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 instructions for configuring the software using that method.

The examples given use the Surge XT synth as a musical instrument plugin running inside the Reaper DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths (or samplers) and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help ~~give~~ you the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other instrument-DAW combinations.

The examples given use the Surge XT synth as a musical instrument plugin running inside the Reaper DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths (or samplers) and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help you gain the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other instrument-DAW combinations.

* '''You just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the instructions in "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 2: Set a tuning using a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file|Set a tuning using a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file]]."

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Surge XT is a free and powerful software synthesizer that has extensive support for alternative tunings. Reaper is a popular and free-to-inexpensive DAW that fully supports all of Surge XT's possibilities for using alternative tuning systems. This tutorial was last verified using Surge XT version 1.2.3 and Reaper version 6.80 in August 2023.

Although this article is written ~~with the assumption that~~ you are using a synth, some samplers or sampler systems also support re-tuning using the methods described here.

Although this article is written as if you are using a synth, some samplers or sampler systems also support re-tuning using the methods described here.

==Methods for setting a tuning==

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'''Instructions'''

~~...~~[Use Surge's tuning editor to recreate a custom tuning, perhaps using the example of Ptolemy's Intense Diatonic or something more unusual.]

[Use Surge's tuning editor to recreate a custom tuning, perhaps using the example of Ptolemy's Intense Diatonic or something more unusual.]

'''Notes'''

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## 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 scale 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 are likely to recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO. Also, the more commonly known JI and meantone scale files are 7-note not 12-note so they won't map properly by themselves. Ptolex is a 12-tone Ptolemeic JI tuning, but not widely known. Also, many people will be unable to distinguish Ptolex by ear from 12-EDO. So what example to use?]

#Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), for example the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file [which *is* international ISO tuning standard].

#Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), for example the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file, which on a standard piano-style keyboard will set the scale to the ISO tuning standard ([https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/3601/3e7b175fdcae4a2aa09f9d0db4ac099d/ISO-16-1975.pdf ISO 16:1975]) of A4 = 440 Hz.

#Optionally, if you understand Scala scale and keyboard mapping data, you may wish to open Surge XT's ~~Tuning~~ editor at this time (Menu > Tuning > Open tuning editor...) to confirm the correct data was loaded from the files.

#Optionally, if you understand Scala scale and keyboard mapping data, you may wish to open Surge XT's tuning editor at this time (Menu > Tuning > Open tuning editor...) to confirm the correct data was loaded from the files.

#Optionally, [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#How to test the tuning|test the tuning]] to ensure it's correct.

'''Notes'''

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'''''Vital synth'''''

[Vital allows Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) import as well as Scala scale file (.scl) import. The specific instructions for Vital are different than for Surge XT but might be worth briefly including. AFAIK, there is still no way in Vital (as opposed to Surge XT) to apply re-tuning to the filters, and in Vital one must use its Mod Remap system for that instead of the tuning file import system.]

[Vital allows Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) import as well as Scala scale file (.scl) import. The specific instructions for Vital are different than for Surge XT but might be worth briefly including. AFAIK, there is still no way in Vital (as opposed to Surge XT) to apply re-tuning to the filters, and [https://forum.vital.audio/t/veena-sarod-sarangi/9436 in Vital one currently must use its Mod Remap system] for that instead of the tuning file import system.]

'''''Scala scale file'''''

* [Say something about tuning files and what they do, along with that they use various methods ~~of establishing~~ tunings. Some of this might better be located in a "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article.]

* [Say something about tuning files and what they do, along with that they use various methods to establish tunings. Some of this might better be located in a "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article.]

* [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 the "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala scale file|Scala scale file]]" article or that section of a "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article.]

'''''Scala keyboard mapping file'''''

*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 tuning center frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first note specified in the tuning file as MIDI Note C.60 and the tuning center (diapason, 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 base note of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is very close to but not exactly 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 ensure the base note is set to the tonic F, and ideally will use a keyboard mapping file to do that.

*Remember that when you load a Scala scale file you should always prevent mistuned surprises by loading a keyboard mapping file, if your instrument supports that. However, your instrument may instead allow you set a base note for your tuning as described in the Method 2 Notes below, under "Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center." To learn more details about how to use Scala scale and keyboard mapping files, including what to do when your instrument doesn't offer the option to load a keyboard mapping file, read the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] or [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]] articles.

*[Note 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 tuning center frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first note specified in the tuning file as MIDI Note C.60 and the tuning center (diapason, 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 base note of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is very close to but not exactly 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 ensure the base note is set to the tonic F, and ideally will use a keyboard mapping file to do that.

*Remember that when you load a Scala scale file you should always prevent mistuned surprises by loading a keyboard mapping file, if your instrument supports that. Or your instrument may let you set a base note for your tuning as described in the Method 2 Notes below, under "Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center." To learn more details about how to use Scala scale and keyboard mapping files, including what to do when your instrument doesn't offer the option to load a keyboard mapping file, read the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] or [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]] articles.

'''''Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center'''''

* Some software, like Garritan's Aria Player sampler system [list others], can use Scala scale files but do not support loading Scala keyboard mapping files. However, they may allow you to set the base note of the Scala scale file and its pitch. This fulfills two of the functions of the keyboard mapping file and you should use this method if it's all your instrument supports. If you are using a just intonation, for example, then setting the Scala scale file's base note to the music's tonic is essential.

* Some software, like Garritan's Aria Player sampler system [list others here], can use Scala scale files but do not support loading Scala keyboard mapping files. However, they may allow you to set the base note of the Scala scale file and its pitch. This fulfills two of the functions of the keyboard mapping file and you should use this method if it's all your instrument supports. If you are using a just intonation, for example, then setting the Scala scale file's base note to the music's tonic is essential.

* Instead of using a keyboard mapping file in Surge XT, you can also set the base for your scale using Surge XT's tuning editor as described in [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 1: Set a tuning directly in the synth itself|Method 1]]. This can be convenient for tunings with a 12-note scale that maps to a standard piano keyboard but may lead to problematic results otherwise. See [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Tuning base note, tuning center, and tonic|Tuning base note, tuning center, and tonic]] in the Appendix for more about setting a tuning's base note, tuning center, and addressing keyboard mapping issues, including the tuning system meanings of the terms ''base note'', ''reference pitch'', ''tuning center'', ''diapason'', and ''tonic''.

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==See also==

*[[DAWs#Approaches%20to%20Microtonal%20Composition%20in%20a%20DAW|DAWs § Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system|Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to using tuning plugins|Guide to using tuning plugins]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]

*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system|Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system]]

*[[DAWs#Approaches%20to%20Microtonal%20Composition%20in%20a%20DAW|DAWs § Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW]]

==External links==

*[https://www.reaper.fm/ Reaper]. A low-cost, powerful and popular DAW with excellent support for microtuning and other xenharmonic tunings.

*[https://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ Scala]. The Swiss army knife of alternative tunings, Scala is a powerful tool but with a steep learning curve. ~~Scala~~ can be used to create custom tuning files.

*[https://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ Scala]. The big Swiss army knife of alternative tunings, Scala is a powerful tool but with a steep learning curve. It can be used to create custom tuning files.

*[https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/ Scale Workshop]. A very effective tool for creating and ~~analyzing~~ tunings, and creating tuning files for them, Scale Workshop is much simpler to learn and use than Scala~~. [That doesn't make~~ it ~~intuitively obvious to use, though! I guess there needs to be a page, "How to make a note-frequency chart"~~ of ~~your~~ tuning~~, for confirming your musical instrument's correctness~~.]

*[https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/ Scale Workshop]. A very effective tool for creating and doing basic analysis of tunings, and creating tuning files for them. Scale Workshop is much simpler to learn and use than Scala, although using it still requires some understanding of tuning issues.

*[https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ Surge XT]. A powerful and fully free soft synth with outstanding support for non-standard tunings, supporting a variety of tuning methods.

*[https://vital.audio/ Vital]. A free to low-cost powerful software synthesizer with excellent support for alternative tuning systems. Unfortunately there is currently (Aug 2023) no mechanism for tuning the filters using tuning files (only [https://forum.vital.audio/t/veena-sarod-sarangi/9436/11 through Mod Remap]), which can rule out some sound design techniques.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 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 instructions for configuring the software using that method.
-The examples given use the Surge XT synth as a musical instrument plugin running inside the Reaper DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths (or samplers) and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help give you the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other instrument-DAW combinations.
+The examples given use the Surge XT synth as a musical instrument plugin running inside the Reaper DAW, but similar procedures and reasoning will apply to other synths (or samplers) and DAWs. Therefore this guide will go into some detail to help you gain the understanding needed to use these tuning methods with other instrument-DAW combinations.
 * '''You just want to start making music''' set in a non-standard tuning in your DAW? You can skip to the instructions in "[[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 2: Set a tuning using a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file|Set a tuning using a Scala scale file and keyboard mapping file]]."
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 Surge XT is a free and powerful software synthesizer that has extensive support for alternative tunings. Reaper is a popular and free-to-inexpensive DAW that fully supports all of Surge XT's possibilities for using alternative tuning systems. This tutorial was last verified using Surge XT version 1.2.3 and Reaper version 6.80 in August 2023.
-Although this article is written with the assumption that you are using a synth, some samplers or sampler systems also support re-tuning using the methods described here.
+Although this article is written as if you are using a synth, some samplers or sampler systems also support re-tuning using the methods described here.
 ==Methods for setting a tuning==
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 '''Instructions'''
-...[Use Surge's tuning editor to recreate a custom tuning, perhaps using the example of Ptolemy's Intense Diatonic or something more unusual.]
+[Use Surge's tuning editor to recreate a custom tuning, perhaps using the example of Ptolemy's Intense Diatonic or something more unusual.]
 '''Notes'''
@@ Line 90: / Line 90: @@
 ## 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 scale 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 are likely to recognize by name, and one is 12-EDO. Also, the more commonly known JI and meantone scale files are 7-note not 12-note so they won't map properly by themselves. Ptolex is a 12-tone Ptolemeic JI tuning, but not widely known. Also, many people will be unable to distinguish Ptolex by ear from 12-EDO. So what example to use?]
-#Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), for example the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file [which *is* international ISO tuning standard].
+#Load a [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala keyboard mapping file|Scala keyboard mapping file]] (.kbm), for example the "Halberstadt 60-440-69.kbm" file, which on a standard piano-style keyboard will set the scale to the ISO tuning standard ([https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/3601/3e7b175fdcae4a2aa09f9d0db4ac099d/ISO-16-1975.pdf ISO 16:1975]) of A4 = 440 Hz.
-#Optionally, if you understand Scala scale and keyboard mapping data, you may wish to open Surge XT's Tuning editor at this time (Menu > Tuning > Open tuning editor...) to confirm the correct data was loaded from the files.
+#Optionally, if you understand Scala scale and keyboard mapping data, you may wish to open Surge XT's tuning editor at this time (Menu > Tuning > Open tuning editor...) to confirm the correct data was loaded from the files.
 #Optionally, [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#How to test the tuning|test the tuning]] to ensure it's correct.
 '''Notes'''
@@ Line 103: / Line 103: @@
 '''''Vital synth'''''
-[Vital allows Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) import as well as Scala scale file (.scl) import. The specific instructions for Vital are different than for Surge XT but might be worth briefly including. AFAIK, there is still no way in Vital  (as opposed to Surge XT) to apply re-tuning to the filters, and in Vital one must use its Mod Remap system for that instead of the tuning file import system.]
+[Vital allows Scala keyboard mapping file (.kbm) import as well as Scala scale file (.scl) import. The specific instructions for Vital are different than for Surge XT but might be worth briefly including. AFAIK, there is still no way in Vital  (as opposed to Surge XT) to apply re-tuning to the filters, and [https://forum.vital.audio/t/veena-sarod-sarangi/9436 in Vital one currently must use its Mod Remap system] for that instead of the tuning file import system.]
 '''''Scala scale file'''''
-* [Say something about tuning files and what they do, along with that they use various methods of establishing tunings. Some of this might better be located in a "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article.]
+* [Say something about tuning files and what they do, along with that they use various methods to establish tunings. Some of this might better be located in a "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article.]
 * [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 the "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system#Scala scale file|Scala scale file]]" article or that section of a "[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]" article.]
 '''''Scala keyboard mapping file'''''
+*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 tuning center frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first note specified in the tuning file as MIDI Note C.60 and the tuning center (diapason, 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 base note of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is very close to but not exactly 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 ensure the base note is set to the tonic F, and ideally will use a keyboard mapping file to do that.
+*Remember that when you load a Scala scale file you should always prevent mistuned surprises by loading a keyboard mapping file, if your instrument supports that. However, your instrument may instead allow you set a base note for your tuning as described in the Method 2 Notes below, under "Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center." To learn more details about how to use Scala scale and keyboard mapping files, including what to do when your instrument doesn't offer the option to load a keyboard mapping file, read the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] or [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]] articles.
 *[Note 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 tuning center frequency and keyboard mapping that sets the first note specified in the tuning file as MIDI Note C.60 and the tuning center (diapason, 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 base note of C.60 and the reference pitch is C.60=261.626Hz, which is very close to but not exactly 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 ensure the base note is set to the tonic F, and ideally will use a keyboard mapping file to do that.
-*Remember that when you load a Scala scale file you should always prevent mistuned surprises by loading a keyboard mapping file, if your instrument supports that. Or your instrument may let you set a base note for your tuning as described in the Method 2 Notes below, under "Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center." To learn more details about how to use Scala scale and keyboard mapping files, including what to do when your instrument doesn't offer the option to load a keyboard mapping file, read the [[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods#Tuning files|Tuning methods]] or [[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]] articles.
 '''''Alternatives for setting the tuning's base note and tuning center'''''
-* Some software, like Garritan's Aria Player sampler system [list others], can use Scala scale files but do not support loading Scala keyboard mapping files. However, they may allow you to set the base note of the Scala scale file and its pitch. This fulfills two of the functions of the keyboard mapping file and you should use this method if it's all your instrument supports. If you are using a just intonation, for example, then setting the Scala scale file's base note to the music's tonic is essential.
+* Some software, like Garritan's Aria Player sampler system [list others here], can use Scala scale files but do not support loading Scala keyboard mapping files. However, they may allow you to set the base note of the Scala scale file and its pitch. This fulfills two of the functions of the keyboard mapping file and you should use this method if it's all your instrument supports. If you are using a just intonation, for example, then setting the Scala scale file's base note to the music's tonic is essential.
 * Instead of using a keyboard mapping file in Surge XT, you can also set the base for your scale using Surge XT's tuning editor as described in [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Method 1: Set a tuning directly in the synth itself|Method 1]]. This can be convenient for tunings with a 12-note scale that maps to a standard piano keyboard but may lead to problematic results otherwise. See [[User:Mousemambo/Document draft#Tuning base note, tuning center, and tonic|Tuning base note, tuning center, and tonic]] in the Appendix for more about setting a tuning's base note, tuning center, and addressing keyboard mapping issues, including the tuning system meanings of the terms ''base note'', ''reference pitch'', ''tuning center'', ''diapason'', and ''tonic''.
@@ Line 201: / Line 201: @@
 ==See also==
+*[[DAWs#Approaches%20to%20Microtonal%20Composition%20in%20a%20DAW|DAWs § Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW]]
+*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system|Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system]]
+*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to using tuning plugins|Guide to using tuning plugins]]
 *[[User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods|Tuning methods]]
 *[[User:Mousemambo/Scala tuning system|Scala tuning system]]
-*[[User:Mousemambo/Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system|Guide to tuning the Kontakt sampler system]]
-*[[DAWs#Approaches%20to%20Microtonal%20Composition%20in%20a%20DAW|DAWs § Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW]]
 ==External links==
 *[https://www.reaper.fm/ Reaper]. A low-cost, powerful and popular DAW with excellent support for microtuning and other xenharmonic tunings.
-*[https://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ Scala]. The Swiss army knife of alternative tunings, Scala is a powerful tool but with a steep learning curve. Scala can be used to create custom tuning files.
+*[https://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ Scala]. The big Swiss army knife of alternative tunings, Scala is a powerful tool but with a steep learning curve. It can be used to create custom tuning files.
-*[https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/ Scale Workshop]. A very effective tool for creating and analyzing tunings, and creating tuning files for them, Scale Workshop is much simpler to learn and use than Scala. [That doesn't make it intuitively obvious to use, though! I guess there needs to be a page, "How to make a note-frequency chart" of your tuning, for confirming your musical instrument's correctness.]
+*[https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/ Scale Workshop]. A very effective tool for creating and doing basic analysis of tunings, and creating tuning files for them. Scale Workshop is much simpler to learn and use than Scala, although using it still requires some understanding of tuning issues.
 *[https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ Surge XT]. A powerful and fully free soft synth with outstanding support for non-standard tunings, supporting a variety of tuning methods.
 *[https://vital.audio/ Vital]. A free to low-cost powerful software synthesizer with excellent support for alternative tuning systems. Unfortunately there is currently (Aug 2023) no mechanism for tuning the filters using tuning files (only [https://forum.vital.audio/t/veena-sarod-sarangi/9436/11 through Mod Remap]), which can rule out some sound design techniques.