Chorder Module
This module is meant to serve as the ultimate digital alternative custom keyboard, as it allows the creation of user sets of keys which can play either notes or full fledged chords, as well as a strumming utility that allows even more creative playing possibilities.
Like all other LK modules, the Chorder has a settings area that you can open by dragging the green line at the bottom center of the screen.
Chorder has two modes: LIVE mode and MIDI mode. This can be selected on the left side of the status bar on the top of the screen.
Depending on the mode selected, you will find different fields in the status bar, located at the top of the screen:
- MODE - allows toggling between Live and MIDI modes
- TEMPO - allows BPM adjustment (affects arpeggiator)
- DEVICE - selects the output MIDI device (MIDI mode only)
- CHANNEL - chooses the MIDI output channel (MIDI mode only)
- SELECTED TRACK - selects the MIDI track controlled by the MIDI pads (Live mode only).
- TRACK ARMED - toggles record arm on track ON or OFF (Live mode only).
- REC. QUANT. - enable and choose record quantization (Live mode only).
The playing section of the Chorder is divided in two parts, the keys and the strummer. In the middle section of the Chorder is where the cells are layed out, each cell representing either a note, or a chord.
Each row represents a preset and it can be fully customized, as well as the chords played throughout each of these scales.
On each side of the screen there are small horizontal lines stacked vertically which allow strumming, or playing like one would do on a string instrument.
Settings
The Chorder has four settings columns: Layouts, Presets, Arpeggiator and View, allowing extensive customization of the module.
Layout
A layout is a set of presets. Layouts can be recalled just by pressing the correspondent name. To create a new layout, ensure that the wanted presets are active and press the + button. This will pop up a dialog box to fill in the name for the intended layout. Any user defined layout can be deleted. Ensure that the layout is selected and then pressing the - button.
Presets
This section allows the stacking of factory bundled or custom scales.
To insert a scale into the playing section just press the corresponding preset and the scale will appear on the playing section as well as it's corresponding name will be highlighted.
If more scales are needed, another preset can be stacked into the playing section just by pressing another preset, in the same way that a scale can be removed from the playing section by pressing the correspondent highlighted preset.
Preset Creation
To create a new set of Scale/Chord, on the upper right corner of this section, press the + button. A new screen will appear with the controls for scale and chord customization.
This screen is divided into three rows:
The first row represents the scale: here the 12 notes of a chromatic scale are represented and known scales can be selected on the right side of the row. Customization is also possible by pressing to select or remove keys from the scale, as well as changing the octave of the respective key by pressing the + / - buttons above and below the key.
The second row represent the chord intervals: use this row to select the intervals of notes that will define the chord. 11 higher or lower note intervals in relation to the Tone key are available for the construction of the chord. Pressing the interval adds or removes the interval from the chord and pressing the - button below the interval button toggles the interval relations from higher to lower. On the right side of this row, predefined chords are available for easy select.
The third row represents a preview of the preset: use this row to test your preset.
To save a preset, tap the save button below and name it.
Arpeggiator
The Midi Pads section is equipped with an arpeggiator, enhancing creativity when using the pads. The arpeggiator has the following parameters:
- ON - toggles the arpeggiator between on and off
- SYNC - synchronizes the arpeggiator to the session's tempo
MODE - defines the order on which the arpeggio notes will be played. There are four modes available:
- Up - notes are played from lower to higher.
- Down - notes are played from higher to lower.
- Up/Down I - notes are played from lower to higher and then from higher to lower.
- Up/Down II - notes are played from lower to higher and then from higher to lower but repeating the higher and lower notes.
- Random - notes are played randomly.
STEPS - allows choosing the number of octaves the arpeggio will go up to.
- RATE - defines the arpeggiator rate.
- GATE - defines the length of each note's event (time on vs time off).
When sync is off, arpeggiator rate units is milliseconds. By turning sync on, the arpeggiator will sync to the section BPM and the rate will be available in 21 quantized steps, ranging from 2/1 to 1/128 including dotted and triplet values.
View
This settings, allows to set the chorder viewport to your needs. Use the -/+ buttons to zoom out/in the viewport. If you require the chorder cells to be big, you will probably want to zoom in the viewport. This will make some cells to be out of view. Click the PAN button and dragging the chords at the same time to set the viewport to position.
While creating a custom preset allows your to set the scale of a chord, you may want to shift a whole octave up or down. Use the buttons labelled with -12 and +12 for a full octave transpose of all the keys simultaneously.
The Mode key in the middle toggles between play mode which allows you to play the cells normally and the Select mode which allows to change the selected chord without playing the chord. This is useful to play with the strummer without playing the chorder cells.