ScaleGen 1.2.1

ScaleGen: An In-Depth Review

ScaleGen positions itself as a powerful tool for generating and editing musical scales, allowing for extensive exploration of pitch organization. This application significantly extends the traditional understanding of musical scales.

The app provides users with the capability to define and modify scales with remarkable precision. It not only allows users to audition their creations directly within the application but also facilitates exporting these scales as MIDI files or integrating them with the Gestrument app, known for its innovative approach to gesture-based music performance.

ScaleGen is particularly beneficial for musicians looking to transcend conventional tonalities across a variety of genres. It includes a comprehensive array of predefined scales, encompassing traditional Western options, historical Baroque and Renaissance forms, as well as scales from various cultures, including those from Asia. Moreover, it features more abstract scales influenced by contemporary classical music.

This application serves as an invaluable resource for experimental composers and musicians eager to discover new musical perspectives. Furthermore, its educational component regarding pitch organization makes it an essential tool for serious music students, blending learning with an enjoyable user experience.

Traditionally, a scale is viewed as a series of pitches spanning one octave, typically adhering to equal temperament. ScaleGen accommodates this standard but also invites users to reconsider the concept of a scale in broader terms. For instance:

• What if each octave featured a different scale?
• Is there a necessity for scales to ascend in pitch?
• Can we explore variations of the overtone series as a foundation for scales?
• What are the implications of segmenting an octave into five divisions rather than the conventional twelve?

In ScaleGen, a scale is defined flexibly as any collection of MIDI pitches that can be modified in numerous ways. Users can input pitches via a keyboard or apply principles such as frequency multiplication based on the overtone series. The application allows for customization of step sizes and quantities in the scale or even importing MIDI files as foundational elements. Users can refine their compositions through a matrix filled with various tools.

After designing their scales, users can play them directly within the app using built-in sounds or connect to external synthesizers/applications via MIDI. For those interested in alternative methods of performance, integrating with Gestrument is recommended. Additionally, scales can be exported in text format, Scala format, or as MIDI files for usage in other programs.