# How to use Scaler 2?



## stanthemanNL

Hi guys, I bought Scaler 2 but find it actually quite difficult to really use it. Which functionality do you use the most? I was wondering how other people use this plugin


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## KarlHeinz

You should search for some other threads inside here for Scaler, I think you will find some Info to get you started and some nice video links too.

I have to admit I am into the same boat, just had not really get into it cause all the functionallities are really overwhelming BUT there is lots of good info about it, thats the good think. So you should really look for some starting points you are interested in and spent some time on it.


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## bill5

Apparently you have to have a keyboard plugged in to use it? I tried using it with just my PC (the musical keyboard in my DAW) but nada.


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## d4vec4rter

There is a bit of a learning curve with Scaler. I advise running through a few of the tutorials on youtube. It will be well worth the effort. Once you get a handle on how it works, you'll probably find it an immensely useful tool.


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## Bman70

I recently had a melody I thought of while driving. Then I wanted to find out some chords, so I played it into Scaler 2 and had it suggest a key and possible progressions. I ended up picking some Dorian scale which helped me write a harmony I would never have thought of, using A7 and C#dim with Em. It ended up having the perfect strange, bluesy and woodsy sound I was wanting. To me Scaler was just helping me know which chord I could "legally" use, allowing me to then compose harmonies using those chords.


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## Trash Panda

Bman70 said:


> I recently had a melody I thought of while driving. Then I wanted to find out some chords, so I played it into Scaler 2 and had it suggest a key and possible progressions. I ended up picking some Dorian scale which helped me write a harmony I would never have thought of, using A7 and C#dim with Em. It ended up having the perfect strange, bluesy and woodsy sound I was wanting. To me Scaler was just helping me know which chord I could "legally" use, allowing me to then compose harmonies using those chords.


You have violated the sacred laws of composition. Your punishment is 3 weeks of mandatory score study of Yoko Ono.


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## Sunny Schramm

bill5 said:


> Apparently you have to have a keyboard plugged in to use it? I tried using it with just my PC (the musical keyboard in my DAW) but nada.


you can use your mouse or daw pianoroll in a midipart to trigger the chordpads, start and stop the midi-tracks, etc. - no keyboard needed.


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## bill5

Bman70 said:


> I recently had a melody I thought of while driving. Then I wanted to find out some chords, so I played it into Scaler 2 and had it suggest a key and possible progressions. I ended up picking some Dorian scale which helped me write a harmony I would never have thought of, using A7 and C#dim with Em. It ended up having the perfect strange, bluesy and woodsy sound I was wanting. To me Scaler was just helping me know which chord I could "legally" use, allowing me to then compose harmonies using those chords.


Just remember to give Scaler 2 co-writing credits. 




Trash Panda said:


> You have violated the sacred laws of composition. Your punishment is 3 weeks of mandatory score study of Yoko Ono.


Talk about cruel and unusual punishment!




Sunny Schramm said:


> you can use your mouse or daw pianoroll in a midipart to trigger the chordpads, start and stop the midi-tracks, etc. - no keyboard needed.


OK I just tried it (I hadn't for awhile) and it works. Sure Scaler, make a liar out of me.


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## eakwarren

I like exploring the modulation section and setting it to modes, mediants, and neo-riemannian presets to explore outside diatonic harmony. I also like the ability to just lasso a bunch of chords and drag them into the daw. Fun fact: enabling the phrases, voicing and stuff in the top also affects what you drag into the daw. You don’t really need to record then drag. I find it so much faster!


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## Bman70

bill5 said:


> Just remember to give Scaler 2 co-writing credits.


haha it's no different from leafing through a book on chord progressions, figuring out which ones go together, and then writing using those chords... but it sure cuts the time down.


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## bonebones

eakwarren said:


> I like exploring the modulation section and setting it to modes, mediants, and neo-riemannian presets to explore outside diatonic harmony. I also like the ability to just lasso a bunch of chords and drag them into the daw. Fun fact: enabling the phrases, voicing and stuff in the top also affects what you drag into the daw. You don’t really need to record then drag. I find it so much faster!


In case you haven't already seen make sure to update to 2.4 upon release May 26th. During the making of the Modulation Video I realised how much of a voice leading overhaul the entire Modulation section needed. We have worked hard to improve this and it is now where it should have always been - much truer to the theory and buttery smooth in its transitions:


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## antret

eakwarren said:


> I like exploring the modulation section and setting it to modes, mediants, and neo-riemannian presets to explore outside diatonic harmony. I also like the ability to just lasso a bunch of chords and drag them into the daw. Fun fact: enabling the phrases, voicing and stuff in the top also affects what you drag into the daw. You don’t really need to record then drag. I find it so much faster!


Huh... I swear I’ve tried something like that ... I could be totally wrong on the steps I tried. How do you get it to work?


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## Rich4747

Scaler so useful and truly getting better every update. bravo to the team!


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## muziksculp

Does Scaler 2 give chord progression suggestions, or just gives a set of chords, that the user then has to decide how to use/arrange them in various ways, to create multiple progressions ?


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## rnb_2

muziksculp said:


> Does Scaler 2 give chord progression suggestions, or just gives a set of chords, that the user then has to decide how to use/arrange them in various ways, to create multiple progressions ?


I think I'm correct in saying "both", but it does other things, as well.


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## muziksculp

rnb_2 said:


> I think I'm correct in saying "both", but it does other things, as well.


Thanks. 

Do you know if there is a video showing Scaler 2 suggesting the chord progressions. Not just the chords ? I can't seem to find this.


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## eakwarren

antret said:


> Huh... I swear I’ve tried something like that ... I could be totally wrong on the steps I tried. How do you get it to work?


@antret, TMacD’s post in the Scaler forum enlightened me.


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## bonebones

muziksculp said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Do you know if there is a video showing Scaler 2 suggesting the chord progressions. Not just the chords ? I can't seem to find this.


Not sure I'm clear on what you are asking but Scaler has hundreds of unique chord progressions split amongst genre / style and artist based chord sets. This playlist covers everything 
Don't forget you can download the demo from pluginboutique to try and also visit the community over at scalerplugin


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## muziksculp

bonebones said:


> Not sure I'm clear on what you are asking but Scaler has hundreds of unique chord progressions split amongst genre / style and artist based chord sets. This playlist covers everything
> Don't forget you can download the demo from pluginboutique to try and also visit the community over at scalerplugin



Thanks, I will check the video. 

Basically, I'm asking if Scaler 2 arranges the chords it recommends in an order/sequence that will create a nice musical chord progression.

Just having a bunch of chords it recommends, is not enough to get a nice progression, the order the chords are arranged. i.e. (I-IV-ii-V) to get a nice musical melody going on the harmonic progression, and good voice leading between the chord voices is what creates interesting chord progressions.


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## Bman70

muziksculp said:


> Basically, I'm asking if Scaler 2 arranges the chords it recommends in an order/sequence that will create a nice musical chord progression.


Usually I enter notes in the "detect" mode, so I can look at options for my melodies. But there are other modes. The "Songs" mode has the kind of progressions you're talking about. Under each category are lots of progressions, then variations in chords, voicing, etc. Now I'm not sure who wrote these or if they're copyright free. If you don't own it already it's a must have, so much to play with I've hardly investigated.

p.s. when you let it detect your own melody, it will suggest keys based on the root note. For each key, D Dorian, D Major or whatever, it tells you the chords in that whole scale, the I-ii-iv-V etc. But only in a linear series, not arranged in a song.


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## SlHarder

As a reminder to anyone joining this thread late in the game, the capabilities discussed in recent Scaler vid will be included in Scaler 2.4 which will be released May 27, 2021.

And the easiest way to learn what Scaler can do is to download the demo.


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## muziksculp




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## muziksculp

Also *Groove3* just released their Scaler video tutorial. 

https://www.groove3.com/tutorials/Scaler-Explained


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