I was wondering if anyone knows where I might obtain an existing Dorico “Tonality System” preset that uses the Huygens-Fokker style of notation (see link below)? Ideally, I’d like to have the preset’s accidentals play back properly using Halion instruments (using VST Expression Paramaters).
It’s pretty simple to define this tonality system yourself. According to the PDF, the spaces between white notes are either 5/31 or 3/31. (5×5 + 2×3 = 31 total.) The accidental glyphs can all be found in the Standard and Stein-Zimmermann sections of SMuFL. For their pitch deltas, count the number of black notes away from the corresponding whole note on the PDF, e.g. standard ♯ and ♭ = 2/31, etc.
If you find the Tonality System and Edit Symbol dialogs too daunting, I could make this up for you in a few minutes.
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Thanks Mark. That makes sense. I messed around with it a bit but it was going kind of slow.
I know that all the “naturals” and “flats” in the pdf are the notes that are closest to the 12 notes of 12edo. So in essence the C note starts the scale (as a natural), and is at concert pitch, then there is a semisharp and sharp for the next two microtones, then there is a flat (which is closest to the “black keys” in 12 edo) followed by a backwards-flat as the next microtone. (Any sharp in the pdf signifies an “inbetween” microtonal note… these sharps are not equivalent to flats in how they “sound” when played).
Does that make sense? If you’d like to whip up a preset for me, I’d definitely welcome it, but I’ll leave that up to you.
Here you go. UnZip this file and import it using the 4th button under Tonality Systems.
31-EDO Huygens-Fokker.doricolib.zip (2.9 KB)
About the notation – ♮ doesn’t mean a note matches concert pitch. By defining the intervals between the “white” notes in 31 equal steps, actually the only pitch that matches 12-EDO is A (because Dorico sets the pitch of A). They are all n/31 of an octave from A.
If you want to match concert C instead, set A = 437.547 in Playback Options > Tuning.
Tremendous, thanks for the file. I’ll check it out and test it with Halion’s microtonal capabilities.
And also thanks for the clarification that Dorico sets the base pitch to A. Yes indeed, the naturals in that pdf wouldn’t all be concert pitch, but I was assuming incorrectly that the base pitch (that first natural), would be set to C. Knowing how to reset Dorico to Concert C will come in handy because that’s how I set up microtonal stuff in Cubase and prefer it all to be in tune.
… tried it… works like a charm.