A couple additional ways to feed Scaler recursively (to generate both note sequences and chord variations)
-
Take the midi from a Scaler chord pattern that was created with PERFORM enabled, and drop it back onto Scaler letting Scaler detect the midi. (or use DAW playback and Midi detect) You will get a set of notes and chords that are all related to the pattern performance midi. You can repeat the process to get some unexpected chord and note combinations that you can feed back into a performance pattern for some interesting variations. My experience is that this process will often generate 2 note chords that are great building blocks for adding a deep bass note.
-
Use the process above but create a set of patterns that you can loop. Now you can use the midi capture function while you adjust settings in real time while Scaler plays the pattern. As far as I can tell, almost all Scaler’s playback and pad settings can be adjusted live and Scaler behaves pretty much perfectly. If I had a way to midi map Scaler settings (or set keyboard shortcuts) it would make for a fun performance tool.
-
Take the bounce (audio recording) of a Scaler chord/pattern/performance and use Scaler’s audio detect features to pull chords back out of the performance. Because this is an analog detection process, by tweaking the record sensitivity level you can get some subtle variations in chords and voicings. (The detection process might also be impacted by the instrument you have selected in Scaler. I’ve not tested this, but my ear can hear a difference as I move from Off to the various instruments while using audio detect.)
NOTES:
The process of getting data in and out of Scaler can vary a bit based on the DAW you are using. For example, some DAWs support bi-directional drag and drop and some don’t seem to. Some of these techniques will require trial and error on your part. However, if you are like me and you trust you ears more than your fingers and you are more of a mousist than a pianist, you might find it time well spent.
Be patient and explore, quantization is your friend. This is not just random notes being generated, these are parts of well considered pieces that are feeding an iterative creative process. If something sounds way off, but you like some things you are hearing, tweak the playback speed, walk the humanize settings or maybe the voice groupings. You might want to try a different instrument (you just cannot change in real time) Some things play better with others and the trick is to find the pieces that work well together and then stumble into a seemingly endless supply of happy accidents.