Hexapad tuned for microtonal scales

[microtonal]

I made some changes to the Hexapad Canvas Project to better support a variety of microtonal scales, specifically non-12 key arrangements. The file is attached, version 0.7.

Change Log from default Hexapad:
* Added some comments to describe code segments
* Decreased key size to fit 7 x 12 array on iPad
* Increased font size for improved readability
* Added variable "notesOct" in settings to select the number of notes in an Octave, no longer limited to 12 notes
* Changed note names from C, C#, D… etc. to numbers 1,2,3…, up to 31 notes
* Added octave designator to note display, 1.1 = note 1 octave 1, 1.2 = note 1 octave 2, up to 7 octaves
* Centered longer note names
* Eliminated repeated notes in key array
* Colored notes per octave rather than per column, now easy to see each octave
* Graduated color from dark for note 1 to light for top note

Feedback is welcome.

[microtonal]

Screen Image

[Phil999]

you did it! Congratulations. And many thanks. Will comment further when I've collected some experience using it.

Edit: I don't see any pitch bend messages appearing on my interface. I had a look at the template in the editor, but it's too complicated and confusing to find the thing that sends pitch bend messages. Does your template send pitch bend messages at all?

[microtonal]

No, pitch bend is not implemented. That will be more complicated, and I'm not sure it is worth the effort if other applications can do the translation. Since Lemur does not have file IO, you cannot load Scala files and would have to program each scale with sliders, and save each scale as a project.

[Phil999]

I see. Thank you for your reply.

I guess I''ll just have to try out how your template can output microtonal scales to a synthesiser. I'm sure the main aspect of your work has escaped my mind.

Let me just ask, what synth or interface are you controlling with your template? That could give me a clue.

[microtonal]

My first goal was to get a keyboard that makes visual sense when playing scales with more than (and sometimes less than) 12 notes per octave. It is very difficult to understand what non-12 note you are playing with the original hexapad showing C, C# etc in a 12 note pattern. The intent for the 0.7 version is to use an end device with full keyboard micro tuning support.

I am having second thoughts about adding monophonic pitch bend translation since Lemur does not support file IO. That makes everything manual entry and volatile unless you save it as a project.

At the moment I am sending the Hexapad microtonal output to a MIDI-to-Control Voltage converter, then attenuating the control voltage at the Serge synthesizer, getting an equal tempered scale of 19 notes per octave. I have other devices that can support the full keyboard (EPS, TX81Z, DX7IIFD, MOTM-650) that will eventually be driven from this.

[Phil999]

great and fascinating work.

At the moment I am sending the Hexapad microtonal output to a MIDI-to-Control Voltage converter, then attenuating the control voltage at the Serge synthesizer, getting an equal tempered scale of 19 notes per octave. I have other devices that can support the full keyboard (EPS, TX81Z, DX7IIFD, MOTM-650) that will eventually be driven from this.

Can you expand a bit on how your MIDI-CV converter interprets these 19 note per octave scales? My MIDI-CV converter sends 'normal' note commands without additional tuning information. But I'll have to try more in the next days, then I'll probably understand. I guess you are using Yarns with internal microtuning capabilities, so it won't work for other interfaces. But I don't know.

[microtonal]

In this case the MIDI-CV converter still maps 12 equal notes per octave. I retune at the end device by attenuating the control voltages.

[Phil999]

alright, although I still don't quite understand. Maybe I just need more time to understand. Thank you.

[schoko]

hi,

microtonal..
just want to mention that file IO is possibly with the help of autohotkey.
At the moment i implement an automatic load of nkb files (kontakt bank).
Push a button -> trigger shortcuts (control + alt +...?) -> run the wanted file with an
simply autohotkey script...(run, [Filepath] and then return).
You can do really a lot with this tool, and its free

cheers
schoko