Microtonally Retunable Synthesizers, Samplers and other Instruments

Li’l Miss’ Scale Oven (LMSO) runs on the Mac. LMSO tunes more instruments than any other software in the world. This includes pro Yamaha, Ensoniq, Marion, E-mu and all MIDI Tuning Standard compatible synths. Also supports the lightweight 12 note scales of the Roland GS and Yamaha GX instruments. Also can retune large numbers of softsynths. Support includes all of the following instruments, with support for new instruments added all the time:

...and all instruments that understand the versatile MIDI Tuning Standard (MTS). Historically, the MIDI Tuning Standard (which was designed by microtonal composers Robert Rich and Carter Scholz) has been the most widely supported MIDI system exclusive tuning format which supports full keyboard tunings, and one of the only formats that supports single-note retuning, which is the key to unlimited pitch sets. MTS also has a very precise 0.006 cent tuning resolution.

Unless otherwise noted, all the synths mentioned are models which support full-keyboard retuning with no limitations like 12-note scales only or octave tunings only. If you are in the market for a retunable synth, I strongly recommend you make absolutely sure it allows for full-keyboard arbitrary retuning. Make sure that each note can be tuned to anything you like and not just +/- 50 cents from 12 tone. You may not think you need it, but it is likely the day will come when you do — even if all you want to do is tune up a piano patch to an authentic stretched piano tuning.

If you’re not sure if a synth you have is appropriately retunable, just ask me, I’d be happy to research the instrument and comment on it for you.

In addition to support for standalone instruments, LMSO also supports output for a number of software and soundcard synthesizers that have their own special text files they need, such as:

LMSO provides custom and unique retuning support for these instruments:

If you don’t see your retunable instrument listed, don’t give up just yet! Contact me instead and I will be happy to research it for you. Many times, I have been able to work with the customer to add new formats to the program in the time it takes for payment to be received. And of course all current owners can request new formats be added as well as they acquire new instruments.

We are still not done yet. LMSO’s amazingly powerful and versatile Nuscale dynamic retuning module allows you to do full keyboard retuning of almost all MIDI synthesizers currently in production, as well as most MIDI synthesizers that have ever been made. This includes many that theoretically cannot be retuned. Now they can be tuned, as the impossible becomes possible. Thus you can retune your Kurzweil K2000 synth to full keyboard nonoctave tunings, or reverse tunings, or whatever you like, not constrained to the limitations of octave tunings that the instrument would seem to have. You can retune your antique Prophet VS, your Roland XV5050, your D-50, your Waldorf MicroQ. With LMSO’s Nuscale, all of these support extended just intonation, expressive playing of various ethnic instrument playing styles, intuitive tuning and intonational adjustments of the instrument by ear, as is practiced in some world musics, and the instantaneous switching between various tunings even during live performance, with no latency or glitching between changes. LMSO can do all this simultaneously for as many instruments as you wish. It is not limited to only retuning one instrument at a time.

As you would expect, Nuscale has complete support for the MIDI Tuning Standard protocol, including the very rarely seen single-note-tuning protocol. This means you can use Nuscale to retrofit most of the instruments you have to be fully compatible with MIDI Tuning Standard reception. So if you want to write a composition with an unlimited number of pitches using synths you may already have, LMSO’s Nuscale can help you accomplish that.

Nuscale enables you to retune hardware and software instruments such as the following:

Not everything in the world can be retuned by LMSO yet but we’d sure like to make it that way!

 

 

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