Adjusting pitch-bend range in QSynth and others

[wolftune]

So, I need to be able to get instruments working with only a semitone (+/-) pitch bend range to work with my microtonal keyboard from H-Pi. Pianoteq is the only option I've got fully working.

To be fully compatible I need two features:
1. adjustable PB range
2. multi-channel input where each channel doesn't affect the others (including pitch-bend affecting only each channel)

If I have at least #1, then some combination of patchbay controls and multiple instantiations will always work. But it's nicest when, like Pianoteq, the whole instrument works in one instantiation while still taking pitch-bend info on a per-channel basis. Pianoteq still adjusts the other sound qualities across channels, allowing a consistent sound otherwise. There's one plugin for Mac called Automat that is free and does this as well. And on my Mac, the basic GM soundset works this way.

So, QSynth at least can load up multiple channels and they can be set to the same sound and saved as a preset... so all I need is to be able to set the PB to +/- 1.

And anyway, if anyone has advice about other instruments that might work for this, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[varpa]

I don't know anything about the pitch-bend capabilities of Qsnyth, but the developer is quite helpful and responsive to requests so you might ask on the Qsynth forum (http://www.rncbc.org/drupal/forum). Also, I think it would be possible to write a midi filter to remap pitch blend midi data to a different range. It might be possible to do this with mididings or midish (there are others I forgot).

[wolftune]

Thanks, I'll check that out. I the mean time, if anyone cares to share any further recommendations about any instrument options that would meet these requirements, please let me know!

[Pablo]

As for "others",

Check linuxsampler (with a frontend such as qsampler or jsampler/fantasia). It seems you will need gigedit. (I think you can access gigedit from qsampler). See:

http://old.nabble.com/linuxsampler-%3E- ... 64158.html

You will need a gig file, such as the maestro concert grand piano: From linuxsampler site:

http://www.linuxsampler.org/instruments.html

There a few other free gig pianos aswell.

By the way, you will get to know lots of interesting software thanks to Dave Phillips' articles in Linux Journal:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/users/dave-phillips

I think Yoshimi (Zynaddsubfx) has microtonal pitch control.

[wolftune]

Thanks, I'll try those.

While I'm happy about Yoshimi's microtonal options, they just retune the given 12-notes so you can get alternate scale tunings, but are still limited to 12-notes, which is inadequate for much just intonation or much flexibility.

Oh, and to be clear: I'm not especially interested in Piano sounds. My biggest hesitation for just buying Pianoteq is that it is limited only to piano-type sounds. I want to access steady sounds like organs and reeds and electronic sounds and more — I just want these features that I need to work with my keyboard.

[varpa]

Here is a project with software for alternative tunings that might be useful to you: http://www.huygens-fokker.org/scala/ I have no experience with it myself, however.

[wolftune]

Thanks, I'm aware of scala, it's the main classic item in tuning software. I've been meaning to get around to figuring out how to utilize it best.