BAIN MUSC 726T
Tuning Theory
Software
WEB-BASED CALCULATORS
- General Purpose
- Graphing
- Desmos, Graphing Calculator {Desmos.com}
- See also: Apple, Graphing Calculator {Apple}
- Fractions
- RapidTables, Fraction Calculator {RapidTables}
Add (+), subtract (-), multiply
(*) and divide (/) fractions
- Calculator Soup
- Wolfram Alpha
- Intervals
- Bain, Ratio
to Cents
A simple mobile Web app that
converts an interval frequency ratio to cents and provides
its decimal expansion to three decimal places
- Alan Pierson & Paul Melnikow, Partials Monster {https://partials.monster}
Play intervals that are based on
ratios found in the harmonic series
- Winkler, Just intonation ratio player {Observable}
Play ratio sequences as a scale
or chord
- Ratioscore: Just Interval Tool {Humdrum.org}
- Nicholson & Sabat, Plainsound Harmonic Space Calculator
{Plainsound.org; User
Guide}
A tool for composers and
musicians who are interested in discovering and working with
properties of intervals tuned in just intonation
- Untwelve, JavaScript Interval Calculator {Untwelve.org}
Calculates rational
approximations (or semi-convergents) and EDO approximations
for a given interval
- Yacavone, Xen-Calc {Yacavone.net}
A multi-purpose
calculator/converter for microtonal (AKA: xenharmonic) music
theory that supports conversion between cents, just ratios,
EDO, FJS, and color notations
WEB APPS
Lambdoma Player
Tonality Diamond Player
Harmonic Series Spiral Player
- Giannotta and Løfvander, Overtones Spiral (1-16) {Suonoterapia.org}
- Nicholson, Harmonic Series Spiral Synth (1-64) {Superparticular.com}
- Norris, Harmonic Series Calculator {MichaelNorris.info}
- Lowengard, The beauty of comparing harmonic intervals {jhhl.net}
Tone Circle Player
- Bretschneider, Notenscheibe – {Notenscheibe.de}
- Radical Data and Media, Harmonagon {Harmonagon.com}
Tone Circle Maker
Villaseñor, Constant
Structure Analyzer {Wilson-tunings.netify.app}
Lattice Maker
Villaseñor, Lattice Maker {Wilson-tunings.netlify.app}
from The Wilson Archives, Tools and Treasures: Software:
Tools for Exploring Some of Erv Wilson's Scale Concepts –
https://www.anaphoria.com/wilsontreasure.html
- Enter a scale and the program will create a tuning lattice
e.g., enter the just (5-limit)
scale 1/1 9/8 5/4 4/3 3/2 5/3 15/8 and the program will
display the lattice shown in Figure 1
Figure 1. Tuning lattice for the diatonic scale in just
(5-limit) intonation
Keyboard/Scale Web Apps
- Sevish et al., Scale Workshop 2 {Sevish.com}
Design microtonal scales and play
them in your web browser
- Plainsound, Hexatone {Plainsound.org}
Customisable touch keyboard with built-in sounds and MIDI
input and microtonal (MIDI Tuning Standard) output
Other
- Allami,
Leimma & Aptome {isartum.net}
- Alves, Just
Intonation Ear Trainer
- New Tonality, Xentonal Synthesizer {NewTonality.net}
Calculate dissonance curves
- Nicholson, Tools {Superparticular.com}
- Plainsound Harmonic Synth Calculator
- Harmonic Series Spiral Synth
- Relations of tone as an analogy for relations of colour
- Scullard, Interactive Circle of Fifths {randscullard.com}
- Stilner, Moments of Symmetry in equal divisions of the octave
calculator {anaphoria.com}
- Terpstra, Keyboard WebApp {Terpstra}
- The
Terpstra Keyboard Concept {YouTube}
- Villaseñor, Tools for exploring some of Erv Wilson's scale
concepts {wilson-tunings.netlify.app}
- Walter, Music Calculators {CasparJohannesWalter.de}
- Wolfram, Demonstrations Project: Exploring Musical Tuning and
Temperament {Wolfram}
iOS APPS
- Satellite, Wilsonic iPad App {Website}
- AudioKit TuneUp Demo {YouTube}
- Peterson, iStrobeSoft {PetersonTuners.com}
MISC. STANDALONE SOFTWARE
Analysis
SCALA
Scala, by Op de Coul {WP}
Scala is an advanced application for tuning theory. It is
freeware that runs on Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
Features:
- Create and archive microtonal/xenharmonic musical scales
- Analyze and transform scales with built-in theoretical tools
- Play scales using an on-screen keyboard or external MIDI
keyboard
- Export scale data to software synthesizers
Links:
- Third-Party Tutorials:
- Other:
- Garritan, Aria Player, Scala file reference {Garritan}
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES &
DAWS
- Ableton
- Max for Live, Microtuner by Ableton {Ableton}
- Apple, Logic Pro {Apple.com}
- Overview of Tuning in Logic Pro {Apple.com}
- Show Advanced Tools
- Logic Pro X > Preferences > Advanced Tools > Show
Advanced Tools
- Set Scale (fixed, 12 tones)
- File > Project Settings > Tuning > Software
Instrument Scale
- Cycling '74, Max {Cycling
'74}
- IRCAM, OpenMusic {IRCAM}
- Mann, Tone.js {GitHub}
- Tune.js: A Microtonal Web Audio Library {GATech;
IRCAM}
- McCartney, SuperCollider
- See Fabrice Mogina, Alternative Tunings with SuperCollider (Mogini 2011)
- Vercoe, Csound {Csounds.com}
COMMERCIAL KEYBOARDS/SYNTHS
- Hπ Instruments
- Lumatone Isomorphic Keyboard {www.lumatone.io; YouTube}
- Modartt, Pianoteq 8 {Modartt.com}
- Naitive Instruments, Kontakt 14 {Native-Instruments.com}
See also: Xenharmonic Wiki, DAWs {XW}
Links
Plainsound Music Edition, Just
Intonation & Microtonal Resources – https://www.plainsound.org
The Wilson Archives, Tools and Treasures:
Software: Tools for Exploring Some of Erv Wilson's Scale
Concepts – https://www.anaphoria.com/wilsontreasure.html
Xeharmonic Wiki, List of Music Software {XW}
References
Gann, Kyle. 2019. The Arithmetic of
Listening: Tuning Theory and History for the Impractical
Musician. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. {GB}
Mogini, Fabrice. 2011. "Ch. 17
Alternative Tunings with SuperCollider." In The SuperCollider
Book, edited by Scott Wilson, David Cottle, and Nick
Collins. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. {GB}
Updated: November 25, 2024