Keyboard
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Pianos, harpsichords and organs are suited for microtonal music insofar as the strings/pipes can, within limits, be tuned to anything desired. In the case of harpsichords and organs, the probablity that tuning issues arise is even slightly higher than average since there is often "old" music (baroque and older, from the pre-well-tempered age) being played on them. For electronic instruments (syntheszers), there is, in theory, absolute freedom for the pitches anyway - not in practice, though. But nowadays, many synthesizers have a built-in retuning functionality. A broad overview over the microtonal capacities of synthesizers can be found on [[http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com|www.microtonal-synthesis.com]]. A side-remeark: Synthesizers, even without retuning functionality, often have a special functionality that is principally also suited for microtonality: the modulation wheel. An impressive example of how to make microtonal music with the modulation wheel can be found [[http://www.timomusic.ch/video_Spiros_Kottis.htm|here]]. This is, however, not a particularly easy way to do it... ==Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave== A potential source for troubles is the traditional keyboard design, which is optimized for diatonic scales and 12 tones per octave. For microtonal music with not more than 12 tones per octave, this is not such a problem - fingerings for non-standard scales can be learned. But it becomes a problem if you need more than 12 tones per octave, or even want a non-octave tuning, such as [[http://www.wendycarlos.com/resources/pitch.htm|Wendy Carlos]] or [[BP|Bohlen-Pierce]]. There exist several solutions for this problem: ===1) 12 Note Octave Scales=== (Terminology from [[http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com|www.microtonal-synthesis.com]]) Use several keyboards whose keys are slightly detuned against each other. Advantages are that the keyboard layout keeps the familiar property that 12 key steps span one octave, and the pitches typically need only minor retuning (this is not unimportant for acoustical instruments, where we usually have physical limits to the amount a pitch can be retuned) The disadvantage is, of course, that you need several keyboards, pianos for example. The [[SeventeenTonePianoProject|17 tone piano project]] is an example where this solution was chosen. Electronic keyboards sometimes have the possibility to play in "split" mode, i.e. the upper and the lower half of the keyboard can send to different midi channels. Some keyboards offer up to 4 split areas. In this case, you need only one keyboard - but you still have the disadvantage of having to jump between the areas. ===2) Full Keyboard Scales=== (Terminology from [[http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com|www.microtonal-synthesis.com]]) Tune each key of the keyboard to a different pitch. The pitches of the keys keep the property of being arranged in ascending order - but the octave pattern will be different, and there are larger amounts of retuning required. Some synthesizers support this, but not all (see, again, [[http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com|www.microtonal-synthesis.com]]). In the case of acoustical instruments such as pianos, this may even require major changes in construction. It has been done, however, e.g. on the [[http://www.sauter-pianos.de/english/pianos/microtone.html|16th tone (96edo) piano]]. ===3) Get an alternative keyboard!=== This is actually quite an old idea, since in historical tunings of the pre-well-tempered area, there was a demand for differing between flats and sharps. [[http://www.denzilwraight.com|www.denzilwraight.com]] has some beautiful examples of historical harpsichords with up to 24 keys per octave. In modern times, the idea of generalized keyboards came up again. See, for example: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalized_keyboard|Wikipedia article on generalized keyboards]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Holford_Macdowell_Bosanquet|Wikipedia article on Bosanquet]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard|Wikipedia article on Janko]] For electronic music, there is meanwhile a number of generalized keyboards available or short before being available, for example: [[http://www.cortex-design.com/body-project-terpstra-1.htm|Terpstra]] [[http://www.thummer.com|Thummer]] [[http://www.h-pi.com/TPX28intro.html|Tonal Plexus]] [[http://www.h-pi.com/protoMiniMOD.html|MiniMod]] [[http://www.c-thru-music.com|Axis]] A very special class of microtonal midi controllers are "fretless" ones, for example: [[http://www.hakenaudio.com|Haken]]
Original HTML content:
<html><head><title>Microtonal Keyboards</title></head><body>Pianos, harpsichords and organs are suited for microtonal music insofar as the strings/pipes can, within limits, be tuned to anything desired.<br /> <br /> In the case of harpsichords and organs, the probablity that tuning issues arise is even slightly higher than average since there is often "old" music (baroque and older, from the pre-well-tempered age) being played on them.<br /> <br /> For electronic instruments (syntheszers), there is, in theory, absolute freedom for the pitches anyway - not in practice, though. But nowadays, many synthesizers have a built-in retuning functionality. A broad overview over the microtonal capacities of synthesizers can be found on <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com" rel="nofollow">www.microtonal-synthesis.com</a>.<br /> <br /> A side-remeark: Synthesizers, even without retuning functionality, often have a special functionality that is principally also suited for microtonality: the modulation wheel. An impressive example of how to make microtonal music with the modulation wheel can be found <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.timomusic.ch/video_Spiros_Kottis.htm" rel="nofollow">here</a>. This is, however, not a particularly easy way to do it...<br /> <br /> <!-- ws:start:WikiTextHeadingRule:0:<h2> --><h2 id="toc0"><a name="x-Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave"></a><!-- ws:end:WikiTextHeadingRule:0 -->Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave</h2> <br /> A potential source for troubles is the traditional keyboard design, which is optimized for diatonic scales and 12 tones per octave.<br /> <br /> For microtonal music with not more than 12 tones per octave, this is not such a problem - fingerings for non-standard scales can be learned. But it becomes a problem if you need more than 12 tones per octave, or even want a non-octave tuning, such as <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.wendycarlos.com/resources/pitch.htm" rel="nofollow">Wendy Carlos</a> or <a class="wiki_link" href="/BP">Bohlen-Pierce</a>.<br /> <br /> There exist several solutions for this problem:<br /> <br /> <!-- ws:start:WikiTextHeadingRule:2:<h3> --><h3 id="toc1"><a name="x-Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave-1) 12 Note Octave Scales"></a><!-- ws:end:WikiTextHeadingRule:2 -->1) 12 Note Octave Scales</h3> (Terminology from <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com" rel="nofollow">www.microtonal-synthesis.com</a>)<br /> <br /> Use several keyboards whose keys are slightly detuned against each other.<br /> <br /> Advantages are that the keyboard layout keeps the familiar property that 12 key steps span one octave, and the pitches typically need only minor retuning (this is not unimportant for acoustical instruments, where we usually have physical limits to the amount a pitch can be retuned)<br /> <br /> The disadvantage is, of course, that you need several keyboards, pianos for example. The <a class="wiki_link" href="/SeventeenTonePianoProject">17 tone piano project</a> is an example where this solution was chosen.<br /> <br /> Electronic keyboards sometimes have the possibility to play in "split" mode, i.e. the upper and the lower half of the keyboard can send to different midi channels. Some keyboards offer up to 4 split areas. In this case, you need only one keyboard - but you still have the disadvantage of having to jump between the areas.<br /> <br /> <!-- ws:start:WikiTextHeadingRule:4:<h3> --><h3 id="toc2"><a name="x-Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave-2) Full Keyboard Scales"></a><!-- ws:end:WikiTextHeadingRule:4 -->2) Full Keyboard Scales</h3> (Terminology from <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com" rel="nofollow">www.microtonal-synthesis.com</a>)<br /> <br /> Tune each key of the keyboard to a different pitch. The pitches of the keys keep the property of being arranged in ascending order - but the octave pattern will be different, and there are larger amounts of retuning required.<br /> <br /> Some synthesizers support this, but not all (see, again, <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.microtonal-synthesis.com" rel="nofollow">www.microtonal-synthesis.com</a>).<br /> <br /> In the case of acoustical instruments such as pianos, this may even require major changes in construction. It has been done, however, e.g. on the <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.sauter-pianos.de/english/pianos/microtone.html" rel="nofollow">16th tone (96edo) piano</a>.<br /> <br /> <!-- ws:start:WikiTextHeadingRule:6:<h3> --><h3 id="toc3"><a name="x-Strategies for more than 12 tones per octave-3) Get an alternative keyboard!"></a><!-- ws:end:WikiTextHeadingRule:6 -->3) Get an alternative keyboard!</h3> <br /> This is actually quite an old idea, since in historical tunings of the pre-well-tempered area, there was a demand for differing between flats and sharps.<br /> <br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.denzilwraight.com" rel="nofollow">www.denzilwraight.com</a> has some beautiful examples of historical harpsichords with up to 24 keys per octave.<br /> <br /> In modern times, the idea of generalized keyboards came up again. See, for example:<br /> <br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalized_keyboard" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia article on generalized keyboards</a><br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Holford_Macdowell_Bosanquet" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia article on Bosanquet</a><br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janko_keyboard" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia article on Janko</a><br /> <br /> For electronic music, there is meanwhile a number of generalized keyboards available or short before being available, for example:<br /> <br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.cortex-design.com/body-project-terpstra-1.htm" rel="nofollow">Terpstra</a><br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.thummer.com" rel="nofollow">Thummer</a><br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.h-pi.com/TPX28intro.html" rel="nofollow">Tonal Plexus</a><br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.h-pi.com/protoMiniMOD.html" rel="nofollow">MiniMod</a><br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.c-thru-music.com" rel="nofollow">Axis</a><br /> <br /> A very special class of microtonal midi controllers are "fretless" ones, for example:<br /> <br /> <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.hakenaudio.com" rel="nofollow">Haken</a></body></html>