CodeFN42 is giving music theory purists another reason to spit coffee all over their manuscript paper by releasing Chordz, a free Windows VST plugin that enables you to trigger full chords by playing single notes.
This follows the launch of Cales, a plugin that automatically maps scales to your MIDI keyboard, and enables you to play chords that consist of "any number of notes" spread over several octaves. Inversions and custom chord voicings are supported, and Chordz can be triggered from your MIDI keyboard or pad controller or by adding notes in your DAW's piano roll.
Engage Easy mode and you can play the chords in any scale using only the white keys, with C always being Chord I. Simultaneously playing black keys will trigger chord variations (major sevenths and ninths, for example).
In the zone
Other features include the option to divide the keyboard into three zones - one, in the middle, for playing chords, and one each above and below for playing single notes - so that you can play a melody or bassline at the same time, for example.
There's also "optional velocity scaling and randomization for each note of the chord", and the ability to adjust the timing of notes in the chord so that you can emulate different playing techniques such as strumming.
More than 40 scale/chord templates are included, as is a chord library with more than 50 chord types. You can create your own templates and chord types by editing the relevant text file, and chords can also be customised within the GUI.
Chordz is available as a free download now from the CodeFN42 website.
