Help Understanding “Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend” Behavior

[ensonador]

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to understand how the "Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend" option affects MIDI MPE output in different synths. I tested this in Ableton’s Operator and the VST3 plugin Pigments, and the results were inconsistent. Even when the option was checked, the expected pitch adjustments didn’t always happen as expected.

I’ve documented my findings below with images. Could anyone clarify how this setting is supposed to work and why I’m seeing these results? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Example

12-TET (EDO), A3 = 444 Hz, MIDI MPE output should be A3 = A3 + 15.24 ct



Google search for Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend has no results



Native: Operator

Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend checked

A3 is 444 Hz



Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend unchecked

A3 is 444 Hz (Should be 440 Hz?)



VST3: Pigments

Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend checked

A3 is 440 Hz (Should be 444 Hz?)



Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend unchecked

A3 is 440 Hz



Conclusion

Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend has no impact on output MPE MIDI.

[chapelier fou]

Did you open the interactive help (the little "i" icon on the bottom-left part of the screen) ?
I can't copy-paste from there, but i explains what it does. Basically it defines if a semitone takes to account the scale when editing the MPE data.

[ensonador]

Did you open the interactive help (the little "i" icon on the bottom-left part of the screen) ?
I can't copy-paste from there, but i explains what it does. Basically it defines if a semitone takes to account the scale when editing the MPE data.

Thank you for the response. The interactive helps says exactly:

When tuning is applied to MPE per note pitch bend, one step of MPE pitch bend is defined as the distance between two neighboring notes in the tuning system. When off, a step is defined as one 12TET semitone.

I am not sure how to interpret that. Is it related to the 15.24 ct MPE PB in "MIDI MPE output should be A3 = A3 + 15.24 ct" or it is about the MPE PB in the MPE piano roll tab only?

The Tuning FAQ says "Tuning Systems apply to VST2, VST3 and AU devices if they are MPE-compatible" and I expected "Apply Tuning to Per Note Pitch Bend” checkbox does the job.

[ensonador]

Here is sample Ableton project for download where first track outputs 444 Hz and the second one 440 Hz. https://gist.github.com/darosh/f555fee5 ... 520440.als

[ensonador]

I found a workaround using MIDI loopback, this way the VST gets the MPE PB adjusted by the tuning selected in Ableton (so the A3 is desired 444 Hz, same as operator, instead of 440 Hz):