         return trimmedString
     }
     
-    fileprivate func numberField(fromScalaString rawStr: String?) -> [Element]? {
+    
+    
+    open func numberField(fromScalaString rawStr: String?) -> [Element]? {
         guard let inputStr = rawStr else {return nil}
         
         // default return value is [1.0]

                    }
                }
                else {
                    if (substringForFirstMatch?.range(of: "/").length) != nil {
                        if (substringForFirstMatch?.range(of: "-").length) != nil {
                            AKLog("ERROR: invalid ratio: \(String(describing: substringForFirstMatch))")
                            parsedScala = false
                            break

        let nfOctaveReducedSorted = nfOctaveReduce.sorted {$0 < $1}
        numberField = nfOctaveReducedSorted

        // optional uniquify.
        // provide epsilon for frequency equality comparison

        // update
