Plugin Boutique Scaler 1.5 – Big Update For The Creative Chord Composer

UPDATE: check out our Scaler 2 review!

At ANR we like to talk about some of the issues that musicians face on a daily basis, such as creative block, lack of inspiration, etc. Everyone’s different, so there’s isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ kind of strategy (check out our interview with Dennis DeSantis, the author of Making Music – 74 Creative Strategies for Electronic Music Producers for some good tips!). And yet, we find that some software tools are pretty helpful when it comes to helping musicians through their composing process. One of them is Scaler, and it just got a major update.

What Is It

Scaler by Plugin Boutique is a unique and inspirational MIDI effect plugin (VST, AU, AAX for Mac and Windows) that makes finding chords and progressions intuitive and fun!

With note detection, scale selection and chord suggestions, Scaler is a comprehensive but easy-to-use toolbox that will help anyone make better music.

A first of its kind, Scaler can determine what key and scale you’re in and suggest chords that match your music, or it can inspire a tune from scratch by providing a set of initial chords in an unexplored key.

Introducing the new Fretboard Display and Strumming Feature

Scaler 1.5 is a significant update complete with a whole host of new user-requested features. Introducing the all-new Fretboard display, strumming feature and guitar presets designed to assist guitarists with performance and chord progressions. The all-new fretboard has been developed in conjunction with world-leading guitarist Joseph Greer, the lead guitarist for multi-award-winning indie rock outfit ‘The Temper Trap’.

In addition, Scaler 1.5 offers full chord editing and creation allowing the user to create thier own chords from scratch and adjust voicing of existing chords. There is a fully fledged arpeggiator, parallel harmony and relative chord generators and several new artist chord sets and sounds. All of these features and a new light skin brings Scaler to life.

Here’s a video overview (it’s from an earlier release but you’ll get the idea):