Plugin Boutique has announced the release of a new and most advanced evolution of the world’s favorite music theory plugin. Redesigned from the ground up with an optimized workflow and powerful new features, Scaler 3 is a must-have harmonic exploration tool for producers at every level and will revolutionize how users craft chord progressions, melodies, and harmonies.
Thanks to the new multi-lane timeline, users can effortlessly write complementary lead, bass, and rhythmic parts which will respond to changes in the chord progression. Now for the first time, Scaler users can load third-party instrument and effect plugins (VST/AU) and build out arrangements right inside Scaler 3, making MIDI routing optional.
You don’t even need to use a DAW with Scaler 3, which runs as a standalone app or plugin, making it an indispensable, all-in-one tool for songwriters and producers.
Key new features in Scaler 3 include:
- VST/AU Plugin Hosting: With plugin hosting, Scaler 3 has rewritten the rulebook. Load your go-to instruments and effects from third-party developers, create patches and tweak effects, all from within Scaler. MIDI routing is now an optional workflow choice, not a required step. It’s a boundary-pushing creative environment that seamlessly blends harmonic songwriting, with creative sound design.
- Multitrack: Write and arrange multitrack compositions from the new Multi-Lane timeline, just like a DAW. Layer basslines, arpeggios, rhythmic parts and more using phrases from Scaler 3’s expansive Motion browser, then fine-tune them with the feature-rich MIDI editor. Every element in your timeline stays locked to your main chord progression, so your layers work perfectly every time.
- Explore Page: The brand-new Explore page offers an entirely new way to write inspiring new chord progressions. The intuitive radial layout makes it easy to explore chords in your chosen key, or interesting, complementary chords outside it. If you’re feeling adventurous, the Dynamic Scale feature makes it easy to modulate between keys, even if you’re a music theory beginner.
- Revamped UI: Built around three core pages – Browse, Create and Arrange – the reimagined interface inspires an intuitive and efficient workflow while remaining immediately familiar to fans of Scaler 1 and 2.
- Go DAW-less With Standalone: In addition to VST, VST3, AU, and AAX formats, Scaler 3 is now available as a standalone application. Thanks to its new plugin hosting capabilities, and Multi-Track timeline, you can use Scaler 3 as a fully self-contained composition and music production environment – for the first time ever.
- More Chord Sets to Discover: Scaler 3 is awash with inspiring chord sets to suit your mood or genre – or choose a chord progression made by an artist. You can also search through scales, add Favourites and select Common Progressions or Uncommon Progressions.
- MIDI Editing: Once you’ve chosen a performance pattern, it appears in a piano roll as editable MIDI data. From here, you can modify this MIDI in two ways: edit individual notes in the piano roll to override the pattern, or change global note properties like Inversion, Density and Range.
Scaler 3 is on sale for the intro price of £79 GBP / €79 EUR / $79 USD until April 30th, 2025 (regular 99 GBP/EUR/USD). Owners of Scaler 1 or 2 can upgrade for 29 GBP/EUR/USD during the promotion.
More information: Scaler Music
