I spent most of the morning, coding up a little program in Java to write SYSEX tuning files to my old Yamaha TG77. It was a bit of a pain, because it involved a lot of 'bit-twiddling' which Java programmers just don't do that much of these days, thankfully. Here's the source if anybody wants it, it's not commented and is a bit rough but it works. It takes a text file with 128 values and spits out a MIDI Sysex file which can then be transmitted to your Yamaha TG77, SY77 or SY99. Feel free to take, steal, not give me credit... whatever. It doesn't use the Javax MIDI classes, cuz I just couldn't get them to do the arbitrary data I needed for a tuning dump.
The good news after all that pain, is that I can now realize Michael Harrison's Revelation tuning. A microtonally modified Just Intonation tuning that uses the black keys to produce beats by using them as 'comma' tones. Tones, almost in tune with the note below them, but in tune in a Just way to the other black notes.
Here's a little improv I did this afternoon on my TG77 using that tuning. It produces heavenly beats and pulses. I'll probably write a few piano pieces with it next.
Piano Improvisation with Michael Harrison's Revelation Tuning
Posted by jeff at August 6, 2005 05:12 PM