User:Mousemambo/Document draft: Difference between revisions

(7 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)

Line 5:

'''DRAFT''' ==== Proposed page title: '''<big>Guide to tuning a software synth in a DAW</big>''' ==== '''DRAFT'''

This guide describes some common methods for making music set in microtonal or other alternative tuning systems, by using a [[List of microtonal software plugins#Instrument plugins with microtonal support|software synthesizer]] running inside a [[DAWs|digital audio workstation (DAW)]]. It describes scenarios in which each of those methods are effective, and instructions for configuring the software using that method.

This guide describes some common methods for making music set in microtonal or other alternative [[Tuning system|tuning systems]], by using a [[List of microtonal software plugins#Instrument plugins with microtonal support|software synthesizer]] (soft synth) running inside a [[DAWs|digital audio workstation (DAW)]]. It describes scenarios in which each of those methods are effective, and instructions for configuring the software using that method.

The examples given use the [https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ Surge XT] synth as a musical instrument plugin running inside the [https://www.reaper.fm/ Reaper] DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths (or [[Wikipedia:Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]]) and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help you gain the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other instrument-DAW combinations.

* '''You just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the instructions in "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#~~Method 2:~~ Set a tuning using ~~a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file~~|Set a tuning using ~~a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file~~]]."

* '''You just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the instructions in "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Set a tuning in the synth using tuning files|Set a tuning in the synth using tuning files]]."

* '''You don't want to use a DAW?''' See "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Tuning Surge XT without a DAW in standalone mode|Tuning Surge XT without a DAW in standalone mode]]."

Line 23:

==Methods for setting a tuning==

[''I need to think further about how I want to name these use cases. I might prefer something that says more about why rather than what or how. But there can be several different "why" use cases for each the configurations named. So I might leave them as they are, call this section "Methods" and have the first section after the title and before "Advantages" be "Scenarios" for describing typical use cases for that method. I might remove the "Method N" prefix, but its useful in this doc to quickly refer people to a method by number rather than writing out the whole name.] [I don't like the "Method 1 Scenarios" style of sub-section heading, nor "Scenarios (Method 1)" or anything other than "Scenarios" — but then I can't make them link targets because there would be multiple occurrences of a "Scenarios" sub-section heading. Need to ponder more''.]

Four common instrument-DAW configurations for alternative tunings, here called "methods," are presented below. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, given the scenarios described. There are also other less common methods that might be appropriate or necessary for other instruments and DAWs and for special cases. If none of the offered scenarios describe your own situation, then you're invited to review the extensive "[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]" article to explore more possibilities.

There are several references below to scale designers ~~and~~ tuning editors, which are software tools that allow you to create custom scales and tuning systems, or modify existing ones. To learn more about them, and some distinctions between scales and tuning systems, see "[[~~User:Mousemambo/Document draft#~~Scale ~~designers and tuning editors|Scale designers and tuning editors~~]]~~" in the Appendix.~~

There are several references below to scale designers or tuning editors, which are software tools that allow you to create custom scales and tuning systems, or modify existing ones. To learn more about them, and some distinctions between scales and tuning systems, see the [[Scale design software]] article.

To use this Methods section, you can choose just to read the "Scenarios" section of each method to find something that is close to the actual scenario in which you plan to use Surge XT and Reaper. Then follow the "Instructions" for that method. Or you may want to read all the "Scenarios," "Advantages," and "Disadvantages" of every method to gain a strong understanding of all these possibilities and be prepared for many scenarios.

=== Method 1: Set a tuning directly in the synth itself ===

[~~''Briefly: What is a~~ scale ~~designer~~ or tuning editor?'']

Some synthesizers include support for setting a tuning directly, as opposed to loading a tuning file or being retuned by some other component. At its simplest, this built-in facility may be limited to setting a 12-note scale's pitch frequencies or its offsets in [[cents]] from [[12edo]]. Other instruments offer support for more notes per octave, or even more sophisticated [[Scale design software|scale designers or tuning editor]]<nowiki/>s. Scala XT, used in these examples, offers an unusually advanced tuning editor for a synth. If your instrument doesn't directly support the scale and tuning you wish to use, you'll need to try another method offered below.

'''Scenarios'''

Line 52:

Line 48:

*Needs to be redone for each new instrument instance.

*Tuning doesn't automatically apply to an ensemble of instruments together.

*Tuning can't be easily ~~changed~~ during a performance.

*Tuning usually can't be changed easily during a performance.

'''Instructions'''

Line 70:

Line 66:

Probably the most common method people choose to retune a synth in a DAW is by loading prepared tuning files. Tuning files provide all or most of the specification for a scale or tuning, and might be loaded using a drop-down selector or a file loading dialog.

For this method, we will use the example of a Scala scale file and Scala keyboard mapping file, since the Surge XT synth supports the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]. Very briefly, the scale file sets the intervals of the scale and the keyboard mapping file places the tuning base of the scale file on a specific MIDI note, sets the tuning reference note and pitch, and maps the notes to a keyboard or other controller. See the section "~~[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#~~Scala scale and keyboard mapping files~~|Scala scale and keyboard mapping files]]~~" below for more about these tuning files.

For this method, we will use the example of a Scala scale file and Scala keyboard mapping file, since the Surge XT synth supports the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]. Very briefly, the scale file sets the intervals of the scale and the keyboard mapping file places the tuning base of the scale file on a specific MIDI note, sets the tuning reference note and pitch, and maps the notes to a keyboard or other controller. See the section "Scala scale and keyboard mapping files" below for more about these tuning files.

Other tuning file systems besides the Scala ~~one~~ are used by other instruments. The most popular at the time of this writing is the Scala tuning file system (.scl), followed by the Anamark tuning file system (.tun), much less frequently the MIDI tuning file system (.mts), and there are others. These tuning file systems are sometimes referred to by the file extension they use (e.g. scl, tun, mts). It's mostly ~~possible~~ to convert between them, although they don't all support exactly the same set of features.

Other tuning file systems besides the Scala's are used by other instruments. The most popular at the time of this writing is the Scala tuning file system (.scl), followed by the Anamark tuning file system (.tun), much less frequently the MIDI tuning file system (.mts), and there are others. These tuning file systems are sometimes referred to by the file extension they use (e.g. scl, tun, mts). It's mostly easy to convert between them using available tools, although they don't all support exactly the same set of features.

'''Scenarios'''

Line 101:

Line 97:

#Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala scale file|Scala scale file]] (.scl) into Surge XT as follows, to establish the tuning system with relative intervals:

##In Surge XT's Menu (found in the bottom right corner) select the Tuning option, then choose "Load .scl tuning..."

## Use the resulting file selection popup to choose one of the [''ideally 12-tone for keyboard mapping simplicity''] Scala scale files that come with Surge XT, e.g. [''something beginners might have read about and would recognize,''] like just intonation's Ptolemy_intense_diatonic.scl or meantone's WerckmeisterIII_equal_beating.scl, or instead choose [''something named in condensed code like''] ED3-12.scl. [''I realize Scala XT at this moment only comes with two tuning files beginners are likely to recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO. Also, the more commonly known JI and meantone scale files are 7-note not 12-note so they won't map properly by themselves. Ptolex is a 12-tone Ptolemeic JI tuning, but not widely known. Also, many people will be unable to distinguish Ptolex by ear from 12-EDO. So what example to use?'']

## Use the resulting file selection popup to choose one of the [''ideally 12-tone for keyboard mapping simplicity''] Scala scale files that come with Surge XT, e.g. [''something beginners might have read about and would recognize,''] like just intonation's Ptolemy_intense_diatonic.scl or meantone's WerckmeisterIII_equal_beating.scl, or instead choose [''something named in condensed code like''] ED3-12.scl. [''I realize Scala XT at this moment only comes with two tuning files beginners are likely to recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO. Also, the more commonly known JI and meantone scale files are 7-note not 12-note so they won't map properly by themselves. Ptolex is a 12-tone Ptolemeic JI tuning, but not widely known. Also, many people will be unable to distinguish Ptolex by ear from 12-EDO. So what example to use?'' Some suggestions from #wiki at the Xen Discord server:

### Ptolex ([[Ptolex|Xen wiki]])

### [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150191961991544925 Otonal duodene] or [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150379784619184138 centered one] or [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150401859115286608 Duodene marvel] ([https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?n=12_duodene_marvel&l=37.ek_5l.6s_8s.lc_an.nq_dv.ai_g9.02q_jg.ha_mo.42_oj.6g_s9.13_u4.d8_xc.&version=2.1.0 Scale Workshop]) ([[Duodene]])

###[https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/1077259345873608734/1146973629691744389 Bicycle] ([[Bicycle|Xen Wiki]] | [https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?l=dFc_9F8_7F6_5F4_4F3_bF8_3F2_dF8_5F3_7F4_bF6_2F1&version=2.1.0 Scale Workshop])

### [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150390774601633822 12-note starling] ([https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?n=12_starling_WE&l=3f.d9_6g.e9_8n.5i_c2.ir_du.pj_ha.b0_jh.029_mi.39_px.gi_s4.7r_v5.8r_xc.&version=2.1.0 Scale Workshop])]

# Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), to anchor the scale file data to a tuning base and set the tuning reference note and pitch. A good choice for example is the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file, which on a standard piano-style keyboard will set the scale to the ISO tuning standard ([https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/3601/3e7b175fdcae4a2aa09f9d0db4ac099d/ISO-16-1975.pdf ISO 16:1975]) of A4 = 440 Hz. See "Scala scale and keyboard mapping files" below to learn a little more about these tuning files.

#Optionally, if you understand Scala scale and keyboard mapping data, you may wish to open Surge XT's built-in scale designer at this time (Menu > Tuning > Open tuning editor...) to confirm the correct data was loaded from the files.

Line 107:

'''Notes'''

[''This whole section needs extensive review with regard to what should be moved out to the [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Appendix|Appendix on this page]], or the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] article, what belongs in the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article, or perhaps is best rendered in duplicate for reading simplicity. Also, I need to settle on a consistent terminology and apply it to all three articles.I am removing as much as possible from the Instructions section, but to where? For example, the complexity of the relationship between the Scala scale file's base note, the tuning's tuning center, and the music's tonic (if it has one) makes this a very difficult topic for beginners but it's critical for JI so something needs to be said in this article. But this doesn't seem to be the right place to explain it in great detail — the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article is probably a good choice''.]

[''This whole section needs extensive review with regard to what should be moved out to the [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Appendix|Appendix on this page]], or the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] article, what belongs in the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article, or perhaps is best rendered in duplicate for reading simplicity. Also, I need to settle on a consistent terminology and apply it to all three articles.I am removing as much as possible from the Instructions section, but to where? For example, the complexity of the relationship between the Scala scale file's base note, the tuning's tuning center, and the music's tonic (if it has one) makes this a very difficult topic for beginners but it's critical for JI so something needs to be said in this article. But this doesn't seem to be the right place to explain it in great detail — the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article is probably a good choice, although for now some of that is reasonably'' found in the [[Scale design software]] article.]

'''''More about Surge XT'''''

Line 117:

*[''This section needs extensive reconsideration and revision given the creation of a separate [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article. Keep only what needs to be here. -> This work is in progress''.]

*[''Say something brief about tuning files and what they do. Mostly refer to the info located in the "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]" article''.]

*[''Say something about available tuning file conversion tools.'']

*[''Maybe this Note topic and the next one "Anamark tuning files" need to be combined into a "Tuning files" section of the Appendix.'']

*Note that without a Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) also loaded, the resulting tuning may not be what you expect. Surge XT like most synths will assume a default tuning center frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first (implied) note of the tuning file -- the tuning base -- as MIDI Note C.60 and the tuning center (diapason, reference pitch) as international ISO standard pitch (MIDI A.69=440.000Hz). [''Or will it? Seems undocumented. In fact, it '''does not'''. Default in Surge XT 1.2.3 is a tuning base note of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is very close to but not exactly international standard because it uses three-digit precision. I've read that this (at 2-4 digit precision) is the most common default for retunable synths when you don't load a keyboard mapping file''.] However, if for example we are using a just intonation scale and music with a tonic of F (F4, MIDI note 65, 349.23 Hz), it becomes critical that that tuning base note is set to the tonic F. Ideally we use a keyboard mapping file to do that, but if keyboard mapping files are not supported see the section "Alternative for setting the tuning base note and tuning reference."

*For more detailed information about Scala scale and keyboard mapping files, see the article "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]."

'''''Anamark tuning files'''''

* Surge XT doesn't directly support Anamark tuning files (.tun), which are a one-file alternative to using the two-file Scala tuning file system. Conversely, other synths may support the Anamark format but not Scala format, for example Omnisphere 2 from Spectrasonics, and Serum from Xfer Records. It's not difficult to convert between Anamark and Scala tuning files, to provide whichever your instrument requires. [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Using Anamark tuning files|Anamark tuning files]] and conversion are briefly described in the Appendix.

'''''Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center'''''

Line 127:

Line 131:

*[''Vital allows Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) import as well as Scala scale file (.scl) import. The specific instructions for Vital are different than for Surge XT but might be worth briefly including. AFAIK, there is still no way in Vital (as opposed to Surge XT) to apply retuning to the filters as required for some synthesis techniques, and [https://forum.vital.audio/t/veena-sarod-sarangi/9436 in Vital one currently must use its Mod Remap system] for that instead of the tuning file import system. This limit won't affect you if precisely tuned filters aren't needed for the sounds you use. Vital is not the only popular synth with full keyboard microtuning, but it's powerful, extremely popular and free-to-modestly priced, so a good direction to steer beginners''.]

~~'''''Anamark tuning files'''''~~

* Surge XT doesn't directly support Anamark tuning files (.tun), which are a one-file alternative to using the two-file Scala tuning file system. Conversely, other synths may support the Anamark format but not Scala format, for example Omnisphere 2 from Spectrasonics, and Serum from Xfer Records. It's not difficult to convert between Anamark and Scala tuning files, to provide whichever your instrument requires. [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Using Anamark tuning files|Anamark tuning files]] and conversion are briefly described in the Appendix.

===Method 3: Set a tuning using a tuning plugin===

Line 194:

=== Scale designers and tuning editors ===

[''~~Once again, this whole section should probably be moved~~ to ~~the recently created article "~~Scale design software."'']

[''Moved to [[Scale design software]]'']

It's important to realize that the words "scale" and "tuning" have very different meanings in different contexts. In the context of scale design software (aka scale designers) and tuning editors, scales can be understood abstractly as an ordered set of notes, whose roughly demarcated structure of intervals is determined by cultural music traditions or based on one of many possible patterns. Tuning systems can be understood as mathematical specifications for the set of exact pitch frequencies upon which those scale notes may be positioned. Tuning systems can define a large number of possible pitch locations, and a scale may include all or only a subset of them.

For example, the 12edo tuning system offers 12 possible frequencies per period for placing notes upon, all of which are used by the 12edo Chromatic scale, but only some of which are used by the 12edo Major pentatonic scale. These examples also point to the fact that an unambiguous, concrete scale description also names the tuning being used. The "12edo Major" scale and "Ptolemy's intense diatonic Major" scale are both Major scales. They are both diatonic (have five large and two maximally separated small intervals per period) and follow the Major mode pattern (L L s L L L s). But they place all their notes besides the tonic on slightly different frequencies, because they follow two different tuning systems — a just intonation in the Ptolemy case and an equal temperament in the 12edo case. They sound roughly the same when each is played as a sequential scale, but some strong harmonic differences are audible in dyads and chords.

Therefore, we can define a scale designer as a software tool for indicating the notes of a scale and their exact pitch frequencies. Given that definition, a tuning editor could be understood as a more general tool for exploring the various mathematical patterns from which tuning systems are developed. However, you will encounter software that uses these terms differently, as well as many other names that point toward these same functions being fulfilled. And software in this category frequently combines at least some of the functions of a scale designer and tuning editor. Just keep in mind that ultimately to play music you will need both to indicate the notes of your scale and the exact frequencies on which they are placed.

~~'''''Glossary for scale design software'''''~~

* '''Tuning base'''. The implied note, or explicit MIDI note number, on which the tuning file's scale is anchored. In the part of a tuning file that specifies a scale, it is usually the first, usually lowest pitched, scale note defined in a tuning file. In some tuning file systems, the other notes in the scale may be defined with reference to the tuning base (e.g. by frequency ratio or distance in cents). In the part of a tuning file that specifies a keyboard mapping, the tuning base is the MIDI note to which the scale is anchored. Also called the tuning base note, base note (easily confused with bass note), reference note (which is vague), 1/1 (referring to its intervallic relationship with itself), or (least clearly) the "middle note" which is how it's named in the Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) specification. It can be misleading to refer to the tuning base as the tonic, root, or key. The conceptual tool that is a tuning base does not directly appear in Western classical music theory. It's related to the concepts of tonic and key, but the tuning base is just a technical tool that operates in the context of needing to attach a scale to a musical instrument controller. Not every tuning base is also a tonic or key (e.g. in atonal music), and "root" applies to chords not scales.

* '''Reference note'''. The named note, or the MIDI note number, of the reference pitch. Also called the tuning center (e.g. in piano tuning terminology), or in a MIDI context the reference MIDI note. The reference note is sometimes specified with a combined named note, MIDI number, and pitch frequency expression, e.g. A4-440Hz-MIDI.69, meaning 440 Hz exactly for the A above middle C. Notice that 440 Hz exactly is the ISO-16-1975 tuning reference standard pitch for A4 on a piano keyboard.

* '''Reference pitch'''. The exact pitch frequency (typically in Hz) based on which all other notes in the scale or tuning system will be assigned a frequency, according to their intervallic relationship to the reference note. Also called the pitch reference or tuning center. In a reference specifier like C4-261Hz-MIDI.60 the "261" is typically an approximation, implying a more accurate number with 2-4 digits after a decimal point (e.g. 261.6256).

* '''Keyboard mapping'''. A data set that specifies how the notes of the scale are to be mapped to the MIDI notes of a musical instrument controller, beyond just the tuning base and reference note. For example, a seven note per octave scale might be mapped to skip the black keys on a standard piano keyboard layout. Or a scale with more than 12 notes per octave might be mapped in a way that uses only a subset of the scale, or makes the octaves easier to recognize within the black/white key pattern.

* '''Linear keyboard mapping'''. A mapping between scale and keyboard controller keys, such that the notes of the scale are simply applied in a sequential order starting from the tuning base. In the absence of an explicit keyboard mapping, music software will typically assign linear keyboard mapping. Consequently, the pattern of black and white keys on a standard piano keyboard might not align with small and large intervals of the scale.

===Set up an instrument track in the Reaper DAW===

Line 226:

Line 212:

*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system|Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to using tuning plugins|Guide to using tuning plugins]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]

*[[Scale design software]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]

==External links ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 '''DRAFT''' ==== Proposed page title: '''<big>Guide to tuning a software synth in a DAW</big>''' ==== '''DRAFT'''
-This guide describes some common methods for making music set in microtonal or other alternative tuning systems, by using a [[List of microtonal software plugins#Instrument plugins with microtonal support|software synthesizer]] running inside a [[DAWs|digital audio workstation (DAW)]]. It describes scenarios in which each of those methods are effective, and instructions for configuring the software using that method.
+This guide describes some common methods for making music set in microtonal or other alternative [[Tuning system|tuning systems]], by using a [[List of microtonal software plugins#Instrument plugins with microtonal support|software synthesizer]] (soft synth) running inside a [[DAWs|digital audio workstation (DAW)]]. It describes scenarios in which each of those methods are effective, and instructions for configuring the software using that method.
 The examples given use the [https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ Surge XT] synth as a musical instrument plugin running inside the [https://www.reaper.fm/ Reaper] DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths (or [[Wikipedia:Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]]) and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help you gain the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other instrument-DAW combinations.
-* '''You just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the instructions in "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 2: Set a tuning using a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file|Set a tuning using a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file]]."
+* '''You just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the instructions in "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Set a tuning in the synth using tuning files|Set a tuning in the synth using tuning files]]."
 * '''You don't want to use a DAW?''' See "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Tuning Surge XT without a DAW in standalone mode|Tuning Surge XT without a DAW in standalone mode]]."
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ==Methods for setting a tuning==
-[''I need to think further about how I want to name these use cases. I might prefer something that says more about why rather than what or how. But there can be several different "why" use cases for each the configurations named. So I might leave them as they are, call this section "Methods" and have the first section after the title and before "Advantages" be "Scenarios" for describing typical use cases for that method. I might remove the "Method N" prefix, but its useful in this doc to quickly refer people to a method by number rather than writing out the whole name.] [I don't like the "Method 1 Scenarios" style of sub-section heading, nor "Scenarios (Method 1)" or anything other than "Scenarios" — but then I can't make them link targets because there would be multiple occurrences of a "Scenarios" sub-section heading. Need to ponder more''.]
 Four common instrument-DAW configurations for alternative tunings, here called "methods," are presented below. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, given the scenarios described. There are also other less common methods that might be appropriate or necessary for other instruments and DAWs and for special cases. If none of the offered scenarios describe your own situation, then you're invited to review the extensive "[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]" article to explore more possibilities.
-There are several references below to scale designers and tuning editors, which are software tools that allow you to create custom scales and tuning systems, or modify existing ones. To learn more about them, and some distinctions between scales and tuning systems, see "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Scale designers and tuning editors|Scale designers and tuning editors]]" in the Appendix.
+There are several references below to scale designers or tuning editors, which are software tools that allow you to create custom scales and tuning systems, or modify existing ones. To learn more about them, and some distinctions between scales and tuning systems, see the [[Scale design software]] article.
-To use this Methods section, you can choose just to read the "Scenarios" section of each method to find something that is close to the actual scenario in which you plan to use Surge XT and Reaper. Then follow the "Instructions" for that method. Or you may want to read all the "Scenarios," "Advantages," and "Disadvantages" of every method to gain a strong understanding of all these possibilities and be prepared for many scenarios.
 === Method 1: Set a tuning directly in the synth itself ===
-[''Briefly: What is a scale designer or tuning editor?'']
+Some synthesizers include support for setting a tuning directly, as opposed to loading a tuning file or being retuned by some other component. At its simplest, this built-in facility may be limited to setting a 12-note scale's pitch frequencies or its offsets in [[cents]] from [[12edo]]. Other instruments offer support for more notes per octave, or even more sophisticated [[Scale design software|scale designers or tuning editor]]<nowiki/>s. Scala XT, used in these examples, offers an unusually advanced tuning editor for a synth. If your instrument doesn't directly support the scale and tuning you wish to use, you'll need to try another method offered below.
 '''Scenarios'''
@@ Line 52: / Line 48: @@
 *Needs to be redone for each new instrument instance.
 *Tuning doesn't automatically apply to an ensemble of instruments together.
-*Tuning can't be easily changed during a performance.
+*Tuning usually can't be changed easily during a performance.
 '''Instructions'''
@@ Line 70: / Line 66: @@
 Probably the most common method people choose to retune a synth in a DAW is by loading prepared tuning files. Tuning files provide all or most of the specification for a scale or tuning, and might be loaded using a drop-down selector or a file loading dialog.
-For this method, we will use the example of a Scala scale file and Scala keyboard mapping file, since the Surge XT synth supports the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]. Very briefly, the scale file sets the intervals of the scale and the keyboard mapping file places the tuning base of the scale file on a specific MIDI note, sets the tuning reference note and pitch, and maps the notes to a keyboard or other controller. See the section "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Scala scale and keyboard mapping files|Scala scale and keyboard mapping files]]" below for more about these tuning files.
+For this method, we will use the example of a Scala scale file and Scala keyboard mapping file, since the Surge XT synth supports the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]. Very briefly, the scale file sets the intervals of the scale and the keyboard mapping file places the tuning base of the scale file on a specific MIDI note, sets the tuning reference note and pitch, and maps the notes to a keyboard or other controller. See the section "Scala scale and keyboard mapping files" below for more about these tuning files.
-Other tuning file systems besides the Scala one are used by other instruments. The most popular at the time of this writing is the Scala tuning file system (.scl), followed by the Anamark tuning file system (.tun), much less frequently the MIDI tuning file system (.mts), and there are others. These tuning file systems are sometimes referred to by the file extension they use (e.g. scl, tun, mts). It's mostly possible to convert between them, although they don't all support exactly the same set of features.
+Other tuning file systems besides the Scala's are used by other instruments. The most popular at the time of this writing is the Scala tuning file system (.scl), followed by the Anamark tuning file system (.tun), much less frequently the MIDI tuning file system (.mts), and there are others. These tuning file systems are sometimes referred to by the file extension they use (e.g. scl, tun, mts). It's mostly easy to convert between them using available tools, although they don't all support exactly the same set of features.
 '''Scenarios'''
@@ Line 101: / Line 97: @@
 #Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala scale file|Scala scale file]] (.scl) into Surge XT as follows, to establish the tuning system with relative intervals:
 ##In Surge XT's Menu (found in the bottom right corner) select the Tuning option, then choose "Load .scl tuning..."
-## Use the resulting file selection popup to choose one of the [''ideally 12-tone for keyboard mapping simplicity''] Scala scale files that come with Surge XT, e.g. [''something beginners might have read about and would recognize,''] like just intonation's Ptolemy_intense_diatonic.scl or meantone's WerckmeisterIII_equal_beating.scl, or instead choose [''something named in condensed code like''] ED3-12.scl. [''I realize Scala XT at this moment only comes with two tuning files beginners are likely to recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO. Also, the more commonly known JI and meantone scale files are 7-note not 12-note so they won't map properly by themselves. Ptolex is a 12-tone Ptolemeic JI tuning, but not widely known. Also, many people will be unable to distinguish Ptolex by ear from 12-EDO. So what example to use?'']
+## Use the resulting file selection popup to choose one of the [''ideally 12-tone for keyboard mapping simplicity''] Scala scale files that come with Surge XT, e.g. [''something beginners might have read about and would recognize,''] like just intonation's Ptolemy_intense_diatonic.scl or meantone's WerckmeisterIII_equal_beating.scl, or instead choose [''something named in condensed code like''] ED3-12.scl. [''I realize Scala XT at this moment only comes with two tuning files beginners are likely to recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO. Also, the more commonly known JI and meantone scale files are 7-note not 12-note so they won't map properly by themselves. Ptolex is a 12-tone Ptolemeic JI tuning, but not widely known. Also, many people will be unable to distinguish Ptolex by ear from 12-EDO. So what example to use?'' Some suggestions from #wiki at the Xen Discord server:
+### Ptolex ([[Ptolex|Xen wiki]])
+### [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150191961991544925 Otonal duodene] or [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150379784619184138 centered one] or [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150401859115286608 Duodene marvel] ([https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?n=12_duodene_marvel&l=37.ek_5l.6s_8s.lc_an.nq_dv.ai_g9.02q_jg.ha_mo.42_oj.6g_s9.13_u4.d8_xc.&version=2.1.0 Scale Workshop]) ([[Duodene]])
+###[https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/1077259345873608734/1146973629691744389 Bicycle] ([[Bicycle|Xen Wiki]] | [https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?l=dFc_9F8_7F6_5F4_4F3_bF8_3F2_dF8_5F3_7F4_bF6_2F1&version=2.1.0 Scale Workshop])
+### [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1150390774601633822 12-note starling] ([https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?n=12_starling_WE&l=3f.d9_6g.e9_8n.5i_c2.ir_du.pj_ha.b0_jh.029_mi.39_px.gi_s4.7r_v5.8r_xc.&version=2.1.0 Scale Workshop])]
 # Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), to anchor the scale file data to a tuning base and set the tuning reference note and pitch.  A good choice for example is the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file, which on a standard piano-style keyboard will set the scale to the ISO tuning standard ([https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/3601/3e7b175fdcae4a2aa09f9d0db4ac099d/ISO-16-1975.pdf ISO 16:1975]) of A4 = 440 Hz. See "Scala scale and keyboard mapping files" below to learn a little more about these tuning files.
 #Optionally, if you understand Scala scale and keyboard mapping data, you may wish to open Surge XT's built-in scale designer at this time (Menu > Tuning > Open tuning editor...) to confirm the correct data was loaded from the files.
@@ Line 107: / Line 107: @@
 '''Notes'''
-[''This whole section needs extensive review with regard to what should be moved out to the [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Appendix|Appendix on this page]], or the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] article, what belongs in the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article, or perhaps is best rendered in duplicate for reading simplicity. Also, I need to settle on a consistent terminology and apply it to all three articles.I am removing as much as possible from the Instructions section, but to where? For example, the complexity of the relationship between the Scala scale file's base note, the tuning's tuning center, and the music's tonic (if it has one) makes this a very difficult topic for beginners but it's critical for JI so something needs to be said in this article. But this doesn't seem to be the right place to explain it in great detail — the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article is probably a good choice''.]
+[''This whole section needs extensive review with regard to what should be moved out to the [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Appendix|Appendix on this page]], or the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] article, what belongs in the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article, or perhaps is best rendered in duplicate for reading simplicity. Also, I need to settle on a consistent terminology and apply it to all three articles.I am removing as much as possible from the Instructions section, but to where? For example, the complexity of the relationship between the Scala scale file's base note, the tuning's tuning center, and the music's tonic (if it has one) makes this a very difficult topic for beginners but it's critical for JI so something needs to be said in this article. But this doesn't seem to be the right place to explain it in great detail — the [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article is probably a good choice, although for now some of that is reasonably'' found in the [[Scale design software]] article.]
 '''''More about Surge XT'''''
@@ Line 117: / Line 117: @@
 *[''This section needs extensive reconsideration and revision given the creation of a separate [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]] article. Keep only what needs to be here. -> This work is in progress''.]
 *[''Say something brief about tuning files and what they do. Mostly refer to the info located in the "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]" article''.]
+*[''Say something about available tuning file conversion tools.'']
+*[''Maybe this Note topic and the next one "Anamark tuning files" need to be combined into a "Tuning files" section of the Appendix.'']
 *Note that without a Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) also loaded, the resulting tuning may not be what you expect. Surge XT like most synths will assume a default tuning center frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first (implied) note of the tuning file -- the tuning base -- as MIDI Note C.60 and the tuning center (diapason, reference pitch) as international ISO standard pitch (MIDI A.69=440.000Hz). [''Or will it? Seems undocumented. In fact, it '''does not'''. Default in Surge XT 1.2.3 is a tuning base note of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is very close to but not exactly international standard because it uses three-digit precision. I've read that this (at 2-4 digit precision) is the most common default for retunable synths when you don't load a keyboard mapping file''.] However, if for example we are using a just intonation scale and music with a tonic of F (F4, MIDI note 65, 349.23 Hz), it becomes critical that that tuning base note is set to the tonic F. Ideally we use a keyboard mapping file to do that, but if keyboard mapping files are not supported see the section "Alternative for setting the tuning base note and tuning reference."
 *For more detailed information about Scala scale and keyboard mapping files, see the article "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]."
+'''''Anamark tuning files'''''
+* Surge XT doesn't directly support Anamark tuning files (.tun), which are a one-file alternative to using the two-file Scala tuning file system. Conversely, other synths may support the Anamark format but not Scala format, for example Omnisphere 2 from Spectrasonics, and Serum from Xfer Records. It's not difficult to convert between Anamark and Scala tuning files, to provide whichever your instrument requires. [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Using Anamark tuning files|Anamark tuning files]] and conversion are briefly described in the Appendix.
 '''''Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center'''''
@@ Line 127: / Line 131: @@
 *[''Vital allows Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) import as well as Scala scale file (.scl) import. The specific instructions for Vital are different than for Surge XT but might be worth briefly including. AFAIK, there is still no way in Vital  (as opposed to Surge XT) to apply retuning to the filters as required for some synthesis techniques, and [https://forum.vital.audio/t/veena-sarod-sarangi/9436 in Vital one currently must use its Mod Remap system] for that instead of the tuning file import system. This limit won't affect you if precisely tuned filters aren't needed for the sounds you use. Vital is not the only popular synth with full keyboard microtuning, but it's powerful, extremely popular and free-to-modestly priced, so a good direction to steer beginners''.]
-'''''Anamark tuning files'''''
-* Surge XT doesn't directly support Anamark tuning files (.tun), which are a one-file alternative to using the two-file Scala tuning file system. Conversely, other synths may support the Anamark format but not Scala format, for example Omnisphere 2 from Spectrasonics, and Serum from Xfer Records. It's not difficult to convert between Anamark and Scala tuning files, to provide whichever your instrument requires. [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Using Anamark tuning files|Anamark tuning files]] and conversion are briefly described in the Appendix.
 ===Method 3: Set a tuning using a tuning plugin===
@@ Line 194: / Line 194: @@
 === Scale designers and tuning editors ===
-[''Once again, this whole section should probably be moved to the recently created article "Scale design software."'']
+[''Moved to [[Scale design software]]'']
-It's important to realize that the words "scale" and "tuning" have very different meanings in different contexts. In the context of scale design software (aka scale designers) and tuning editors, scales can be understood abstractly as an ordered set of notes, whose roughly demarcated structure of intervals is determined by cultural music traditions or based on one of many possible patterns. Tuning systems can be understood as mathematical specifications for the set of exact pitch frequencies upon which those scale notes may be positioned. Tuning systems can define a large number of possible pitch locations, and a scale may include all or only a subset of them.
-For example, the 12edo tuning system offers 12 possible frequencies per period for placing notes upon, all of which are used by the 12edo Chromatic scale, but only some of which are used by the 12edo Major pentatonic scale. These examples also point to the fact that an unambiguous, concrete scale description also names the tuning being used. The "12edo Major" scale and "Ptolemy's intense diatonic Major" scale are both Major scales. They are both diatonic (have five large and two maximally separated small intervals per period) and follow the Major mode pattern (L L s L L L s). But they place all their notes besides the tonic on slightly different frequencies, because they follow two different tuning systems — a just intonation in the Ptolemy case and an equal temperament in the 12edo case. They sound roughly the same when each is played as a sequential scale, but some strong harmonic differences are audible in dyads and chords.
-Therefore, we can define a scale designer as a software tool for indicating the notes of a scale and their exact pitch frequencies. Given that definition, a tuning editor could be understood as a more general tool for exploring the various mathematical patterns from which tuning systems are developed. However, you will encounter software that uses these terms differently, as well as many other names that point toward these same functions being fulfilled. And software in this category frequently combines at least some of the functions of a scale designer and tuning editor. Just keep in mind that ultimately to play music you will need both to indicate the notes of your scale and the exact frequencies on which they are placed.
-'''''Glossary for scale design software'''''
-* '''Tuning base'''. The implied note, or explicit MIDI note number, on which the tuning file's scale is anchored. In the part of a tuning file that specifies a scale, it is usually the first, usually lowest pitched, scale note defined in a tuning file. In some tuning file systems, the other notes in the scale may be defined with reference to the tuning base (e.g. by frequency ratio or distance in cents). In the part of a tuning file that specifies a keyboard mapping, the tuning base is the MIDI note to which the scale is anchored.  Also called the tuning base note, base note (easily confused with bass note), reference note (which is vague), 1/1 (referring to its intervallic relationship with itself), or (least clearly) the "middle note" which is how it's named in the Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) specification. It can be misleading to refer to the tuning base as the tonic, root, or key.  The conceptual tool that is a tuning base does not directly appear in Western classical music theory. It's related to the concepts of tonic and key, but the tuning base is just a technical tool that operates in the context of needing to attach a scale to a musical instrument controller. Not every tuning base is also a tonic or key (e.g. in atonal music), and "root" applies to chords not scales.
-* '''Reference note'''. The named note, or the MIDI note number, of the reference pitch. Also called the tuning center (e.g. in piano tuning terminology), or in a MIDI context the reference MIDI note. The reference note is sometimes specified with a combined named note, MIDI number, and pitch frequency expression, e.g. A4-440Hz-MIDI.69, meaning 440 Hz exactly for the A above middle C. Notice that 440 Hz exactly is the ISO-16-1975 tuning reference standard pitch for A4 on a piano keyboard.
-* '''Reference pitch'''. The exact pitch frequency (typically in Hz) based on which all other notes in the scale or tuning system will be assigned a frequency, according to their intervallic relationship to the reference note. Also called the pitch reference or tuning center. In a reference specifier like C4-261Hz-MIDI.60 the "261" is typically an approximation, implying a more accurate number with 2-4 digits after a decimal point (e.g. 261.6256).
-* '''Keyboard mapping'''. A data set that specifies how the notes of the scale are to be mapped to the MIDI notes of a musical instrument controller, beyond just the tuning base and reference note. For example, a seven note per octave scale might be mapped to skip the black keys on a standard piano keyboard layout. Or a scale with more than 12 notes per octave might be mapped in a way that uses only a subset of the scale, or makes the octaves easier to recognize within the black/white key pattern.
-* '''Linear keyboard mapping'''. A mapping between scale and keyboard controller keys, such that the notes of the scale are simply applied in a sequential order starting from the tuning base. In the absence of an explicit keyboard mapping, music software will typically assign linear keyboard mapping. Consequently, the pattern of black and white keys on a standard piano keyboard might not align with small and large intervals of the scale.
 ===Set up an instrument track in the Reaper DAW===
@@ Line 226: / Line 212: @@
 *[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system|Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system]]
 *[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to using tuning plugins|Guide to using tuning plugins]]
+*[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]
+*[[Scale design software]]
 *[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]
-*[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning file system]]
 ==External links ==