When tuning new musical creations to Nature’s Frequencies using multiple synthesizers and other VSTs (Virtual Studio Technologies – such as HeatUp 3, Scion, Kontakt), it can be tricky and time-consuming to tune each VST individually.
Entonal Studio is helpful because it allows multiple tunings to be defined, each for a different key, and then they can be recalled within a project at any time, and used with multiple synthesizers and other instruments as plugins.
Entonal also has a “Group” feature, which allows you to put multiple tracks each using Entonal into the same group, so that if you change the tuning once, it will change the tuning in all the tracks and instruments in that group, simultaneously.
The Entonal Studio Midi Effect component can be used as a MIDI effect in your DAW, to re-interpret your MIDI messages before they go to whatever instrument you choose.
Entonal has an Input side, which should generally be set to MIDI.
And an Output side, which should generally be set to MPE (if you set the output to MIDI it will generally turn polyphonic instruments into monophonic).
The next – and most important element – is the Pitch Bend Range – which you can see in the drop-down.
Because Entonal changes the Pitch information in the MIDI signal before it reaches the instrument/VST, it needs to know the full range of Pitch-Bend that instrument uses.
For example, the Clavinet in Logic has a 48-increment pitch bend, so the Pitch Bend Range in Entonal can be left at the default of 48. Expand the lower section of the instrument in Logic to see the Mono Mode Bend Range, if it has it defined:
But, for example, the Logic electric piano has a 2-increment pitch bend – so in that case, set the Entonal Pitch Bend Range to 2.
If you’re not sure what the Pitch Bend Range of your instrument is, use the Pitch Wheel on your MIDI controller to see how many semi tones a full range of up/down motion produces – and put that number into the Entonal “Retuner” output Pitch Bend Range setting, as shown above.
With Entonal, you can define your tunings using harmonic intervals, or cent adjustments, or even using equations such as (3/2) * (5/4), to calculate harmonics of harmonics.
When used as a MIDI FX plugin in your DAW (Logic Pro shown), you can test that Entonal is working with the Test Oscillator and keyboard and see the exact frequencies being generated in real time:
Download:
Download and import these tuning files into Entonal so you can play Nature’s Frequencies in different keys with different VSTs and plugins.
To import,
You can also transpose the keys on your keyboard so that by playing the white notes only you get only the most harmonically aligned frequencies (perfect, pythagorean 3rd harmonics (perfect-5th intervales) – and the black notes are all 5th harmonics (major thirds) of a White note.
Here is a video from Entonal on how to use it with Ableton: https://youtu.be/tYrLhvQTz1g?si=m91KYghwSEdxi6LY