Do you care about tuning?

AlanP · Post by **AlanP** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:44 pm

Semi-related note, what do people use for a tuner? The only tuners I have lying around is a Korg Pitchblack pedal, and a Marshall MT-1.

J3RK · Post by **J3RK** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 3:59 pm

AlanP wrote:Semi-related note, what do people use for a tuner? The only tuners I have lying around is a Korg Pitchblack pedal, and a Marshall MT-1.

I'm not very scientific with music. I go by the nearest instrument that SHOULD be in tune based on what it is. (then match by ear)

kindredlost · Post by **kindredlost** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:07 pm

I tune my oscillators then decide whether or not to detune.

I also tune the oscillators when I use software for scale tuning.

In other words the vco's are always tuned to a reference (Boss tuner pedal) then I make any scale or tuning decisions using the control voltages to the vco's later.

I later unplug the cv's and recheck the "base" tuning of the vco before recording to account for thermal drift etc..

I'm not a perfect pitch victim but the scale and tuning is very important for me in an audio/psychoacoustic sense. Tuning and scale are as important as timbre.

Vsyevolod · Post by **Vsyevolod** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 4:10 pm

Tuning is very important in how I approach my modular. Though I don't ever tune to a particular pitch unless I bring my Voyager out.

Stephen

.

Dave Peck · Post by **Dave Peck** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:49 pm

Since I use my modular as part of a larger rig with several other synths, I always tune the modular to A440 (after letting it warm up) to assure that everything I record will be in tune with everything else, and that I won't run into problems later when adding other tracks from other instruments. If you start a new project with some synth that isn't tuned to A440, and all you have is the finished track with no long sustained reference notes for tuning purposes, it can be very difficult to tune other instruments to that track later.

wellurban · Post by **wellurban** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 6:29 pm

I voted yes to the question, since it's worded "in tune with each other" and if I have a tonal multi-part patch I'm generally pretty conservative about keeping things quantised and in tune. I don't tune to A440 or anything, though, since I'm mostly just recording with my modular, and if I wanted to play along with my MS20 or Minitaur then I can just tweak their tuning knobs to suit.

I have an ancient BOSS guitar tuner lying around, but I haven't used it yet. I really need to work harder on tuning multiple oscs together though, and particularly on making sure that they're all set to the right root notes in the quantisers' scales. I tend to patch on the fly, but I need to learn to be more methodical with setting up complex tonal patches to save me work in the long run.

ndkent · Post by **ndkent** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:28 pm

It's tough to answer because the question is in tune to what exactly?

I guess the best way I can answer it is I care if I can tell it's NOT in tune and it doesn't sound good.

That reminds me of the synth with two totally rock solid oscs. You could detune either but instead of getting beating they would be rock solid as always and no longer in tune.

I like that sweet spot of being not perfectly matched not perfectly predictable but also do not like being all over the place. I do go ugh if something is sharp of flat enough in relation that it makes me go ugh but love a touch of off-ness. I always wonder if someone with perfect pitch, who can spot A440 vs A442 is bugged by what doesn't bother me. Then again I bet there is something I scrunch up at that someone else might not hear a problem with.

Steevio · Post by **Steevio** » Sat Apr 26, 2014 4:15 am

I run 7 VCOs in my modular plus a Moog Voyager, i warm up the Moog for 20 minutes then tune Osc 1 to C =262 with a Boss guitar tuner which is permenantly plumbed into the headphone output.

(I tried 432 tuning for a number of years but couldnt hear the difference so reverted to 440 for ease with the guitar tuner in a live situation)

Then i tune 4 of the VCOs by ear to the Moog in different intervals other than major or minor thirds or perfect fifths so there is no overall obvious colour to the tunings (usually 2nds, fourths, ninths or tonal clusters etc..)
this is mainly for the low frequecies up to low mids, which if out of tune usually sound horrible, but for the higher VCOs which i use for effect sounds/percussion etc.. i leave untuned to start and tune them harmonically by ear on the fly, usually odd numbered harmonics 9,11, 13 etc.. the higher the frequency the closer the harmonics become till theyre much less than 12tet intervals, so i get experimental with these higher sounds. like others have said, if it sounds right, it is right.

thats just the starting point for that particular session. next day i'll try something different.

spacessound · Post by **spacessound** » Sun Apr 27, 2014 6:38 am

I don't always bother and then i usually end up regretting it

lloydcole · Post by **lloydcole** » Tue Apr 29, 2014 5:58 pm

Failed attempt to post humorous video. Apologies.

[video][/video]

djthopa · Post by **djthopa** » Sun May 04, 2014 1:34 pm

Nope.

I enjoy better looking for those sweets spots by hand.

Harmony is important but i found more satisfaction on untuned sounds.

Got rid of all my quantizers a while ago.

Funky40 · Post by **Funky40** » Mon May 05, 2014 3:15 pm

my first years i tuned mostoften and had all the VCOs calibrated VERY well.
then i run into PSU problems, things become cumbersome.
then new flat, old house, ....f.ck. I gave up
No tuning since then for me. well, now with digital VCOs i tune sometimes again.

finally i usually sample into the MPC, and play there further with pitch......by jamming, so.......
if you move the pitch all the time you get into sonical hyperspace territory anyway

sduck wrote:I tune everything to the same pitch. And then leave it there. Sometimes for decades.

I'm not allowed to tell you what pitch it is though.

PMÃ‚Â´d for more math

freq_divider · Post by **freq_divider** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 5:54 am

When you have several voices (oscillators) going at the same time, playing 3 or 4 different lines/melodies/whatever, i find that fumbling with the tuning helps a lot to give each voice its own character/identity.

Example:

vco 1: straight 440Hz tuning, 1v/oct modulation
vco 2: straight 440Hz tuning, 1v/oct modulation
vco 3: straight 440Hz tuning, 1v/oct modulation and vibrato via linear cv
vco 4: slightly detuned, fumble around with the 1v/oct modulation

In this example vco 4 could be something like an upfront melody with a 'strange' character

Squattamolie · Post by **Squattamolie** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:37 am

bkbirge wrote:Cool approach on the room modes. My gut level approach would be to tune them out as much as possible to avoid the reinforcement.

I'd think this makes the most sense? After all, it's not just antinodes at certain points in the room, but nodes at that frequency as well in other locations, so tuning "to them", wouldn't that mean that one person would be getting pummeled with a resonant LF while someone standing somewhere else wouldn't even be feeling it?

justin3am · Post by **justin3am** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:56 am

I generally tune by ear but only if something sounds noticeably "wrong"*. I do use my modular with other instruments but I often use out of tune elements for effect. I usually tune my guitar and bass to each other, then I tune the modular to kinda match those instruments. If the tuning drifts... meh.
I like the sound of slightly detuned/flatted voices in unison or even interfering with each other. The beating of detuned voices can add neat rhythmic qualities.

I rarely tune everything to 440hz.

*Your notion of "wrong" may be different than mine. YMMV.

Cybananna · Post by **Cybananna** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:59 am

What is this tuning you're referring to? When my ear likes it, it's right!

However, I also play other instruments besides modulars, such as blues on guitar, and tuning is important to me for that.

tarotsync · Post by **tarotsync** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 1:15 pm

Unless I'm doing some abstract or ambient stuff, tuning is a HUGE issue.

Robscorch · Post by **Robscorch** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 1:49 pm

432 all the way to the bank baby. Then I set up the acoustics to match whatever environment/speaker obstacles there happens to be in the room(s).

_menagerie_ · Post by **_menagerie_** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:50 pm

Most of the music I make is somewhat atonal anyway, so I'm not that bothered!

Triky1305 · Post by **Triky1305** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 12:14 pm

only when i want two vco's to be in tune but i dont use a tuner, and i dont care much if they are in tune with other instruments. i like it to be off.

Abraxis · Post by **Abraxis** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:32 pm

Something I find confusing about people saying they tune their oscillators to 440hz is that all of the sequencers I have add voltage.

If people tune to 440 how do you play lower notes than A4? Sequencers that apply negative voltage? Offsets? Am I just confused (probably)?

Tronman · Post by **Tronman** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 5:06 pm

I tune my guitars, I tune my Mellotrons, I tune my modular. My Hammond is already in tune.

Spivkurl · Post by **Spivkurl** » Mon Aug 17, 2015 6:17 pm

If I'm using my MIDI-CV converter for DAW or keyboard control, and working with other instruments, then I will get things in tune. If I am just jamming/patching on modular alone it's not a big deal. If it is for sampling/slicing then I save finding the tuning until after.

pugix · Post by **pugix** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:05 pm

I answered Never, because I never tune to a standard or to another instrument. That said, often I will tune oscillators to each other by ear, usually listening for the beat frequencies. One time I had two separate patches I was working on at different times. I tuned each by ear. When I tried mixing them together, they were pretty much in tune!

mckenic · Post by **mckenic** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 8:18 pm

Good God NO - more interested in timbre than pitch!

MOD WIGGLER

MOD WIGGLER

Do you care about tuning?

Is keeping sounds in tune with each other a focus when you wiggle?