Write a track using Mixed In Key Studio Edition and Captain Plugins

Being able to ensure all the elements contained within your music composition are harmonically compatible is a powerful ability for any music producer.

The simple fact is; any sounds which do not fall within the song’s key and scale can sound out of place and detract from the listening experience.

That said, not all sounds or instruments can be in the song’s key and scale. Many percussion elements such as hi-hats or cymbals will not have a definite pitch and therefore do not need to be in-key with the rest of the song’s instruments.

Here’s a list of typical song elements which should be checked for harmonic compatibility:

• Vocals
• Keys, Piano, Keyboard, Synths
• Guitar
• Bass Guitar/Synth
• Bass Drum
• Toms
• Snares
• Tuned percussion (cow bell, xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, bells etc…)

We could list more, but hopefully you get the idea – all of these instruments produce a definite note or pitch.

As Captain Plugins enables you to write chords, bass and melodies in your chosen key and scale, it’s the perfect partner to Mixed In Key Studio Edition. This is because Mixed In Key Studio Edition enables the tuning of the other elements in your song.

For this tutorial, we’ll look at using Mixed In Key Studio Edition with Captain Plugins to create the basis of a song. It will contain a vocal, chord progression, bassline and some tuned percussion.

Check out the videos below to see how it’s done!

Step 1 – Find the key and scale of our vocal sample.

If we’ve recorded a vocal or are using a vocal from a sample pack we can analyze it using Mixed In Key Studio Edition. Doing this before writing the instrumental parts is wise, as changing the key and scale of a vocal is generally more difficult than changing the key and scale on MIDI instruments. We can then base the rest of the composition on this key and scale.

Step 2 – Add some chords and bass with Captain Plugins.

We can now set Captain Chords and Captain Deep to match the key and scale of the vocal. Using cool features such as Captain Play and Rhythm Recording, we can quickly find a chord progression and bass-line which compliments our vocal.

Step 3 – Tune-up the drums.

Now that we have our vocal, chords and bass-line, we can lay down some drums. We’ll use Mixed In Key Studio Edition to ensure the individual drum elements, which have a definite pitch, are tuned to the key of our song. This would usually be the fundamental note or pitch, but could also be another note or pitch which is part of the scale.

We hope you found this tutorial fun, educational and inspiring. For more tutorials and knowledge please visit Captain Wiki.

Have an idea for a tutorial you’d like to see? Let’s us know by emailing: [email protected]

Write your own tracks using Captain Plugins

It’s super easy to create your own ideas from scratch. Visit the official Chords Plugins homepage and see how it will help you explore music and write your own original productions.