Sevish

Sevish’s scale impressions

Here are some of my thoughts on various microtonal scales. These thoughts are my own subjective impressions and there’s no need to take them seriously. Enjoy!

Equal-step tunings

  • 1edo – wide-open featureless space
  • 2edo – dual opposition
  • 3edo – dreamy flashback, bells
  • 4edo – cartoony horror, staircase
  • 5edo – open, bright colour, ease
  • 6edo – cartoony wonder, tension
  • 7edo – flat, comfort, bright colour
  • 8edo – moist shit
  • 9edo – bells, chimes
  • 10edo – vivid, open
  • 11edo – pure, warped, intuitive
  • 12edo – nostalgia, comfort, jazzy, transparent
  • 13edo – warped liminal space
  • 14edo – multicoloured
  • 15edo – wonky
  • 16edo – expressive
  • 17edo – angular, intuitive, colourful
  • 18edo – bright colour, I still haven’t explored this one
  • 19edo – flat, wonky, uncanny, pale
  • 22edo – chill, trippy, hyper-jazz
  • 23edo – bright colour, unstable
  • 24edo – something you think should be familiar is now wretched, hyper-jazz
  • 29edo – expanded wonky wonder
  • 31edo – rest, clarity, transparency, and once you get this far out, each edo has the capacity for extreme variety
  • 314edo – way too many notes. this is the point where you’ve gone too far

Bonus, here are some temperament impressions too

  • blackwood – jazzy, dirty, trippy barbershop pole effects
  • machine – sparkly, pure, unusual
  • mavila – face swap, expectation and surprise
  • porcupine – an otonal- and Arabian- influenced diatonic without being either of those things

What are your own impressions?


5 thoughts on “Sevish’s scale impressions”

  1. jordan

    how do you feel about equal divisions of non-octave ratios? personally i’m a fan of dividing thirds e.g. 5ed11/9 and 5ed5/4

    Reply

    1. Sevish Post author

      I love these scales and have used equal divisions of non-octave ratios such as 3/1, 3/2 and 8/3. Haven’t tried equal divisions of thirds yet. Lots here to explore!

      Reply

  2. Red Opal

    Oh, nice! I was thinking of doing something very similar myself, on the descriptions Entonal Studio provides for each scale, so I can keep track of what I think of scales- but for now since I dont have a wide grasp on edo, or scales, I think this will come in handy. though I guess I can comment my thoughts on things that you didnt mention here

    27edo – simply, slightly off- I cant really describe it, familiar but a funky dissonance that I love in 27

    Bohlen Pierce – quizzical, mysterious. for some reason it always seems a little unresolved. probably great for quiz show, videogame puzzles, and curiosity about space music

    Reply

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