Simulates an instrument with an unlimited amount of keys by retuning columns of keys depending on the order how you touch them. Mainly suited for Pico but it can also work for Tau&Alpha when replacing the A&B&C&D single line courses with A&B&C&D key-fields. The Auto Key Transposer works by remapping physical key informations (effectively replacing a keygroup), so it will likely be placed between a keyboard and a scaler.
The key transposition offset (default: an offset of 4 keys) is a parameter, so you can experiment with "strings" with different offsets. Specifically the "multi field mode" makes mostly sense with volume assigned to breath control, so you can play "silent" keys that just retune in order to play intervals more than 8 keys apart. (Or you have to transcribe your pieces and add matching "in between" notes)
The idea is derived from an instrument I built me some years ago: It consisted out of two ribbons (with position and pressure sensitivity). These ribbons formed two "strings" that were automatically tuned according to the "multi field mode" approach. (Additionally it had some optional rounding feature that rounded pitches to a tempered tuning when initially pressing down a ribbon to make it easier to play in tune. This is of course not needed for Eigenharps)
BD
AC
A,B,C and D are Transposable Key Areas (default size per key area: 4 keys for Pico). Default tuning offset x between key areas: 4 keys
Informal example: tune the upper and the lower 8 key block of a Pico in a way that you can imagine that the key block you jump to is above/below the block you come from depending on whether you jump to the upper 4 or lower 4 keys first (so you have to play at least one note in every 4 note block to make the retuning magic work as expected. E.g. up: ABCDABCD..., down CDABCDAB...)
ABCD
EFGH
A,B,C,D,E,F,G and H are Transposable Key Areas (default size per key area: 1 key for Pico). Default tuning offset x between key areas: 1 keys
Informal Example: You only play in one 8-key block of the Pico (so you could have two 8-key blocks to play two instruments in parallel). If you play a key in one 4 key group and then another one in the other four key group then the new key is 4 keys above the other one if the target key is on the right side of the key you come from, otherwise it's 4 keys below. E.g. (playing a major scale on a chromatic "scaler-scale") upwards: EGABDFHA, downwards: AHFDBAGE
To be continued...
several triggers reset the tuning to a specified octave (and go to state A&B respecively state A). Can be assigned e.g. to mod keys.
If active then the tuning automatically jumps back to the octave of the last used octave mode key as soon as all keys are released. (If auto reset is disabled the tuning stays the same until an octave mode key is pressed)
Temporarily disables retuning for greater chord playing capabilities (the tuning stays as it was before enabling "disable tuning"). Can be assigned to a mode key
The current plan is to realize both the multi-field and the four-field mode as rigs using a Transposable Key Area agent that can be used for a variety of other tasks.
Very early: Thinking about decomposition: Defining the properties of the "transposable key area" - perhaps it is nonetheless on the same line as the upcoming "physical keygroup" from Eigenlabs, then we can consolidate developing effort here.
UK
