User:Mousemambo/Document draft: Difference between revisions

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 procedures for configuring the software using that method. The examples given will use the Surge XT synth running inside the Reaper DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help give you the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other synth-DAW combinations.

There are many other ways to create music with alternative tuning, like using [[List of music software|other software]], your voice, or a [[Instruments|physical musical instrument]]. This guide only explores one: a synth in a DAW. Don't know what "alternative tuning" means? Please visit the Xenharmonic wiki's [[Main Page|Main page]].

To use this Methods section, you might 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 "Procedure" 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.

[Briefly: What is the tuning editor? Use Surge's tuning editor to recreate a custom tuning, perhaps using the example of Ptolemy's Intense Diatonic. Scenarios: TBD. Advantages: No additional component complexity. Can be easy for simple tunings you're already familiar with. Disadvantages: Can be time consuming compared to using a tuning file, with an unfamiliar or complex tuning. Needs to be redone for each new instrument instance. Tuning can't be quickly applied to other instruments.]

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[Briefly: A tuning file is.... A keyboard mapping file is.... The Scala format tuning files and keyboard mapping files together work to .... If you omit using a keyboard mapping file.... For more about Scala tuning and keyboard mapping files, see the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] article. Ultimately, there should be articles that are companions to the existing "[[Anamark tuning file format]]" page (which almost certainly should be renamed "Anamark tuning file".. the existing page title should redirect to a section of the new page), named "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning file|Scala tuning file]]" and "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]]" or a single "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article might incorporate both those as sections at least initially.]

[What circumstances would lead to this being the best (or at least a very good) choice among the methods listed here? The "why that is" would be answered in the next two sections.]

[Why you would want to use this method.]

[Why you would not want to use this method.]

#Launch the Reaper application, create a [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Create an instrument track in the Reaper DAW|new instrument track in Reaper]], and add Surge XT as a plugin on that instrument track. Note: If you are not using a DAW, and [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Tuning Surge XT without a DAW in standalone mode|using Surge XT in standalone mode]] instead, replace this step with: Launch the Surge XT standalone application.

#Optionally, test the tuning to ensure it's correct.

Surge XT also provides a button "Tune" under the label "Status" along the top of its window. If a custom tuning has not yet been added during the current session, clicking the button will reveal the same list of options as Menu > Tuning. If a custom tuning has been loaded, the Tune button will be lit (bright not dark), and clicking it will turn that tuning off (back to the software's default [[12edo|12-EDO tuning]]) or back on.

[Rather than provide instructions for using a tuning plugin here, I could instead do that in a different Guide for using a synth that requires it like Vital, which can load a Scala tuning file but not a keyboard mapping file, and supports MPE tuning. If I expand this doc to include another synth, I probably will need to split this Method into 3a ... using MPE, and 3b ... using pitch bend. For more about tuning plugins, see the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning plugins and retuners|Tuning methods]] article.]

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[Briefly: Add an MTS-ESP tuning source plugin on one track, and Surge XT on another. Load a tuning file into the MTS-ESP source plugin. Set Surge XT to listen to MTS-ESP. Confirm that the MTS-ESP source has connected. Note that, unlike Surge XT, most available electronic instruments at this time (August 2023) don't support MTS-ESP tuning although some do. Note that if I choose to expand by mentioning other synths, I need to say that some of those can be re-tuned by adding a tuning plugin that **does** support MTS-ESP... Method 4a: using a tuning plugin. Other ways to structure this are possible and will be considered.]

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