Chordscape by Divergent Audio - Opinions?

[iluvchiclets]

Hi everyone,

I was pretty taken aback with how good this new VST sounds - I have so much stuff in Kontakt now (plus many other VSTs) that I have to be careful I don't have too much duplication.

Is anyone aware of another program that does this kind of thing before I invest in this Chordscape Instrument? It does (at times) sound like some of the programs in Absynth, but I'm wondering if this concept of looping samples is an all new format?

(or do I have things like it already in my Komplete? Reaktor? )

Thanks for any opinions.

[Vortifex]

..

[tatanka]

Agree absolutely to vortifex.

Before buying I asked if it could just be played as "normal" instruments and I get the answer that it is and a video announced that has not been done so far (not sure if it ever will....)

This one octave really dont help much, I use it with only the base note of my chord progression, but......

I cant really understand this limitations cause who is able to make a song with only one random instrument ? What it is good for really ?

Sounds are great but the way it is now nearly kind of useless....

[tatanka]

Just a little addon:

- last product by this group Helios has all the playing options but (in my opinion) just lacks really good sounds
- Chordscape now HAS the sounds but not the playing options

And with the lack of playability in chordscape you could not even use them together.

Really wish nexttime they would put BOTH together in ONE instrument, playability from Helios and sounds from chordscape, that would be absolutely great and outstanding....

[iluvchiclets]

Thanks everyone - that is very interesting...so the samples can't be played in different keys by the keyboard keys?
(Start a passage in A and then go down to F?)

I'm going to have to look at the video some more. Thanks for the nod towards Helios - will look at that as well.

[Lind0n]

OK so this key switch transpose issue.

Chordscape CAN and does play along with any audio you have. Let look at some examples:

Decide the key your song is in - lets say it's in D Major

Chorsdscape is (mostly) playing back in C - so the root of D Major (D) is two semitones higher than what Chordscape is playing so if you want Chordscape to play a D instead of a C then press the key switch two semitones above the "red key" - which just happens to be the D.

If you selected a bunch of sounds in Chordscape that are playing B Major, then you will need to raise Chordscapes pitch 3 semi-tones (to get it to fit with your D Major song) - so again press the key switch but this time 3 semitones above the red key (in this case the D# key)

You dont even need to stick to "the key of the song" - you can pitch shift along with your chord progression - let say your song progresses thru a set of these chords: CMajor - Eminor - FMajor7 - DMajor

So Chordscape is mostly playing in C as we know(so again lets assume that's how Chordscape is set up) so when the CMajor chord comes around - press/program the Root Key-switch(the red key), when the Eminor happens - program the E key switch, FMajor - press/program the F key switch etc. etc.

You dont even need to make Chordscape play the root of each chord:

CMajor chord? - Red Key
Eminor - (let play the G in Eminor) G Key
FMajor 7 - F key switch
DMajor - (lets not play the root) - F#Key

So in summary Chordscape can move to any note you'd like to use at any point you'd like using the octave key-switches. Sure if your song is in F#Maj and you select a sound source using a CMinor CHORD then its going to be a bit of trial and error to see if you can make it fit - it might it might not(its a bit beyond my music theory to be honest). But making Major chords fit within a Major based song would be easier for sure, which is why we offered a lot of the sounds in variations across different chord "shapes".

Also these key-switch changes ONLY take effect in a channel/sound source if you want them to - Chordscape has the concept of the Pitch Group - add one, 2, 3 or all channels into the group and the included channels/sound sources will respond to key switch pitch changes, those channels/sounds NOT in the pitch group will ignore pitch change key switches.

On top of these key-switches there's the channel s own Pitch control so you can independently change the pitch of a channel up or down 36 semitones - these are ADDITIVE so you can pitch Channel 1 up 7 semitones, Channel 2 down 6 semitones, Channel 3 up 12 semitones, Channel 4 down 8 semitones. When you now press/program the octave key switches these are ADDED to these "channel based" pitch changes.

This is also true of the sequencer page - pitch changes in each sequencer source are added to any in the Pitch controls for each channel and then again added to any key switch based pitch changes.

[Lind0n]

It looks capable of making some interesting sounds, but I hate the dumb mechanic whereby it plays audio constantly when you hit play on your DAW, and can't be played like a normal instrument. When the loop is running you can play it within one octave but that's it. As soon as I discovered that it put me right off.

OK so we are looking at adding an additional way to start/stop Chordscape but the work around for this is to use the (yellow) Mute key switches - which are below the pitch shifting key switches. Simply mute all the channels and hitting/programming these key switches then starts/stops each individual channel.

[tatanka]

Hi Lindon,

thanks a lot for this info, so now we know at least HOW it is supposed to work.

So I was not totally wrong with my root notes but the example progression shows that there are other options too, so thats interesting.

And its clear now that its definitely not planned or be able to "play" some chords/midi notes really but only follow the "direction" of a scale or root note.

What I have ignored right now is the structure of the instrumentfolders named after some scales, thing I will have to take a look at that.

Conclusion: maybe really not intended to use as normal instruments, maybe look for a way to just use different instances and let them follow the same key switches and maybe add only a bass using this as root note or something comparable.

[Lind0n]

tatanka, yes correct.

Whilst in development Chordscape's "code name" was "424" named after the Tascam portastudio 424. Lots of people collect these (once they were worth $50, now its more like $300+) to do the "4 track tape trick" where they record 4 tracks - each track is a very long sustained chord and then they press play and move between the chords with the portastudio's gain sliders. The most famous video is the one by NIN's keyboard player doing this.

It offers an "alternative aesthetic" - a different way to approach musical production - its not pressing keys to make chords - its "another thing" - and the was the starting point for Chordscape. - it does that and a fair bit more - but its not intended to be a playable keyboard instrument in that way. As one other poster infers here - why would you want that when you can do that in Absynth? If you want to see that as a weakness, then sure, but we see it as a strength - it subtly changes the way you work.

[iluvchiclets]

All very interesting info. ..I guess if the chords aren't too complex they will work in different situations.

It sounds so unique, I decided to buy it. I will write back if I have other questions...thank you all for you input.

[tatanka]

Hi Lindon,

thanks again for the info. I will try this "new way to work" for sure, it remembers me on the great H.G. mashines (x-wheel of fortune for example) and they where also of course not intended to be just "played" normally.

But maybe a short video of "making a song in another way with chordscape" would be very helpful to get into this ? Not into the details but just the basics to give you a good starting point for own adventures

[Lind0n]

Yeah I'm not the video guy, but I will pass that along....

[Kalamata Kid]

Lind0n,

Is the Chordscape multi-touch capable?

It has an audio input or user WAV sample import?

I am not really bothered that it cannot t be played with a keyboard.

When it the sale over?

[Sibelius19]

Hi Kalamata Kid,
I'm not Lindon, but I think I can answer some of these questions.
Regarding audio-input, it is not a real-time effects processor for live audio. However, you can load your own samples into it, and I've made a couple videos showing how to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=Y8EeHvWPX1E
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=7P91eP8jLLA

That being said, it comes with 811 sounds, which can be loaded in any of the 4 "source" slots.

I'm not very familiar with Multi-touch capabilities, so I'll let Lindon handle that one.
I know it can accept multiple midi-control messages simultaneously (and these can be assigned to almost any parameter in the instrument).

The sale ends on the 31st of August.
Hope that helps!

--Erick McNerney

[Kalamata Kid]

Hi Kalamata Kid,
I'm not Lindon, but I think I can answer some of these questions.
Regarding audio-input, it is not a real-time effects processor for live audio. However, you can load your own samples into it, and I've made a couple videos showing how to do this:

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=Y8EeHvWPX1E
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=7P91eP8jLLA

That being said, it comes with 811 sounds, which can be loaded in any of the 4 "source" slots.

I'm not very familiar with Multi-touch capabilities, so I'll let Lindon handle that one.
I know it can accept multiple midi-control messages simultaneously (and these can be assigned to almost any parameter in the instrument).

The sale ends on the 31st of August.
Hope that helps!

--Erick McNerney

Sibelius19,

Thanks for the help.

What is the audio input for?

Tried the two links and got
"You must create a channel to upload videos. Create a channel"