A
microtuner or
microtonal tuner is an electronic device or software program designed to modify and test the tuning of musical instruments (in particular
synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
s) with
microtonalMicrotonal music is music using microtones — intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone.Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
precision, allowing for the design and construction of microtonal scales and
just intonationIn music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval; in other words, the two notes are members of the same harmonic series....
scales, and for tuning intervals that differ (or not) from those of common Western
equal temperamentEqual temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio. In equal temperament tunings, an interval — usually the octave — is divided into a series of equal steps...
. The term also indicates a high-precision mechanical tuning device found on some vintage Conn brand
brassA brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
and reed instruments (mostly
cornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the medieval cornett or cornetto....
s and
alto saxophonesThe saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
).
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Microtuner' Start a new discussion about 'Microtuner' Answer questions from other users |
A
microtuner or
microtonal tuner is an electronic device or software program designed to modify and test the tuning of musical instruments (in particular
synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
s) with
microtonalMicrotonal music is music using microtones — intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone.Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
precision, allowing for the design and construction of microtonal scales and
just intonationIn music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval; in other words, the two notes are members of the same harmonic series....
scales, and for tuning intervals that differ (or not) from those of common Western
equal temperamentEqual temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of tuning in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio. In equal temperament tunings, an interval — usually the octave — is divided into a series of equal steps...
. The term also indicates a high-precision mechanical tuning device found on some vintage Conn brand
brassA brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
and reed instruments (mostly
cornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the medieval cornett or cornetto....
s and
alto saxophonesThe saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
). These were first introduced with their 1918 catalog and manufactured up until about 1954. Such devices were also offered with some vintage
saxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
s manufactured in Europe by Beaugnier, Dolnet, Hüller, Keilwerth and other famous makers in the same period.
See also
- Computer music
Computer music is a term that was originally used within academia to describe a field of study relating to the applications of computing technology in music composition; particularly that stemming from the Western art music tradition...
- Electronic tuner
An electronic tuner is a device used by musicians to detect and display the pitch of notes played on musical instruments. The simplest tuners use LED lights or a needle to indicate approximately whether the pitch of the note played is lower, higher, or approximately equal to the desired pitch...
- Microtonal music
Microtonal music is music using microtones — intervals of less than an equally spaced semitone.Microtonal music can also refer to music which uses intervals not found in the Western system of 12 equal intervals to the octave.-Terminology:...
- MIDI Tuning Standard
In music, the MIDI Tuning Standard is a specification of musical pitch agreed to by the MIDI Manufacturers Association. It allows for both a bulk tuning dump message, giving a tuning for each of 128 notes, and an individual tuning message....
- Musical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical basis.-Tuning practice:...
- Scala (program)
Scala is a freeware software application with versions supporting Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It allows users to create and archive musical scales, analyze and transform them with built-in theoretical tools, play them with an on-screen keyboard or from an external MIDI keyboard, and export them...
- Tune Smithy
Tune Smithy is a Windows-based shareware application, originally was developed as an algorithmic composition tool to make fractal music. It is now also used frequently as a retuning tool for microtonal composition, and for music therapy in conjunction with Barbara Hero’s Lambdoma keyboard...
- Tuner
Tuner may refer to someone or something which adjusts or configures a mechanical, electronic, or musical device- Electronic :* Antenna tuner, a device to adjust the resonance frequency of an antenna or transmission line...
- Tuning
Tuning can refer to:*Musical tuning**Guitar tunings**Piano tuning*Radio tuning: see tuner*Tuning properties of neurons: see neuronal tuning*Car tuning**Engine tuning*Database tuning*Self-tuning...
Hardware microtuners
Software microtuners and other microtonal music software
Mechanical microtuners of vintage wind instruments