ScaleSQ Tone Shifter in the shop!

[joeyluck]

https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... sequencer/

[Loque]

Interesting... The sync feature might be very useful. Said the scale sync is something that is happy missing in Reason, but Retouch Control found a good workaround.

[Ottostrom]

Cool! I'm not good with music theory so this seems really useful for doing more advanced key/scale changes
Nice to see a new RE as well

[Ottostrom]

I'm trialing it right now and I can't find any way to remove a slot once it's been set? Maybe I'm missing something obvious but I've tried clicking everywhere and I get no option to remove it.

[huggermugger]

I think the Reset option removes it, if it's the last active slot.

[challism]

I have wondered over the years why we don't ever see devices in Reason with charts like circle of fifths on the back. Nice to see a circle of fifths on the back. I can finally stop loading one as a combi backdrop.

I think this RE will be really useful for coming up with ideas for bridges, intros, outros

[Yonatan]

I can see a use for this one, but need trial it first. Nice idea.

[Ottostrom]

I think the Reset option removes it, if it's the last active slot.

Thanks! Must have overlooked this

[challism]

I've been trialing it for a few days. It's great. I'm impressed how easy it is to come up with interesting (hopefully) and complimentary parts by switching through the slots. Chord suggestions based on the previous slot is a cool feature. This player really does inspire creativity by letting you easily test out different modes; something I had struggled with prior to ScalesSQ. Modes can breathe life into boring compositions and open up countless directions to take the music. I'm glad the slots are automatable. I'm definitely going to buy it. Thanks Retouch Control! Looks like yet another one of your REs will be appearing in most of my future projects. Other top Retouch Control REs for me: NoteRepeater, Slider, NoteMix (ChordSet was ALL over my projects back in the days before Players).

Requests:
1) I would love to be able to automate the on/off without having to do a workaround with two MIDI-CV Converters. I wonder if the developer would be kind enough to make the "on" button automatable. I consider this a MUST HAVE feature for players.

2) Any chance we can get the ability to manually select/deselect notes in the scale (by alt clicking that part of the display)? Or maybe the ability to create a "custom" scale by selecting "custom" from the scale menu. (this request is 2nd for a reason, 1st request is ultra important and necessary)

3) CV outs is always a request, of course. How cool would it be to have note/gate outs for each slot? Answer: Very! (this request is 3rd for a reason, I could definitely live without it, but if the dev wanted to spoil me, it'd be a cool feature)

4) EDIT: Rory brought to my attention that the improvise button isn't automatable either. Seems like it should be. Please allow us to automate the improvise button. Thanks!

[rorystorm]

I really like this, but something I'm confused by - the intro video says you can automate the slots but I don't seem to be able to? ie the slots aren't a automation destination. And neither is the improvise button - which means that it's great as a performance tool but not so much use otherwise.

Or am I missing something.....

[joeyluck]

I really like this, but something I'm confused by - the intro video says you can automate the slots but I don't seem to be able to? ie the slots aren't a automation destination. And neither is the improvise button - which means that it's great as a performance tool but not so much use otherwise.

Or am I missing something.....

It's a custom display, so you can't assign it from the interface. Although a solution might be in the works.

You can however assign automation for the slot selection from the Sequencer. Create a track for ScaleSQ and then create an automation lane by choosing it from the drop-down in the Sequencer.

[rorystorm]

I really like this, but something I'm confused by - the intro video says you can automate the slots but I don't seem to be able to? ie the slots aren't a automation destination. And neither is the improvise button - which means that it's great as a performance tool but not so much use otherwise.

Or am I missing something.....

It's a custom display, so you can't assign it from the interface. Although a solution might be in the works.

You can however assign automation for the slot selection from the Sequencer. Create a track for ScaleSQ and then create an automation lane by choosing it from the drop-down in the Sequencer.

Danmit, of course you can. Thanks!
Can't believe that hadn't occurred to me.

[Ottostrom]

I gotta say, my experience in trialing this device has not been very nice..
First it was the hidden edit menu, which you activate by holding an additional shortcut key while clicking a slot. Not a big deal except it behaves janky since you have to hold the mouse click down while navigating to the option and only then can you release. Then it was the automation of slot changes, which I had to search the manual to find how to do. Also not a big deal except its probably the first thing you'd want to do with this device so it should be more intuitive.

But now when I thought I had the basics covered and wanted to properly test it I immediately stumble upon a scenario which reliably makes my Reason freeze and crash. It kills my Reason so hard that I have to go through the basic setup before I'm back..
This is what I did:



The instant I press play it freezes.

[Loque]

...

Contact the dev....

[challism]

intro videos are lying asshats and improve buttons are cool

Good catch. I missed that. I think I need to add "improvise button as an automation target" to my feature request list. Everything should be automatable on a device this small/simple. They are a long way from running out of targets.

I love D MajPenta so much

Well that should teach you not to use a D Major Pentatonic. Who do you think you are, Kirk Hammett?
I'm afraid to try. Sounds like a nasty bug.

I found a really easy way to automate the slots; just click record, then select ScaleSQ as the target device (by clicking the upper left tab/handle on the device in the rack).

[joeyluck]

I also wondered about automating the Improvise button.

Seems maybe most useful when just jamming to explore how you might sequence the Slot Selection or when using Direct Record?

Because it's random right? So if you were to automate it, you couldn't expect the same results each time it's triggered when you play it back... Which might be fine for some people in some randomized uses, but I would think for most people who are looking to automate something are the ones looking to have things happen in expected ways. This is not a vote against having it, just an observation.

I guess also having it as a Combinator assignment in order to modulate it when you want to get random things would be good too.

[rorystorm]

intro videos are lying asshats and improve buttons are cool

Good catch. I missed that. I think I need to add "improvise button as an automation target" to my feature request list. Everything should be automatable on a device this small/simple. They are a long way from running out of targets.

wait, whaaaaat. I'd never call someone an asshat, that's plain rude. I'd just say they're a stupid cnut and move on.

Anyway, yes please to a big red 'improve' button. Every device should have one, you know, it's the one you press and the music just comes out that everyone who ever owned a Queen record tells you about.

[edit] aaaand just had a play and I've figured it out, you make a lane for the device and then choose 'slot selection' from the drop down list at the top of the sequencer. Duh. No idea how I missed that yesterday.

[RetouchControl]

Hello folks,

thanks for the interest in ScaleSQ. For your information, version 1.0.5 dropped yesterday. This adds an easier way to activate the slot automation -> Alt+click on the "SELECT" label to create a track and automation lane.
This version also adds the ON/OFF button to the automation list.

About the bug reported by Ottostrom, we have confirmed it and hopefully a fix will be available soon. For the time being, it's best to stay away from pentatonic scales in the home slot

About the Improvise button: since it selects a slot at random, if you automate it, you are going to get different results every time you playback the track. Hence it was excluded from the automation list. The idea was to use it as an improvisation tool while recording with "Direct Record" enabled.

Thanks

[joeyluck]

Hello folks,

thanks for the interest in ScaleSQ. For your information, version 1.0.5 dropped yesterday. This adds an easier way to activate the slot automation -> Alt+click on the "SELECT" label to create a track and automation lane.
This version also adds the ON/OFF button to the automation list.

About the bug reported by Ottostrom, we have confirmed it and hopefully a fix will be available soon. For the time being, it's best to stay away from pentatonic scales in the home slot

About the Improvise button: since it selects a slot at random, if you automate it, you are going to get different results every time you playback the track. Hence it was excluded from the automation list. The idea was to use it as an improvisation tool while recording with "Direct Record" enabled.

Thanks

Thanks for the heads up on the update! I missed it because it doesn't just appear in Companion and requires that you update in the shop.

That was also my understanding about the Improvise button.