Sundog Song Studio 3.0 coming soon - sneak peak time!

[cowby]

Hi there,

Please bear with my chord knowledge. I'd like to use Sundog Studio 3.0 to make a chord progression for Alan Walker's Faded where I found the pattern as below :

Key=D# Minor

Intro:
D#m B F# C#

Anyone please verify my setting is correct or not.

Bass note = D Minor
Chord 1 = D#min(i) Chord2 = B5 Chord 3 = F#5 Chord 4 = C#5

Thanks!
Cowby

Hmm... is there any particular reason why you are using open 5ths for the B, F#, and C# chords in the intro instead of major chords?

Hi Tonedef71, Think I got the wrong chord and now Chord1 = D#5.

[tonedef71]

Hi there,

Please bear with my chord knowledge. I'd like to use Sundog Studio 3.0 to make a chord progression for Alan Walker's Faded where I found the pattern as below :

Key=D# Minor

Intro:
D#m B F# C#

Anyone please verify my setting is correct or not.

Bass note = D Minor
Chord 1 = D#min(i) Chord2 = B5 Chord 3 = F#5 Chord 4 = C#5

Thanks!
Cowby

Hmm... is there any particular reason why you are using open 5ths for the B, F#, and C# chords in the intro instead of major chords?

Hi Tonedef71, Think I got the wrong chord and now Chord1 = D#5.

Hello Cowby:

First off, the key of D# Minor is more often spelled as Eb minor instead. In Sundog settings, I believe you can change the setting "Only show Sharps" to be "No" to get Sundog to show flats. You can see (and listen to) the song arranged for piano here.

If you are interested in a traditional arrangement, I suggest that you use the original chords: Eb Minor, Cb Major, Gb Major, and Db Major. For the bass line, use the root note of each chord (Eb, Cb, Gb, and Db).

Of course, you may use open fifths instead of major and minor chords, but then you really should make sure that the missing third degrees appear in the melody, bass, or a counter melody, otherwise the full flavor of the song will be diminished.

Open fifths, which are "chords" that consist of the root and fifth (forms a dyad) with an optional octave (forms a triad), do sound good with brass instruments, distorted guitars and synths. However, if the harmony of the song solely consists of these perfect intervals, the song will sound thin/shallow without the intervals of minor and major thirds being present to add color.

[Krovatin]

Recently I tried Sundog Scale studio demo. Everything is nice except one annoying thing. It is Root base note problem.
When you have your chord progression, your base notes usually are chord root notes, especially in EDM. But when you use inversion of your chords - very good function, BTW, - Sundog scale studio does not know what is root note of your chords, and using base note instead.
This is wrong in many cases and musically not right.
For example, you use C major chord (C E G), and inverted this one down, now it is G C E, but it is still C major and base should be root note, which is C. Sundog scale studio in contrary "thinks" that base now is G (lowest note of the chord).
You have to change base note manually, but it is tricky to do, Sundog has not got pause function to have a look the base note.

I asked Hauke (the developer) and he took it into consideration. What do you think guys?

[tonedef71]

I asked Hauke (the developer) and he took it into consideration. What do you think guys?

I think that having the option to switch behavior between base note being the lowest note of the chord and the base note of the chord being the chord's root note would be a worthy enhancement. I have had a need for both behaviors from time to time.

[Pictus]

Sundog
https://youtu.be/6c0wTtq4xDM

[hauke]

Sundog
https://youtu.be/6c0wTtq4xDM

Beaaaaauuutiful

[moonchunk]

I asked Hauke (the developer) and he took it into consideration. What do you think guys?

I think that having the option to switch behavior between base note being the lowest note of the chord and the base note of the chord being the chord's root note would be a worthy enhancement. I have had a need for both behaviors from time to time.

I'm going to buy Sundog right now (done!), although I am DEFINITELY almost certainly, hopefully, desperately expecting this particular missing option to be addressed... Those above who indicated this are correct - modern music may be a huge variable in itself, but the two options, of 1) using the chord root (the usual option) and 2) using the bass (lowest note) of a chord, are both very useful. One without the other would be like peanut butter without vegemite. No, maybe its vegemite without peanut butter ? Anyway, I'm not from Australia so any spreadable food or software needs, needs, needs bread, and that's why I'm giving you my $65 Mr. H. (and hopefully a many-star review on this forum). So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add this option somehow

(Please disregard the issue above regarding Bass versus Root. I see where this program is coming from (similar to Jammer and Band In A Box). The idea is to set Bass to your Chord Root if that is what you want apparently - Possibly to fiddle with a secondary mode would result in all manner of unnecessary complexities - users should just select Chord Notes or Scale Notes and the pattern will reflect the Root of the Chord and change per chord, or stay oriented to the keynote of the Scale.) I love this program. BTW, after playing around a bit I realized a second issue for me, which is the lack of resolution in the Swing Settings. From 50 to 51 to 52 to 53,,, Up to about 67 - these to me are the really useful "feel" types of swing - not clunky sounding and that don't prevent dancing and turn the sound into a hootenany. It should really be possible to increment between all these. At present there are only 5 really useful selections from off to the top of this range (off, 54, 58, 62, 67)

I would love to be able to not need to drag to MIDI for these types of feels, and compose them while within Sundog and working on the chords and bass, etc.

Question(s):

Help! How does one activate the velocity of the pattern steps, and activate the use of the "Max Velocity" setting. I can change the Max velocity downward, and change the velocity of a pattern event downward, but I can't hear any change...

Why is the diminished scale called "Blues Diminished"?

[hauke]

Hi moonchunk

>> So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add this option somehow

I am already convinced that this option would be useful . I think I will rank that higher on my Sundog to-do-list now.

Regarding the swing settings: I will put that on the feature wish list!

Velocity: Are you sure that you are using it with a synth/patch that supports velocity? If the synth/patch doesn't react to velocity, then Sundog cannot do anything here. Please try this: Set the "MIDI Out Device" in Sundog to "Sundog Preview Synth". The sounds there should all react to velocity. If this doesn't do anything either, then something strange is going on^^.
I am not sure what "max velocity setting" means here. Do you speak of the "Velocity" value that sits right next to the "Fixed note" field? The "Velocity" value here gets combined with the velocity values of the Pattern area. In the end, this will result in a single value that is sent to the instrument then.

Cheers,
Hauke of FeelYourSound

[Trancit]

...

>> So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add this option somehow

I am already convinced that this option would be useful . I think I will rank that higher on my Sundog to-do-list now.

...

If you do so, please add the ability to "open Chords" as well... this you´ll find in modern music even more than having the roote doubled to one octave below...
"open Chords" are nothing else than having the third played one actve higher... sounds simple but gives a complete different feel. It sounds really more "open"

So, a complete feature set for modern chords would be options to have:

1. the root doubled to one octave below
2. the root doubled to one octave higher
3. the third transposed one octave higher

[hauke]

If you do so, please add the ability to "open Chords" as well... this you´ll find in modern music even more than having the roote doubled to one octave below...
"open Chords" are nothing else than having the third played one actve higher... sounds simple but gives a complete different feel. It sounds really more "open"

So, a complete feature set for modern chords would be options to have:

1. the root doubled to one octave below
2. the root doubled to one octave higher
3. the third transposed one octave higher

I think this might be an interesting option for the "Advanced Pattern Settings" then. Added to the feature wishes list.
However, open chords are also possible in current Sundog versions. The Chord Mods feature is an easy way to experiment with different voicings (also open chords):
http://feelyoursound.com/sundog-manual/#chordmods

Cheers,
Hauke

[Trancit]

However, open chords are also possible in current Sundog versions. The Chord Mods feature is an easy way to experiment with different voicings (also open chords):
http://feelyoursound.com/sundog-manual/#chordmods

Cheers,
Hauke

Yeah... I forgot about the chord mods...

[tatanka]

Really would like to see the "ready to go" chord progressions you now ship with xoto pad inside sundog

[hauke]

Really would like to see the "ready to go" chord progressions you now ship with xoto pad inside sundog

These chord progressions are already included in Sundog . Please open the Chords view, then click on "Chords -> Search chord progression". The progressions in the sub-folder "popular major" are the ones you are looking for (plus a few hundred more) .

Cheers,
Hauke

[tatanka]

Great

Must have missed that update someway....

[THE INTRANCER]

I don't get the point of this program other than to encourage people to not learn how to play the keyboard properly... seems like a really lazy way to try and compose.

Personally I learned how to play the keyboard when I was just 8 years old. (Over 30 years ago). Real music comes from within, not from what you drag and drop on a screen)