intermals (the concept formally known as decivals)

A simple protocol for describing chord voicings as a signal.

interval + decimal = intermal

A intermal is a way of encoding a chord voicing and relative root pitch as a floating point value.

  • The number to the left of the decimal defines the root in semitones.
  • The numbers to the right of the floating point defines rising semitone steps for each subsequent voice.
-- THE INTERMAL --
   -12.074   
     / \ 
    /   Three additional 
   /    voices 0, 7,
  /     and 11 semitones 
 /      above the root.
|
Root twelve semitones below 
whatever reference pitch.

It might be useful for shooting harmonic information around as signals in rnbo. You can do weird chord maths maybe. The possible chord voicings are simultaneously limited and limitless.

Example intermals

Relative to C:

Cmaj
0.43 //root, major 3rd, minor 3rd

Cmaj7
0.434 //root, major 3rd, minor 3rd, major 3rd

Cmin
0.34 //root, minor 3rd, major 3rd

Dmin
2.34 //root, minor 3rd, major 3rd

F stacked 5ths
5.777 // f c d a  

B half-diminished
11.334 //root, minor 3rd, minor 3rd, major 3rd

Bmaj
-1.43  //root, major3rd, minor3rd

Variations on a theme

Velociters

//velocity coded as integer digit array

7965 // envelope values 0 to 9 across four voices

Rising envelope values can retrigger an attack decay envelope. 
Envelope values can be interpolate for swells.

As a speculative text-based language…

## CHEAT SHEET

[DIGITS] ($)ymbol

/ set root frequency
= sets string tuning 
- fret string
. convert to intermal

[FLOAT] (l)owercase

  // set instrument (instruments configured externally)
s // set sampler bank and sample
a // set analog synth bank and sample
f // set FM synth bank and sample
g // set granular synth bank and sample

  // play settings
r // set retriggering
k // set attack (rising)
d // set decay (falling)
  
  // play and convert to [SIGNAL]
p // bitpluck intermal using attack decay envelope  
i // interpolate intermal using attack decay envelope


[SIGNAL] (U)ppercase

G //gain to 1.5
L //limiter to 0.99
O //Output

//EXAMPLE USING STRINGS AND FRETS
42/10 //set root frequency to E1
=0444 //string tuning e1 a2 d2 g3 
-1024 //applying frets f1 a2 e2 b3
1s001 //sampler bank 1 sample 001 
p7506 //bitplucking
1G500 //(G)ain
0L990 //(L)imiter
1O001 //(O)utput to dac 1 channel 1

//EXAMPLE USING INTERMALS
164/8 //set root frequency to E3
1.434 //intermal f2 a3 e3 b4 
2a051 //analog synth bank 2 preset 51 
k1000 //set attack 1000ms
d5000 //set decay 5000ms
i7506 //interpolate intermal and velociters
1G500 //(G)ain to 1.5
0L990 //(L)imiter to 0.99
1O001 //(O)utput to dac 1 channel 1