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Chapter 16 Vintage Clav 446
Stretch tuning in acoustic instruments
The tones of upright pianos, and to a lesser extent grand pianos (due to their longer strings),
have inharmonicities in their harmonic structure. This also applies to other stringed instruments,
but it particularly aects pianos due to the length, density, and tension of the strings. If a piano
is perfectly tuned to equal temperament across the keyboard range, the overtones of the low
strings and the fundamentals of the high strings will sound out of tune with each other.
To circumvent this problem, piano tuners use a technique known as stretch tuning, where the
high and low registers of the piano are tuned higher and lower, respectively. This results in the
harmonics of the low strings being in tune with the fundamental tones of the upper strings. In
essence, pianos are intentionally “out of tune” (from equal temperament), so that the lower and
upper registers will sound in tune.
Because the original D6 is a stringed instrument, this inharmonic relationship also applies
to Vintage Clav and the instruments it emulates. The stretch feature, however, was primarily
included for situations where you want to use Vintage Clav alongside an acoustic piano
recording or performance.
Vintage Clav Misc parameters
The Misc(ellaneous) parameters aect the entire Vintage Clav instrument, rather than an
individual model.
MIDI controller assignments allow you to control Vintage Clav with an external MIDI controller or
with your host application.
Misc parameters
•
Voices pop-up menu: Choose the maximum number of voices that can be played
simultaneously. Lowering the value of this parameter limits the polyphony and processing
requirements of Vintage Clav. There are two monophonic settings: mono and legato. Each
setting provides a single voice when playing Vintage Clav.
•
Mono: Vintage Clav voice is triggered each time a key is pressed.
•
Legato: Vintage Clav sound-shaping processes are not triggered if the notes are played
legato—only the pitch changes. If the notes are played staccato, a Vintage Clav voice with all
sound-shaping processes is triggered.