Re-Imagining Microtonalities: Prototyping a Bohlen-Pierce Synthesizer in PureData

Abstract
The Bohlen-Pierce (BP) microtonal tuning system developed in the 1970’s is enjoying a re-emergence among experimental composers. This project consisted of creating the prototype instrument in PureData, writing a brief academic paper on the process, and composing three short etudes exploring the harmonic language of Bohlen-Pierce.

Paper (includes score and patches; .PDF., 6.4 MB)

Performance/Study Score

PureData Patches of Prototype
Below are the main PureData patch, abstractions, and two keyboard alternatives for building a simple synthesizer using the BP tuning system.

Key: Main Patch (multicolor); BP Scale Maps (green); ADSR (Envelope) (blue); Sine Oscillator (orange); Sawtooth Oscillator (purple); Recording Utility (red).

BP_Synth_final00

BP_Scale_Fixed_horizontal BP_Synth_05b_arpeggiator_horizontal BP_Synth_final01 BP_Synth_final02 BP_Synth_final03 BP_Synth_final04