alternate tunings

This video, by Justonic, visually compares interval and chords in just intonation vs standard equal temperament.

Justonic has created a system that lets musicians play in just intonation chromatically by playing the root note on a MIDI tuning channel. Their software sends MIDI tuning messages to adapt your keyboard’s tuning to be optimal for the root note.

via NoiseForAirports

Interested in alternate instrument tunings?

A new iPhone app, Well Tempered (App Store link) is designed to make it easier to tune instruments to alternate tunings.

Description:

Well Tempered is the ultimate tuning fork for your harpsichord, spinet, clavichord, organ, lute, cello, viola da gamba, or any early music instrument. You select desired tuning, temperament and note, and it will give you the correct pitch with a four decimal frequency precision. It will also give you the frequency for reference if you’d like.

Well Tempered supports 20 different temperaments

• Currently supported tunings:
• Agricola Ammerback 1571, 1583 both interpretations
• Equal temperament
• Kirnberger I-III, 1766, 1771, 1776 and 1779
• Meantone
• Pythagorean
• Vallotti
• Werckmeister I-IV

Well Tempered also gives you a little background information about each tuning so that you can learn a bit when choosing temperaments. If you have the sound turned on while choosing temperament you can instantly hear the differences between the temperaments.

SYNTHESIZER RE-TUNING TO THE ANCIENT SOLFEGGIO: Part 1–Dr. Leonard Horowitz Interviews Michael Walton

Description:

Here’s something that’s a bit different – two tutorials for “conscious keyboard professionals” featuring Dr. Leonard G. Horowitz, Executive Producer of LIVE H2O, interviewing sound engineering specialist, Michael Walton of SomaMagic Studio.

In Part 1, Michael explains how to retune the Korg Oasys synthesizer using the Perfect Circle of Sound, tuning fork set and a Korg chromatic tuner. Read more…

This is a demo of the H-Pi Tonal Plexus TPX6s, a keyboard designed for creating microtonal music.

“Here is a sketch using 2 main ideas. The first is a motive including the 11th and 13th harmonics, and the second is a sequence using natural 7ths. Sorry, the camera angle is not the greatest as it hides what my right hand is doing. The sound is 019 ChrchOrgn from the internal synth, with reverb setting on 07 (delay), all max values.”

For a lot of people – H-PI’s keyboard will look like a bizarre monstrosity. But for musicians interested in exploring alternate tunings, it’s one of the most advanced keyboards ever created. Read more…

Ambient synth artist Robert Rich has announced Atlas Dei, a feature-length DVD of high resolution motion graphics by Daniel Colvin. The video is presented in panoramic 3:1 aspect ratio, with letterbox. It features 90 minutes of 5 channel surround mixes by Rich.

“Atlas Dei is currently in the final phase of preparation before manufacturing,” says Rich. “The creative work is done, and we hope to have copies available for purchase by May.”

I was able to catch a live performance of Rich to a working copy of Atlas Dei when he performed in Des Moines last year. The work is a landmark combination of surrealist paintings in motion and Rich’s alternate-world ambient music.

Here’s a preview of the DVD:

A companion CD, Music from Atlas Dei, will focus on the new pieces recorded specifically for the film. It will also include older compositions that are edited, layered, remixed and augmented from previous releases.

Atlas Dei promises to be one of the most important electronica releases this year.