MGF Audio has announced an update to its Max for Live device for playing one-note chords that stay in key.

Chord Pal lets you easily transfer your chord progression into an Ableton MIDI clip, create arps and complex sequences out of your chords, modify chords and sequences on the fly in various ways, and save your chord sets and recall them later.

Each octave on the keyboard is split into 7 different chords. Chord Pal is designed with speed, creativity, and workflow in mind. It’s handy for beginners that want fun sounding chords with a single key press, or producers looking for a new creative tool.

This Max for Live device works with Ableton Live 11, and you need to have Max For Live enabled as an Ableton add-on before you use it.

Chord Pal features

  • Better sequencer “printing” – velocity used to print at max value, it now follows the note of the original note plus any Modify controls.
  • Duration jitter also improved for sequencer printing.
  • Chord preview mode works properly in all keys.
  • Chord macros – left click a chord’s numerals (I, IV, etc) to preview. Shift click for a random chord. Alt click to “guess” a chord based on adjacent ones.
  • “Root” renamed to “Tonic”.
  • “Banks” renamed to “Presets”. Collections of presets are now “Banks”.
  • Overall visual improvements.

Chord Pal is free to download while in open-beta. A pre-sale of the first official release is currently available for $10 AUD.

More information: MGF Audio