Modartt user forum - Changing Base Note for Meantone Temperament?

Re: Changing Base Note for Meantone Temperament?

2017-09-07T22:57:53Z

Gilles wrote:

I think this can be easily done using the new Advanced tuning panel. Under Temperament, you can choose from 5 different meantone scales and at the right you can change the base note using the split button identified "-+" Clicking the minus sign will change the base note to Db3 (or C#3).
There is a lot to explore in this panel and the documentation is scarce, but if you are interested in scala files and keyboard mappings, this new tool is quite powerful!

EDIT: By the way, I just found out also in there a trick to easily transpose on the fly without going to the Options/MIDI panel. Just move the mouse at the left of any note name in the keyboard mapping section, a yellow rectangle will appear, click and the current diapason will now be on that note...pretty neat!

Ooh, I only have version 5. Will definitely upgrade

Update: The new version is amazing! Outstanding GUI design

Re: Changing Base Note for Meantone Temperament?

2017-09-07T13:23:30Z

This tool is really strong! Particularly pleasing is the visualization of what is happening.

Re: Changing Base Note for Meantone Temperament?

2017-09-07T13:07:01Z

I think this can be easily done using the new Advanced tuning panel. Under Temperament, you can choose from 5 different meantone scales and at the right you can change the base note using the split button identified "-+" Clicking the minus sign will change the base note to Db3 (or C#3).

There is a lot to explore in this panel and the documentation is scarce, but if you are interested in scala files and keyboard mappings, this new tool is quite powerful!

EDIT: By the way, I just found out also in there a trick to easily transpose on the fly without going to the Options/MIDI panel. Just move the mouse at the left of any note name in the keyboard mapping section, a yellow rectangle will appear, click and the current diapason will now be on that note...pretty neat!

Re: Changing Base Note for Meantone Temperament?

2017-09-07T01:44:21Z

Choosing base note for a temperament is a feature that is missing from Pianoteq interface [users later in this thread pointed out this is only true up until version 6]. The standard way is to use keyboard mapping files - that is "Scala KBM files" - and load them to Pianoteq in the "Keymap" field in the "Tuning" section. You have to make twelve files - one for each note. The only difference between them is one line.

Here is a mapping file for tuning from C - which is the default:

! Size of map. The pattern repeats every so many keys:
12
! First MIDI note number to retune:
0
! Last MIDI note number to retune:
127
! Middle note where the first entry of the mapping is mapped to :
! Change this to change the base note! (60 is C in the middle of a standard size keyboard)
60
! Reference note for which frequency is given (69 is A in the middle of a standard size keyboard):
69
! Frequency to tune the above note to (floating point e.g. 440.0):
440.0
! Scale degree to consider as formal octave (determines difference in pitch
! between adjacent mapping patterns):
12
! Mapping.
! The numbers represent scale degrees mapped to keys. The first entry is for
! the given middle note, the next for subsequent higher keys.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

And here is a mapping file for tuning from C# - notice that the only difference is the 9th line:

! Size of map. The pattern repeats every so many keys:
12
! First MIDI note number to retune:
0
! Last MIDI note number to retune:
127
! Middle note where the first entry of the mapping is mapped to:
! Change this to change the base note! (61 is C# in the middle of a standard size keyboard)
61
! Reference note for which frequency is given (69 is A in the middle of a standard size keyboard):
69
! Frequency to tune the above note to (floating point e.g. 440.0):
440.0
! Scale degree to consider as formal octave (determines difference in pitch
! between adjacent mapping patterns):
12
! Mapping.
! The numbers represent scale degrees mapped to keys. The first entry is for
! the given middle note, the next for subsequent higher keys.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

To get a mapping file for tuning from D, just change line 9 to 62, and for tuning from D# change line 9 to 63, etc. etc. etc.

Unfortunately this locks in your diapason frequency - so if you want to be able to change the base note in both 440 and 442 you have to make 24 files! If you need to change your diapason a lot you might be better off having just one file and edit it on the fly (although you'd need to restart pianoteq in between edits).

Changing Base Note for Meantone Temperament?

2015-03-27T05:31:06Z

I enjoy playing in meantone temperament (sounds more in tune!), but it requires the use of changing the the base note so more keys can be played in without the "wolf tone." My Casio PX-150 can do this easily, but why is there no option in Pianoteq???

I know there is a way to change the base note in Scala, but I am confused to how to do this. I did see someone implement this on the forum, but the link for the zip files is no longer valid.