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astroid-ratio etude #1
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StoreTags: figured, fucking, i, it, out
Author: astroid on September 13 2006
--> this short little song, kept simple so as to highlight the ideas, has tones which are determined by the ratios of the frequencies, not some stupid logarithmic 12th root of 2 formula. you may not be able to hear the difference in the first four chords, but it gets more obvious as the piece develops.

it was rendered on my g2 all one pass.

the process for composing was a little convoluted:

each oscillator has a "central tone" equal to 1:1. there's one pitch modulator which multiplies the numerator, and one which multiplies the denominator, so each midi lane in protools had to have two notes for one tone, centered around c3 (corresponding to 1:1). this level of complexity insured that i'd go for simple things first.

i was tempted to do some pieces which rendered the ratio chords next to the 12-tet chords, but i thought that might be pedantic, even for me.

i'm sure i'll have to explain what the fuck i'm talking about, so here's a head start:

the notes on our piano approximate the vibrations in a harmonic series, but not exactly. in the interest of modulation, all the rage from 1600-1960, the natural system of overtones was gradually forced into a geometric shape which is highly abstract from nature. the natural series uses the simplest of fractions, and the modulatory system uses a logarithm. the reason was simplicity in instrument building-it's easier to use 12 equidistant notes than it is to worry about what ratio one pitch has from another-and what that means for harmony.

composers started to chip away at this over the years by adding more notes to the symmetrical scale-19, 31, 72, 171 notes were some of the favorites. all of these scales are still approximations. if you have heard a barbershop quartet, a really good one, and maybe have tried to copy the chords on a guitar or piano, you'll have noticed that the chords don't "buzz" right-that's because the singers will tend to correct their pitch to the ratios.

so for this, the system was set up, and then i composed by ear. it's possible to get much more subtlety from the system, but i've only used it for a couple days. i think eventually, the 12tet system will fall by the wayside, and composers will learn to use this.
Read astroid's other blogs.astroid's Recent Blogs
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Comments

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09/13/06 +  astroid
thanks artsigreg- i think my next "song" might be playing in the player. this one is just the little tidbit for about a minute. it's not even really a song, but just an illustration of a tuning system. i apologize for any confusion-you're right about the notes being too loud.

i should have prefaced this: i got excited because i firgured out something that i've been obsessing over for a looooooong time. i don't really have any "product" yet, tho.
Recent blogs: generative music speculations pt. #fu, thank you, wetf  

09/13/06 +  SoMuch
you still scuk

edited: Sep 13 2006 +  electrodan
Crikey. You told me it was coming.
I hear what you're saying aboot the dominant 7th sounding chord at the end. What is the explanation of the last chord sounding "correct" to mine 12 tet ears? I hear a perfect third.
Recent blogs: Crickets chirp in triplets, Another Visualization Gig, Spanish House  

09/13/06 +  fakeBlooper
we'll go by the honor system for the "make my head assplode" intervals

i must be insane because this sounds like manna dripping from mother's teat. once you get it sorted, do us a favor and do a multi-sample patch (sines are fine) so i can hack some kurds from the whey.
Recent blogs: ableton microtonal oscillator utility, awesome, mobo alert sequencer  

09/14/06 +  energygiant
fucking awesome!
Recent blogs: someone was also born today, You have been restricted from posting temporarily., googleplex-ed  

09/14/06 +  jdg
BEST SONG I"VE EVER HAERD
Recent blogs: cmj loves fredo, What is your favorite track that you've made?, joebacca  

09/14/06 +  astroid
no-jason, all the chords in this song are fixed to small ratios. the last chord is just a 3:4:5 type deal-aka what would be contorted into a "major chord". your ear hears major third because your ear WANTS to hear a 5:4 ratio every time you hear a major third.

fakeBlooper- it is the honor system at this point-problem is, my brain is so flaccid from years and years of working in12tet, that all i did was copy and color a basic classical harmony. i'll try to hook up that crazy sample patch. it's really nothing you can't do with a pitch shifter and a calculator, though.

thanks energygiant.

fu jdg.
Recent blogs: generative music speculations pt. #fu, thank you, wetf  

09/14/06 +  jdg
EFF
Recent blogs: cmj loves fredo, What is your favorite track that you've made?, joebacca  
09/14/06 +  electrodan
so the ratios are that of the actual frequencies, relative to each other? so a major third has frequencies that dont exactly equate to a 3:4:5 ratio to each other? Like 3 : 4.2 : 5.3 or something?

Depending on what frequency range you're at, there are uneven values between pitches, e.g., at 100Hz an octave above that would be 200Hz. But at 400Hz and octave above that would be 800Hz. Are you reconciling that variation by treating the pitch values and their coresponding span of wavelengths (Hz) as ratios of each other?

Dos that make any sense?
Recent blogs: Crickets chirp in triplets, Another Visualization Gig, Spanish House  

09/14/06 +  astroid
yes. exactly.
Recent blogs: generative music speculations pt. #fu, thank you, wetf  

09/15/06 +  DrexonField
very cool! that beat is dope!!!
these sounds are crazy
Recent blogs: New Monolake song, Techno viking, Chow Daddy  

09/15/06 +  datathinner
this is very postmodern sounding. i love the melody - i don't care what anybody says - it's disonnant in all the right places. not a particular fan of the timbre, though. but hey, its just an exercise right?
Recent blogs: Obesity and Farm Subsidies, hey! its my studio, mackie satellite  

09/15/06 +  Jetsom
I enjoyed this
Recent blogs: Hi. I'm Jetsom. I never blog.  

09/15/06 +  mlbot
you must have a big dick to be so comfortable with small ratios
Recent blogs: I love scientists, I [heart] translated reviews, Dumb Machine LP - Maces of Disruption  

09/15/06 +  bla
i have no '12tet trained ear' so this just sounded like a bunch of notes to me
im very much in favour of using real mathematical harmonic ratios rather than weird medieval tone systems because i can understand whats going on
Recent blogs: programmers please help, bla live at bitjam at the rigger feb 08, alesis hr16  

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