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==Practical Tuning for Beginners pages==
==Practical Tuning for Beginners pages==
Below is a list of '''existing pages''' (still expanding by search, as of August 2023) relevant to beginners who want to set their electronic instruments to other than 12-EDO tuning. Synth/sampler manuals frequently don't provide enough background information, instead assuming you already know something about tuning files.
Below is a list of '''existing Xen wiki pages''' (still expanding by search, as of August 2023) relevant to beginners who want to set their electronic instruments to other than 12-EDO tuning. Synth/sampler manuals frequently don't provide enough background information, instead assuming you already know something about tuning files.


It's useful to consider the trajectory of beginners newly arriving at the wiki. The wiki's [[Main Page|front page]] has a section "If you are new to musical tuning" that doesn't get into practical how-to issues, but the page also has a very appropriate and helpful section "Practical xenharmonics" ([[Useful Tools]], [[List of microtonal software plugins]], [[Microtonal instruments]]). "Useful tools" simply redirects to the "[[List of music software]]" page, which seems sensible if inconsistent.
It's useful to consider the trajectory of beginners newly arriving at the wiki. The wiki's [[Main Page|front page]] has a section "If you are new to musical tuning" that doesn't get into practical how-to issues, but the page also has a very appropriate and helpful section "Practical xenharmonics" ([[Useful Tools]], [[List of microtonal software plugins]], [[Microtonal instruments]]). "Useful tools" simply redirects to the "[[List of music software]]" page, which seems sensible if inconsistent.
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*[[List of music software|'''List of music software''']]. Good page with ongoing maintenance activity. Linked to from the [[Main Page]] in the "Practical xenharmonics" section, as a "Useful tools" redirect. Also in the Navigation sidebar boath as "Software" under the Practice section, and as "Useful Tools" under the Theory section.
*[[List of music software|'''List of music software''']]. Good page with ongoing maintenance activity. Linked to from the [[Main Page]] in the "Practical xenharmonics" section, as a "Useful tools" redirect. Also in the Navigation sidebar boath as "Software" under the Practice section, and as "Useful Tools" under the Theory section.
*[[List of microtonal software plugins|'''List of microtonal software plugins''']]. Very important page at this time (August 2023), well maintained with updates. Linked to from the [[Main Page]] in the "[[Main Page#Practical xenharmonics|Practical xenharmonics]]" section. Also from the "[[List of music software#Software plugins .28VST etc..29|Software plugins]]" section of the "[[List of music software]]" page.
*[[List of microtonal software plugins|'''List of microtonal software plugins''']]. Very important page at this time (August 2023), well maintained with updates. Linked to from the [[Main Page]] in the "[[Main Page#Practical xenharmonics|Practical xenharmonics]]" section. Also from the "[[List of music software#Software plugins .28VST etc..29|Software plugins]]" section of the "[[List of music software]]" page.
*[[Pedagogy]]. Excellent page with a name that unfortunately doesn't scream, "New folks start here!" "Education" would be better because it's [https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/english-vocabulary/top-1000-words/ more common], or "Learn" is [https://www.summerboardingcourses.com/blogs/500-most-common-words-in-english/ even more common]. I note that [[User:Fredg999/Sandbox]]#Summary_of_proposed_changes notices the same problem, and implies that "Guides" would be a good choice -- I agree. An important page because there's a link to it in the wiki's default/Navigation sidebar. Understandably focused on tuning theory, not practical issues.
*[[DAWs]]. The section "[[DAWs#Approaches%20to%20Microtonal%20Composition%20in%20a%20DAW|Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW]]" has some good info about practical tuning issues, though without enough detail to actually do it. Needs a link to some more practical how-to page.(s)
*[[Scala]]. Has a brief section on tuning files, which needs "See: Tuning files" added.
*[[Pedagogy]]. Excellent page with a name that unfortunately doesn't scream, "New folks start here!" "Education" would be better because it's [https://www.ef.com/ca/english-resources/english-vocabulary/top-1000-words/ more common], or "Learn" is [https://www.summerboardingcourses.com/blogs/500-most-common-words-in-english/ even more common]. I note that [[User:Fredg999/Sandbox]]#Summary_of_proposed_changes notices the same problem, and implies that "Guides" would be a good choice -- I agree. An important page because there's a link to it in the wiki's default/Navigation sidebar. Understandably focused on tuning theory, not practical issues. Update 2023-08-05: The sidebar link has been renamed Guides.
*[[New Tuning Method]]. Relevant, but mostly outdated page whose last substantial update was June 2016, so no mention of MTS-ESP, MPE or tuner plugins.
*[[New Tuning Method]]. Relevant, but mostly outdated page whose last substantial update was June 2016, so no mention of MTS-ESP, MPE or tuner plugins.
*[[Creating Scala scl files for rank two temperaments]]. Beginners won't know what a "rank two temperament" is or what Scala does.
*[[Creating Scala scl files for rank two temperaments]]. Beginners won't know what a "rank two temperament" is (I personally have no idea) or what Scala does (I know what it does but haven't figured out how to use it yet). I don't understand this page at all yet, but I'm sure others do.
*[[Pedagogy questions]]. Old abandoned page.
*[[Pedagogy questions]]. Old abandoned page.
*[[PedagogyTradeoffs]]. Redirects to the "Pedagogy questions" page section: [[Pedagogy questions|When_is_learning_a_microtonal_system_of_pitches_harder_than_learning_the_12-equal_system.3F_When_is_it_easier.3F]]
*[[PedagogyTradeoffs]]. Redirects to the "Pedagogy questions" page section: [[Pedagogy questions|When_is_learning_a_microtonal_system_of_pitches_harder_than_learning_the_12-equal_system.3F_When_is_it_easier.3F]]
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*[[Useful Tools]]. Redirects to the [[List of music software]].
*[[Useful Tools]]. Redirects to the [[List of music software]].
*[[Anamark tuning file format]]. A good page already. Too bad there isn't an equivalent for Scala SCL/KBM file formats!
*[[Anamark tuning file format]]. A good page already. Too bad there isn't an equivalent for Scala SCL/KBM file formats!
*[[Scala]]. Has a brief section on tuning files, which needs "See: Tuning files" added.
*[[DAWs]]. The section "[[DAWs#Approaches%20to%20Microtonal%20Composition%20in%20a%20DAW|Approaches to Microtonal Composition in a DAW]]" has some good info about practical tuning issues.
Also, there are some not (yet) totally outdated pages out beyond the Xenharmonic wiki that are worth learning from:
Also, there are some not (yet) totally outdated pages out beyond the Xenharmonic wiki that are worth learning from:


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There is some movement in the music world for moving away from referring to "Indian music" as a broad category, and toward instead referring to South Asian music. This is to distinguish the music primarily or entirely found within the country of India from (admittedly closely related) traditional/classical/artistic, folk, and contemporary music found in the South Asia region but outside India itself. I wouldn't say that movement is strong, but it has a point.
There is some movement in the music world for moving away from referring to "Indian music" as a broad category, and toward instead referring to South Asian music. This is to distinguish the music primarily or entirely found within the country of India from (admittedly closely related) traditional/classical/artistic, folk, and contemporary music found in the South Asia region but outside India itself. I wouldn't say that movement is strong, but it has a point.


I note that under [[:Category:Traditions]] all the cultural traditions (not just Indian) are named with strange and somewhat dismaying names that omit the word "music" that should follow. E.g. Indian, Arabic and Greek should sensibly be Indian music, Arabic music, and Greek music. The words "Indian,"  "Arabic," and "Greek" by themselves can mean a people, a culture, or (except for Indian) a language. I believe that these page names and category names should specify "music" or "microtonality" or something else specific.
I note that under [[:Category:Traditions]] all the cultural traditions (not just Indian) are named with strange and somewhat dismaying names that omit the word "music" that should follow. E.g. Indian, Arabic and Greek should sensibly be Indian music, Arabic music, and Greek music. The words "Indian,"  "Arabic," and "Greek" by themselves can mean a people, a culture, or (except for Indian) a language. I believe that these page names and category names should specify "music" or "microtonality" or something else specific. Wikipedia (which this is not) follows [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:NOUN&redirect=no WP:Noun].


== Toolkit==
== Toolkit==

Revision as of 09:14, 6 August 2023

Mousemambo's workbench for ideas and projects. Questions? Please use his Talk page or contact him through XenHarmonic Alliance's Discord server #wiki channel.

Project ideas

  • User:Mousemambo/Tuning methods. Add this new major page (or set of pages). I will note that there are excellent existing resources, like the Making Microtonal Music is Easier Than You’d Think page archived here from its original source. The problem with these is that they go out of date easily. Therefore, I am proposing a wiki solution that will be available for community maintenance including significant updates as appropriate. I also have started one example how-to guide tentatively titled "Microtuning Surge XT synth in the Reaper DAW" to better understand how the "Tuning methods" document would work with the planned how-to guides.
  • Add "See: Tuning file" (or See: Tuning methods) as appropriate in the articles that currently reference them.
  • Add some "how to" information for people just beginning their journey, either as additions to existing pages or by creating new ones as appropriate. E.g. How to use tuning files, how to select which ones, how to get your electronic or software instrument to use one. These types of pages live in Category:Guides.
  • Category: Tuning methods. A category that would encompass all articles about how electronic instruments are made to adhere to alternative (non-12-EDO) tunings. "Practical tuning" or "Tuning practices" or Tuning mechanisms" or "Tuning technique" (currently in use but deprecated with redirect) or "Tuning practice" are alternatives perhaps? I note that the current Category:Tuning is about the theoretical side and not at all the practical side. However, it might instead be best to stick everything in Tuning, practical and theoretical, although that's not the direction I currently lean toward. I'd rather see "Tuning methods" offered as a category on the Category:Tuning page, and hide all the "methods" pages in there.
  • User:Mousemambo/Indian music. Replace the existing article "Indian" which, by the way, has a strange and dismaying page title (see below). Provide some history and current usage of tuning selections in the various branches of Indian music, and links to outside information.

Practical Tuning for Beginners pages

Below is a list of existing Xen wiki pages (still expanding by search, as of August 2023) relevant to beginners who want to set their electronic instruments to other than 12-EDO tuning. Synth/sampler manuals frequently don't provide enough background information, instead assuming you already know something about tuning files.

It's useful to consider the trajectory of beginners newly arriving at the wiki. The wiki's front page has a section "If you are new to musical tuning" that doesn't get into practical how-to issues, but the page also has a very appropriate and helpful section "Practical xenharmonics" (Useful Tools, List of microtonal software plugins, Microtonal instruments). "Useful tools" simply redirects to the "List of music software" page, which seems sensible if inconsistent.

Related to that visitor's initial likely trajectory, note that the wiki's main sidebar also includes a section "Practice" with links underneath to some essential starting points for people seeking practical tuning guidance, especially "Software" and (of less relevance to this work) "Pedagogy." Also in that sidebar, "Useful Tools" (redirects to List of music software) is listed under "Theory" which is odd unless you know how useful the "practice" tools are for better understanding theory.

Also, there are some not (yet) totally outdated pages out beyond the Xenharmonic wiki that are worth learning from:

Outline for a Tuning Methods page

This is a proposal for a new page "Tuning methods" or an eventual set of pages. I've moved it onto its own page.

Indian music

Existing pages addressing microtonality in various branches of Indian music (e.g. Hindustani classical, Hindustani semi-classical, Carnatic classical, Sikh, Odissi, filmi, etc.):

There is some movement in the music world for moving away from referring to "Indian music" as a broad category, and toward instead referring to South Asian music. This is to distinguish the music primarily or entirely found within the country of India from (admittedly closely related) traditional/classical/artistic, folk, and contemporary music found in the South Asia region but outside India itself. I wouldn't say that movement is strong, but it has a point.

I note that under Category:Traditions all the cultural traditions (not just Indian) are named with strange and somewhat dismaying names that omit the word "music" that should follow. E.g. Indian, Arabic and Greek should sensibly be Indian music, Arabic music, and Greek music. The words "Indian," "Arabic," and "Greek" by themselves can mean a people, a culture, or (except for Indian) a language. I believe that these page names and category names should specify "music" or "microtonality" or something else specific. Wikipedia (which this is not) follows WP:Noun.

Toolkit

All user sub-pages

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