[PD] Synths! (Please Read)

[Mathieu Bouchard]

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006, Chuckk Hubbard wrote:

> MIDI note numbers are kind of inherently logarithmic.  If you want a
> just scale, even the decimal note numbers are kind of arbitrary. 

Indeed they look like that. For that it's better to use Hz.

> There are also scales out there that *don't* have octave symmetry. 

It's (very) rare.

> Wendy Carlos, among others, has experimented with this.  There is also
> Georgian "quintave" singing, which uses the perfect 5th instead of the
> octave.  And gamelan tunings are notorious for wandering octaves.

Then you get nicer numbers if you multiply the MIDI note by
N*log(3)/12*log(2).

> Someone who's interested in alternate tunings is more likely to be
> interested in 19-, 31-, or 53-tone equal temperament than 24.  If 12
> midi notes is still an octave, this will make some pretty inscrutable
> note numbers.

Multiply the MIDI note number by 19/12, 31/12 or 53/12.

> If each whole note number is assigned to a different pitch of the scale,
> there's barely more than 2 octaves in 128 notes.

You don't have to limit yourself to 0-127 in Pd. You also are not limited 
to integer note numbers.

> For my purposes, frequency in Hz is the only way to go.  MIDI is useful
> sometimes,

Understand the difference between Pd's MIDI note numbers and ordinary MIDI 
note numbers.

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| Mathieu Bouchard - tél:+1.514.383.3801 - http://artengine.ca/matju
| Freelance Digital Arts Engineer, Montréal QC Canada