User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods: Difference between revisions

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''This is a proposal for a new page or set of pages. Although much of the relevant info will be in the Tuning Methods page itself, some other info might best be split out into its own page (e.g. there is already an [[~~Anamark tuning file format]]~~ page~~). Also, any how-to [[:Category:Guides~~]] ~~pages would be separate,~~ and ~~links could be provided to existing outside how-to instructions that have text or video format (urgh...link maintenance sucks)~~.''

{{Mbox|type=notice|text=Please use this page's [[User_talk:Mousemambo/Tuning_methods|Discussion page]] for comments and suggestions. This developing page is initially just an outline, but will be further developed into a proper page.}}

''This writing needs to use descriptions that apply to both hardware (integrated synth & component systems) and software (standalone and plugin) instruments. Because this would probably grow unwieldy if the writing went into to much depth about *how* the provided information applies to each those types of instruments, ~~it would~~ be ~~best to create as separate pages any how-to details or implementation-specific info, beyond very general statements (e.g. that users may choose~~ a tuning with a drop-down menu selector or by loading an outside tuning file). Those additional pages might be instrument-specific (e.g. how to implement the various tuning methods in the Kontakt sampler system) or method-specific (how to use SCL/KBM files in several popular electronic or virtual instruments. I defer deciding which of those two is preferable. The main Tuning Methods article is not a how-to or a guide.''

''I'm inventing a distinction between "Tuning plugins" (that operate within a plugin chain) and "Retuners" (standalone apps) even though tuning plugins have been understood as a subset of retuners. People are calling them "tuning plugins" and not using the term retuners, so this makes sense to me.''

~~''The description of each component that has an alternative, e~~.~~g. tuning files vs. direct tuning, Kontakt scripts vs. Scala tuning, needs to state the advantages and disadvantages of that component compared to common alternatives.''~~

*'''Introduction'''

**Why? We need to tell hardware (electronic) and software (virtual) musical instruments what tuning system to use when they receive controller input or MIDI data.

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*'''Tuning files'''

**''This whole section should probably be split out into a separate article, leaving just a summary in the main "Tuning methods" article.''

**Intro

** Intro

***What are tuning files? They provide, in an outside file that needs to be loaded, the information necessary to tell a musical instrument (or software that in turn tells an instrument) how to implement a specific tuning system.

***What are the important features of tuning files? They may establish intervals, frequency assignment, controller data mapping, and more.

**Instrument-specific tuning files

**Anamark (.TUN) tuning files

**Kontakt scripts

** Kontakt scripts

**Scala (.SCL/.KBM) tuning

** Scala (.SCL/.KBM) tuning

***Scala tuning files (.SCL)

***Scala keyboard mapping files (.KBM)

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**''This whole section should probably be split out into a separate article, leaving just a summary in the main "Tuning methods" article.''

**Intro

***What are retuners and tuning plugins? They take a tuning file as input (or direct tuning info), and appropriately modify the data going to an instrument. They interpret a tuning file to map controller data into the format the instrument can use. There are both software and hardware implementations, depending on specific musical system (e.g. all software, modular synth system, etc.).

*** What are retuners and tuning plugins? They take a tuning file as input (or direct tuning info), and appropriately modify the data going to an instrument. They interpret a tuning file to map controller data into the format the instrument can use. There are both software and hardware implementations, depending on specific musical system (e.g. all software, modular synth system, etc.).

***What are the important features of retuners and tuning plugins? They modify incoming data as it happens, so they need to be fast. Also, they may implement this function either by altering the note-on data of a MIDI stream, or by providing dynamic (continuous control) tuning info while a note is playing (or both??).

**Tuning plugins (e.g. VST/AU inserted into a DAW or VST-host plugin chain ahead of a software or hardware-interface instrument)

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*'''Other tuning methods'''

**MIDI Tuning Specification (MTS)

**Legacy manufacturer-specific and instrument-specific tuning methods

** Legacy manufacturer-specific and instrument-specific tuning methods

**RPN tuning

**Other SysEx-based tuning methods

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''This is a proposal for a new page or set of pages. Although much of the relevant info will be in the Tuning Methods page itself, some other info might best be split out into its own page (e.g. there is already an [[Anamark tuning file format]] page). Also, any how-to [[:Category:Guides]] pages would be separate, and links could be provided to existing outside how-to instructions that have text or video format (urgh...link maintenance sucks).''
+{{Mbox|type=notice|text=Please use this page's [[User_talk:Mousemambo/Tuning_methods|Discussion page]] for comments and suggestions. This developing page is initially just an outline, but will be further developed into a proper page.}}
-''This writing needs to use descriptions that apply to both hardware (integrated synth & component systems) and software (standalone and plugin) instruments. Because this would probably grow unwieldy if the writing went into to much depth about *how* the provided information applies to each those types of instruments, it would be best to create as separate pages any how-to details or implementation-specific info, beyond very general statements (e.g. that users may choose a tuning with a drop-down menu selector or by loading an outside tuning file). Those additional pages might be instrument-specific (e.g. how to implement the various tuning methods in the Kontakt sampler system) or method-specific (how to use SCL/KBM files in several popular electronic or virtual instruments. I defer deciding which of those two is preferable. The main Tuning Methods article is not a how-to or a guide.''
-''I'm inventing a distinction between "Tuning plugins" (that operate within a plugin chain) and "Retuners" (standalone apps) even though tuning plugins have been understood as a subset of retuners. People are calling them "tuning plugins" and not using the term retuners, so this makes sense to me.''
-''The description of each component that has an alternative, e.g. tuning files vs. direct tuning, Kontakt scripts vs. Scala tuning, needs to state the advantages and disadvantages of that component compared to common alternatives.''
 *'''Introduction'''
 **Why? We need to tell hardware (electronic) and software (virtual) musical instruments what tuning system to use when they receive controller input or MIDI data.
@@ Line 17: / Line 10: @@
 *'''Tuning files'''
 **''This whole section should probably be split out into a separate article, leaving just a summary in the main "Tuning methods" article.''
-**Intro
+** Intro
 ***What are tuning files? They provide, in an outside file that needs to be loaded, the information necessary to tell a musical instrument (or software that in turn tells an instrument) how to implement a specific tuning system.
 ***What are the important features of tuning files? They may establish intervals, frequency assignment, controller data mapping, and more.
 **Instrument-specific tuning files
 **Anamark (.TUN) tuning files
-**Kontakt scripts
+** Kontakt scripts
-**Scala (.SCL/.KBM) tuning
+** Scala (.SCL/.KBM) tuning
 ***Scala tuning files (.SCL)
 ***Scala keyboard mapping files (.KBM)
@@ Line 29: / Line 22: @@
 **''This whole section should probably be split out into a separate article, leaving just a summary in the main "Tuning methods" article.''
 **Intro
-***What are retuners and tuning plugins? They take a tuning file as input (or direct tuning info), and appropriately modify the data going to an instrument. They interpret a tuning file to map controller data into the format the instrument can use. There are both software and hardware implementations, depending on specific musical system (e.g. all software, modular synth system, etc.).
+*** What are retuners and tuning plugins? They take a tuning file as input (or direct tuning info), and appropriately modify the data going to an instrument. They interpret a tuning file to map controller data into the format the instrument can use. There are both software and hardware implementations, depending on specific musical system (e.g. all software, modular synth system, etc.).
 ***What are the important features of retuners and tuning plugins? They modify incoming data as it happens, so they need to be fast. Also, they may implement this function either by altering the note-on data of a MIDI stream, or by providing dynamic (continuous control) tuning info while a note is playing (or both??).
 **Tuning plugins (e.g. VST/AU inserted into a DAW or VST-host plugin chain ahead of a software or hardware-interface instrument)
@@ Line 40: / Line 33: @@
 *'''Other tuning methods'''
 **MIDI Tuning Specification (MTS)
-**Legacy manufacturer-specific and instrument-specific tuning methods
+** Legacy manufacturer-specific and instrument-specific tuning methods
 **RPN tuning
 **Other SysEx-based tuning methods