Ableton Forum

Really pleased with the new Scale features. Is it now possible to change the key of a song with one click?

e.g. project is in key A, but i want to transpose it with one click to E for example, keeping all the scales unchanged, just pitch it.
I couldnt find a way with the new Scaling system. Could be im missing something ...

But it would be a game changer, because sometimes, you get tired off the melody of the project, so just pitch it up, work on it and then go back for example.

AFAIU it’s not time-bound, but based on the clip. maybe try select all and then set everything to the desired scale? not sure how (or if) that works when audio clips are selected, but maybe an option.

really could use that updated manual for the scale awareness feature—it’s not always intuitive.

There is no Global Scale.
The interface “suggests” there is, but there is not.
Manifest Audio has some sort of plugin for this.
I have one of my own (which is better of course !) but it crashes L12 for some reason so I keep it on hold.

I was just able to confirm it appears possible to set scales on audio clips, and select all does look like it should work to allow you to "globally" set a specific scale by selecting all, and updating. I wasn't about to actually do that in my project, since it's nearly done, but you can definitely update the scale options with everything selected.

so no, not one click, but it seems you can mimic a global scale fairly easily.

slow.robot wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 12:09 pm

I was just able to confirm it appears possible to set scales on audio clips, and select all does look like it should work to allow you to "globally" set a specific scale by selecting all, and updating. I wasn't about to actually do that in my project, since it's nearly done, but you can definitely update the scale options with everything selected.

so no, not one click, but it seems you can mimic a global scale fairly easily.

can you guide me how to mimic it?

i really thought this new scale feature would provide it, but it does only change the scale and key on the notes which are played, but not the actual pitch.

hmm okay.

Scale is for MIDI clips only.

A Global Scale that could be automatable/Mappable/reachable via M4L would have been the KILLER feature for L12. The scale system in L12 is a good addition, don't get me wrong, but it could have gone much farer in my opinion.

So feel free to write to support, and/or open/vote suggestions on Centercode .

Lumix wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 3:46 pm

slow.robot wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 12:09 pm

I was just able to confirm it appears possible to set scales on audio clips, and select all does look like it should work to allow you to "globally" set a specific scale by selecting all, and updating. I wasn't about to actually do that in my project, since it's nearly done, but you can definitely update the scale options with everything selected.

so no, not one click, but it seems you can mimic a global scale fairly easily.

can you guide me how to mimic it?

i really thought this new scale feature would provide it, but it does only change the scale and key on the notes which are played, but not the actual pitch.

hmm okay.

I may have made this more confusing than it needed to, and given false hope..

chapelier fou is correct--the scale only applies to MIDI clips. you can set the scale while you have an audio clip selected, BUT, doing so doesn't actually do anything (it doesn't even tie the scale to the clip, as far as I can tell). so if you select all, then assign a scale to all the selected clips, the MIDI clips should get updated with the new scale, but there will be no change for any audio clips. there aren't a whole lot of pieces of software that would be able to change the scale within an audio clip. I think the most expensive Melodyne tool can do it, and possibly something Steinberg makes, but that's it, as far as I know.

and to your point, it's only changing the notes in the scale--transposing everything by a certain amount isn't what scale awareness is for. apologies for any confusion.

chapelier fou wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 14, 2024 8:21 pm

Scale is for MIDI clips only.

A Global Scale that could be automatable/Mappable/reachable via M4L would have been the KILLER feature for L12. The scale system in L12 is a good addition, don't get me wrong, but it could have gone much farer in my opinion.

So feel free to write to support, and/or open/vote suggestions on Centercode .

Damn i only need a global pitch for all midi channels ... Damn ...

What’s amusing to me is how this is something a particular group of people desire. And I think it’s a good thing to want.

It reminds me of the classic ‘accompaniment’ feature available on most electronic keyboards where it accepts your chord input in the bass region and does auto accompaniment for you with A / B alternative grooves for each style.

I’m also kind of surprised that this particular feature is not very common even for just plugins. But yeah, to have it in the entire DAW would be pretty fun. Especially if each ‘style’ could be a handmade scene. And other times you could simply not use the transpose feature.

Anyway. I am following this. Seems the midi devices is Ableton this but I think they receive their key info from the clips? So, highlight a number of clips that are on channels with Scale you change the key I guess. Probably not ideal results but could make for some fun experiments

I have a system for this, built with in m4l and it’s a LOAD of fun to improvise with.
Basically I have a track where I input chords with a MIDI keyboard and every other track conforms to this. It’s incredibly nice, and every time I play with it it makes me smile and wonder how comes that it’s not a « standard » way of playing electronic music.

I too was hoping the new scale functionality would be global to the project. Lately been playing with other local musicians and it would be so nice to quickly change my “jam” project to a new key quickly depending on what other people are playing. Oh well.

I actually remember the Figure app from propellerheads had a similar function and it was supremely satisfying to build up an arrangement of note patterns and then see what happens when you start jumping around to different keys.

Are the Live native midi devices open to max with regard to their scale setting? Is that more something that’s accessed from the midi clips in max? I think I remember a jazz player collab with piano had a device called Schwarzen-something which had that quality

These days I mostly do things on iOS. I feel like there is big potential for a plugin that could do this in that realm as well. I’ve seen some AUV3 plugins that signal things. To others from the same developer (like the recent Moog fx/mod ones do with modulation between themselves)

Edit: https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/schwarzonator/

Setting scale midi FX from the API, in addition to being a pain to program, would be too slow for Live Midi input. API calls are so slow.

Here I have a Scale device in each track with the purple button unable. So , then the global scale button acts like a global scale button on all playing clips and live input..I know it's a workaround but why thid soluttion does not fill your needs ?

There is no Global Scale in Live. Only a quick way to set the scale in the highlighted clips. Not sure what you’re talking about.