Turning my MIDI controller into a chord machine

Discussion in 'Software' started by ghostwriter, Oct 29, 2024.

  1. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    Hi folks,

    I am looking to turn one of my midi devices into a chord machine (have multiple notes sent to my DAW when I press just one key on my keyboard) via software.

    What are optimal/practical ways of doing this?
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2024
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  3. Will Kweks

    Will Kweks Rock Star

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    Plenty of plugins can do this. Ableton's built in "Chord" MIDI effect, Scaler 2 VST, plenty of others.
     
  4. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    I want this to work universally, without having to route stuff inside my daw (Studio One). I am assuming I am going to have to use some kind of virtual MIDI driver.
     
  5. Will Kweks

    Will Kweks Rock Star

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    Run a MIDI app standalone and use a MIDI loopback to make it a normal MIDI in port inside your DAW.
     
  6. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    How? And which ones to use?
     
  7. Will Kweks

    Will Kweks Rock Star

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    I use loopMIDI for these kind of things when I need to use a standalone MIDI app or do something like route MIDI between DAWs.
     
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  8. Xupito

    Xupito Audiosexual

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    I agree loopMIDI is the best.
    You set midi input: your hardware controller and midi output: virtual midi 1
    In your DAW midi input: virtual MIDI 1

    Even if you want to use an standalone app I would recommend a VST host because the best MIDI utils I know are plugins.
    For basics needs you can take a look at this:
    https://www.codefn42.com/chordz/index.html

    Great developer of free MIDI plugins
     
  9. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    connecting my DAW to loopMIDI was easy enough, but I can't find a way to route my actual keyboard to loopMIDI.
     
  10. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    xfer Cthulhu as a Midi FX
     
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  11. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    I found out that I can just use Element to route stuff into my virtual midi output. As for the midi FX, chordjam is producing good results and does what I want: 1 key = chord. Can't wrap my head around Scaler. Cthulhu is worth a try to see what it does.
     
  12. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    a Midi FX is definitely what I would pick. So your signal path in the daw is MIDI Signal Path: MIDI Input ➔ MIDI FX ➔ Instrument ➔ Audio FX ➔ Output.

    The instrument being external hardware instrument or a virtual software instrument, it's the same thing. The midi data goes to the DAW before it is sent back out to the external instrument. You will only get the arpeggiated notes being triggered by the instrument.
     
  13. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    How is one able to assign custom MIDI signals on a controller that doesn't necessarily triggers notes (like for example, the Launchpad, or something like this - which is what I want to get).
     
  14. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    it is still a Midi Note On event.
     
  15. Xupito

    Xupito Audiosexual

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    Related to what @clone said: it's still a MIDI controller. So for Windows it's a MIDI device input. This one have features you can use directly if the DAW, along I guess with the drivers, supports them.

    But at the end of the day a MIDI device sends MIDI notes (on/off with velocity) and MIDI CCs (simplifying). Everything else is built on top of that data. Like clip launching feature in Live DAW that one has.

    You can use one of the mentioned midi plugins to remap your MIDI controller input, before using the chord generator you want.
    For instance, in the case of the plugin developer I recommended:
    https://www.codefn42.com/notemapper/index.html
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2024 at 4:56 AM
  16. mrpsanter

    mrpsanter Audiosexual

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    @ghostwriter,

    Since you mentioned using Studio One, this DAW includes the Chorder plug-in that can be enabled on any MIDI track.

    This should solve your hurdle for good.
     
  17. ghostwriter

    ghostwriter Member

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    Thanks for pointing that out! Though It only solves the problem in Studio One - not in other DAWs or notation software.

    Will check that out also.
     
  18. clone

    clone Audiosexual

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    Couldn't you use Bluecat's Patchwork as a standalone application for this kind of purpose also? You could run whatever Midi FX plugins (Cthulhu-style arp/chord triggers) inside Patchwork and send its output to whatever. Plus, you can save presets and then load it as a plugin in your DAW/ host of choice; so your "preset" would be available anywhere you took it.
     
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