Scaler Music Scaler 3

Scaler 3 is a music theory plug-in and standalone app from Scaler Music that detects keys, scales and chords from MIDI or audio, suggests chord progressions and turns them into melodies, arpeggios and basslines. It is for songwriters and producers who want help with harmony inside their DAW. It runs on Windows 8 or higher and macOS 10.14 or higher, natively on Apple silicon, as a standalone app or a VST, VST3, AU or AAX plug-in.

What is Scaler 3?

Scaler 3 is the current version of Scaler, now at version 3.3.2. It replaced Scaler 2, which is discontinued. Scaler 1 and 2 were sold under the Plugin Boutique name; Scaler 3 comes from Scaler Music. Scaler Music’s Scaler Detector comes with Scaler 3 as a free extra tool. The iPad version of Scaler 3 is a separate App Store product and is not part of this desktop version.

Key features

• Chord progressions with suggestions, sequencing and automatic voice leading
• Key, scale and chord detection from MIDI and audio, with Detection History since version 3.3
• A multi-lane Arrange timeline with lanes for chords, melody, bass and phrases, plus Scenes for song sections
• Motions that turn chords into melodies, arpeggios, basslines and phrases, tagged by mood
• An Explore page for chords outside a fixed scale, a Circle of Fifths, a Colors page and a Sketch Pad for up to seven progressions
• Modulation suggestions, including modal interchange, mediants and Neo-Riemannian pathways
• Hosts your VST and AU instruments and effects on Chord Tracks and MIDI Lanes
• Bind to Keyboard and Multi-Bind for playing live
• Piano roll editing with Harmonic Modifiers and Motion Controls, and User Track recording
• Voice allocation, Bass Follow Track, external MIDI out, Live Sync across instances and DAW sync

What’s included

• Over 1,000 chord sets, keys and modes, sorted by mood, artist and genre
• 50 built-in sounds, including pianos, synths and orchestral instruments
• Hundreds of Motions
• Scaler Detector

What’s new in Scaler 3.3

Version 3.3 added Multi-Bind, reworked key and chord detection with Detection History, new chord sets and Bass Motions.

System requirements

• Windows: Windows 8 or higher, 64-bit; standalone, VST, VST3 or AAX
• macOS: macOS 10.14 or higher, 64-bit, native on Apple silicon; standalone, VST, VST3, AU or AAX

Scaler Music lists Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig, REAPER, Reason and Pro Tools as hosts.

For sounds to play your progressions with, see Arturia Analog Lab Pro or Toontrack EZkeys 2. Browse more VST plugins or everything from Scaler Music.