[sdiy] Mikado: call for suggestion

[media.nai at rcn.com]

At 10:06 PM -0700 07/31/02, Jim Johnson wrote:
>
>Jim P is just getting ready to burn some ROMs for the prototype Mikado's
>quantizers [http://www.technotoys.com/mikado], so it's time to nail down
>the details of the quantizer options. I've never been 100% happy with the
>original scheme, since it does not take advantage of all the available
>slots (4 switches = 4 bits, or 16 possible quantization tables).
>
>I've come up with a better idea for the quantization tables, but I'd like
>some ideas for fine-tuning.
>
>First of all, the four bits are broken into two groups of two. The first
>group, named "type", selects the .. damn, this terminology sucks.. "type"
>of scale or chord. The four options formed by these 2 bits are All, Scale,
>Chord, and 7th Chord. (The All option generates a chromatic scale.. the
>Scale outputs all members of a traditional 8-note scale; Chord is I, II, V,
>and 7th chord is I, III, V, VII.)

I don't have a keyboard in front of me (no, not that kind!), but I'll give
it a shot.

I'm guessing "Chord" is a typo and you meant I, III, V.

Assuming that you are using the same 12-notes there are still of dozens of
8-note scales, and you can't do dozens with 4 bits.  Nevermind chords.
Since I doubt this device can discern between ascending and descending, we
can eliminate melodic minor.

>But what scale or chord is used? That is selected by the other two
>switches, which are labeled "tonality". These do not affect the output when
>the Chromatic output is selected, but when Scale, Chord, or 7th Chord are
>selected, these determine the available notes. Options here are Major,
>Harmonic Minor, Diminished,

Naming chords gets very confusing -- and from looking at the above
description, off the top of my head, I'm not sure what Scale-Major-7thChord
is going to give me -- CEGBb or CEGB??  I'm sure Harry or Larry can correct
me, but aren't "C7" and a "Cmajor7" two different chords??.  That's one way
to get from major to minor, right??  These might be very stupid questions,
but like many other people who use sequencers, all my chords have jacks at
the ends.

So if you eliminate the "Chord" and "7th Chord" settings, you eliminate
confusing results for augmented and diminished, because if you move the
whole shebang up or down a half step you change the key, right??  Frankly,
I have no idea.

Anyway, here is a way that preserves the intention of the "Chord" setting:

Bit 1 -- All or Scale  (so All is the music theory equivalent to bypass)

Bit 2 - Major or Minor

Bit 3 - Harmonic or Natural
("harmonic major" is major, you know what "harmonic minor" is, "natural
minor" is more or less aeolian, and "natural major" is pentatonic for you
hippies and granola lesbians ;)

Bit 4 - 0 or 1 (I couldn't think of names :))

0 is what has been previously determined by the first 3 bits, then "adding
one" takes it one step further (no pun intended):

"harmonic major" sorts to the major triad
"harmonic minor" sorts to the minor triad
"natural minor" becomes Phrygian (spookier, and one more flat in terms of C)
"natural major" becomes Whole Tone (5 + 1 = 6)

>and .... what? I'm having a tough time deciding
>what should go in the last slot. This could be an Augmented scale.. this is
>complementary to the Diminished, in theory - but I'm having a tough time
>finding out how to construct an augmented scale, and I'm not sure how
>useful it would be. I'm partial to Pentatonic scales.. but I'm not sure
>what to put in the slot that corresponds to a "7th pentatonic chord", let
>alone the three note chord.

You with the chords!!

>A whole tone scale is another possibility, but
>it has the same ambiguities as the pentatonic.

Well, there are only two of them, so if it's a whole-tone scale it has to
be one or the other, right??  So chords are either augmented triads (???)
of a revolving door of six possible "tonics", or rootless chords that fit
the scale.  Then again, who cares :)

>Just in case the above is unclear, this graphic is worth 2^10 words:
>
>http://www.technotoys.com/mikado/images/QuantizerOptions.gif. (Those big
>circles are toggle switches. The pair labeled "Distribution" is what I
>earlier called "type".)
>
>Any comments or suggestions will be gratefully accepted.
>Jim
>****
><insert irrelevant quote from obscure source here>