Sensamagic

From Xenharmonic Reference
Revision as of 21:49, 5 March 2026 by Vector (talk | contribs)

Sensamagic (b13 & b17), sometimes known in a tritave-equivalent context as Bohlen-Pierce-Stearns, is the temperament in the 3.5.7 subgroup equating a stack of two 9/7s with 5/3; this means that the comma 245/243 is tempered out. 9/7 is tuned sharp (about 440 cents) and 5/3 is flattened (about 880 cents). It functions as a tritave analog of meantone, relating the two simplest prime harmonics after the equave with a medium accuracy.

Sensamagic can be used as a temperament with octaves by one of several approaches:

  • simply taking the octave as the period instead of the tritave, resulting in a 2.9/7.5/3 subgroup temperament known as "sentry" (11 & 19)
  • equating the octave to a false octave found on the sensamagic generator chain, such as 125/63 (resulting in sensi (19 & 46)) or 49/25 (resulting in an obscure porcupine extension called "hedgehog" that splits the octave into two 7/5~10/7 tritones)
  • adding the octave as an additional generator, resulting in rank-3 sensamagic (41 & 19 & 27, or b65 & b30 & b43)

This page will focus on tritave and rank-3 sensamagic.

TODO: complete page