What’s a ReaScale?
REAPER includes a few basic scales for it’s Scales and transpose functions. The ability to load reascales allows the user to expand this functionality. A reascale file contains one or more custom musical scales or chord pattern templates. Once loaded, the new scale/chord templates are accessed in the MIDI editor Scale menu or with the transpose function. Selecting a scale in the MIDI editor will hide the notes outside of the scale. This function doesn’t create a scale automatically, but will keep your entered notes in key.
This doesn’t seem like much, but it really adds a lot of functionality (especially chords) to REAPER’S fairly basic MIDI editor.
How do I get them?
User ZappaDave contributed a ton of scales for the REAPER MIDI editor to the stash. Have a browse through this forum discussion and choose the version you find most suitable. Part 2 seems to be most useful to the average user.
How to install
- Download the reascale file.
- Move it to the Data folder in the REAPER resources folder.
- Open REAPER MIDI editor, click on scale dropdown at the bottom of the editor and select Load.
- select the reascale file.
Update January 2018
Since the install has slightly changed for REAPER 5, this post has been updated with a gif showing the setup. The main difference here is that “Key snap” must be checked to show the scales menu.
Comments
13 responses to “How To Use ReaScales”
RT @reaperblog: New Post: How To Use ReaScales – http://t.co/X9LZe17h
Recent blog post: How To Use ReaScales – http://t.co/xzGiwU1f
I have a reamidi control I want to have that functionality on my DAW can I do it on my DAW? Thanks!
I Recently put a file up for laptop users.
http://stash.reaper.fm/27335/ZD-complete%20%20with%20chords%20laptop%20ed.reascale
zappadave, is there a way I can see how you calculated your theoretical scales? I’m trying to cross-reference with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pitch-class_sets
Can someone please put the link up again?
Never mind I thought the link was broken.
there are some amazing videos showing all kinds of reaper voodoo…
Is it a mac thing, where you have a ‘scales’ checkbox, on the transport in the MIDI editor, allowing selection?
I only see right-click context additions, wondered whether I can add rob van dees ‘chords’ / scales selectors to the transport / midi toolbar?
Something changed there around when the Notation editor was added. Now you need to check “Key Snap” to show the menu
I recently downloaded Reaper. I am using a laptop with Windows 8.1. I have downloaded the reascales provided by ZappaDave and placed the file in the [DATA] folder along with the default reascales file. However, when I click on [LOAD] in the midi editor, I cannot see the file! I have even experimented by placing the file outside the [DATA] folder, but the file is still invisible when using the load function in the midi editor. However, when I open the folder I can clearly see the file is there! I also quit Reaper and then reloaded the program, but nothing changed. Can someone please help!
Hi Ron. I can’t test with Windows 8 but I went ahead and updated the article with a short GIF video of the installation process.
make shure you are looking at the right place, going by te reaper menus >> options >> Show Reaper resource e path in explorer\finder , then entering Data folder.
Its usualy ‘user_path/AppData/Roaming/Reaper/Data’
Hi,
Can we add our own custom scales inside Reascale file?