Max Magic Microtuner

Max Magic Microtuner
Alternate tunings editor for Mac OS X and Mac OS 9
© 2003 Victor Cerullo - All Rights Reserved
Version 1.4 - Release date: August 3rd, 2003
Introducing Max Magic Microtuner
Max Magic Microtuner is a Macintosh application (OS X and OS 9 Carbon) for creating
and editing microtonal scales and keyboard mappings; as a special feature it allows
Max/MSP and Pluggo users to generate their own alternate tuning external objects by
converting specially formatted text files into C-compiled Max/MSP MIDI-to-frequency
externals. These tuning text files contain the intonation table data and can be created
and edited with Max Magic Microtuner itself or with other text editors. You can export
the intonation table data in a text format that is compatible with the read method of
the Max "Coll" object. You can create, import, edit and export 128-note MIDI Tuning
Standard keymap files (.syx, .mid) compatible with the Native Instruments FM7 softsynth
and with all hardware synthesizers supporting the MTS format; you can also import and
export native Scala (.scl) microtuning files, export Korg OASYS PCI audio card tuning
files (.tun), and export Native Instruments Pro-52/Pro-53 tuning files (.p5m).
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About this manual
Even though Max Magic Microtuner is designed to be simple and intuitive, it includes a
series of features that are very peculiar, so that it is advisable to refer to the contents of
this manual to get a clear idea of the their meaning. The settings found in the Preferences
window play a significant role in terms of the possibilities you have for customizing the
program, so you should pay particular attention to the paragraphs where these settings
are mentioned. This manual is not a step-by-step user's guide, and it assumes you are
familiar with standard Macintosh software and related operating techniques (opening
and saving a file, choosing commands from menus, using command key shortcuts, selecting,
copying and pasting text, dragging text with the mouse, etc.).
Getting started: Max Magic Microtuner basics
Creating, saving and expanding scales
In order to create a new scale you have to select a row from the intonation table (one row
at a time, for each tone of the scale), and enter the corresponding frequency (in hertz)
with the entry field located at the bottom of the table. As a possible suggestion, you can
start entering your scale data at row #60 (middle C); you can use the "Cents to Frequency"
and the "Just Tuner" tools found in the "Tools" menu: in many cases they should be of
some help (they are rather intuitive). If the scale is based on repeating octaves, i.e. its
frequencies are doubled octave after octave, leave the "Consider intervals" checkbox blank,
otherwise mark it. To save your scale simply press the "Save Table" button. Due to some
cross-platform compatibility reasons, it is better (even if not mandatory) to save the tuning
file with a ".mtx" extension, with no other dots in its name. To extend your scale over the
full MIDI note range (0-127), simply press the "Expand" button. The maximum allowed
frequency resolution is 11 decimal digits, so that the central C4 to B4 octave of the standard
12-tone equal tempered scale is made up of the following pitches:
C4 =
C#4 =
D4 =
D#4 =
E4 =
F4 =
F#4 =
G4 =
G#4 =
A4 =
A#4 =
B4 =
2
261.6255653006
277.18263097687
293.66476791741
311.12698372208
329.62755691287
349.228231433
369.99442271163
391.99543598175
415.30469757995
440.
466.16376151809
493.88330125612
Hz (middle C)
Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz
Hz (reference A)
Hz
Hz
The Microtuner format:
basic Microtuner functions and related tuning text files syntax rules
1. all lines end with a carriage return (ASCII 13) or with a carriage return followed by a
line feed character (ASCII 13 + ASCII 10, typical of Windows applications);
2. comment lines start with a double slash ("//"); if you are editing a tuning file with Max
Magic Microtuner, the double slash symbol is added automatically to each line typed
in the user comments text box when saving the file;
3. the first numeric line starting with "@" will be interpreted as the lowest MIDI note
number to which all the frequencies listed below will be referred (60 = middle C);
4. if you want Max Magic Microtuner to "expand" a scale automatically over the full MIDI
note range (0 -127) when opening a tuning text file, then activate the "Expand scale at
load" flag in the main Microtuner window;
5. the expansion mode depends on the flag "Consider intervals", whose value is saved
as a special line statement in the tuning text file (":absolute" when the flag is not active
and ":intervals" when it is active); when opening a tuning file containing this statement,
the value of the "Consider intervals" flag will be overridden accordingly ; the expansion
mode statement is automatically included in a tuning text file created with Max Magic
Microtuner; if you create a tuning file with a different editor and forget to include this
statement, Max Magic Microtuner will alert you about that once the file has been loaded;
6. in order to define an n-tone octave-wise scale, where frequencies are doubled octave
after octave, you can simply list the n tones (frequencies) of one octave (ANY octave of
the scale); if you are editing the scale with Max Magic Microtuner then DO NOT activate
the "Consider intervals" flag in the main Microtuner window when saving the tuning
file in this case; if you are editing the scale with a different editor then do not forget to
include the starting MIDI note and the ":absolute" statement;
7. if you want to define a non-octave scale based on intervals between frequencies
then, in order for the program to determine the n frequency ratios between adjacent
tones of the scale, you will have to list n+1 frequencies. The program will then use the
ratios repeatedly to extend the scale over the full MIDI note range. Be sure to activate
the "Consider intervals" flag in this case before saving the tuning file if you are editing
the scale with Max Magic Microtuner; if you are editing the scale with a different editor
then do not forget to include the starting MIDI note and the ":intervals" statement. As
a particular case, this option is also useful for octave-wise scales based on an equal
division of the octave, where the frequency ratio between two adjacent tones is constant
(like in the 12 tone Equal Tempered scale);
8. you can enter a 0 Hz frequency value into an intonation table cell if you want to leave
the corresponding MIDI note unmapped; the presence of 0 Hz values in the intonation
table can produce inconsistent results if a scale is expanded in "intervals" mode;
9. when the expansion algorithm determines an out-of-range frequency value (i.e.
greater than 22050 Hz) the corresponding intonation table cell will be set to blank.
Example 1: 12-tone Equal Tempered scale (expansion mode = absolute)
//
//
//
//
//
This is an example showing the text file format
used by Max Magic Microtuner.
This text file will be converted into a 12 tone
Equal Tempered scale Max/MSP external object
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// that is quite similar to the native "mtof" (MIDI
// to frequency) external.
@60
:absolute
261.62558
277.182617
293.664764
311.126984
329.627563
349.228241
369.994415
391.995422
415.304688
440
466.163757
493.883301
Example 2: 12-tone Equal Tempered scale (expansion mode = intervals)
//
//
//
//
//
//
//
//
Tuning file for Max Magic Microtuner
12 tone Equal Tempered scale
This is the shortest way to obtain a 12 tone ET
scale with Max Magic Microtuner:
A4 (MIDI note #69) = ref. frequency = f1
f2 = f1 * pow(2, 1/12)
@69
:intervals
440.
466.16376151809
Microtuner format settings in the Preferences window
You will find some special settings in the Preferences window regarding the Microtuner
file type and the way Microtuner text files are saved in your system. Since a Microtuner
file is intended to be used as a TIDOC (Tuning Interchange DOCument) not limited to
the Macintosh platform, in the Preferences window there is a checkbox flag that allows
you to decide whether to use the Windows "wide" end-of-line character (ASCII 13 +
ASCII 10) or not when saving a Microtuner file: this will be useful if you plan to exchange
your microtuning files with a PC user, or in case you have other cross-platform
requirements of this kind. Moreover, you will find a radio button that will allow you to
decide whether to save your Microtuner files with an "MTTX" Mac type or with a "TEXT"
Mac type: while this setting will not affect file contents at all, depending on this setting
you will see a different icon associated with your file. The use of the "TEXT" Mac type
is suggested in case you plan to edit the file with a text editor.
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(Default Preferences settings)
Retuning a scale to a different reference frequency
As of release 1.3.6 it is possible to retune a scale to a different reference frequency,
without altering the ratios between the intonation table pitch values and the reference
frequency itself ("Retune Table" option, Edit menu). The reference frequency can be set
by means of a reference note popup menu, located in the middle of the Microtuner
window. It is advisable to avoid reiterating the use of the retune function with a single
scale, because of the cumulative approximation errors this may produce.
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Accessing the built-in 12-tone Equal Tempered scale
It may be helpful in some cases to access the 12-tET scale without having to open a
tuning file for that. Max Magic Microtuner has a built-in 12-tET keymap that can be
accessed directly by means of the "12-tET Keymap" option you find in the Edit menu;
with this option you can overwrite all the rows of the current intonation table with the
frequency values of the built-in 12-tET keymap. In the Edit menu there is also another
option called "12-tET Octave", with which you can clear the intonation table and load
a single 12-tET octave from the built-in 12-tET keymap; this octave will be made up of
12 or 13 tones, depending on the status of the "Consider Intervals" flag, and it will start
from the row selected with the reference note popup menu, located in the middle of
the Microtuner window.
Isolating a section of the intonation table ("Trim Keymap" function)
You can trim the intonation table and isolate the section of rows included between the
reference note and the currently selected row, provided that the currently selected row
index is greater than the reference note index. This task can be performed with the
"Trim Keymap" option found in the Edit menu.
The Tone Player tool
The Tone Player audio tool will allow you to test the frequencies appearing in the
intonation table by means of the QuickTime built-in General MIDI synthesizer (with a
certain degree of approximation, due to a rather low accuracy of the QuickTime synth
engine; the resolution is exactly 100/256 = 0.390625 cents). You can open a series of
"satellite" Tone Player windows for each Microtuner window; by selecting a row from
the intonation table you will make all the satellite Tone Players play the corresponding
pitch, provided that their current frequency hasn't been protected with the "Lock"
checkbox. Even if Tone Players are monophonic, all the Tone Players linked to a Microtuner
window can be "synced" together so to be triggered with just one click, a feature that
will be useful for testing chords when the selected QuickTime GM instrument has a fast
attack transient followed by a fast decay, like in the case of a piano or other hammered
or plucked instruments (this can be achieved by means of both the "Lock" and "Sync"
checkboxes). You can also type, paste or drop a pitch value directly into the Tone Player
frequency field if you need to test it on the fly. As for the other functions of the Tone
Player tool introduced with version 1.4, please refer to the following picture.
The Scale Inspector tool
The Scale Inspector tool is a tab panel window that will allow you to display, alternatively:
1) all the frequency intervals between the pitch values of the intonation table and a
reference frequency (i.e. a specified non-empty row of the intonation table itself ) in
terms of both cents and rational fractions ("Reference" tab);
2) the rational approximation errors in hertz and cents (”Ratio Errors” tab);
3) the tone-to-tone intervals and tone deviations from the 12-tone ET scale in cents
("Difference" tab);
4) the MIDI Tuning Standard 12-tone Equal Tempered note approximations corresponding
to the pitches of the intonation table, their "frequency image" and their MTS hexadecimal
representation that will be used in case the intonation table is exported as an MTS file
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(Tone Player tool functional diagram)
(.syx or .mid) from Max Magic Microtuner ("MTS" tab);
5) the MIDI Tuning Standard approximation errors in hertz and cents (”MTS Errors” tab).
Deviations from the 12-tone ET scale will be calculated with a precision of 11 decimal
digits, i.e. the maximum precision allowed for the intonation table cells. The Scale
Inspector is a global floating "satellite" window that is dynamically updated on the basis
of the intonation table contents of its parent Microtuner window. The reference frequency
can be set with the note popup menu located in the middle of the parent Microtuner
window. Ratios are computed by means of a "best fraction" algorithm that will try to
approximate an interval with a rational fraction where the denominator has at most 4
digits (the max. allowed denominator is 9999, but a lower value can be set in the
Preferences window by means of the “Max. divisor“ popup menu). In the Preferences
window you can select a "just interval denominator threshold" below which ratios will
be considered as generic "just intervals", and a tolerance threshold (in cents) for the
rational approximation error, above or below which the word “just” will appear to the
right of a generic just ratio in lowercase or capital letters, respectively; hence, provided
that these settings are properly configured, the word “JUST“ appearing in capital letters
right after a fraction will indicate not only that its denominator is smaller than or equal
to the “just interval threshold” you set, but also that the absolute value of its deviation
in cents from the corresponding frequency of the intonation table is smaller than or
equal to the error tolerance threshold you selected (you can consider this feature as a
sort of “double check” procedure: if a ratio satisfies both the requirements then it is a
“JUST”, otherwise it is only a “just”; so that when the word “just” appears in lowercase,
it will indicate an “almost-just” interval). By means of another preferences checkbox you
can opt for an "auto-detect" mode that will make the inspector window display ratios
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instead of cents (when the "Reference" tab is selected) depending on the fraction
denominator, otherwise both the values will be displayed on the same line; you can
also choose whether to round the displayed cent values to a fixed maximum number
of decimal digits (this will have no effect on the 12-tone ET note approximations
displayed when the "MTS" tab is selected, that are limited to six decimal digits by default).
The list of values displayed in the scale inspector window can start from the reference
frequency row or from the first non-empty intonation table row, depending on a
checkbox flag you can set in the Preferences window as well.
(Scale Inspector tool)
Rationalizing a scale
A scale can be rationalized with the "Rationalize" function found in the Edit menu.
Rationalizing a scale means approximating its frequencies by means of rational numbers,
i.e. fractions like a/b; with Max Magic Microtuner these fractions are the same ratios
displayed in the Scale Inspector when the "Reference" tab is selected, so that the Scale
Inspector can be used as a preview tool for the rationalize function. When invoking this
function you will be asked to choose a rationalization method from the following three
possibilities:
1 - Accept all ratios
2 - Admit JUST and "almost-just"
3 - Discard "almost-just"
The rationalization method is actually a filter that will allow you to prevent rational
approximation from occurring when undesired ratios are determined, by admitting
only JUST and "almost-just" intervals (option 2) or strictly JUST intervals (option 3).
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Max/MSP and Pluggo compatibility
Compiling Max/MSP tuning external objects
A Max/MSP tuning external object is a C-compiled object that can be used in Max/MSP
patches as a MIDI-to-frequency converter, just like the native "mtof" external, provided
that it is located in a folder that Max/MSP can recognize as its "externals" folder. To
generate such an object from your intonation table, simply expand your scale over the
full MIDI note range and press the "Compile MSP" button. Once your external has been
compiled, just place it into the Max/MSP "externals" folder, so that Max/MSP can properly
"acknowledge" it. For more details about the Max/MSP software please read the
"additional information" section below.
Exporting keyboard mappings in a format compatible with the Max "Coll" object
As of release 1.3.1 it is possible to export plain text tuning files compatible with the
read method of the Max "Coll" external object. This option will be useful for importing
a keyboard mapping (i.e. a scale expanded over the full MIDI note range) inside the
Max/MSP IDE directly from a text file, by means of the Coll external instead of an alternate
"mtof "external.
Alternate tunings for Pluggo 3.x users:
You can convert all the 12-tone equal tempered plug-in synths contained in the Pluggo
3.x package (VST, MAS or RTAS) to a custom alternate tuning by following this simple
procedure:
- quit all applications;
- rename the file mtof you find inside the folder System folder > Extensions > Max/MSP
Runtime Support > objects > externals to mtof_old (or any other name you like: just don't
delete this file because you may need it later);
- place your new tuning external object compiled with Max Magic Microtuner inside
that folder;
- rename your tuning external to mtof;
- restart your audio sequencer program.
This procedure is actually a workaround that will not damage nor modify your Pluggo
3.x plug-ins. When you decide to go back to the default 12-tET scale, simply quit all
applications, delete the mtof file, then rename mtof_old to mtof and restart your audio
sequencer program.
MIDI Tuning Standard keymaps (.syx, .mid)
Importing MIDI Tuning Standard (MTS) bulk tuning dump files (.syx, .mid)
As of release 1.3.5 Max Magic Microtuner can import MTS files in the form of plain sysex
dump files (.syx) or standard MIDI files with embedded sysex dump data (.mid, any
type). File type detection is automatic. The only MTS messages currently supported are
the 128-note BULK TUNING DUMP REPLY (sub-ID 08-01) and the more recent 128-note
KEY-BASED TUNING DUMP REPLY (sub-ID 08-04), as defined by the MIDI Manufacturers
Association (MMA), which are both full range keyboard mappings; the latter is an
enhanced version of the old bulk tuning dump message that includes an additional
bank select byte. When importing an MTS file the "Transpose at load" function has no
effect on the loaded data. If a "no change" condition (hex 7F 7F 7F) is found while
9
reading the file, the corresponding intonation table cell will be set to blank; whatever
the number of track chunks, only the first occurrence of an MTS bulk tuning dump
message or key-based tuning dump message embedded in a .mid file will be considered;
standard MIDI files larger than 1 MB will be rejected. For more details about the MTS
format please read the "additional information" section below.
Exporting MIDI Tuning Standard (MTS) bulk tuning dump files (.syx, .mid)
As of release 1.3.5 Max Magic Microtuner can export MTS files in the form of plain sysex
dump files (.syx) or standard MIDI files with embedded sysex dump data (.mid, type 0).
The only MTS messages currently supported are the 128-note BULK TUNING DUMP
REPLY (sub-ID 08-01) and the more recent 128-note KEY-BASED TUNING DUMP REPLY
(sub-ID 08-04), as defined by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA), which are both
full range keyboard mappings; the latter is an enhanced version of the old bulk tuning
dump message that includes an additional bank select byte. When using this export
function a window will appear asking for all the relevant export settings, according to
the MTS sysex format requirements. Blank intonation table cells will be converted into
a "no change" condition in the exported file (hex 7F 7F 7F); you can preview the MTS
hex data about to be exported by selecting the "MTS" tab in the Scale Inspector tool.
The resolution of an MTS file is 100/16384 cents, that is 0.006104 cents: you can preview
the approximation errors by accessing the “MTS Errors“ tab in the Scale Inspector tool.
For more details about the MTS format please read the "additional information" section
below.
Important notes about MTS sysex messages checksum calculation
According to the MMA specifications regarding the MTS messages used by Max Magic
Microtuner, checksum calculation is performed differently depending on the message
type, as follows:
BULK TUNING DUMP REPLY (sub-ID 08-01): checksum = XOR of 7E <device ID> nn tt
<388 bytes>
Since there is no reference at all to the "nn" parameter elsewhere in the official MMA
online documentation about this message type, Max Magic Microtuner follows the
most common convention about the "nn" parameter, that is:
nn = sub-ID#2 byte = 01
KEY-BASED TUNING DUMP REPLY (sub-ID 08-04): in this case checksum is calculated by
successively XOR'ing the bytes in the message, excluding the F0, F7, and the checksum
field. The resulting value is then AND'ed with 7F, to create a 7 bit value.
In both the cases, when importing an MTS file with a bad checksum, a warning message
will appear alerting you about the problem. For more details about the MTS format
please read the "additional information" section below.
Scala microtuning files (.scl)
Importing native Scala (.scl) microtuning files
As of release 1.3.2 it is possible to import native Scala microtuning files (.scl), a feature
that allows Microtuner users to share one of the most extensive tuning libraries currently
available (with an archive of 2,900+ files). Scala files will be loaded and interpreted as
if they were Microtuner "intervals" mode tuning files. Since Scala files use a scale syntax
10
based on pure intervals, they don't contain any information regarding the base frequency
and the corresponding MIDI note number. For this reason these parameters are
maintainable in the "Preferences" window (default settings: MIDI note #60, middle C).
For more details about the Scala software and its .scl file archive and file format please
read the "additional information" section below.
Example file: meanquar.scl
Original Scala file:
! meanquar.scl
!
1/4-comma meantone scale. Pietro Aaron's temp. (1523). 6/5 beats
twice 3/2
12
!
76.04900
193.15686
310.26471
5/4
503.42157
579.47057
696.57843
25/16
889.73529
1006.84314
1082.89214
2/1
Resulting Microtuner file saved after importing the previous Scala file:
// meanquar.scl
//
// 1/4-comma meantone scale. Pietro Aaron's temp. (1523). 6/5 beats
twice 3/2
//
@60
:intervals
261.6255653006
273.37431312998
292.50627485027
312.977175335
327.03195662575
349.91912034749
365.63284274659
391.22147055517
408.78994578219
437.39890198442
468.01003810189
489.02683710225
523.2511306012
Exporting native Scala (.scl) microtuning files
As of release 1.3.3 it is possible to export native Scala .scl files. These files basically define
a musical scale as a series of intervals between an implicit reference frequency and all
the other tones of the scale; the intervals can be expressed both in terms of fractions
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(in the case of just intervals) and cent values. The concept behind a Scala file and a
native Microtuner "intervals mode" file is somewhat similar, even if the Microtuner scale
expansion algorithm is based on the intervals between adjacent tones rather than on
the distance between each tone and the reference frequency (earlier versions of Max
Magic Microtuner did not have any "reference frequency" feature at all, actually).
Using the Scala export function in detail
When using the "Export Scala (.scl)" File menu option, a dialog box will appear asking
for some details. You will have to enter a short description of your tuning (320 characters
max.; 80 max. preferred) and select the last intonation table row that is relevant for your
scale by means of a note popup menu. This popup menu will allow you to select any
intonation table row included in the following interval:
Lower limit: reference frequency cell + 1
Higher limit: highest non-empty intonation table cell (max = 127)
The note popup menu will normally switch to the higher limit when the dialog box
opens; anyway, in order to make the selection of the relevant rows as easy as possible
also when you have already expanded a scale over the full MIDI note range, you can
highlight the last relevant row by clicking on it before opening the Scala export window:
the note popup menu in the Scala export window will automatically switch to the first
backward non-empty cell found between the reference frequency and the currently
selected intonation table row (if the highlighted row has a lower index than the reference
frequency cell or if they coincide, this will have no effect). The row index you will have
to select in a general case of an n-tone scale will be equal to the reference frequency
row + n. It is important not to forget that intervals are computed at runtime and they
are not stored together with a native Microtuner file: even if the computing accuracy
is fairly high, some minor approximation errors may occur that can have an influence
on the less significant (rightmost) decimal digits. In the Preferences window you can
choose whether to avoid exporting intervals as ratios, so that all intervals will be
expressed in cents in the exported file; when exporting ratios instead, you can choose
whether to accept all ratios, or to admit only JUST and almost-just intervals, or to keep
JUST intervals and discard almost-just intervals in the exported file, in a fashion similar
to the same filtering feature of the rationalize function (this feature was added as of
release 1.3.7). The denominator threshold, the maximum divisor and the error tolerance
threshold used in the calculation of ratios, and in the consequent auto-detection of
JUST and almost-just intervals, are the same parameters found in the Scale Inspector
tool settings, so that you can use the Inspector window as an export preview tool. By
means of another checkbox you can decide whether to round cent values as indicated
in the Scale Inspector tool settings or not. Scala files exported from Max Magic Microtuner
are compatible with Scala for Windows and they can be imported back with the "Import
Scala (.scl)" option. For more details about the Scala software and its .scl file format
please read the "additional information" section below.
Korg OASYS PCI audio card microtuning files
Exporting Korg OASYS (.tun) microtuning files
As of release 1.3.8 it is possible to export microtuning files compatible with the Korg
OASYS PCI audio card (.tun files). These are text files containing a keyboard mapping
based on approximations of the actual intonation table frequencies obtained by means
of deviations from the 12-tone ET scale, in a fashion similar to MIDI Tuning Standard but
with a considerably lower resolution (the nominal resolution of this format is ±1 cent).
Blank intonation table cells will not be mapped in the exported file ("no-retuning"
condition: according to the Korg OASYS PCI card user's guide, the corresponding notes
12
“will simply be sent straight through their normal pitch” in this case); intonation table cells
containing a null frequency (0 Hz) will be mapped as C-1 notes in the exported file. You
can decide whether to use the Windows "wide" end-of-line character (ASCII 13 + ASCII
10) or not when saving a .tun file, by means of a checkbox found in the Preferences
window: this will be useful if you plan to exchange your tuning files with a PC user, or
in case you have other cross-platform requirements of this kind (it's the same checkbox
found among the "Saved Microtuner text file type" settings, discussed in a previous
section of this manual). Remember to expand your scale before exporting it as a keymap.
Native Instruments Pro-52/Pro-53 (.p5m) microtuning files
Exporting Native Instruments Pro-52/Pro-53 (.p5m) microtuning files
As of release 1.3.4 it is possible to export microtuning files compatible with the Native
Instruments Pro-52/Pro-53 softsynths (.p5m files). With this option it is only possible to
export 12-tone octave-wise scales, where frequencies are doubled octave after octave;
this is not a very powerful microtuning feature for a software synthesizer, but it's of
historical importance since it has been the first attempt in the direction of making
commercial softsynths accept human-readable text files as microtuning documents.
The syntax of this kind of microtuning files is described in the header comments of the
following example:
Native Instruments .p5m file example "Bagpipe C.p5m" (original Pro-52/Pro-53
microtuning file):
PRO52TUNEMAP1
;
; Bagpipe tuning
;
; thanks to Microtonal Synthesis Homepage,
http://home.att.net/~microtonal/scales.html
;
; Root Note is C
; To change to a different root note, just change the note labels
; so that the new root note becomes the unison note
; Example: to make A the new root (A=0): change C->A, C#->A#, D>B, D#->C, E->C#, F-> D etc.
;
; Syntax: [NoteName]=[detuning], where [detuning] is relative to
equal tempered in units of 100cents.
; Example: "F#=-0.12" tunes F# (in all octaves) flat by 12 cents
compared to an equal-tempered F#
;
C=0
C#=-0.7015
D=-0.12318
D#=-0.43403
E=-0.56909
F=-0.06043
F#=-0.51351
G=-0.15271
G#=-0.70121
A=-0.28051
A#=-0.14201
B=-0.50637
When exporting a .p5m file from Max Magic Microtuner, the root note is defined by
means of the reference note popup located in the middle of the Microtuner window.
Blank intonation table cells will be interpreted as null frequencies (0 Hz). Since the syntax
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of these tuning files is based on the differences in cents between the actual intonation
table frequencies and the corresponding frequencies of the standard 12-tone ET scale,
where MIDI note #69 (A4) has a pitch of 440 Hz, it could be of some help to open the
inspector window and select the "Difference" tab in order to compare your tuning about
to be exported with the 12-tone ET scale. The "Examples" folder includes a Microtuner
test file based on the previous .p5m example that will produce the same detuning
values once exported.
Other notes
= Scroll to Reference button
= Insert Row button
= Delete Row button
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Max Magic Microtuner version history
Release 1.4: redesigned Tone Player tool; new table editing functions “Insert Row” and
“Delete Row” added to the Edit menu (corresponding new buttons added to the Microtuner
window); table shift options added to the Edit menu (”Transpose Up” and “Transpose Down“);
some minor bugs fixed;
Release 1.3.8: Korg OASYS PCI audio card support (.tun tuning files); enhanced Scale
Inspector tool (now vertically resizable); some minor bugs fixed;
Release 1.3.7: new feature: "Rationalize" function added to the Edit menu (corresponding
new button added to the Microtuner window); new Preferences settings: maximum divisor
of the rational approximation algorithm (now user selectable), JUST interval error tolerance
threshold (for detecting "almost-just" intervals), additional Scala file export settings; enhanced
Scale Inspector tool (new "Ratio Errors" and "MTS Errors" tabs); some minor bugs fixed;
Release 1.3.6: new features: "Retune Table" function, functions for accessing the built-in
12-tET Keymap, "Trim Keymap" function and "Scroll to Reference" function added to the Edit
menu (corresponding new buttons added to the Microtuner window);
Release 1.3.5: new features: MTS compatibility, enhanced Scale Inspector ("MTS" tab),
ability to save Microtuner format text files with Windows end-of-line characters (Preferences
setting);
Release 1.3.4: new features: enhanced Scale Inspector, Native Instruments Pro-52 /Pro-53
.p5m file support;
Release 1.3.3: new features: "Scale Inspector" tool, Scala .scl file export, Undo/Redo functions
(single-level);
Release 1.3.2: new features: Scala .scl file import, "keyboard style" intonation table
appearance;
Release 1.3.1: new feature: "Export Max Coll";
Release 1.3: new feature: "Tone Player" tool;
Release 1.2: new feature: "Just Tuner" tool;
Release 1.1: zero frequency values are now allowed in the intonation table (this will also
allow for increased compatibility with Microtuner-format .mtx text files exported as MIDI
keyboard mappings from Scala); new feature: "Cents to Frequency" tool;
Release 1.0: first release - May 13, 2003.
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Additional information
Max Magic Microtuner support page and mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/16tone
Max/MSP website:
http://www.cycling74.com
Scala home page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~huygensf/scala
Scala file format details: http://www.xs4all.nl/~huygensf/scala/scl_format.html
.scl file archive (download URL): http://www.xs4all.nl/~huygensf/doc/scales.zip
MMA - MIDI Manufacturers Association: http://www.midi.org (MTS format specifications)
Thanks to:
- Manuel Op de Coul, author of the Scala software, for his kind support;
- Matt Lyon for his suggestions about the Max "Coll" object;
- Native Instruments synthesis technology director Michael Kurz for his tests with the
FM7; thanks also to Daniel Santucci (Native Instruments) for sending me the FM7 MTS
sample files.
Copyright Notice
Max Magic Microtuner © 2003 Victor Cerullo - All Rights Reserved. Apple Computer Inc. registered
application creator signature: MMM1 (Hex 4D4D4D31). Max Magic Microtuner version 1.4 is a commercial
software product. If you have purchased a user license then you are a licensee of Max Magic Microtuner
1.4, and you can authorize your copy of this software by entering your full name and your license key
code. As a licensee you are allowed to authorize only one copy of this software per license, and you are
granted a non-exclusive right to use each authorized copy of this software on a single computer at a
single location. In the case of network installations, the maximum number of users must not be greater
than the number of user licenses you have purchased. The copyright owner (licensor) retains full ownership
of this software: the license agreement is not a sale contract. Authorized copies are strictly personal:
copying and distributing authorized copies of this software and/or allowing other people to copy and
distribute authorized copies of this software is expressly forbidden, and you may be held legally responsible
for any copyright infringement arising from any such violations.
Disclaimer
There is no warranty on this software. The use of this software is at your own risk. The author of this
software is not responsible for any damage possibly resulting from either proper or improper use of one
or more of its functionalities.
Built and tested at Planet 10 Studio, Mestre, Italy
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