who knows ?
If I can help, I will.
- - - - - - -
Jacques

>> Jacques>"Version 2 of ETHNO, the World traditional instruments >> software sampler from MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn), is now microtonal.
>> Even better, it should allows tuning by simple drag'n'drop of all >> your SCALA files ! - and keep them in memory too.
>> How do I know ? Well I had the honor to be asked, two months ago >> to supply its factory tunings -"
>
>
> Michael>Now that is one flexible micro-tonal synthesizer, largely > thanks to you. :-)
>
> Maybe you could convince Steinberg (makers of Cubase) and > Propellerheads (makers of Reason) to do the same time with their > software...talk about giving people easy access to micro-tonality > and a ton of great pre-packaged scales. That and (you and many > other masterminds on this list) could possibly include some > microtonal demo songs.
> Now that would make one great way to convince people to try > microtonal, IMVHO.
>
> Also just curious...what are your favorite tunings that you > included for the ETHNO synth?

I bet the first version was not very satisfying you Daniel !
I suppose you got it only for the instruments sounds, to use them with a another sampler that was microtonal may be ?
I don't know but normally you should be able to have it upgraded and then it should be quite more useful to you.
I will inform you all about it when I receive it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jacques

> Thanks for good news, I have it, hopefully this new version will be
> available for registered users as downloadable upgrade. Lack of
> microtonality was for me a big minus. Let's see.
>
> Daniel Forro
>
> On 15 Jan 2010, at 1:38 AM, Jacques Dudon wrote:
>
> > Any member visiting the NAMM show in Los Angeles this week-end
> > (14-17 Jan) by chance ?
> >
> > He (or she) perhaps could check one interesting issue :
> > Version 2 of ETHNO, the World traditional instruments software
> > sampler from MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn), is now microtonal.
> > Even better, it should allows tuning by simple drag'n'drop of all
> > your SCALA files ! - and keep them in memory too.
> > How do I know ? Well I had the honor to be asked, two months ago to
> > supply its factory tunings -
> > and I answered yes, but at some conditions concerning its
> > microtonal features - that have to be checked out now,
> > and about the number of microtunings : they were supposed at first
> > to be 50, but I was allowed to the double, and I ended with 155...
> > all in extended JI, mapped for 12 keys/octave keyboards and > available by
> > world regions and scale systems menus.
> >
> > Note : Ethno v.2 won't be available before the end of the month, I
> > don't know its price, I have no beta version and I know nothing
> > about the final product, but since it is presented in LA this WE, I
> > couldn't resist to spread the news...
> > - - - - - - -
> > Jacques

I got it three years ago from a distributor for writing review for a magazine (together with Symphonic Instrument), but was so disappointed by the quality of some samples, some mistakes in multisamples, lack of microtonality and similar, that I refused to write reviews. Also my computer is too old and slow so I couldn't use it until now. All sample database is in special format, I couldn't use individual samples with another sampler. Let's see, I'm looking forward to your report about it. I would like to use it.

Daniel Forro

On 16 Jan 2010, at 1:32 AM, Jacques Dudon wrote:

>
> I bet the first version was not very satisfying you Daniel !
>
> I suppose you got it only for the instruments sounds, to use them > with a another sampler that was microtonal may be ?
> I don't know but normally you should be able to have it upgraded > and then it should be quite more useful to you.
> I will inform you all about it when I receive it.
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Jacques

I understand better why you had that sampler that was not microtunable !
I can see the problem with the quality of samples in general. I was
offered myself Kontakt two years ago for a project using it, and I
thought : cool, I might be able to make some music for myself with it
(once I find the way to tune it...) but I found the sounds pitiful,
hardly 10 or 20 sounds usable (to my point of view) from the
collection available in the box.
So I understand what you say and I hope the samples of Ethno 2 got
also improved, then !
From what I could hear from the previous version demos, there were
at least a good number of percussions, balafons, n'gonis, sitar,
flûtes, etc. which seem pretty good - we shall see.
- - - - - - -
Jacques

> I got it three years ago from a distributor for writing review for a
> magazine (together with Symphonic Instrument), but was so
> disappointed by the quality of some samples, some mistakes in
> multisamples, lack of microtonality and similar, that I refused to
> write reviews. Also my computer is too old and slow so I couldn't use
> it until now. All sample database is in special format, I couldn't
> use individual samples with another sampler. Let's see, I'm looking
> forward to your report about it. I would like to use it.
>
> Daniel Forro
>
> On 16 Jan 2010, at 1:32 AM, Jacques Dudon wrote:
>
> > I bet the first version was not very satisfying you Daniel !
> >
> > I suppose you got it only for the instruments sounds, to use them
> > with a another sampler that was microtonal may be ?
> > I don't know but normally you should be able to have it upgraded
> > and then it should be quite more useful to you.
> > I will inform you all about it when I receive it.
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > Jacques