Is there a quick way to transpose midi to a different scale? (Major to Minor, etc)

[jonatello]

If not, can this be a feature request? I did a lot of searching this forum and google, and i finally found an example of what I'm talking about here:

https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab

I'm guessing a lot of ppl already know about this, but basically to the top right of every midi display on that page, there's a button that says something like "C Maj" ...you can click it, and you get to transpose it to "E Phrygian" or "G# Minor" or anything else you would like. So that proved to me I'm not just dreaming up the impossible lol

Can we do that in Tracktion/Waveform yet, or is just semitones? Am I just ignorant, and semitones can get you a different scale? I didn't think it could.

The skilled musicians in here will probably roll their eyes, but a dream feature for me would be to be able to just play my little amateur heart out in C Major and then click a button and have it rearranged to a whole different scale and feeling.

[Rock]

https://www.codefn42.com/notemapper/

[jabe]

Leaving aside the software, what you're looking at are called modes. For each major scale, there are another six scales, or modes, that use the same notes, but with their two semi-tone steps in different places.

Some info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mode_(music)

[spoontechnique]

Yes, Phrygian, Lydian, and Aeolian (natural minor) are all modes of Major. So you can actually shift major by semitones to get the mode you want.

You can also control + click on the piano roll to select all notes of a certain pitch (there's also a menu command in the Properties panel under "select notes") and manually move them to the notes of the scale you want. You can also set note colors to be a certain color if they're in vs. out of key.

[jonatello]

https://www.codefn42.com/notemapper/

downloaded it, and not quite sure this is what i'm talking about. maybe im' missing something

[jonatello]

Yes, Phrygian, Lydian, and Aeolian (natural minor) are all modes of Major. So you can actually shift major by semitones to get the mode you want.

You can also control + click on the piano roll to select all notes of a certain pitch (there's also a menu command in the Properties panel under "select notes") and manually move them to the notes of the scale you want. You can also set note colors to be a certain color if they're in vs. out of key.

so if i understand correctly, there's currently no quick & simple way in tracktion to transpose midi to any other scale like in the link i included, unless the scale you're switching to happens to be a compatible mode? In that case, it would be an amazing feature.

[jonatello]

It looks like Reaper has this button. Check it out (starts at about the 1:10 mark):

[spoontechnique]

The Reaper video demonstrates why this is difficult. The MIDI information doesn't contain information about scale degree, so it doesn't know what scale degree something is supposed to be. This leads to cases where there's multiple possible ways to transpose from one scale to another (should a note in between two notes go up or down?).

In that video at 1:17, you can see a note towards the end being split into two notes, with one moved a semitone up and one a semitone down. Reaper can't seem to decide, so it decided both!

[jonatello]

The Reaper video demonstrates why this is difficult. The MIDI information doesn't contain information about scale degree, so it doesn't know what scale degree something is supposed to be. This leads to cases where there's multiple possible ways to transpose from one scale to another (should a note in between two notes go up or down?).

In that video at 1:17, you can see a note towards the end being split into two notes, with one moved a semitone up and one a semitone down. Reaper can't seem to decide, so it decided both!

Yeah good point, altho I'd say it's still a good starting point, no? Btw, what are your thoughts on the job this site does:

https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab
(pick a song, and click the key/scale circle to the top-right of the midi display)

[Rock]

https://www.codefn42.com/notemapper/

downloaded it, and not quite sure this is what i'm talking about. maybe im' missing something

I guess it is not quick, but you can create your own presets to alter the scales and modes.

[Rock]

OK here is a free VST that will do it easy peasy.

I remembered this after I started thinking about how to make a script myself...

VST PLUGIN
https://github.com/pac-dev/protoplug/releases

SCRIPT
https://github.com/pac-dev/protoplug/bl ... _scale.lua

After adding the VST plugin to your plugin library and loading it into your host...

http://rockkennedy.com/other_files/lua/lua1.png

1 - Paste in the script as copied from the link above
2 - Push the compile button

http://rockkennedy.com/other_files/lua/lua2.png

3. - Click on the params tab
4. - Set the Key
5. - Set the Scale

http://rockkennedy.com/other_files/lua/lua3.png

Finally save the script for future use.

[jonatello]

OK here is a free VST that will do it easy peasy.

I remembered this after I started thinking about how to make a script myself...

VST PLUGIN
https://github.com/pac-dev/protoplug/releases

SCRIPT
https://github.com/pac-dev/protoplug/bl ... _scale.lua

After adding the VST plugin to your plugin library and loading it into your host...

http://rockkennedy.com/other_files/lua/lua1.png

1 - Paste in the script as copied from the link above
2 - Push the compile button

http://rockkennedy.com/other_files/lua/lua2.png

3. - Click on the params tab
4. - Set the Key
5. - Set the Scale

http://rockkennedy.com/other_files/lua/lua3.png

Finally save the script for future use.

Wow, i'm gonna have to try and dig into this better when i feel sharper lol. But that script has tons of scales, which is really cool!

[spoontechnique]

The thing about TheoryTab is that it isn't using MIDI. MIDI isn't just computer notes, it's a specific protocol that includes certain information. Scale degree isn't built into MIDI, whereas Theorytab's system is built around scale degree.

Maybe Waveform could build a kind of scale sequencer that uses scale degree and then has a quantizer after...not sure what that would require to build.

[jonatello]

The thing about TheoryTab is that it isn't using MIDI. MIDI isn't just computer notes, it's a specific protocol that includes certain information. Scale degree isn't built into MIDI, whereas Theorytab's system is built around scale degree.

Maybe Waveform could build a kind of scale sequencer that uses scale degree and then has a quantizer after...not sure what that would require to build.

ahhhhh ok ...there's my answer i guess. Thanks. Yeah it would be a really cool feature if its even possible.

[Rock]

There is nothing missing in MIDI that knowing the key doesn't solve.