Tuning Methods

Tanghīm supports three methods for delivering maqam tuning to your instruments. The right choice depends on what your instrument supports. The top bar shows status badges for each active method; these are indicators, not toggles.

MTS-ESP (Teal Badge)

MTS-ESP is an open protocol that broadcasts a 128-note frequency table. Instruments that support MTS-ESP retune themselves automatically, with no Receiver plugin needed.

• Best for: Software synths with built-in MTS-ESP support
• How it works: Tanghīm broadcasts tuning data via shared memory. Any MTS-ESP-compatible instrument running on the same machine picks it up instantly.
• Compatible instruments include: Surge XT, Vital, Diva (enable MTS-ESP in settings), Pianoteq, ZynAddSubFX, and many others.
• Setup: Just load Tanghīm and your instrument; the connection is automatic.

MPE: MIDI Polyphonic Expression (Blue Badge)

MPE delivers tuning as per-note pitch bend messages across MIDI channels 2–16. Each note gets its own channel, allowing polyphonic tuning with independent pitch bend per voice.

• Best for: Polyphonic instruments that support MPE but not MTS-ESP, including many hardware synths and some software instruments.
• How it works: The Tanghīm Receiver plugin sits before your instrument in the signal chain and converts the MTS-ESP tuning into MPE pitch bend messages.
• Default pitch bend range: 48 semitones (set this to match your instrument’s MPE pitch bend range).
• Setup: Load Tanghīm Receiver before your instrument and select MPE mode.

Mono Pitch Bend (Green Badge)

Mono Pitch Bend delivers tuning as 14-bit pitch bend on a single MIDI channel. This is the most universally compatible method: nearly every synth responds to pitch bend.

• Best for: Monophonic patches, instruments without MPE support, hardware synths, and any instrument that only responds to standard pitch bend.
• How it works: The Tanghīm Receiver calculates the required pitch bend for each note and sends it on the same channel. Includes a note stack with last-note priority for legato playing.
• Default pitch bend range: 2 semitones (set this to match your instrument’s pitch bend range).
• Setup: Load Tanghīm Receiver before your instrument and select Mono PB mode.

Which Method Should I Use {#which-method-should-i-use}

Your instrument	Recommended method
Software synth with MTS-ESP support (Surge XT, Vital, Pianoteq, etc.)	MTS-ESP: zero setup, polyphonic, highest precision
Software synth with MPE support but no MTS-ESP	MPE: polyphonic tuning via Receiver
Hardware synth with MPE support	MPE: polyphonic tuning via Receiver
Hardware synth (standard MIDI only)	Mono PB: works with any pitch-bend-capable instrument
Monophonic synth or mono patch	Mono PB: simplest, most compatible
Instrument with no pitch bend at all	MTS-ESP is the only option (if supported)

You can use multiple methods simultaneously, for example MTS-ESP for your main synths and a Receiver in Mono PB mode for a hardware synth, all driven by the same Tanghīm instance.