Bassline Generator and Chord Sequencer, generating within a specific scale?

[tomusurp]

I've been experimenting with these two players and it seems that there is no way to select a scale. For example in bassline generator, you can only set the root key but the device will use a scale of it's own choosing. I have to find out the scale by "send to track", selecting all the notes and determining which scale it is. I do this if I want to put my own extra melodies in other tracks over the generated one

Now with the Chord sequencer it also seems like it's choosing its own scales based on the chord set selection. I'm not well versed on chords so I'm not sure what the letter below represents as it doesn't seem to be a root key

My question is there any way to get it to create notes and chords based on scale selection. I mean the bassline generator one is not so bad with the "send to track" and it has some pretty awesome results, but chord sequencer is a bit challenging when it comes to writing my own melodies over it in other tracks. One because my ability to play chords is basic but it could be a tool to learn by using the "send to track" feature, analyzing the scale and attempting to write my own melodies over it. One thing I know is that single note melodies and chords should typically be in the same scale to avoid dissonance (although there are rare times if done right, going out of scale can sound great) But you won't hear that in modern music.

[jam-s]

You can stack a scales & chords player device underneath any of those to force all the notes into a scale.

[reasonosaer]

yer barkin up a forbidden tree there stranger. this here reason's for startin ideas not silly requirements like composin in a single key.

chord generator is basically a few dozen chord sets that i guess the rank and file at RS spent 10 minutes each submitting to management as their "favorite chord progressions" on the day that management got their 150 pg report on a populist cultural trend some securitas subsidiary has flagged as high priority for their corporate risk profile called "chord progressions" that may or may not be associated with an existing risk pool identified primarily as "songs". really though it's RS second most ridiculous player after QNG which is just every RS employees favorite sequence of randomly generated midi notes squashed into management's favorite player gui.

bassline generator is a cool thing RS paid one of their normal person, non-robber-baron employees' friend $1 to make and then sold to us for $10 a copy while bragging about how cool they are cause they know the creative guy they pressured an employee into leveraging a long term irl relationship to exploit. they're geniuses!

both tools are best used as "idea starters" not complementary compositional aids. that's not in RS' wheelhouse til one of their wage slaves wins employee of the month for managing to seduce a piano professor into coding it for them.

unfortunately someone who actually knows things about stuff explained to the suits that that means we can't have midi i/o for VSTs cause it might hurt player market share in the ole walled garden, nevermind that it's been a thing in every other DAW since like, what, 2009?

[dvdrtldg]

really though it's RS second most ridiculous player after QNG which is just every RS employees favorite sequence of randomly generated midi notes squashed into management's favorite player gui.

Harsh but fair

[madmacman]

unfortunately someone who actually knows things about stuff explained to the suits that that means we can't have midi i/o for VSTs cause it might hurt player market share in the ole walled garden, nevermind that it's been a thing in every other DAW since like, what, 2009?

And then you install a whoppin gigabyte for a chord player like „Scaler 2“. Hilarious…

[crimsonwarlock]

Here's a question about players... Oh, here's an answer: why don't we have VST MIDI support...

Isn't this getting old already

[PhillipOrdonez]

Now with the Chord sequencer it also seems like it's choosing its own scales based on the chord set selection. I'm not well versed on chords so I'm not sure what the letter below represents as it doesn't seem to be a root key

When you've settled on a set by style, you pick the root note on the left panel, say you pick C, then you look at the chords that are called C, usually the bottom left one. They'll be displayed as being minor or major. That'll tell you in which key the set is. What more do you need?

Edit: for bassline generator, it defaults to major, you have the minorness knob, where the higher you turn it, the more minor it becomes. Sounds good with your song? Great, it works! it doesn't matter if it plays notes outside the scale you're on, you know?

[tomusurp]

Thanks

Now with the Chord sequencer it also seems like it's choosing its own scales based on the chord set selection. I'm not well versed on chords so I'm not sure what the letter below represents as it doesn't seem to be a root key

When you've settled on a set by style, you pick the root note on the left panel, say you pick C, then you look at the chords that are called C, usually the bottom left one. They'll be displayed as being minor or major. That'll tell you in which key the set is. What more do you need?

Edit: for bassline generator, it defaults to major, you have the minorness knob, where the higher you turn it, the more minor it becomes. Sounds good with your song? Great, it works! it doesn't matter if it plays notes outside the scale you're on, you know?

[tomusurp]

Thanks, was looking for this

You can stack a scales & chords player device underneath any of those to force all the notes into a scale.

[PhillipOrdonez]

Thanks, was looking for this

You can stack a scales & chords player device underneath any of those to force all the notes into a scale.

I suggest you don't do this, you lose what's actually great about those players.

[huggermugger]

Scales&Chords is one of the most useful Players in Reason. Remember to turn off the Chords button.

[tomusurp]

Thanks, was looking for this

I suggest you don't do this, you lose what's actually great about those players.

What do you mean? I've not used chord sequencer much yet, but so far I've been experimenting with scales and chords on the Bassline Generator and Matrix Pattern Sequencer. First I'll make my own melody in a certain scale on a some synth track then experiment with generated ones connected to the scales and chords and honestly some of the results are quite good.

[tomusurp]

Thanks, scales and chords is fantastic. I've been making beats in reason for over a decade, always making my own melodies and everything. First time trying generators and honestly this combo is producing some great results. And I can always tweak them if necessary when I "send to track"

Scales&Chords is one of the most useful Players in Reason. Remember to turn off the Chords button.

[challism]

You can stack a scales & chords player device underneath any of those to force all the notes into a scale.

I heard that this is actually THE reason why RS didn't include scale settings for either of these players. Now if only we could fold individual players (since they are requiring us to stack them for basic features).

Isn't this getting old already

Yes. As is the request for individually folding players.

[PhillipOrdonez]

I suggest you don't do this, you lose what's actually great about those players.

What do you mean? I've not used chord sequencer much yet, but so far I've been experimenting with scales and chords on the Bassline Generator and Matrix Pattern Sequencer. First I'll make my own melody in a certain scale on a some synth track then experiment with generated ones connected to the scales and chords and honestly some of the results are quite good.

Chords and scales is a fine player for keeping notes within a scale. Chord sequencer has great sets which include chords that don't belong to the scale, yet sound good together. You miss that magic sauce if you quantize the notes to a single scale. Same with blg. Bass notes can and often play notes outside the scale of the song they're in.

[tomusurp]

I see your point. Although there are exceptions, most popular music stays in scale. Mostly referring to EDM, rap, pop, those kinds. Classical, film score, maybe some other genres I'm not aware of are more diverse.

Also as an example, if you've ever seen Ryan's demo of bassline generator last year, towards the end of the video he varies the 808 to go off scale a bit as a transition and it just sounds BAD (mind you this almost NEVER happens in trap music). There's a science behind going off scale. The classical pianists have mastered that. Some of the methods are starting the next set of bars with an off key or using simultaneous notes with one key being out of scale, similar to chords.

What do you mean? I've not used chord sequencer much yet, but so far I've been experimenting with scales and chords on the Bassline Generator and Matrix Pattern Sequencer. First I'll make my own melody in a certain scale on a some synth track then experiment with generated ones connected to the scales and chords and honestly some of the results are quite good.

Chords and scales is a fine player for keeping notes within a scale. Chord sequencer has great sets which include chords that don't belong to the scale, yet sound good together. You miss that magic sauce if you quantize the notes to a single scale. Same with blg. Bass notes can and often play notes outside the scale of the song they're in.

[PhillipOrdonez]

I see your point. Although there are exceptions, most popular music stays in scale. Mostly referring to EDM, rap, pop, those kinds. Classical, film score, maybe some other genres I'm not aware of are more diverse.

Also as an example, if you've ever seen Ryan's demo of bassline generator last year, towards the end of the video he varies the 808 to go off scale a bit as a transition and it just sounds BAD (mind you this almost NEVER happens in trap music). There's a science behind going off scale. The classical pianists have mastered that. Some of the methods are starting the next set of bars with an off key or using simultaneous notes with one key being out of scale, similar to chords.

Chords and scales is a fine player for keeping notes within a scale. Chord sequencer has great sets which include chords that don't belong to the scale, yet sound good together. You miss that magic sauce if you quantize the notes to a single scale. Same with blg. Bass notes can and often play notes outside the scale of the song they're in.

Not really, the songs remain in scale but there's plenty of accidentals and passing notes in dance music. I'm not talking about modulating from one key to another during a section of a song.

[challism]

I see your point. Although there are exceptions, most popular music stays in scale. Mostly referring to EDM, rap, pop, those kinds. Classical, film score, maybe some other genres I'm not aware of are more diverse.

Also as an example, if you've ever seen Ryan's demo of bassline generator last year, towards the end of the video he varies the 808 to go off scale a bit as a transition and it just sounds BAD (mind you this almost NEVER happens in trap music). There's a science behind going off scale. The classical pianists have mastered that. Some of the methods are starting the next set of bars with an off key or using simultaneous notes with one key being out of scale, similar to chords.

Not really, the songs remain in scale but there's plenty of accidentals and passing notes in dance music. I'm not talking about modulating from one key to another during a section of a song.

I agree that some of the chordsets in CS sound great the way they break conventional (perhaps basic is a better word) music theory rules. But sometimes it sounds bad. Good thing you can automate S&Cs (off) to keep some of that "secret sauce" and turn it back on when needed. As for BLG, it really seems to prefers the C minor scale, so it is nice to get some control over that. I really wish they would have given us some control over the scale, other than just the root note.

[dvdrtldg]

You can stack a scales & chords player device underneath any of those to force all the notes into a scale.

I heard that this is actually THE reason why RS didn't include scale settings for either of these players.

If that's the reason, then I humbly suggest that RS think about adding a few more scale options. No need to go crazy like Enlightenspeed with +300 scales, but Scales & Chords has 14 and it ain't enough

[challism]

I heard that this is actually THE reason why RS didn't include scale settings for either of these players.

If that's the reason, then I humbly suggest that RS think about adding a few more scale options. No need to go crazy like Enlightenspeed with +300 scales, but Scales & Chords has 14 and it ain't enough

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I read/heard Mattias in a thread/livestream saying something like just using Sc&Chs underneath these players. Clearly something they purposefully left off the devices because you can stack players. And since that is what they want us to do, I agree that Sc&Chs is way too limited (and we should be able to fold them). But at least we have the option to customize the scale. That's something, I guess. Would be cool if we could customize the chords too.

Enlightenspeed and TonicMint players are the kings of chord libraries; I wish RS would take a page out of their book and apply it to Sc&Chs.

[huggermugger]

I spent a little time transferring Retouch ChordSQ chords into Chord Sequencer. It's not perfect because the original timing of the chord progressions in ChordSQ are lost, but it does provide a wider range of chord sets to work with.