sysex to re-tune MTS synth for full microtonality

[JimmyTheSaint]

I have a Waldorf Kyra that I retune in real-tme with my own sequencer written for the Sonic Pi platform. Real-time tuning allows the full 10+ music octaves of any division of the octave as opposed to loading a tuning and being limit to the 128 MIDI semitone numbers, which is barely 4 octaves of EDO-31 (for example). MTS's real-time tuning also exploits the Kyra's full polyphony across its 8 timbres, as opposed to the limitation to 16-polyphony of pitch bend microtuning.

 

My request is for Opusmodus to provide a SendSysex function. I would like to be able to send the re-tuning sysex's from Opusmodus, and then it would be up to me to use its EDO-12-based notation to access where those re-tuned notes are. That way, I could use Opusmodus for full-spectrum microtonal composition in Opusmodus's much more feature-packed composition environment than my little personal system. Actually, my system isn't so little, but compared to Opusmodus it is, so I would really like to change over to the much richer Opusmodus, though not at the expense of the very flexible microtonality I currently enjoy.

 

I used to have a Black Corporation Deckard's Dream and Xerxes that also support MTS real-time tuning, which worked fine, but I sold them, keeping the multitimbral Kyra as the most practical option. The only other synth I know of that supports real-time tuning is Moog's Matriarch, but I've never tried one.

[opmo]

Example with cents attributes:

 

'(e c4 1c - 12c - 23c - 34c - 45c - 56c - 67c - 78c)

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

Can you explain more?

 

If that microtuning is effected via a sysex command that specifies MIDI Tuning Standard's Real-Time tuning command, then it will have no effect on any synth that does not support MTS's Real-Time tuning command. Only Waldorf Kyra, Moog Matriarch, and Black Corporation synths support MTS Real-Time tuning.

 

If that microtuning is effected via pitch bend, then that will require that any simultaneously pitch bended notes be played on different MIDI channels. That means that chords will have to be distributed over multiple MIDI channels, but I don't see where you did that. In any case, pitch bend microtuning limits polyphony to 16. That's why MTS Real-Time tuning is better than pitch bend microtuning.

 

Does Opusmodus currently support MTS Real-Time tuning? I don't find any mention of that in the documentation.

[Stephane Boussuge]

Yes, Opusmodus support MTS.

 

S.

[JimmyTheSaint]

Does Opusmodus support the full MIDI Tuning Standard? Ii particular, does it support MTS's SINGLE NOTE TUNING CHANGE (REAL-TIME)?

[Stephane Boussuge]

Unfortunately my knowledge in this domain is very limited.

This is a question for Janusz (the creator of OM).

He will reply soon probably.

 

Best

 

S.

 

 

[JimmyTheSaint]

OK, thanks. Note that in this case, it's not a matter of supporting MTS. If OM allows the user to send a sysex message, then it would be up to the user to send the correct order of bytes (represented as integers) to effect the synth in the way they desire. In this case, I would send messages of MTS's Single Note Tuning Change [Real-Time] form:

F0 7F <device ID> 08 02 tt ll [kk xx yy zz] F7

I've already composed various combinations of tt, ll, and [kk xx yy zz] for my synths that will retune the synths' MIDI note numbers as I need them. I'm just asking OM to provide a sysex function to output such messages to a specified port.

[JimmyTheSaint]

How about simply provide a function that will send a byte of data to a MIDI port? That way, the user could compose any MIDI message they want or need, and it would be up to the user to write useful sysex messages. OM wouldn't have to support sysex messages, just the data transfer that it already performs. The user would send MIDI data "at their own risk." OM already sends data to MIDI ports, so it wouldn't take much development to provide such a minimal MIDI communication function.