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Change frequency of note throughout score

How do I change the frequency of a note throughout the score?
I am transferring music written in Byzantine psaltiki (neumes) into Western and would like the score to sound correct when saved as a MIDI or played through NoteWorthy Composer.

In the example I am looking at now, I am working in the Soft Chromatic scale on Di (Tone 4).
I need to set E (the E above Middle C) to 323.34159 Hz (instead of 329.6275569 Hz), the A-flat to 423.37849 Hz (instead of 415.3046976), etc. There are about 6 notes, for which I need to change tuning. There are about 8 notes, for which the tuning is the same as the Western concert pitch (i.e., A above Middle C at 440 Hz).

I thought this was done with multi-point controller commands, but these changes appear to be only temporary.

Is this possible?

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #1 –
The pitch-bend multi-point controller is effective until it is over-ridden by another one (either in the same MPC as an additional step, or in a subseqent one) but it affects all notes on that midi channel. So the answer to your question is: no, not when all the notes are on the same channel.

But if you put the notes you want to alter onto different channels then suitable pitch-bend MPCs will achieve the effect you want (but do reset the channel pitches at the end of the piece). Visually you just layer all the individual staffs.

Unfortunately there are only 15 instrumental midi channels so this technique will only allow a small number of different instruments.

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #2 –
Thanks, Peter.
So, I move each note that must be bent to a different staff, adding rests on that new staff where the other notes were. And adding rests on the first staff, where the moved notes were.
Then I layer the staves so they appear and play as one?
Each staff should have a pitch bend command at the beginning and one that resets everything at the end, is that correct?

Lastly, if it's not too much trouble, how do I set the pitch to the exact frequency I want?

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #3 –
Yes, that's the idea. You could alternatively have the same notes on all the staves and just mute the ones that shouldn't play on a particular channel.

As for pitch, tha maximum controller value is 8191 which seems to change the pitch by a tone (a ratio of 1.122462048 or 2^(1/6)) so I would guess some proportional arithmetic would be in order. (A semitone would be 4096 for instance) Does anyone else have more info on this?

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #4 –
Ertuğrul İnanç would be the man to ask - he writes with microtonal music.
The other option is to use Synthfont (with a good soundfont).
Under Setup and Options (Synth Engine Tab) there are tuners for the 12 equal temperament notes.
A deviation in cents can be added or subtracted from each tone.

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #5 –
This could be automated to some extent using NWC 2 if you either have an editor with macro capabilities or can program.  NWC2 can export to and import from a text file (*.nwctxt) and while manipulating that file you can determine what note and duration it is and what type of mpc pitch bend would be necessary.  Do this "by hand" on a test score and export it to see what type of codes need to be generated to adjust the pitch and reset it at the end of a note.  Your program/macro should first check to see if a pitch bend line has already been created so it would leave the next note alone.

This method will not work on chords unless the same thing has to be done to every note in that chord; you would have to create new staves if necessary.  NWC2 already has a tool to remove the top or bottom note from a chord.
Since 1998

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #7 –
Quote
As for pitch, tha maximum controller value is 8191 which seems to change the pitch by a tone (a ratio of 1.122462048 or 2^(1/6)) so I would guess some proportional arithmetic would be in order...

I thought I should mention that if you have difficulty finding exactly the right amount to lower the pitch, coming at it from the other direction might work.

Transpose the note down a half tone, then pitchbend up. 

I have no idea if it makes sense to do that, but it's just another way of looking at what may be an interesting challenge.

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #8 –
I have tried splitting each note or notes that need bending to the same amount and in the same direction onto their own staff.
I did this by creating a new staff and copying all the notes from the first staff onto the new one. Then muted all but the notes to be bent in the new staff, and muted those to be bent on the original staff.
Plays OK, I think (pitch-bend commands at beginning and end of staves), although it is an onerous task. Shall try the Harmonic Analyser suggestions and will look into editing the Beta 2 output file, as also suggested.

How though do I maintain a slur, which now has notes on several staves? For example, I have a group of four notes, the first and third are muted on the first staff, the second and fourth are muted on the fourth staff. It plays as if these notes have not been slurred.
Is there anyway to force the slur across all layered staves?

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #9 –
G'day matta,
the only ways I can think of are:
1) for the slurred sections use multiple MPC's to change pitch before each note to be "bent" and then back again for the next note - more onerous

2) use a hidden "legato" or "Tenuto" style before each slurred section on every staff involved and then restore afterwards with a hidden "Semplice"
I plays 'Bones, crumpets, coronets, floosgals, youfonymums 'n tubies.

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #10 –
Quote from: matta –
How though do I maintain a slur, which now has notes on several staves? Is there anyway to force the slur across all layered staves?
Put Tenutos on the slurred notes (except the destination note). This has the same playback (and MIDI) effect as a slur. Slurs do not musically cross staves even if the staves are set to the same MIDI channel.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #11 –
Thanks, Rick.
The only reason I need the slur to cross staves is because I've had to split the staves so that I can bend pitches in different ways on different staves and then layer them all together. Thereby achieving Byzantine tuning for the particular piece.

I'll try the tenuto suggestion, which I hope will work.

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #12 –
You really ought to post one of the songs to the NWC2 General Discussion forum. You might get some feedback to help you, once folks can see what you need. Many have been using NWC for over a decade.
Registered user since 1996

Re: Change frequency of note throughout score

Reply #13 –
The attached file shows that slurs do indeed work, even if some of the notes are muted. So if you slur each individual staff then there shouldn't be a problem.

By way of explanation the scale alternates between the two staffs with alternate notes muted on each staff.