Indian/middle eastern sounds, microtonality

["Drew Skyfyre" <skyfyre_dys@yahoo.com>]

> I'd like to get a unit that allows both  programming and playing, 
>preferably
> with Indian/middle eastern sounds,

> Yamaha FS1r
Yamaha seriously screwed up by not including ANY microtuning capabilities.
This thing is supposedly capatible with DX7 patches. The DX & TX & SY & VL
series ALL include some form of microtuning tables. As do most of their XG
thingies, even the PSR 530 & above. What a waste of a great machine. AFAIK
Kawai made the same goof with their K5000, and only Waldorf's insane :) 
Wave
has tuning tables in their product line.

Personally I consider any synth/sampler with no microtuning to be absolute
rubbish, though there are wayz to work around the limitation.

Ensoniq's ASR-X Pro is one of the best choices available, with full 128 
note
tuning tables, & over 30 preset temperments, not to mention various
available key tracking settings. E-mu's new budget ESI2000 is also a great
buy, with a really good microtuning capabilities. The E5000 has the neato
"Beat Munging" tool, more power, but lower microtuning resolution (1/64th 
of
a semitone v/s the ESI's 1/100th of a semiton), and is double the ESI's
price.

If you're really interested in Indian/Middle Eastern sounds, then do not
stop at Oud or Sitar samples. They have to be played/sequenced in an
appropriate tuning to sound remotely authentic.

A Middle Eastern sound is easily achievable :
In the key of C try tuning your D, E, A, and B notes a quarter tone
(-49 cents) flat.

You folks should really get into microtonality if you're really looking for
new sounds, a bottomless well of ideas, & an endless source of new
tonalities. Looping and microtonality holds gargantuan potential.
David Beardsley's on this list (Hey David howzzit goin ?), he's really into
microtonality. David, makin any nice noizez wizzat DL4 ?

Try :
John Starrett's microtonal links site :
http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~jstarret/microtone.html

Graham Breed's site :
http://www.microtonal.co.uk/

or my own :
Xenharmonic Engines (lot's of guitar related info, some outdated links, &
I'm working on revamp):
http://microtonal.lookscool.com

And join the Tuning list over at Onelist. http://www.onelist.com

- Drew

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