One-Note MIDI Chords?

[Babz]

My DX11 used to have this feature where you could finger a chord and then assign it so it could be played by a single MIDI keyboard note, thus enabling you to play incredibly fast chord changes, like a harmonized melody.

Does anyone know of a way to do this with software, some way in DP or a third party plugin?

I found this, which looks like what I want, but unfortunately Windoze only.

http://www.codefn42.com/chordz/index.html

Anyone?

Thx,
Babz

[terrybritton]

If you pick up any S-Series Native Instruments keyboard, their "Komplete Kontrol" software features such a thing, and it is very well thought out.



Their Maschine line's software (currently Maschine 2.5) also has this functionality.
I use it with a Maschine Jam unit.



There is also https://www.xferrecords.com/products/cthulhu which is by far the least expensive way to go.

Terry

[stubbsonic]

This would be tedious, but you can insert a Transpose plugin into the Mixer's MIDI channel insert. There's an option to choose "Harmonize" and an option to choose Custom Map.

This only get's you one added note. So now the question is, what happens when you insert a second transpose below it on the same channel (with it's own custom map). The answer is that it transposes everything coming out of the first plugin- so you get 4 notes-- so that kind of limits the options.

Mainstage 3 got some new MIDI plugins which IIRC included some chord function like what you describe. I don't know if going out & back through that would introduce some unworkable latency.

[philbrown]

This would be tedious, but you can insert a Transpose plugin into the Mixer's MIDI channel insert. There's an option to choose "Harmonize" and an option to choose Custom Map.

This only get's you one added note. So now the question is, what happens when you insert a second transpose below it on the same channel (with it's own custom map). The answer is that it transposes everything coming out of the first plugin- so you get 4 notes-- so that kind of limits the options.

How about setting up multiple MIDI tracks then using one transpose plug per track? Tedious but probably doable. Or alternately, if you're using VI's maybe you could use multiple ones, each transposed within the VI itself. It depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

[stubbsonic]

Yes, that makes sense. All three tracks could be assigned to the same (or different) outputs. Would Multi-Record need to be enabled? (in order to have one source controlling three tracks?)

All three set to transpose (not harmonize). You'd have the step of entering values into each of 3 custom maps; lower map, middle map, and upper map (for three notes). DP does make the map editing pretty painless.

[Babz]

If you pick up any S-Series Native Instruments keyboard, their "Komplete Kontrol" software features such a thing, and it is very well thought out.

Their Maschine line's software (currently Maschine 2.5) also has this functionality.
I use it with a Maschine Jam unit.

There is also https://www.xferrecords.com/products/cthulhu which is by far the least expensive way to go.

Terry

Thanks, Terry! I do own a Maschine Mikro, so I need to look into that. One thing that is not clear from the video, I would like to be able to use my own chords and voicings. It kind of looks like with both Maschine and S-Series you are limited to their preset voicings and chord sets (even if they do give you a generous selection).

The way it worked with my DX11 was you just played a chord, assigned it to a note, and -- bang, done. That would be the kind of workflow I am looking for. Seems like this would be easy to implement. Wish DP had something like this, but couldn't find anything in the manual. Maybe Cthulhu might be more the answer.

Thanks for some excellent suggestions.

Best,
Babz

[terrybritton]

Babz,

Here is a post with the Chord Sets list presented as sheet music. I am not absolutely certain as to its accuracy, but that is what I've found so far.

It is a shame you cannot set up your own chords sets manually. (BTW - Maschine 2.6 was released today.)

I have a Maschine Jam which does allow some cool chord programming using its "Keyboard mode" (via the "Guitar" strum or "Chord" settings for its touch strips), but not sure what the Mikro lets you do.

Have fun!

Terry

[mikehalloran]

During my infomercial days, I used Finale's Band-in-a-Box plugin to auto-harmonize. It worked quite well. Finale 25 no longer has this plugin, however.

I don't see that plugin on their website unless it's included in one of the many packages.
http://www.pgmusic.com/bbmac.packages.htm

[stubbsonic]

I was curious and took a quick look at the one that is built into MainStage 3. It's exactly what you describe. Input note, output chord, and a breeze to set up. Getting notes out of DP to mainstage and back might require a little more head-scratching, but doable.

[mikehalloran]

I was curious and took a quick look at the one that is built into MainStage 3. It's exactly what you describe. Input note, output chord, and a breeze to set up. Getting notes out of DP to mainstage and back might require a little more head-scratching, but doable.

A recent thread on that very subject:

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=62086

[Kurt Cowling]

A recent thread on that very subject:

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=62086

That thread seems to be about getting MIDI to MainStage and getting audio back into DP. What seems to be difficult is sending MIDI to MainStage, processing it with the Chord Trigger and sending it back as MIDI to DP. MainStage creates some kind of MIDI loop when I assign an External Instrument channel strip to a MIDI output of IAC bus. Even without DP open it "freaks out".

The Chord Trigger in MainStage is great, but I've found I have to take some care in using it. The fact that all the chord notes happen exactly together is pretty unrealistic for percussive sounds. Also, when triggering chords I find that the energy from my hand coming down on a single key creates a higher velocity number than when I play a full chord the normal way. I guess that just makes sense, but it's easy to create output chords of unrealistically high velocity when triggering them with a single key. I find I have to also use the "Velocity Processor" MIDI plugin in MainStage to tame things.

--Kurt Cowling

[stubbsonic]

That's all really helpful to know, Kurt. Thanks.

That will be a challenge to figure out how to send MIDI from DP to Mainstage and back. I wonder if a 3rd app, like a MIDI router/patchbay, might be a solution. Something that will look like an external inter-app VI to both DP and MS.

[stubbsonic]

Dusting off this old thread--

I was able to get the midiChords vst to work with DP 11.1 in Mojave on an intel MBP. However, the VST does not work on my new M1 MBP in Monterey. But I don't specifically know why it doesn't work (M1? Security? Monterey? DP? etc.)

If it is truly no longer compatible, I could try to use something like Blue Cat's Connector to pipe MIDI in/out of MainStage/Chord Trigger. I could try the demo to see how the latency is (that was the deal-breaker in previous attempts to route things to/from Mainstage). Or, I suppose I could kick down for Logic.

I did just submit a feature request to MOTU to add a chord trigger MIDI plugin to the MIDI inserts list. If they gave it some attention, they could make a good one. But yea, I won't hold my breath. In the meantime, I can still use the older MBP.

[Killahurts]

I need this very thing right now.. been looking into this software:

https://xferrecords.com/products/cthulhu

[stubbsonic]

I need this very thing right now.. been looking into this software:

https://xferrecords.com/products/cthulhu

Cthulhu is really cool. The developers have a creative approach and it's a neato plugin. All the chords have an 8-note limit which for most applications is more than enough.

My vision for an upcoming (long-procrastinated) project is to combine chord sets with custom arp patterns, such that they'll behave like melodic patterns that cover a wider range (and more notes than , so Cthulhu will not be ideal, but perhaps multiple instances?