I was struggling with some chord changes the other day...Ive got my music theory handbook and "wheel" laying around but I didn't feel like getting up to go look for it lol.

Then I remembered C7's new "chord track" feature and started reading more into it.

Anyone using it with success yet? Is it all its cracked up to be or is it just some ineffective fluff?

THANKS!!

I have used it a lot and think its great.... few issues I dont like ex: after the last chord is drawn in the notes dont stop playing.... I have not figured out how to take the chords notes and use them on the midi path. Right now I just leave chord track in.

I think you just drag n drop them onto the midi/instrument track.

it probably would be that simple, lol

I heard u can sync the media bay to chord track also, and listen to the many MIDI samples/loops synced to ur chord progression.

I tried the Chord track a few times. Honestly, I had better ideas that it has. The chord assitant just gives you chords options, but they dont actually "fit" the ones before them.
I wondering if :
1. Is there a way to add 2 or more chord tracks ? (cause it tell me that I can only insert 1 chord track.
2. Can the chord assistant just suggest chords after I edited some chords on the piano roll / midi editor ?

Also, its a good idea to just use one chord - and send it to the kick channel ! your kicks will be key into your chord track ! Did it by mistake but it sounded great actually !

From a professional point of view, the chord track simply doesn't interest me and I'm pretty sure I'll never use it. But I've spent some time with it exploring its possibilities as a music education tool. Well, I must say that it's VERY SIMPLE AND CRUDE compared to something like a recent version of Band-in-a-Box. There is zero flexibility on chord management and quite frankly it has often left me perplexed as to whom the people who'd benefit from this tool are. Except maybe those who don't have an inkling of what they're doing and yet they believe in a "magic button" that will instantly make everything right. Believe me, the chord track is light years away from being that.

So far it looks like a work in progress that hasn't decided yet what it wants to be. Personally, I believe Steinberg should definitely go toward the Band-in-a-Box approach, so that Cubase can expand its appeal into the music education market. Heck, the Elements version with serious BiaB-like features offered at (??? Retail price is $99, I'm guessing the educational version is even less...) on the education market could be a real winner for Steinberg.

The Chord track will not allow any combinations of chords. I use it to create playbacks for my bass lessons. Especially in Jazz Progressions it sometimes wont let you create the chords you want to, cause it is too smart. Furthermore it irritates me that you cannot choose wether a chord is a # or a b Chord. It all somehow depends on the selected scale, even if the Chords are offscale.

I want some more liberty in naming my chords and a little less "smartness".
Despite that I love the chord track and for me it was the main feature to convince me to buy C7.

I'm bit let down by the chord track as well. It seems to only suggest chords based on cadence or chords sharing same tones, rather than for example using progressions fives or thirds. Also it looks like that I can't choose a scale, and then it would offer me chords based only on that scale. Also when you "type in" you're chords with midi keyboard, it changes randomly how it sees the chord, for example if the chord is Am7 or Am/G (even though you have A on the bass). So I can't really find any other use for it (ATM), than just typing my chord progression on the main arrangment page.

Also if I write let's say short 2 bar melody in Am, and then put that track to follow the chord track. I don't really understand the way it chooses the pitches it uses. Very random to me. But I might just not understand it. So I'm not that impressed by it.

Selecting the chords still needs to improve, but the possibilities with the Chord Track are fantastic!

Basically you can setup the chord progression (and hopefully pre-load it in the future), drag drop some drums, then let the chord track modify ALL the MIDI AND monophonic audio tracks (bass guitar, picking guitars, vocals, background voices etc). Import midi-instruments, audio and REX-files(?) from the MediaBay and make a basic song mockup in minutes. Best of all the chords can be changed and the whole harmonic background follows. I tried it and it sounded way better that I thought it would. Not Sound Canvas at all. :-)

But, for me as a songwriter the most rewarding thing is the way the Chord Track changes my Guide vocal melodies, adding tension notes a great singer can sing with ease but I normally wouldn't sing. Gave me goosebumps allover. Of course the melodies needed tweaking but the basic changes was very rewarding. And it can suggest backing harmonics as well.

I'd say it's the coolest feature added in Cubase since the invention of the VST plugin.

Give it some time and it will be even better. If I'm not misinformed Steinberg took over the Sibelius office in London when Avid ditched them last summer. Those people most likely can make the Chord Track even better.

C7 is very impressive and way ahead of the competition me thinks.


Cheers
Fred

Sound On Sound contributor

^ Thanks!

I struggle with creating changes and bridges in lots of my new songs. I can come up with decent progressions, but keep doing the same old tired changes :( I took a theory class years ago, and have a couple of books, but I'm looking for something new and inspiring!!!

Does or will Chord Track really make decent SUGGESTIONS, like it advertises?

THANKS!!

In my opinion YES! :D

The interface can be improved, but my experience so far is very positive.

It's really just math isn't it. ;-)


Cheers
Fred

Sound On Sound contributor

Try sticking a few chord progressions into it from the Fake Book, pick a few decent be-bop standards.

It's great for teaching you how to blow over changes - heck it even suggests the right scale to play.

It's a fun tool for a whole bunch of stuff at many skill levels.

You can rename chords in Score edit. Use "Show Chord Track" and then edit away.

Edits show in the Project window.

Anyone have any idea how to do this?
I know I can drag the midi files to my project and select "follow chords". But I'd like to be able to preview them synced to my chord track beforehand.
Cheers!

edit:
I can link playback to chord track using the loop browser, but only for native files in the VST Sound folder (midi files that come with cubase). I can't seem to do this with my own midi loops I have made, or purchased :\

There is a preference for cutting the notes off if you don't want them playing forever.
You have to use the "X" Chord or "undefined" This will kill the previous chord.

There is a button in the preview section of Media Bay. Lower right hand side that will
enable sync with the chord track. It is hit and miss here though.
Sometimes I have to close and re-open Media Bay to get it working.
And then when I import something because I like the way it works with the chords, it sounds different after importing.
I have to go back and listen to the preview and match the notes if I want it exactly like what I heard.
Oh well, it is fun sometimes though...

My use of the chord track is very limited, i just put the chords there as a guide when i have to record (aye...i dont know my own songs :P ) but once i have my main vocals recorded, i use it to create 2 harmonies...they sound really bad and robotic, but they are a great guide to gigantic awesome backing harmonies, so i just sing over each of the voices and voila! instant 80's melodic hard rock harmonies

I have to admit, when i bought c7 i didnt think i was gonna love this feature that much, but now i use it on every song i record.

U can also pitch quantize the lead audio in VariAudio to notes ONLY within the chord/scale too, correct?

In C6.5, VariAudio will auto-quantize to the wrong note sometimes since it's only referencing a chromatic scale. Definitely slows down any pitch-correction process you have.

Yeah, you sure can!

The chord track feature is pretty amazing, for someone who cant play keys, it's been a lifesaver and has allowed me to come up with great melodies without relying on samples.