Scaler 3

Please note: This is the full Scaler 3 purchase path. Owners of Scaler 1 & 2 can upgrade to Scaler 3 HERE.

Re-imagined and Powered Up

Scaler 3 makes it easier to take new directions, solve musical puzzles, and improve your works-in-progress in completely new ways.

Build Progressions

Drag and drop chords to build a progression. Choose from hundreds of chord sets categorised by artist and mood, and Scaler will be able to tell you which parent scales fit well with those chords. Stuck for ideas? Ask Scaler to suggest chords that will work next.

VST/AU Hosting

Load your favourite third-party instrument and effect plugins directly onto Chord Tracks and MIDI Lanes, with full support for both MIDI and audio effects. Seamlessly integrate your sounds and expand Scaler 3's creative potential within your workflow.

Multi-Lane Timeline

The Arrange page now includes a timeline-based layout with dedicated lanes for chords, melody, bass, and phrases. Each lane is synchronized with the main chord track, and clips are fully adjustable with independent control per lane or clip.

Standalone App

Scaler 3 can now run as a standalone app for Mac and Windows in addition to a plugin within any DAW, offering a complete and flexible songwriting tool with multitrack operation and plugin hosting.

Explore Page

Discover a Harmonic Universe of chords untied to any specific scale. Categorized by genre and feel (EG, Dark, Bright, Neutral), the Explore page suggests compatible and experimental chord progressions, unlocking new paths for unique and bold harmonic structures.

Colors Page

Explore a comprehensive view of all chord voicings and harmonic alternatives in a single, unified page. Instantly access parallel and relative chords, as well as diverse voicing and substitution options, to add expressivity and creative flexibility to your compositions.

Motions

Scaler's beloved Phrases, Performances, Melodies, and Basslines are reimagined as Motions, now with mood-based tags for easier browsing. Scaler 3 introduces hundreds of new Motions crafted by professional musicians, including the all-new Passages Motion.

Circle of Fifths

Get alternative chords for your progression. Choose a root note that's closer or further from your selected chord, or in a relative minor or major scale, and you'll see which variations of that chord fit with your current scale in blue. You can experiment with chord inversions and transpositions here too.

Modulation Pathways

Solve your modulation puzzles with Scaler’s suggestions. From your current progression, choose a destination scale and the software will suggest multiple ways to reach it. You’ll also find Secondary Scale, Modal Interchange, Mediant and Neo-Riemannian modulation methods here, too.

Note Editing & Harmonic Modifiers

A comprehensive note editing matrix allows users to customize or create new Motions. MIDI lanes can be set to follow or run independently of Chord Tracks, with new Harmonic Modifiers and Motion Controls to adjust note range, density, pitch, and clip rotation – all within the chosen scale.

Features

• Access over 1,000 chord sets, keys, and modes, categorized by mood, artist, and genre. Scaler 3's expanded library is now easier to navigate, offering endless possibilities, including artist sets from legends like Carl Cox, MJ Cole, and The Temper Trap, across genres from Chill and Drum & Bass to Jazz, Cinematic, Pop, and Metal.
• Build intelligent chord progressions with the sequencer, as Scaler 3 suggests chords based on your current selection and automatically voice-leads between them for smoother progression creation.
• Play your favorite instruments and effects directly within Scaler 3 with VST/AU Plugin Hosting, expanding creative options.
• With powerful Detection of MIDI and audio, Scaler can determine what key and scale you're in and suggest chords that match your music.
• The Arrange Page now features a timeline layout with dedicated lanes for chords, melody, bass, and phrases. Each lane syncs with the main chord track, and clips are fully adjustable with independent control for each lane or clip.
• Work in Standalone Mode without needing a DAW, perfect for desktop use when you want to focus on music theory, composition, or experimentation.
• Scaler 3's Massive Library of Motions, hand-made by real musicians, transforms chords into melodies, arpeggios, basslines, and phrases, preserving original dynamics and nuances. Modify these with the piano roll editor and innovative modifiers for transposition, density, and range, unlocking endless creative possibilities.
• Sync your Main Track chords across all Scaler 3 instances with Live Sync. Change one chord in the "leader," and all "follow" instances will respond, ensuring consistent progressions and simplifying workflow with DAWs that don't support multi-channel MIDI out, like Ableton.
• New in Scaler 3, the Bass Follow Track automatically follows the root note of your chord track, creating a dynamic bassline. Use the Inversion modifier to send voices to different instruments for divisi.
• Unlock new harmonic possibilities with the Circle of Fifths, discovering nearby chord substitutions and extensions to create unique chord progressions or expand existing ones.
• Modulation Suggestions help you move between your current key and a destination.
• Created by professional musicians, these suggestions help solve your modulation puzzles in five ways: Progression, Secondary Scale, Modal Interchange, Mediants, and Neo-Riemannian.
• Experiment with Voice Grouping and Advanced Voicings to keep your chords within a certain range or apply drop voicings, guitar voicings, and more-instantly transforming. diatonic chords into richer harmonic results.
• 50 internal sounds (including pianos, synths, and orchestral instruments) let you play your progressions, or you can load VST/AU plugins for further sonic expansion.
• Scaler's Bind to Keyboard feature lets you control chord playback directly from your MIDI keyboard for one-finger chords, arpeggios, and melodies that lock to your chords -making composition fast and intuitive.
• The Explore Page lets you discover a harmonic universe of chords untied to any scale. Click on a chord to see compatible or adventurous options, styled to show darker or brighter choices.
• Discover new chord expressions-substitutions, inversions, variations, voicings, extensions, and parallel/negative harmony-on the Colors Page, enhancing your harmonic vocabulary.
• Compare up to seven progressions side by side in the Sketch Pad, experimenting with different motions and chord variations to find the ideal progression for your track.
• User Track allows you to write MIDI notes in a traditional piano roll while displaying chords, chord, and scale notes-visual aids to help you stay harmonically correct or explore new harmonic possibilities.
• Scaler syncs with your DAW's position, tempo, and time signature, maintaining sync while writing. Use the internal cycle function to loop a smaller progression or turn off DAW sync to work independently, writing trigger notes just like Scaler 2.
• A step-by-step Onboard Tutorial overlay greets you on startup, providing a guided walkthrough for new users to get started quickly.

System Requirements

macOS

• macOS 10.14 or higher
• Natively compatible with Apple Silicon
• Standalone and Plugin Formats: VST, VST3, AU, AAX
• DAW’s Supported: Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig, Reaper, Reason + more.
• Compatibility: 64-bit compatible only

Windows

• Windows 8 or higher
• Standalone and Plugin formats: VST, VST3, AAX
• DAWs supported: Ableton Live, Pro Tools, FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig, Reaper, Reason + more.
• Compatibility: 64-bit compatible only