MASTER Transpose tutorial?

Hi. Is there any clear video or description on how to use Master Transpose?

Particularly interested in using 4 bars with 1 simple chord on each.

  • I have a Euclidean rhythm on a track. I have set this to be transposed by Master Transpose Track.
  • I created and set another track to be Master Transpose track. On this track I inputted the 4 simple chords, but it’s just not working as expected.

What pitfalls may I have been unaware of?

Thanks

Apologies that no one has piped up yet.
I don’t know facts in this area, because I’ve never really used transpose functions until recently. (I pretty much write a song to be in a key and dont’ you try to change that! LOL)

Anyhoo, transpose isn’t “chords” - it basically just pitches up or down based on your root. So if your Settings are set to C4, and the Transpose track receives a D4, then everything is pitched up one whole step.

I’m pretty sure.

Then from there you can use the Harmonizer FX to build chords.
But basically, your Master Transpose Track is a single note, not a chord.

Good info, thanks.

That is the vital info needed that is missing from the manual.

Thats a point, i guess.
I just assumed it was that i never had that option on a sequencer and just thought it worked like a Transpose function on my other electronic music devices or in software sequencers I’ve used. But as mentioned: I’ve never used it on a hardware sequencer before so im pretty much just talking out my ass.

Hi,

I am strongly considering buying a Pyramid soon. But before I pull the trigger I’d like to understand some things which are important to my workflow.

  1. I found this in an older forum thread.
    “The only downside is that the Master Transpose kills all sustaining notes and there is awkward silence until the next note is triggered on the instrument tracks.”
    Is this still true with newer OS versions or is it fixed by now?

  2. Is the transpose applied before effects, especially, Scale? If yes, that would mean that we are staying in scale, which is musically pleasant. The opposite of that, i.e. transposing after applying Scale, would sound awkward to my ears.

Thanks for helping me out!

Best,
Zsolt

Indeed, the master transpose track is just single notes to indicate the amount of transposition from base. Chords belong to the tracks being transposed.

An euclid track can take a chord via midi learn, or you can build one with the Harmonizer FX. And when you feed that through the Scale FX you can get a proper chord progression in a key.

Either way, you’ll be stuck with the same basic chord structure throughout, although a physical midi loop should allow working around that too.

Yeah. I dont use transpose.
I have a project i think might use it someday, but chances are I’ll forget your explanation long before i need it. :wink:

Im kind of picky about my chords and i never trust a system to do things for me that i can easily do myself. :wink:

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Transpose is priceless if you need to transpose the whole song for vocal/instrument range kind of thing. Don’t need it often but it’s good to have in the toolbox.

The euclic mode is something I’ve yet to find any use for, beyond fooling around.

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I think one really fun way to use the master transpose is to have the master track transpose another track every bar (16 steps) or two bars but the track or tracks it transposes are and odd length like 7 or 11 steps. It can really make a melody and groove come alive in unpredictable but exactly repeatable ways

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Thats weird.

Come sit next to me.
Can i get you a drink? Something to eat?

Oh, and totes stealing that.
Thanks. :wink:

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I think one really fun way to use the master transpose is to have the master track transpose another track every bar (16 steps) or two bars but the track or tracks it transposes are and odd length like 7 or 11 steps. It can really make a melody and groove come alive in unpredictable but exactly repeatable ways.

Sounds interesting, would like to try.

Are you having to set the time sig to 7/16 for this. Zoom? And also set the Signature setting to Polymeters?

Hi Spookie, actually you got me thinking straight, it’s not so easy to just make a pattern 7 or 11 steps on the pyramid. At least for my comprehension. 12 is easy and will get the ‘effect’ . But not as fun as odd numbers. Not sure how to don’t that on pyramid. I realize I was thinking of another sequencer with that example. Sorry.

With the pyramid though I have found you can get something somewhat similar with messing with length and time sig on the track you want to modulate. def helps to have the quantizer on

Perhaps this can help:

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Cool stuff! Thanks for those vid links.

I can get close in polymeter mode with 7/4 or 9/4 and so on but it seems the pyramid will only let you have an even number of steps. You can have 3,4,5,7,9 quarter notes but you can’t have 5.25 quarter notes or 5.75 quarter note. Like no matter what time signature you select there is always an even number of steps in the sequence increased or decreased by 4 steps. You can’t have 11 or 29 steps. You can have 5 quarter notes but this is 20 steps. You can have 16 or 24 steps but can’t have 19 or 21 steps.