Jump to content

Scaler 2 updated to 2.9


BTP

Recommended Posts

Changelog 2.9.0:

Content & Playback

8 new Arpeggio Patterns (Converge, Diverge, Converge/Diverge, Thumbs Up, Thumbs Up/Down, Pinky Up, Pinky Up/Down, Spanish Tremolo)
22 New Song Chordsets (Celtic, Chill, Country, Alternative, Progressive Rock)
13 new Bass Expressions in the new Triplet Bass category
“Progressive” Chordsets category renamed to “Progressive House”

New Live Suggest mode

Generate chords compatible with your progression based on your currently played chord. Suggestions update in realtime per chord.

New ‘Passages’ Articulation

7 New ‘Passages’’ that add movements to chord progressions. Key-switches allow switching passages whilst performing.

New Guitar Features

Left-handed representation for Fretboard and Chord Chart display

Other Improvements

Improved automatic chord detection
General bug fixes and DAW compatibility
Re-introduced ‘Slap bass’ Internal sound missing in Scaler 2.8
 

https://www.pluginboutique.com/myaccount

 

 

Edited by BTP
  • Like 10
  • Thanks 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Fleer said:

Oops, 2.9 prolly means I’ll soon have to pay for 3. And I never even tried 2 (or 1 for that matter). 

Yes, 3.0 will be a paid upgrade.

Not even trying v2 is sad.  One of the only VSTs I think is actually worth the money (perhaps more valuable to someone like myself with decades of playing guitar but limited keyboard use)

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly, Scaler seems to be devolving towards a focus on promising instant song creation rather than serious chord melody analysis.

I use it by feeding it chord progressions that I have "composed" by ear, a task which was purportedly Scaler's purpose.

But, after it does its best job at analysis, I still have to guess which one of its guesses most closely describes the scale hidden within the movement of the chords I have supplied.

I don't need an endless collection of arpeggios, bass lines, beats, etc. to lay on top of my progression.

I already hear those in my head. I wanted to use Scaler as a fast and convenient way to identify scales and suitable harmonies, and it has not proven to be especially good at that.

I expected more,  but I have found that each update has accustomed me to receiving less.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, The Dispossessed Orangutan said:

Sadly, Scaler seems to be devolving towards a focus on promising instant song creation rather than serious chord melody analysis.

I use it by feeding it chord progressions that I have "composed" by ear, a task which was purportedly Scaler's purpose.

But, after it does its best job at analysis, I still have to guess which one of its guesses most closely describes the scale hidden within the movement of the chords I have supplied.

I don't need an endless collection of arpeggios, bass lines, beats, etc. to lay on top of my progression.

I already hear those in my head. I wanted to use Scaler as a fast and convenient way to identify scales and suitable harmonies, and it has not proven to be especially good at that.

I expected more,  but I have found that each update has accustomed me to receiving less.

Are you feeding it MIDI for this task?

I'd tend to expect something similar as each scale will have overlap of notes and it will then have a "percent" match and the composer may want to use one that isn't the highest percent match especially if you are looking at a progression that doesn't fit neatly across all of them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes

2 hours ago, Brian Walton said:

Are you feeding it MIDI for this task?

Yes,  MIDI.

I do understand that there are limitations to identifying a scale due to not enough information, but the program could be improved to elicit that information from the musician using it. A challenge-response function such as "add a melody you hear in your head to the chords"  or add some "chords to the melody." These are the kinds of questions a learned mentor might ask if they were helping you evolve as a musician.

Of course, the holy grail would be an app that could recognize and identify modulations. That idea seems to be lying over the horizon and out of sight of these sorts of helper apps.

What I don't understand is leaving the application to function as is while piling on a bunch of goober bloat in the extra content folder.

It seems like it is becoming just another variant of new and improved creativity in a bottle.

It's starting to remind me of the early 2000's SONAR dev shell game paradigm.

 

 

 

.

Edited by The Dispossessed Orangutan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, The Dispossessed Orangutan said:

What I don't understand is leaving the application to function as is while piling on a bunch of goober bloat in the extra content folder.

I wouldn't even begin to be able to quantify the new, free features we have added since Scaler 2, so whilst I'm always on the hunt for criticism that helps us improve and see things from a different perspective I wouldn't agree with you there. As for the extra content, our users demand it, and I am sick of seeing chord packs here and there which many people spend hard earned money on and get nothing out of. I am hopeful our users don't and that's because of the stuff we put in there.

8 hours ago, The Dispossessed Orangutan said:

It's starting to remind me of the early 2000's SONAR dev shell game paradigm.

Not sure what that it is but it doesn't sound good!

12 hours ago, The Dispossessed Orangutan said:

Sadly, Scaler seems to be devolving towards a focus on promising instant song creation rather than serious chord melody analysis.

I use it by feeding it chord progressions that I have "composed" by ear, a task which was purportedly Scaler's purpose.

But, after it does its best job at analysis, I still have to guess which one of its guesses most closely describes the scale hidden within the movement of the chords I have supplied.

I don't need an endless collection of arpeggios, bass lines, beats, etc. to lay on top of my progression.

I already hear those in my head. I wanted to use Scaler as a fast and convenient way to identify scales and suitable harmonies, and it has not proven to be especially good at that.

I expected more,  but I have found that each update has accustomed me to receiving less.

I can see your point that's fair enough. As the Creative Director at Scaler it's my role to decide what goes in and what doesn't. That's kind of how we develop it rather than an overall strategy, it's done on feel and need. I only make decisions on Scaler when I am using it as a writing tool on a project which I am emotionally invested in. Moving forward your correct in that I am wanting a more complete song writing tool that does more, but that doesn't abandon it's raison d'être which is to identify scales and keys and offer me an insight into those moods and help me build a track from there. The audio detection in 2.9 is much, much better that what it previously was. Maybe that may allay your concerns of abandonment towards chord and scale analysis. Besides, maybe I am not as naturally gifted a musician as you but for me it does the job - that will only get better. Thanks for making us think anyways. ?

  • Like 21
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, davidec said:

I wouldn't even begin to be able to quantify the new, free features we have added since Scaler 2, so whilst I'm always on the hunt for criticism that helps us improve and see things from a different perspective I wouldn't agree with you there. As for the extra content, our users demand it, and I am sick of seeing chord packs here and there which many people spend hard earned money on and get nothing out of. I am hopeful our users don't and that's because of the stuff we put in there.

Not sure what that it is but it doesn't sound good!

I can see your point that's fair enough. As the Creative Director at Scaler it's my role to decide what goes in and what doesn't. That's kind of how we develop it rather than an overall strategy, it's done on feel and need. I only make decisions on Scaler when I am using it as a writing tool on a project which I am emotionally invested in. Moving forward your correct in that I am wanting a more complete song writing tool that does more, but that doesn't abandon it's raison d'être which is to identify scales and keys and offer me an insight into those moods and help me build a track from there. The audio detection in 2.9 is much, much better that what it previously was. Maybe that may allay your concerns of abandonment towards chord and scale analysis. Besides, maybe I am not as naturally gifted a musician as you but for me it does the job - that will only get better. Thanks for making us think anyways. ?

I come from the olden days of Scaler v1. I was more than happy to pay for the v2 upgrade, and I'll be more than happy to pay for v3 when it arrives.

There is absolutely no reason that I can't use v2.9 the way I used v1.x. You haven't taken any of that away. The tons of new features you add to each major version before releasing the next major upgrade is astonishing. Super good value for the money.

I had Captain Plugins and upgraded to Captain Epic Plugins.. Didn't use CP. Don't use CEP.

I have Orb Producer and Orb Composer. I not only couldn't get into using them, I uninstalled them because of the crazy MIDI crap they added in the background, but didn't give you any control over (at least I never found out how).

But Scaler? It was and remains a super useful tool to me. Right up there with Gig Performer and Studio One Pro.

As soon as I heard about v2.9, I started pinging Plugin Boutique this morning every hour or so, looking for its release. I'm on Central European Time, so it was a few hours after I got up and going before it showed up.

Thanks for all of your hard and thoughtful work!

Now, I've just got to get my arms (mind) around Scaler EQ. The added features in the v1.1.1 update, like the sidechaining and  input and output limiters, also seem really useful.

Edited by John Maar
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scaler has many very useful functions, but I find the GUI very counterintuitive and frequently struggle to do simple things like shift the register of a pattern/sequence up or down an octave.

I think part of the problem is that much of the functionality is buried in nested menus.  Microsoft is famous for doing that, and that's one of the reasons why I stopped using their software.

However, I must say that I genuinely appreciate all the free 2.X updates.  And I too will likely pay to upgrade to version 3 to show my support for future developments.

Cheers...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Scaler offers amazing value and flexibility.  Yes, it does have a lot of features for the paint by numbers approach to production, but there is plenty for the advanced user to unpack as well.   I think the updates have been excellent and will definitely purchase version 3.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, audioschmaudio said:

The official Scaler 2 course at School of Synthesis has been updated and now has a new module, module 9, which covers all that's new in Scaler 2.9.

grafik.thumb.png.37cf811389d8c15c4819758318a0942a.png

I already owned this course. I checked, and this new material is included at no charge for existing owners of the course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...