I am going to share some simple steps to experiment with the Microtonal music. It will expand the understandings from the music and you can create sth different.

 

#1 step
Download Scala

 

#2 Step
Download Minihost Modular if your DAW has problem in properly connecting with Scala. For example FL Studio itself can not receive pitch-bend messages from Scala, but Minihost is capable of doing that.

 

#3 Step
Download LoopMIDI or CopperLan manager. They are 2 virtual midi cables for making connections between Scala and your DAW or MiniHost Modular. I suggest LoopMIDI due to its simple setup. You can send any MIDI message through these cables.

 

#4 Step
Download More than 4500 scales and extract it somewhere. I suggest to do it inside a folder in Scala program's folder. Of course you are not limited to these 4500 scales and could create scales of your own.

 

#5 step
Install all the above tools on your PC, then click on LoopMIDI shortcut. After launching LoopMIDI, click on the plus button on its window to create a virtual MIDI cable. Don't close it and let it sit somewhere in the tray.

 

#6 step

1. Launch Minihost Modular and click on the preferences in the File menu.
2. From there, select your favorite Audio device type.
3. In MIDI In 1, select LoopMIDI Port. This port is used as input in Minihost but will do the output's responsibility in Scala.
4. Go to the Plugins tab on top and select the VST Plugins by clicking on the Browse button in Custom VST folder 1. If you have more than one VST folder, specify them in the paths below.
5. Then click on one of the Scan buttons to find all of your Plugins. I suggest Scan (no verify) and Try to disable popups to be fast.
6. Then close the Preferences window and return back to Minihost's main window.
7. Right click on that window and select your favorite VSTi or Sampler (cable of receiving pitch-bend messages) from the Add plugin menu.
8. Wait for the MIDI messages from Scala.

 

#7 step

1. Open Scala, then open one of those extracted 4500 scales from the File menu.
2. No need to know all the commands and details from Scala at this point.
3. Click on Relay button and select your favorite MIDI keyboard from the MIDI Input Device top-down menu.
4. Click on the Change button down the window to select the MIDI Output Device.
5. Make sure Pitch bends is selected in front of the Tuning method.
6. Select LoopMIDI Port from the MIDI Output Device top-down menu.
7. Then hit OK.
8. Click on the Start Relaying big button.
9. Play your MIDI keyboard to hear the sounds from Minihost Modular.

 

Now 2 main questions remain and they are:

1. What about the other commands and buttons in Scala?
2. How to record those pitch-bendy MIDI messages inside any DAW and make compositions?

The first question is easy to answer. You need to study its help.
But for the number 2, I have not done enough experimentations and would be happy if someone does it and reports for the other users.

 

seems like a awefull lot of steps before doing any actual music to me. but what do i know?
why not try something like https://lotusmusic.com/lm_exoticscales.html and see where it takes "you" :P

 

Just use a tuning file *.tun or *.scala with any vst and you are done. Scala can create them, but there was a free site that can do it too - http://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/

In Reaper you can rename the piano roll notes to your chosen scale.

 

@23322332 Are you really using them? Which ones of those 4500? Why and how?

 

Last edited: Mar 5, 2019

No, I make my own or use some of the built-in temperaments - see "View"->"List of modes" - many of these are 2-dimensional regular scales that can be mapped to isomorphic keyboard (or we can use something like a touchscreen program - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/x...ppbl2brsk6z?rtc=1&activetab=pivot:overviewtab -

)

For example:
Type the division - let's say 17:
"equal 17", then "mode", then: " 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2" for 12 note note "pseudo arabic 12 note scale"

 

Last edited: Mar 7, 2019

thanks for helping and sharing
Adam4adam TutuApp AppValley

 

Last edited by a moderator: Mar 27, 2019

You can also play a 1 string , single fret guitar and just bend the string little amounts , so much emotion going from 200hz to the note 201hz mofos.