User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods

Please use this page's Discussion page for comments and suggestions. This developing page is initially just an outline, but will be expanded into a proper page.

• 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.
  • What? Either the instrument itself, or an intermediary component dedicated to tuning, may need to be provided either with direct tuning data entry or a data loaded from a tuning file. You may need to specify what tuning mechanism(s) the instrument supports or should use, and sometimes also additional information about how to use that tuning data.
  • How? Components of a tuning system. At the time of this writing, there are three general components of tuning systems that you'll encounter in modern instruments: direct tuning information, tuning files, and tuning plugins or retuners. These are in addition, of course, to a controller (e.g. keyboard) and a musical instrument, which may be integrated in a hardware synth for example. Because legacy electronic instruments that support retuning have been preserved and are popular, but use outdated tuning mechanisms, those old mechanisms also need some consideration.
  • Addressing the complexity. There are many different types of hardware and software musical instruments, each of which will have a specific method or set of methods for tuning which it supports. This page will summarize what methods are being or have been used, and the advantages and disadvantages of alternatives. But you'll need to consult the manual for the specific instrument you are using to learn what tuning method (or methods) it actually supports, and you may need to choose components able to implement a method. These writings are intended to ensure that when you read that manual, you understand what it's saying and can make informed decisions.
• Direct tuning information. Some musical instruments have a built-in system for setting their tuning, via drop-down menu selection or user-customized tuning settings. Note: I don't like the expression "direct tuning" but can't think of something better right now.
  • Kontakt "microtuner" built-in script. Because Kontakt is so important, this needs to be stated explicitly, and a how-to link provided.
  • Other instruments (e.g. <list of example instruments>)
• Tuning files
  • This whole section should probably be split out into a separate "Tuning file" article, leaving just a summary in the main "Tuning methods" article.
  • 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, support full-keyboard microtuning, and more.
  • Instrument-specific tuning files
  • Anamark (.TUN) tuning files
  • Kontakt scripts
  • Scala (.SCL/.KBM) tuning
    • Scala tuning files (.SCL)
    • Scala keyboard mapping files (.KBM)
• Tuning plugins and Retuners
  • This whole section should probably be split out into a separate "Tuning plugin or retuner" article, leaving just a summary in the main "Tuning methods" article. I need a better article title than "Tuning plugin or returner" though.
  • 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 some important features of retuners and tuning plugins? They modify incoming data as it happens, so they need to be fast. 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??). Do they support full-keyboard microtuning?
  • Tuning plugins (e.g. VST/AU inserted into a DAW or VST-host plugin chain ahead of a software or hardware-interface instrument)
    • MTS-ESP tuning
    • MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) tuning
    • Pitch bend-based tuning
  • Software retuners. Software running standalone (independent from a DAW or plugin host), operating between a controller and a software or hardware instrument.
    • alt-tuner
  • Hardware retuners. Hardware modules for integrated hardware synths or for CV-controlled modular synths, independent of an all-purpose computer (PC, tablet, phone).
• Other tuning methods
  • MIDI Tuning Standard (MTS)
  • Legacy manufacturer-specific and instrument-specific tuning methods
  • RPN tuning
  • Other SysEx-based tuning methods

See also

• List of microtonal software plugins
• Scala § File formats
• DAWs § Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW
• Anamark tuning file format
• New Tuning Method (mostly outdated)

External links

• Microtuning and Alternative Intonation Systems, by Jacky Ligon. MIDI.org (website), Sep 2020.
• Making Microtonal Music is Easier Than You’d Think, by Michael W. Dean (aka SyntheticThought). Produce Like a Pro (website), July 1, 2021. (also archived at the Xenharmonic Wiki, as Part 1 and Part 2)
• MIDI tuning standard