User:Mousemambo/Document draft: Difference between revisions
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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. | 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. | ||
Just want to start making music set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 2 Procedure|procedure | * '''Just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 2 Procedure|procedure in "Set a tuning using a Scala tuning file and keyboard mapping file."]] | ||
* '''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]]." | |||
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]]. | 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]]. | ||
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==Methods for setting a tuning== | ==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 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.] | ||
There are many ways to configure a synth like Surge XT to use a non-standard tuning in a DAW like Reaper, named here as "methods." There are advantages and disadvantages to each. There are also other less common methods that might be appropriate for special cases. If none of the scenarios given below describe your own needs, then you may have one of those special cases, and are invited to review the "[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]" article to explore more possibilities and go deeper. | There are many ways to configure a synth like Surge XT to use a non-standard tuning in a DAW like Reaper, named here as "methods." There are advantages and disadvantages to each. There are also other less common methods that might be appropriate for special cases. If none of the scenarios given below describe your own needs, then you may have one of those special cases, and are invited to review the "[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]" article to explore more possibilities and go deeper. | ||
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## In Surge XT's Menu (found in the bottom right corner) select the Tuning option, then choose "Load .scl tuning..." | ## 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 tuning 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 will recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO.] | ##Use the resulting file selection popup to choose one of the [ideally 12-tone for keyboard mapping simplicity] Scala tuning 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 will recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO.] | ||
##* [Say something about tuning files and what they do, along with that they use various methods of establishing tunings.] | ##* [Say something about tuning files and what they do, along with that they use various methods of establishing tunings. I might move this below to the "Method 2 Notes" section.] | ||
##* [Say something here about tuning file naming standards, and | ##* [Say something here about tuning file naming standards/practices, and the extremely terse abbreviations used for some classes of tunings. This really should go in a "Scala tuning files" article or that section of a "Scala tuning system" article.] | ||
#Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), for example the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file [which *is* international ISO tuning standard]. [Note here that other keyboard layouts are supported by other keyboard mapping files.] | #Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), for example the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file [which *is* international ISO tuning standard]. [Note here that other keyboard layouts are supported by other keyboard mapping files.] | ||
#*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 tonic frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first note specified in the tuning file as MIDI Note C.60 and the 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 tonic of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is close to but not international standard.] 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), we need to use a keyboard mapping file to ensure the tuning is correct. | #*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 tonic frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first note specified in the tuning file as MIDI Note C.60 and the 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 tonic of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is close to but not international standard.] 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), we need to use a keyboard mapping file to ensure the tuning is correct. | ||