Producer's Guide to Scaler 3

Scaler 3 is revolutionary software that makes the creation of melodic content in your music incredibly simple and fun to produce. Whatever your music theory experience level, Scaler allows you to instantly play chords, leads, basslines and arps in any key and with either the software’s internal sounds or your own plugins. Furthermore, the Browse and Create tab options provide a vast number of presets and areas for customising them, so that making beautiful chord sequences is easier than ever! 

Adding to this is also a brand new Arrange area, where multiple sounds can be sequenced along a timeline, each with their own independent and editable patterns; this makes it possible to now compose detailed musical ideas purely within one instance of Scaler, running as a plugin or also now as a standalone app. 

Sample Module

On this new course from Certified Trainer and Producertech Course Director Rob Jones, you’ll be taken on a journey to learn the operational features of Scaler, and a multitude of techniques for using it to make a wide range of sounds in your music. 

The first part of the course gives an overview of the software, broken into segments for easier reference, explaining the basics of how it works and showing various setups, whilst focussing on some important details like DAW Sync, and why they fundamentally change the way Scaler is played. There are examples of simple ways of using it to play in key, jam with chords, make arpeggios, and lots more, ending with a look at some different ways of using it with your own plugins.

The main course modules then show different situations you may find Scaler working in, from projects that already have some melodic content, to ones with just a beat to play along to. In all instances, Scaler is used to make an array of different musical parts that work well with whatever the situation demands.

Module 1 shows how to start with a project that already has Chill Trap beats and chords in. Scaler is then used to work out the chords, so you can play them yourself with Scaler’s internal sounds or your own plugins, and then there’s a couple of examples of how to make accompanying melodies, with a bass sound and arp-style pattern made in the new arranger, followed by 2 more examples of different leads, made without the arranger, so just playing them using the main track options and keyboard at the bottom of the plugin GUI.

Module 2 is a slightly tougher beat, with some driving House, but this project just has a sub bassline in it. So, here Scaler is free to make up some harmonies to go with the bass, making sure the key is right first. There’s a bit more of a focus on how to customise chords sequences and then different ways of getting MIDI out of Scaler. Then, additional melodies are made, this time going deeper into the MIDI editing within Scaler, and also audio exporting options for generating loops that you can drag into the DAW.

Module 3 takes Scaler quite a lot further by showing the extent of what’s now possible in version 3. This time, the software is run in standalone mode, so without a DAW, with Scaler making all of the melodies in a simple arrangement, accompanying some beats from Loopcloud, which integrates with Scaler in a very cool way. The arrangement is then exported out of the app as an audio file for sending to others or uploading to a music site profile page.

Module 4 sees Scaler coming into a project that’s already quite fleshed out, with a nice, full on D&B drop, and Scaler is used to make some original lush strings and other acoustic parts for an epic kind of classical breakdown. This module focuses a lot more on the compositional side of the software, looking at a number of different Create options, for helping you come up with your own chord sequences, and then shows how to make multiple patterns from that. This time though, there’s an extra bonus bit on the end showing how the parts made in Scaler are used in the DAW arrangement breakdown and subsequent drop to make a super interesting and melodic track.

Enrolling on the course gets you instant access to 4 hours of streamed tutorials, as well as the Ableton Live projects and Scaler presets from the course, and any samples used in the lessons. So sign up now to begin your Scaler 3 Producer’s Masterclass and become confident with this amazing software today.

Course Breakdown

INTRODUCTION 

Rob welcomes you to the course, providing an introduction to Scaler 3 and then a breakdown of what is covered in the rest of the lessons.

OVERVIEW

A detailed breakdown of the main areas of the software, showing multiple setups and ways of using Scaler inside and outside of the DAW.

• Lesson 1 - Intro
• Lesson 2 - Choosing a Scale
• Lesson 3 - Playing Scaler with a Keyboard
• Lesson 4 - Choosing a Chord Set
• Lesson 5 - Jamming without DAW Sync
• Lesson 6 - Create Options Intro
• Lesson 7 - Intro to the Arrange Section
• Lesson 8 - Playing Plugins with Scaler

MODULE 1 - SCALER WORKING WITH A CHORDS LOOP - CHILL TRAP

The first workflow shows Scaler being added to a project with existing Chill Trap chords and how to work out the harmony. This then forms a template from which many more parts can be made, which can be played live to recreate the original version or woven into new basslines and arp-style patterns. After an intro to the arrange section, the last lesson returns to a more simplistic approach that uses Scaler to make an arp pattern and then improvise a slow lead by playing the computer keyboard. 

• Lesson 1 - Detecting and Replaying Chords
• Lesson 2 - Making a Synth Sequence and Bassline
• Lesson 3 - Simple Arp and Lead Creation

MODULE 2 - SCALER WORKING WITH A BASSLINE - HOUSE

The second workflow gives Scaler a little more freedom to create, only limiting it to a particular key, provided by the sub bassline in a House groove. The bass is analysed to work that out and Scaler then used to find some interesting chords to go with it, starting with a preset and then customising it. An energetic pluck part is also created, showing even more options for editing MIDI patterns in the arrange area. There are also techniques for getting MIDI and Audio out of Scaler and into the DAW.

• Lesson 1 - Working Out and Choosing the Key
• Lesson 2 - Making the Main Chords Pattern
• Lesson 3 - Adding Energetic Plucks

MODULE 3 - SCALER DOING ALL THE WORK IN STANDALONE MODE - FUNKY BREAKS

The third workflow stretches Scaler’s limits even further and shows how much the software is now capable of, using it in standalone mode to make a simple arrangement without a DAW. Beats from Loopcloud are used as a starting point and a Chord Set from the Funky category is chosen to accompany them, changing up one of the chords and then selecting a suitable motion to go with the drums. Bass and guitar parts are also created, with the 3rd-party FX capabilities of Scaler’s mixer explored, and then parts are extended and edited to form a simple intro and drop arrangement, which is exported as an audio file. 

• Lesson 1 - Creating a Funky Chords Groove
• Lesson 2 - Adding more Chords and Bass
• Lesson 3 - Sequencing Guitar with FX, Arranging & Exporting

MODULE 4 - SCALER MAKING A BREAKDOWN - DRUM & BASS

Back in the DAW once again, workflow four sees Scaler being used to come up with an epic, hybrid, orchestral breakdown to go with a heavy D&B drop. The first lesson goes much more in depth into the Create tab options in Scaler, showing a number of different ways for coming up with chords patterns and adding them to the Sketches palette. A favourite is then chosen and forms the basis of the harmony in the Arrange section, from which a range of orchestral textures are made. These are exported out as audio and MIDI loops and worked into the arrangement in Live; a bonus lesson on the end walks through the arrangement to demonstrate how the parts are used to create an exciting and dynamic breakdown and drop.

• Lesson 1 - Creating a Unique Chord Progression
• Lesson 2 - Making the Individual Parts
• Lesson 3 - Bonus Lesson: Walk Through the Live Arrangement 

OUTRO

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Please Note: The modules included in this online guide can be streamed within the Courses section of your account area and are not available to download.

Important note: All video courses require an internet connection to watch and are available 24/7