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 Forum index » How-tos » Micro Tuning
What is a cent ...
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blue hell
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:51 pm    Post subject: What is a cent ... Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I am looking at implementing a scala scale reader for a synth thingie I'm working on ... and I got a bit confused about what a cent is ...

I see it being defined as 1/100 semitone, 1/1200 octave or 2 ^ ( 1 / 1200)

This seems to be based on an octave spanning a factor of two with 12 semitones .. yet scala would be free of such presumptions, in particular an octave in scala could be any factor it seems (and saw some examples if it being 3/2 or 3). And of course there can be any number of notes in such an octave.

Would the cent scale with the octave definition .. like when an octave is a factor of three instead of two .. would the cent change too, and if so .. how?

Or is a cent just always 2 ^ ( 1 / 1200) ... in the example scaling files I looked at this seems to be the case.

Can someone deconfuse me please Confused

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varice



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PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2014 10:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Notes, octaves, major tones, minor tones, semitones, cents, thirds, fourths, fifths, sevenths,… pitches,… frequencies… no wonder that anyone could get confused… Confused Laughing

Hmmm… It seems to me that it would way too confusing if each scala file could have a different definition of a cent.

It makes more sense that scala files would use a single definition. Since it appears that the main purpose of scala is to retune note pitches to other than the standard default twelve tone equal temperament scale, it would be practical to base the definition a cent deviation as being 1/100 semitone of that twelve tone equal temperament scale.

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blue hell
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I would be very practical indeed!
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

You could also use ratios instead of cents in your .scl file.

I'd suggest implementing support for .kbm files too - that would simplify mapping.

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blue hell
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Yes .. in my own files I could use ratios .. but there are many pre-made tunings using cents .. would like to be able to use those ...

I'm looking at the scala mapping stuff too.

Made some code which allows me to calculate with rationals, and implemented prime vectors too. With all conversions between the number systems .. rational, real and prime vectors. Some basic testing seems to indicate it all works properly.

Now need some stuff for .. mapping .. indeed Smile and cents to fractions etc.

It all is for this thingie BTW.

Anyway .. I'll just try some stuff with cents when the time is there ... should just trust my ears then I guess Laughing

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seraph
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:55 am    Post subject: Re: What is a cent ... Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Blue Hell wrote:
is a cent just always 2 ^ ( 1 / 1200) ... ?

I would say so!

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blue hell
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 4:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks Carlo!
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