It’d be nice to be able to set a plugin’s scale lock to map scales to C Major (ie all the white keys), especially when using a computer keyboard for input. No need to remember which computer key is what, just the z and q rows play in scale notes. This is a simpler input method than a regular scale lock especially with a computer keyboard.
This can be achieved with vst plugins but it’s a great feature in a number of DAWs, allowing instant transposition of entire songs.
You can see this map-to-white-keys way of doing scale lock in Zenbeats, Scaler, Serato Studio, Caustic, etc.
I prefer to work this way because it takes about 30 seconds to transpose entire songs, even from major to minor and back.
There is a workaround for this. I also use mainly CMaj/AMin. To get other scales, I simply transpose the instruments. It’s fast, just enable the instrument properties pane on the right side, step through all your instruments and set the same transpose value. I’m thinking about to simplify this even more with a little tool. To set transpose value for each selected instrument in one step.
The difference is in my testing is it works by moving notes to the closest in-scale note. I’d like an option to map the intervals so all C notes for example play the 1 note in a scale.
For example hitting the C key in B major would play B.
It allows you to instantly transpose songs between scales and keys.
I like to sequence songs using harmonic mixing, i.e. putting songs in like scales back to back, and by composing in C Major you create a work environment where any song Can at any time be transposed to any scale without destroying its structure as a song in terms of intervals and chord progressions etc
It is also very helpful for music theory because you can at a glance see what chords (I IV V VI) and intervals you are using in any song no matter what the scale is.
Transposition to a new scale doesn’t work with regular scale locks unless you rewrite your song totally.
Sometimes I even export 4 or 5 variations of a song in different keys & scales to pick one.
It’s doable with the vsts Cales Scaler or Komplete Kontrol but some DAWs it’s built in.
Additionally, this makes it much much easier to type in scale notes on a computer keyboard. Z X C V is always 1 2 3 4 in any scale, with the current scale lock you basically need to figure out which random keys on your computer keyboard correspond to the root note etc.
It also adds functionality to devices that don’t have a lot of buttons, for example I have a controller configured to play only the c major notes in every octave and this way I can use those seven buttons for every single one of my songs without having to worry about the fact that I don’t have a full 12 note chromatic keyboard in front of me.
Interesting approach.Also i would like Renoise to be able that one midi plugin like Scaler send midi to all tracks so we have something similar like the chord track in Studio One,Cubase and Waveform
I agree, a chord track would be great! It’s just hard for me to think of how best to implement a chord track visually & functionally into a tracker. I’m no developer haha
My C Major method helps a lot, since every song is written in the same notes it’s easy to follow the Harmony of your song visually and now I’m writing chords even without Scaler/Captain/etc
But I do love the chord track in those DAWs, in fact Studio One is my Rewire buddy for Renoise. I love recording vocals in SO and then locking them to the chord track as follow scale parallel narrow etc and playing with new results.
It’s also so easy to do bass lines with a chord track
I often switch between them, when a melody doesn’t sound right or need a different touch.