quarter tone recording with midi transformer ?

Cubase
#1

Hi.
i need to record scales with quarter note in cubase 5 but must have the quarter tone data recorded to the midi event.
i tried freezing or loop midi in range with the micro tuning midi plugin but its not do anything to the midi event.

i also tried to program the midi transformer to pitchbend specific note(s) by quarter tone down, but with no success.
is it possible to program the midi transformer to play quarter tones with pitch bend?

or is there any way to embed quarter tone data to midi events.

the goal is to record midi scales with quarters tones and play those midi files on any system or midi sequancer instruments with no wory if it capable of playing quarter tone

#2

Set the Quantize length to 1/4 note. What am I missing?

#3

I think the topic poster is actually referring to quarter tones (i.e. microtuning… read this… http://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/) , not quarter notes. :wink:.
No easy solution, I’m afraid. If the instrument itself doesn’t implement microtuning maps (.tun files), then the closest you can get is indeed to “fake” it via pitchbend.

#4

Ahhhhhhhh. :sunglasses:

#5

quarter tone indeed(tuning)… long working hours :smiley:

#6

This is indeed difficult, but I have a solution. :slight_smile: Pitch bend doesn’t always work well because you can hear a glitchy bend when it activates in a legato passage. I play Middle Eastern music and have given up on trying to do this with anything but proprietary solutions, like GPO (Or Kontakt) using .scl (like .tun) files, or the micro tuner insert with Steinberg VSTs.

Or, to get a clean sounding result in a generic midi file, I would use a track set to midi channel “any” and send notes, and other tracks and channels to send pitch bends to facilitate the microtunings.

Generally, for each scale:

  • Create multiple midi tracks, one for the notes, and one for each microtone you need.
  • Put them on separate channels, send all channels to a multitimbral instrument with the same instrument loaded on each channel.
  • Set a pitch bend command for each channel except channel 1 (for my example)

So, for the Arabic mode Bayati which has a 1/4 flat on the 2 (E) and the 7 (B) ascending, and on 2 the descending. (more or less) I:

  • Create a track for the note events set to channel “any”, and enter the scale.
  • Create a track on Channel 2 or higher for pitch bend, and place the pitch bend value needed at the beginning of the track.
  • Create further tracks on different channels for more microtonal adjustments
  • On the track set to midi channel “any” edit the notes you wish to adjust so they are on the correct channels. In my example I edited the notes E and B to channel 2 and channel 3

Probably a good idea to add a midi reset message to the beginning of the file too.

Here is the result: (Forum does not allow mid files)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/15632107/Micro%20Tones.mid

#7

Nice solution :wink:

#8

Je te remercie d’en avoir remarqué! :wink:

#9

Hi Steve,

I have a question about your method ( 10 years old and it seems the midi file is not there anymore.)

You say, if the VST responds to the MIDI micro-tuner on the Cubase Tracks, use it. Otherwise, we should use your method below that utilizes Pitch bend? Aren’t I right? If so, Let’s say, we have melody M to be played using HSO’s String Ensemble in Magham ( say with two quarter tones of 1/4 flat on E and B).

  1. Create a HSO rack instrument and load String Ensemble
  2. Create a track containing the midi events of the melody M and set it to ANY.
  3. create two additional MIDI tracks: Track 2 & 3, without notes and just the pitch bend events at the beginning of each say for 1/4 note. Say channel 2 is for B 1/4 flat and channel 3 is E 1/4 flat.
  4. Use expression maps and symbols in Score editor on Track 1 to switch channels per notes as needed.


    My Question is that how do you add the pitch bends as they are not among the normal MIDI modifiers and CC’s in the automation lanes of the MIDI tracks? Do you use automation and then adjust it to the proper amount?