Thanks Julien for the scale list. FYI - If anyone's interested in the Push scale mode and you use Ableton and a Maschine/16 pad controller, maybe you'd like to beta test a Push emulation rack I built. Think Stray's launchpad script but made with racks rather than python. I think I nailed the basic Push scale functionality, plus some extras, at least for 16 pad controllers. I'm still busy plugging in all the scales (unfortunately I need to hand modify each to work in the rack framework), but it works a charm. To the dude with the bad attitude, read the following and consider how devices like scale can be used to enhance musical understanding and even build more playable instruments - not the opposite.
How it's like Push:
- Choose any scale
- Transpose up the circle of fifths, down the circle of fourths
- Scales mapped in steps along horizontal axis, diatonic fourths on the vertical axis. This means scale runs are three in a row, up a row, another three in a row, etc. Super easy to play complex lines and chords, no "wrong" notes, etc.
- Really, really fun to jam on.
Stuff I'm not sure is in Push, since I haven't yet played one:
- Free chromatic transpose.
- move through octaves with a knob
- velocity sensitivity with a knob
- gate/sustain length with a knob
How it's not like Push:
- Modes have been separated from scales, so ANY scale can be played starting at any step of the scale. Ie selecting "locrian" doesn't just map everything starting on the 7th note of a major scale at the base note you selected. Instead, it maintains the intervals of your selected scale, while transposing the base note. So if you had harmonic minor selected, then selected the "locrian" chain, the harmonic minor intervals are preserved but the scale starts on the 7th note relative to your selected tonic. Stock Ableton modes are all relative to a major scale.
- Choosing a mode actually remaps the pads so the lowest note (pad 1) is the actual pitch of the note the mode starts on. Hard to explain, but in Push, choosing a mode does not change the base note, so it loses it's relationship to the key you selected. My method keeps you in the right key signature at all times, granting you're using a scale type that fits the key.
- Toggle between Maj/min relative keysigs. The tonic transposes accordingly.
- No restructuring the pads like Push can do to be 4 steps (horizontal) and 5ths (vertical). I may build this in later though.
- No "pad off" mode (where scale steps are lit and out of scale notes are blacked out). Scale lock in vertical diatonic fourths is always on, but of course you can turn the rack off and go chromatic at any time.
- No led feedback showing octaves or identical notes. But since it's an isomorphic layout, you learn where the octaves are really quickly.
- No key/scale display on the hardware like Push, but I've set the rack up in such a way that key, scale and mode is always visible on-screen (using the Auto function).
Everything mapped to 8 knobs, no buttons. It's not quite done, but should be soon, and I'm happy to share with anyone who'd get some use out of the rack.
