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ffransis
Joined: Jun 24, 2004
Posts: 31
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 Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:08 am Post subject:
Hermode tuning |
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| Does anyone out there have experience with Hermode tuning, and if so, would they like to share this with the forum? I know that Hermode tuning is implemented in the Access Virus synths, but have never had the opportunity to try one out. Technical comments, including the difficulty or otherwise of implementing the tuning, processing overheads, latency, etc, would be appreciated. |
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play
Joined: Feb 08, 2004
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| Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:48 pm Post subject:
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I hadn't heard of this until you mentioned it but I checked out hermode.com and a few postings on other forums. It doesn't like it would be difficult too implement in some kind of modular software environment. It basically uses a lookup table to determine how many cents to bump the incoming midi note with different tables for different keys. You could also create a slider that would limit the range of this adjusted value or scale down the ratio for more or less "pure" tuning.
I'm not sure I understand this though. There is a lot of talk about how it's like a string quartet or a choir because these musicians use their ears to slightly modify the pitch they are playing or singing to create a more perfect chord. But I've always thought that the beauty of these acoustic instruments comes from the high number of partials, not the purity of the tone.
I could be confused. I haven't heard an example of this tuning. |
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ffransis
Joined: Jun 24, 2004
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:02 pm Post subject:
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| play wrote: | | I'm not sure I understand this though. There is a lot of talk about how it's like a string quartet or a choir because these musicians use their ears to slightly modify the pitch they are playing or singing to create a more perfect chord. But I've always thought that the beauty of these acoustic instruments comes from the high number of partials, not the purity of the tone. |
That spectral richness is only part of it. In addition, string players intonate on the fly, and the pure (just) intervals they obtain are musically pleasing. Ditto singers.
I started this intonation and temperament discussion on electro-music.com after calling on Clavia to implement microtuning in their Nord G2 modular synths, in the form of just intonation and non-equal temperaments. I'm now wondering how feasible it would be for them to add Hermode tuning. Not that they've agreed yet to consider any microtuning, but... I've still to buy a G2, and am not inclined to until I at least know that microtuning will become available in a (near) future software update. |
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seraph
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| Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:26 pm Post subject:
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| Access Music wrote: | Pure Tuning
For centuries we have been playing musical instruments that are out of tune...
Ever since the emergence of polyphonic instruments, including all keyboards as well as fretted instruments such as the lute and guitar, tuning has always been a compromise. Several attempts from the 16th-18th centuries to standardise the temperament (tuning) of church organs and virginals helped a little, but they were battling against the mighty laws of physics.
First suggested in 1636, our modern “Equal Temperament” was only in common use from the late 18th century onwards because it was considered much too much of a compromise at the time. Despite it’s one advantage (the freedom to play in any key), Equal Temperament simply dilutes the fundamental problem, spreading it across all the notes in the octave.
Experienced singers and string players use “just” intonation – they adapt to any keys and modulations (key changes) because they have infinitely variable control over pitch. Within certain limits, the pitch of wind instruments can also be varied by adjusting embouchure (lip position/tension). A group of musicians instinctively approaches a common overtone structure, minimizing the “friction” between all the voices in a chord. This results in the wonderfully rich but compact sound of symphony orchestras or gospel choirs.
Unfortunately, real time intonation was not a feasible proposition for makers of keyboard instrument. Finding a usable method of performing fine adjustments to each and every note seemed physically impossible, especially when playing polyphonically.
These days, digital musical instruments can automate this process. The Pure Tuning (aka. Hermode) algorithm analyses chords and immediately adjusts the pitch of each note so that the prominent harmonics line up. Especially for normal synthesizer sounds, the difference between Equal Temperament and Pure Tuning may appear to be rather subtle at first (though this difference can be accentuated – see below):
Select the factory preset C126 (-Init-) on your Virus. Turn the Detune value down to 7 to make the phasing between the two oscillators nice and slow. Play a few simple major chords, or just a C-major triad if you prefer, and vary the PureTuning Intensity parameter.
At 127, PureTuning is fully on: The chord is well intonated (like a choir) and does not exhibit any beating between notes. This may seem a little unusual at first, but it sounds perfectly “straight” and correct after you have familiarized yourself with the effect. Setting PureTuning back to zero (“Equal”) switches it off again: The chord is beating and, after comparing the two extremes, this original setting sound equally unusual. The chord now appears to be tuned rather oddly, not quite pure enough, slightly spoiled compared with the maximum setting.
Astonishingly, this is the very same Equal Temperament we have been hearing all our lives...
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check those .mp3 files at:
http://www.access-music.de/events/06-2003/os6.php4
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Last edited by seraph on Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ffransis
Joined: Jun 24, 2004
Posts: 31
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| Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 1:38 pm Post subject:
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I'd heard those mp3 clips before, but they serve only as a brief introduction to just intonation (JI). I've been using JI and various "historical" temperaments on acoustic instruments for years now, but I'd like to know how an adaptive tuning technique like Hermode tuning works on synthesisers, and specifically how it works (or otherwise) from a musician's perspective. |
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seraph
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| Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 2:08 am Post subject:
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Emagic Logic Pro 7 supports Hermode Tuning (HMT) for its
internal audio instruments (except Ultrabeat where it doesn't make
sense).
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XpanderXT
Joined: Oct 22, 2007
Posts: 104
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject:
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I have Logic and like Hermode Tuning. I'm not a big fan of their synths though and would love to have Hermode tuning on my other plug in's, my Waldorf XT(the microwave 2 ahs Hermode, the XT doesn't), my Oberheim Xpander and my Arturia Origin.
Any ideas? |
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seraph
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:58 pm Post subject:
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I think you can assign hermode or other available tunings only to internal sounds.
To retune other virtual or hardware synths you need other applications.
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XpanderXT
Joined: Oct 22, 2007
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| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:25 am Post subject:
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| seraph wrote: | I think you can assign hermode or other available tunings only to internal sounds.
To retune other virtual or hardware synths you need other applications. |
Do you have any applications that you suggest? Mac OS |
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seraph
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