source file: m1523.txt Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1998 15:18:54 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Re: Experimental 19-tone keyboard From: Paul Hahn On Thu, 3 Sep 1998, it was written: >I have nearly completed my custom MIDI keyboard ( final year electronic project >at university ). The keyboard is not a performance device, as it has just over >an octave and has buttons rather than keys, but is intended to allow the >exploration of 19 TET on a more intuitive interface than a confusing standard >synth keyboard. This isn't what you asked for, but you might be interested in the following message (forwarded from HPSCHD-L, which is currently in an uproar over the idea of applying now for a patent on something that people have been doing for hundreds of years). There may be a job waiting for you at Yamaha, unless the harpsichord contingent sues their asses off. 8-)> *** BEGIN QUOTED-MESSAGE *** >From pickett@blumlein.music.indiana.edu Thu Sep 3 15:08:29 1998 Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 14:49:39 -0500 From: d a pickett Reply-To: Harpsichords and Related Topics To: HPSCHD-L@CNSIBM.ALBANY.EDU Subject: New (?) from Yamaha The June 1998 issue of the Journal of the Audio Engineering Scoiety describes a patent (5,516,981, assigned to Yamaha): "Musical Instrument Tuned in Nineteen Note Temperament Scale This patent assumes that some of the musical chords using the 12-tone equally tempered scale are not sufficiently consonant from the standpoint of minimizing beats. Equally tempered scales are examined that have a larger number (19 or 31) of notes. It is concluded that 19 notes per octave provides musical intervals having a smaller number of beats while still being manageable for the playing musician. Examples are given for keyboard, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments." Ther is an illustration of a keyboard layout similar to that of a chromatic harpsichord. Should we consider as a list bringing a class action suit? :-) david *** END QUOTED-MESSAGE *** --pH http://library.wustl.edu/~manynote O /\ "Churchill? Can he run a hundred balls?" -\-\-- o NOTE: dehyphenate node to remove spamblock. <*>