[sobriquet]

Hello.

Recently I bought a m-audio axiom 25 USB keyboard. I've tried it out
with ableton live and adobe audition and so far I like it.
However, I'm still a bit puzzled how I can tune the keyboard?
I'd like to be able to specify specific frequencies for each
individual key, so I can play pieces in alternative tuning systems
(like just intonation).

http://www.kylegann.com/wtp.html

Does anyone know how this can be accomplished most easily?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek

[sobriquet]

On 26 nov, 05:21, "Soundhaspriority" wrote:
"sobriquet" wrote in message

...

Hello.

Recently I bought a m-audio axiom 25 USB keyboard. I've tried it out
with ableton live and adobe audition and so far I like it.
However, I'm still a bit puzzled how I can tune the keyboard?
I'd like to be able to specify specific frequencies for each
individual key, so I can play pieces in alternative tuning systems
(like just intonation).

http://www.kylegann.com/wtp.html

Does anyone know how this can be accomplished most easily?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek

Niek, I don't know your state of knowledge, so permit me to point out
something very basic. From the product description, the Axiom25 is a "MIDI
controller." This means that the keyboard itself does not generate any
tones. It merely sends signals of switch closure via the MIDI protocol to
the computer. The computer must run a "synth" program or plugin that
interprets the MIDI signals.

A program is a standalone software that creates the tones. A plugin is an
addition to a program, and it does the same thing. Each program has
different provisions for tuning. Some offer a selection of scales, ie.,
tempered or nontempered.

Now an expert on synths can step up!

Bob Morein
(310) 237-6511

Hi Bob.
Thanks for pointing that out. I had kind of figured this out from the
manual of the
m-audio axiom 25 (the way the keyboard only generates midi control
messages and not actual tones).
But I am indeed kind of new to the world of midi keyboards and
computers. I used to play piano when I was younger and I love
computers, so I figured it would be interesting to see if I can learn
some of the things you can do with a midisequencer. I'm fairly
knowledgeable about computers, but my experience with audio software
is rather limited (except for adjusting the volume and bitrate of mp3s
or basic manipulation of wavs/mp3s in soundforge).

I'm also interested in experimenting with rhythms and one of the
things I've noticed is that most programs tend to break things up in
intervals that are the inverse of a power of 2 or 3 (so,
1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,1/32,... or 1/3, 1/9, 1/27, 1/81,..), where the
midinotes snap magnetically to these gridlines.
Like suppose I work with the following method: I divide the interval
of time between t=0s and t=1s into units of equal length, where beats
occur at the start of each segment. So I can divide an interval in 2
and have a beat at 0 seconds
and at 0.5 seconds. Or I can divide the interval up in 4 segments and
have a beat at 0 seconds, 0.25 seconds, 0.50 seconds and 0.75 seconds.

This way, with the magnetic grid lines, it's easy to create 2 beats
per second, or 4 beats per second or 8 beats per second, etc.. Using
the triplet function that is available in live and audition, you can
easily create 3 beats per second, or 9 beats per second or 27 beats
per second, etc..
However, it seems that it's not possible to setup the grid in such a
way that I can have 5 beats per second (or 25 beats per second) in an
easy fashion employing the magnetic grid lines (so a beat at t=0s,
t=0.2s, t=0.4s, t=0.6s and t=0.8s).
Likewise 7 beats per second is also difficult (a beat at t=0/7s,
t=1/7s, t=2/7s, ..., t=6/7s).

If anyone knows of a midisequencer that features more possibilities to
configure the grid, so you can work not just with 2-fold or 3-fold
divisions, but also 5-fold or 7-fold (or higher prime numbers)
divisions, I'd be very interested in hearing about it.
It's interesting to investigate interference and resonance between
various rhythms. Like how 2 beats per second is in sync with 4 beats
per second, exactly identical in the way any particular tone, like 220
Hz, is in sync with a tone that is one octave higher (440 Hz).

For instance, you already obtain an interesting rhythm if you have a
triplet in a snare drum and doublet in a base drum (and adding regular
hi-hat hits at 1/6th of a second fits in nicely):

Here you can see how I create it in audition (slowed from 120 bpm to
100 bpm for a slower pace):
http://www.ibbu.nl/~nsprakel/audition.jpg

This is what it sounds like when I play it back in a loop:
http://www.ibbu.nl/~nsprakel/drum.mp3

[sobriquet]

On 26 nov, 05:21, "Soundhaspriority" wrote:
"sobriquet" wrote in message

...

Hello.

Recently I bought a m-audio axiom 25 USB keyboard. I've tried it out
with ableton live and adobe audition and so far I like it.
However, I'm still a bit puzzled how I can tune the keyboard?
I'd like to be able to specify specific frequencies for each
individual key, so I can play pieces in alternative tuning systems
(like just intonation).

http://www.kylegann.com/wtp.html

Does anyone know how this can be accomplished most easily?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, Niek

Niek, I don't know your state of knowledge, so permit me to point out
something very basic. From the product description, the Axiom25 is a "MIDI
controller." This means that the keyboard itself does not generate any
tones. It merely sends signals of switch closure via the MIDI protocol to
the computer. The computer must run a "synth" program or plugin that
interprets the MIDI signals.

A program is a standalone software that creates the tones. A plugin is an
addition to a program, and it does the same thing. Each program has
different provisions for tuning. Some offer a selection of scales, ie.,
tempered or nontempered.

Now an expert on synths can step up!

Bob Morein
(310) 237-6511

Hi Bob.
Thanks for pointing that out. I had kind of figured this out from the
manual of the
m-audio axiom 25 (the way the keyboard only generates midi control
messages and not actual tones).
But I am indeed kind of new to the world of midi keyboards and
computers. I used to play piano when I was younger and I love
computers, so I figured it would be interesting to see if I can learn
some of the things you can do with a midisequencer. I'm fairly
knowledgeable about computers, but my experience with audio software
is rather limited (except for adjusting the volume and bitrate of mp3s
or basic manipulation of wavs/mp3s in soundforge).

I'm also interested in experimenting with rhythms and one of the
things I've noticed is that most programs tend to break things up in
intervals that are the inverse of a power of 2 or 3 (so,
1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,1/32,... or 1/3, 1/9, 1/27, 1/81,..), where the
midinotes snap magnetically to these gridlines.
Like suppose I work with the following method: I divide the interval
of time between t=0s and t=1s into units of equal length, where beats
occur at the start of each segment. So I can divide an interval in 2
and have a beat at 0 seconds
and at 0.5 seconds. Or I can divide the interval up in 4 segments and
have a beat at 0 seconds, 0.25 seconds, 0.50 seconds and 0.75 seconds.

This way, with the magnetic grid lines, it's easy to create 2 beats
per second, or 4 beats per second or 8 beats per second, etc.. Using
the triplet function that is available in live and audition, you can
easily create 3 beats per second, or 9 beats per second or 27 beats
per second, etc..
However, it seems that it's not possible to setup the grid in such a
way that I can have 5 beats per second (or 25 beats per second) in an
easy fashion employing the magnetic grid lines (so a beat at t=0s,
t=0.2s, t=0.4s, t=0.6s and t=0.8s).
Likewise 7 beats per second is also difficult (a beat at t=0/7s,
t=1/7s, t=2/7s, ..., t=6/7s).

If anyone knows of a midisequencer that features more possibilities to
configure the grid, so you can work not just with 2-fold or 3-fold
divisions, but also 5-fold or 7-fold (or higher prime numbers)
divisions, I'd be very interested in hearing about it.
It's interesting to investigate interference and resonance between
various rhythms. Like how 2 beats per second is in sync with 4 beats
per second, exactly identical in the way any particular tone, like 220
Hz, is in sync with a tone that is one octave higher (440 Hz).

For instance, you already obtain an interesting rhythm if you have a
triplet in a snare drum and doublet in a base drum (and adding regular
hi-hat hits at 1/6th of a second fits in nicely):

Here you can see how I create it in audition (slowed from 120 bpm to
100 bpm for a slower pace):
http://www.ibbu.nl/~nsprakel/audition.jpg

This is what it sounds like when I play it back in a loop:
http://www.ibbu.nl/~nsprakel/drum.mp3