Trying To Use Microtuner From Tobybear

General Discussion
1

Tobybear has a free microtuner
http://www.tobybear.de/p_midibag.html (It’s in the midibag)

I’m trying to microtune my VST instruments by using Tobybears Microtuner as Track DSP… but nothing happens.

Does anyone have a clue why or has anyone used it successfully?

Do I have to do some fancy routing or sending or something I don’t have a clue about yet?

Thanks,

Delight

2

Referring to the explanation from the linked page, it is a plug-in of the type which sends out the midi signal.
Unfortunately, you cannot use such plug-in in DSP chain of current Renoise 1.9.1 without the help of another ‘free-routing VST’ like energyXT.

I recommend you using this pitch shifter called AWPitch for fine tuning (though this plug cause delay a bit) or serching another VSTi which has microtuning function.

3

Ah, I find another device plugin for midi-vsti.
http://www.wusik.com/w/wvm.html
This is simpler than energyXT for such purpose and it’s free.

BTW, Microtuner is somewhat strange plug-in…there is no parameter at all. Perhaps, isn’t this incomplete?? :(

1 Like
4

Hi Satobox

As I have to work with very specific tuning I can’t use microtuners that don’t allow for completely custom and exact tuning.

Tobybears Microtuner is supposed to take whatever I play with any VSTi and tune it by applying tuning files .tun or .scl (made by Scala).

I will try your suggested ‘free-routing VST’ and see if I get it to work then.

5

Though I’m unsure whether we can use Tobybears Microtuner because I don’t know Scala, at least I can use some MidiBag plugins (Arpimedes, Stepper, etc) in WusikVM here. :)

6

Delight, now I understand exactly what you mean.
I had confused microtuning with simple fine tuning, sorry.
Microtuning means something like the ability of non western standard scaling, doesn’t it?
I’ve got some .scl files from the Scala site or another place on the net.
Then load them to TB’s Microtuner, so I can see how this work. :)

This mini plug-in seems to convert scaling data into accurate pitchbend signals.
Therefore, it is effective in VSTi which supports accurate pitchbend.
So I can use it with FireBird, Exciton2, Pianoteq22 lite, M1 lite, etc.
But I cannot use it with 4Front Piano, Pianoteq1 lite, Superwave P8, etc.
And TB’s Microtuner works with Wusik VM and energyXTvsti in Renoise.

Though, it seems difficult for my music brain to master the non westen music scale… :smashed:

7

Satobox,

did you use the microtuner with those VSTi’s directly in Renoise or did you use energyXT to do it?

Cause I don’t understand how to use energyXT at all. It’s totally greek to me…

I’m trying to tune Nexus so I can play with my own scale that I’ve made with Scala.

8

I use those VSTis inside energyXT2-vsti in Renoise.
Yeah, it’s a bit complicated combo because it’s DAW in DAW. ;)
But in this case, only we need is energyXT2’s Modular window.

  1. put eXT2-vsti.dll in your VST folder.
  2. open eXT2-vsti in Renoise.
  3. set your Plugin directory in eXT. (click in eXT’s: File >> Setup >> Browser >> Plugins)
  4. load MicroTuner and Nexus from “Plugins” list (at the left of the window) to Modular window.
  5. route MIDI and Audio streams like the image below. (to route: left drag, to cut: right click the little box)
  6. open MicroTuner GUI (double click the plugin icon) and load .scl, and set Nexus’s sound as well.
  7. then click anywhere in Renoise, now you can play.

If still eXT is a bit confusing for you, try Wusik VM. It’s more simple device.
You can download it from the linked page above.
Maybe the directory setting at the first time is a bit annoying though.

  1. open Wusik VM in Renoise.
  2. load Nexus from “MENU >> Load VST” in Wusik VM.
  3. load MicroTuner from “MIDI >> LOAD” too.
  4. open MicroTuner GUI by clicking “e” icon and load .scl, and set Nexus’s sound as well. now you can play. :)

1 Like
9

Satobox,

Thank you so much for the suggestions and excellent screenshots and explanations.

I have tried both of your suggestions but with both I end up with different results (tones are not on my scale)

Also, it seems that whatever pitch bent midi that goes into Nexus it still has to be within Nexus MAIN tuning and with my scale it has to be a little deeper than what Nexus is capable of.

The only way I can do this seems to be if I find a way to detune the OUTPUT of Nexus.

I have tried to find a auto tune software that can do this but Antares auto tune and another auto tuner I have found appear not to be tunable to custom scales… Even if they were I don’t know if that could work, however, because the output of Nexus would be a mix of tones…

I’m glad to hear any suggestions if you have any.

Best regards

10

Have you checked out any of the (many) VSTi that support microtuning natively? Check out the list located at the Scala website. And perhaps a script that perform microtuning on Renoise instruments would be of interest? However, it’s still a work in progress, and quite buggy, haven’t had time to update it for ages, but still it will output some interesting results :slight_smile:

11

Hi Danoise,

Yes I’ve got the xrns-sf-1.06 and it works to microtune xrni instruments. I had some trouble at first but I recently downloaded it and tried again and now it works.

I have also tried some of the vsti’s on the Scala website that work with tuning files.

The sound of Nexus is something else though and it’s a shame to have something I like but not be able to use it.

12

To our regret, I also don’t have another good idea…
It might be good to ask the developers of NEXUS for supporting microtuning natively.

Btw, this was a good opportunity to get to know about microtuning and Wusik VM also for me. :)

13

big thanks for this tutorial satobox!