The only request I have is the ability to import and save my own Midi Performance Patterns into Scaler so that I can trigger them at will.
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That would be really useful instead of having a library of MIDI patterns elsewhere (which I have).
On the face of it this is easy to do. Sort of a user storage area from which you haul the pattern and play. But the performance has to be played against scale type and mode, and I assume internally it holds performances as a series of chromatic note intervals which it applies rules to, to map into the selected scale/mode. It obviously can’t just play back the input MIDI notes.
Initially I thought this might be trivial (it appears to be Ionian and all notes are in the scale) , but it’s easy to think of circumstances where the rules are more complex. You might have an out of scale note (say a b5), and if were minor pentatonic you’d drop this in as a passing note. But in lots of other cases the choice is less obvious it seems to me.
[Listen to Avant Garde 6 with a Am(no5)… the logic gets sort of flummoxed.]
This is compounded by the fact that Scaler only normally references data externally to the VST when it picks up the flacs for the sounds and when it loads or write writes things like State files. Would it need other information other than a MIDI file ? (some sort of rule, maybe mode information ? I dunno.
I do think this it would be a great enhancement to have your own library in there, but on longer reflection this seems more a involved project than I initially thought. {BTW, I have no idea about Scaler internals so I am just guessing, and probably completely wrong.]
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I think this would be quite complex just based on the existing architecture of Scaler. If you’ve used Rapid Composer there are 2 ways to look at notes based on their structure… Absolute or relative. Absolute uses the structure of MIDI notes at their absolute value. Relative uses the relative value based on scale. Scaler must use something similar to RC’s relative value that works most of the time. You can hear the odd notes that pass by from time to time in Scaler pattern. And if you watch the chord read our up on top there is often a lot going on. Maybe a force to scale would be another way of dealing with structure. All of that will change how the pattern winds up sounding however.
In Cubase you can use the chord track to place MIDI into your existing structure. I do that a lot and love it but sometimes the changes to the patterns are quite startling although usable. I’ve done this with Scaler patterns as well. My point being that unless you think in terms of the chords/scales you use than you will be surprised at the changes needed to place a pattern of notes into a scale/chord that is different than what it was composed in.
If you want to try it, download a fully functional trial of Cubase and play with Scaler patterns exported to MIDI and transformed with the chord track. It is fun and maybe a preview of what your own patterns in Scaler might be like.
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This has been mentioned and I’m sure it’s in the good ideas file. I’d like to be able to create a part and then drop that in to scaler, etc.
Just started using Venemode’s Phrasebox. I’d love to see something like that built right into scaler, allowing you to build your own progressions or play around with the presets.
actually, this can be done with a very simple software, if one of the developers contacted me, I can tell you how it would be. The first method would be to spread the green keylocks over the entire mold on the scaler, this will solve it in a way.