How to Microtonal - Ableton's Microtuner, MPE control, and wonky tunings

some microtonal music theory + techniques for writing music when using MPE compatible synths in ableton

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The first half of this video is a very surface level introduction to microtonal/xenharmonic music theory, but from an electronic music producer's perspective. - I don't know 'real music theory' much at all. I always found it extremely frustrating to learn because I hated the western standardization and needlessly complex (imo) terminology. Microtonal theory however changed my perspective and is much more palatable for me, because it breaks down everything strictly into mathematical relationships and harmonics, and makes you fundamentally understand the physics of music itself. It goes extraordinarily deep and gets super mega complicated and it is still pretty new to me

The technical portion of this video is specifically for how to use microtuner in Ableton on MPE compatible synths. If you want to play microtones on other, non-MPE synths like Serum, you need to import tuning/scala files. If you're using incompatible synths, Sevish covers different ways make microtonal music here -    • Using Microtones in Electronic Music ...  

This is a third party vst that is essentially Ableton's microtuner, but should work in any DAW on MPE synths for all of my FL/bitwig/cubase homies    • Xen (Setup in Cubase)  

Ultimately just I want more people to realize how awesome microtonal music is. If you want to make experimental music with novel sound design that no one has heard before - can you imagine the power of using tuning systems and chords that no has heard before? Chords and melodies are just a part of 'sound design' at the end of the day

moar theory resources
https://en.xen.wiki/
  / discord  
   • Why Make Microtonal Music? (With Audi...  
   • 31-EDO Music Theory: Basic Triads  

this stuff has the capacity to get infinitely complex, so don't get overwhelmed if you don't understand any of the words people are talking about when learning about the subject. I really just recommend you play around and learn more fundamental tuning theory if that interests you

microtonal music playlist -
   • microtonal  

listen to my music:
  / pailiaq  
https://pailiaq.bandcamp.com/
  / pailiaq  
https://open.spotify.com/artist/202f1...

for inquiries, private lessons, mixing/mastering services etc reach me at [email protected]

0:00 intro/why microtonal music is cool
3:23 the harmonic series/how how overtones work
7:00 intervals
8:40 a questionable analogy of sound to shapes
10:35 why do microtonal stuff
14:29 7edo demo/breakdown
16:03 using scales
20:12 how tf do MPE work
24:00 conjoining MPE control + microtuner for wonk
26:32 noodling
29:15 save/record your midi!
30:00 using 'blend' in microtuner
32:20 noodling v2
34:10 song demo + outro