MOTM

I'm still trying to devise a good method of working with microtonality and
my modular. I've done some work with a Mirage-DSK running a customized
microtonal OS, a Yamaha TX-81Z with my hand-created soundbanks for different
tunings, and an Ensoniq ESQ-M with again banks of 40 sounds where each was
hand-tweaked to give me microtonality. These three instruments have
less-than-stellar tuning resolution for this kind of work, and were a bear
to get to work together, but I was able to experiment a bit with this in the
early 90's.

I figure with a modular, microtonality should be easier, but it still has
its own problems. I'm working toward using a Theremin as a controller, but I
still want some discreet pitches in there. I'm always daydreaming about
other non-keyboard controllers, or at least non-'piano' keyboards. I like
the idea of the S-TKB, but don't have one. I also like the layout of a
keyboard that was designed decades ago by some guy named Solar (sp?) that
had white and black keys alternating-this allowed for not only a generic
keyswitch layout, but one which allowed easy transposition and a greater
pitch span with the hand as compared to a conventional 'piano' keyboard. I
think he patented the idea and was looking for backing to produce acoustic
pianos with it... doesn't seem like it ever got off the ground.

I don't know how tricky it would be to make a quantizer module. As I
understand it, this is a standard feature of the output sections of most
sequencers, though, no? Otherwise they would be a major bitch to tune.
Someone must have figured out how to make one stable. I guess making it
variable and stable does throw a wrench into it, though.



 -----Original Message-----
From: 	davevosh@... [mailto:davevosh@...] 
Sent:	Thursday, 16 March, 2000 11:47 AM
To:	motm@onelist.com
Subject:	Re: [motm] Osc Controller

From: davevosh@...

In a message dated 00-03-16 09:21:23 EST, you write:

<< accurate microtonality). I wonder
 if somehow a quantizer and a range controller for VCOs could be combined.
>>



kenn,
i would think this is possible but tricky to coordinate. wouldn`t you have
to 
get an accurate mix of the offset voltage and the quantizer output ? over a 
wide range of notes, that might be very hard to do.  ---  ???? ---
best,
dave
p.s. most of my "microtonal" experience is from some experiments i did with
a 
serge tkb used as a manual voltage controller with each of the 16 stages 
being tuned to the correct voltages for each frequency of whatever scale,
17, 
19, etc.. possible with a dvm but works best after everythings been on for a

while to stabilize. also, only limited ranges of available notes. still, it 
worked!
best,
dave v.