Keyboard: Difference between revisions

== Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave ==

=== Multiple keyboards ===

Of course, each keyboard's tuning does not have to be 12edo, but choosing a 12-tone octave-repeating scale has its advantages. The keyboard layout keeps the familiar property that 12 key steps span one octave, and the pitches typically need only minor retuning. This is not unimportant for acoustical instruments, where we usually have physical limits to the amount a pitch can be retuned. For this reason, this approach is widely used, especially in the field of contemporary classical music. As for synthesizers, a compatibility list for various models can be found at [http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com Microtonal Synthesis].

Electronic keyboards sometimes have the possibility to play in "split" mode, i.e. the upper and the lower half of the keyboard can send to different midi channels. Some keyboards offer up to 4 split areas. In this case, you need only one keyboard – but you still have the disadvantage of having to jump between the areas.

* [[24edo#instruments|12 note octave scales piano tuning instructions for 24edo]]

* [http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/tuning/message/74155 12 note octave scales piano tuning instructions for 41edo]{{dead link}}

=== Full keyboard retuning ===

A possible "full keyboard scales" piano tuning for [[22edo]], mapping two keyboard octaves to one acoustic octave, is described in [http://lumma.org/tuning/erlich/erlich-decatonic.pdf Paul Erlich's paper on 22edo], on page 11.

=== Modulation wheel ===

Some instruments allows their tuning to be changed "on the fly", allowing access to more than 12 notes, although not all at once. The main advantage is that the keyboard layout keeps the familiar property that 12 key steps span one octave. The main disadvantages is that certain melodies will be unplayable, such as a rapid passage using more than 12 notes.

The easiest way to experiment with dynamic tunings is with midi keyboards and software. [http://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ Scala] and [http://www.nonoctave.com/tuning/LilMissScaleOven/ Lil' Miss Scale Oven] have limited dynamic tuning ability. [http://www.tallkite.com/alt-tuner.html Alt-tuner] allows retuning of individual notes (choosing among various ratios or among various EDO degrees), modulating to different keys (either by a specific interval, or to a specific note, or to the current bass note), and switching to completely different tunings. All this can be done via keyswitches, foot pedals, the mod wheel, or any control that generates a midi signal. These midi signals can come from any midi device, such as a 2nd keyboard, or even the computer's QWERTY keyboard. Technique-wise, using keyswitches would be similar to using mandals or sharpening levers, and using footpedals would be similar to using the classical harp's pedals.

''See also this giant [https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=594460 List of MPE Hardware Controllers (www.kvraudio.com/forum)]''.  

{| class="wikitable sortable center-4"

|-

| [https://richiegreene.com/instruments/ Cimbalo Cromatico]

| Richie Greene

| 32

| In production

! No. of "keys"

! Price

|-

| [https://desideratasystems.com/mosaichord.html Seven Limit Mosaichord]

| 113 (4 octaves)

| $800 USD

|-

| [https://global.novationmusic.com/en/launch/launchpad-pro Launchpad Pro]

| Novation

|-

| Behringer

| 4×8

| 32 + 20 control keys

| $99 USD

|}