Chord Cruiser 1.0.0

Chord Cruiser is a plugin that supports building chord progressions. Loading it into your DAW (music production software) lets you do the following.

• Create a chord progression just by picking from recommended chord suggestions.
• Arrange the chords you've chosen to build a sequence pattern.
• Export the chord progression you've created to your DAW as MIDI data.

Even without deep knowledge of music theory, you can intuitively build your own chord progression just by listening to the chord suggestions shown on screen and picking the ones you like. Unexpected chord discoveries can lead to new sounds and ideas for your music.

Chord Cruiser has two kinds of installers: VST3 for Windows, and both AU and VST3 for macOS.

Use the dedicated installer to install the format that matches your DAW. Before launching the installer, quit all running DAWs.

2.1　For Windows

1. Unzip the downloaded "Install Chord Cruiser Plugin for win_vst 1.0.0.zip".
2. Double-click the installer inside the unzipped folder.
3. If the "User Account Control" screen appears, click [Yes].
4. Follow the on-screen instructions and review the license agreement. If you agree, select [I Agree] and click [Next].
5. Check the component to install (VST3) and the install location, then click [Install]. Unless you have a specific reason not to, proceed with the default settings.
6. When installation finishes, click [Finish] to close the installer.
7. Launch your DAW and confirm that "Chord Cruiser" appears in the plugin list.

2.2　For macOS

The macOS version has two installers, AU and VST3. Install the format that matches your DAW. Depending on your DAW, you may install both.

AU format　"Install Chord Cruiser Plugin for mac_au 1.0.0.pkg.zip" (example compatible DAWs: Logic Pro, etc.)

VST3 format　"Install Chord Cruiser Plugin for mac_vst 1.0.0.pkg.zip" (example compatible DAWs: Cubase, Ableton Live, etc.)

1. Unzip the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Double-click the installer (.pkg file) inside the unzipped folder.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions and review the license agreement. If you agree, click [Continue].
4. Check the install location and click [Install].
5. Enter your Mac administrator username and password, or use Touch ID, to authorize the installation.
6. When installation finishes, click [Close] to close the installer.
7. Launch your DAW and confirm that "Chord Cruiser" appears in the plugin list.

2.3　If the Plugin Doesn't Appear

If "Chord Cruiser" doesn't appear in the plugin list, check the following.

1. Restart your DAW and run a plugin rescan.
2. In your DAW's plugin settings, confirm that the install folder is included as a scan location.
3. Confirm that your DAW supports the plugin format you installed.
4. If an older version is still installed, uninstall it before reinstalling the latest version.

The standard install locations are as follows.

Unsupported formats or older DAW versions may not work correctly.

To use Chord Cruiser, you need to log in with an AlphaTheta account. When your DAW loads this plugin, the login screen appears.

3.1　Registering an AlphaTheta Account

If you don't have an AlphaTheta account, click [Register] on the login screen. Your web browser will open to the AlphaTheta official site's account registration page. Follow the on-screen instructions to register.

3.2　Logging In

On the login screen, do the following.

1. Enter the email address registered with the AlphaTheta official site in the [Email address] field.
2. Enter your password in the [Password] field.
3. Click the [Login] button.

3.3　Checking Product Registration

After logging in, the plugin automatically checks whether Chordcat is registered as a product on your account. Behavior depends on the registration status.

• If product registration is complete: Chord Cruiser starts with all features available.
• If product registration is not complete: a guidance screen appears. Clicking [Start Trial] launches a feature-limited Trial version. See "8. About the Trial Version" for details.

3.4　Logging Out

Clicking [LOG OUT] at the top right of the main screen shows a confirmation screen. Clicking [OK] logs you out and returns to the login screen; clicking [Cancel] returns to the main screen.

As noted in "1. Introduction", Chord Cruiser is a plugin that outputs MIDI data and does not include a built-in sound source. To hear sound, prepare a separate instrument plugin and set up routing so the MIDI data output from this plugin is sent to that instrument plugin.

1. Create a track (Track A) to use Chord Cruiser, and load Chord Cruiser onto it.
2. Create another track (Track B), and load an instrument plugin such as a synthesizer or piano.
3. Set Track A's MIDI output destination to Track B's instrument plugin.
4. Operate Chord Cruiser and confirm that sound is produced by the instrument loaded on Track B.

The name and steps for setting the MIDI output destination vary by DAW. This setting may appear under names such as "MIDI Out", "Output", or "Routing".

If you don't hear sound, check Track A's MIDI output destination and Track B's MIDI input setting.

If this is your first time using the plugin, try the steps below to build one chord progression and get it making sound. For detailed explanations of each feature, see "6. Screen Layout and Functions".

1. [Setup] Set up the plugin in your DAW

   Set up Chord Cruiser and an instrument plugin in your DAW. See "4. Preparing Your DAW" for details. Without this setup, Chord Cruiser will not produce sound. The login screen appears the first time; see "3. AlphaTheta Account Registration and Login" for details.

2. [Choose a chordset] Pick the chordset to use

   From the chordset area in the top bar, choose your preferred genre. Choosing a genre loads a chord progression preset for that genre into the chord stock section.

   

3. [Play the progression] Preview the chords in the chord stock

   Clicking a chord in the chord stock plays the selected chord. Click through the chords from left to right to hear how the progression sounds. You can also adjust the octave and transpose for the whole chord stock. See "6.2 Chord Stock Area" for details. For details on playing with an external MIDI device, see "7.2 Operating with an External MIDI Device".

   

4. [Find chords you like] Try the next chord suggestions

   Clicking a chord in the chord stock shows chord suggestions that follow it in the "chord suggestion area" at the center of the screen. Clicking a suggested chord previews it. Drag and drop chords you like from the suggestion area into the chord stock to save them. The chord stock can hold up to 13 chords. Repeat this process to build the progression you want. For details on playing with an external MIDI device, see "7.2 Operating with an External MIDI Device".

   

5. [Build a sequence pattern] Place chords in the sequence area

   Drag and drop chords from the chord stock into the sequence area on the right side of the screen to arrange them into a phrase. To remove a placed chord, click it to select it, then press the Delete or BackSpace key on your keyboard, or press the delete button in the chord stock area.

   

6. [Play it back] Play back the sequence pattern you created

   Press the sequence pattern play/stop button to play back the sequence pattern you created. Check the order and length of the chords, and adjust the chords, gate length, or velocity as needed.

   

7. [Export to your DAW] Export the sequence pattern as MIDI data

   Drag and drop the MIDI export area onto a track in your DAW to export the sequence pattern you created as MIDI data. The exported MIDI data can be edited in your DAW or played back with a different instrument.

   

The main screen is made up of the following 7 areas. The numbers correspond to the figure above; see the respective sections (6.1–6.7) for details.

• ① Chordset Area (6.1)
• ② Chord Stock Area (6.2)
• ③ Chord Suggestion Area (6.3)
• ④ Sequence Area (6.4)
• ⑤ MIDI Import/Export Area (6.5)
• ⑥ Mode Switch Menu (6.6)
• ⑦ Other Controls (6.7)

6.1　Chordset Area

• ① Chordset selection menu: Switches between chord progression presets (chordsets) prepared for each genre. The selected chordset's content loads into the chord stock, and you can use it as-is or edit it.
• ② Chordset add button (Save As): Adds the current chord stock content as a new chordset. The name is automatically set to "<current chordset name>_n" (n is a sequence number); you can save it as-is or rename it.
• ③ Chordset save button (Save): Overwrites the selected chordset with the current chord stock content.
• ④ Chordset delete button (Del.): Deletes the selected chordset. Clicking [OK] on the confirmation screen deletes it.

6.2　Chord Stock Area

• ① Chord stock: An area where you can arrange up to 13 slots of chords you like. Clicking a chord previews it, and its border turns green. For details on playing with an external MIDI device, see "7.2 Operating with an External MIDI Device".

• ② Slot/current chord display: Shows the position of the selected chord as "number/13", along with its chord name.
• ③ Play/stop button (▶/■): Plays the chords in the chord stock in order from left to right. It changes to a ■ button during playback; click it to stop.
• ④ Random button: Arranges chords in the chord stock randomly. If chords already exist, they are overwritten with 13 new chords.

• ⑤ Delete button: Deletes the chord in the selected slot. If multiple slots are selected, all selected chords are deleted. If a step in the sequence area is selected, that step's information is deleted instead.
• ⑥ Octave −/+ buttons: Shifts all chords in the stock up or down by one octave at a time. If any chord in a slot would then contain a note below C-2 or above G8, the change is not applied.
• ⑦ Transpose −/+ buttons: Shifts all chords in the stock up or down by a semitone at a time. If any chord in a slot would then contain a note below C-2 or above G8, the change is not applied.
• ⑧ Key selection: Selects the key of the song. You can also select it by hovering over the control and scrolling the mouse wheel.
• ⑨ Scale selection menu: Selects the scale. This can also be selected with the mouse wheel.

• ⑩ Keyboard: Shows the notes of the selected slot's or step's chord in green. Clicking a key that isn't green adds that note to the chord. Clicking a green key removes that note from the chord. A chord can contain up to 6 notes.

6.3　Chord Suggestion Area

• ① Recommend mode switch button (Cruiser/Voicing): Switches the kind of chord suggestions shown. "Cruiser" suggests chords that "work well next" after the chord selected in the chord stock. "Voicing" suggests "different voicings" of the chord selected in the chord stock.
• ② Root filter (FILTERS, top row: C–B): Narrows down chord suggestions by root note. Each button toggles on and off with each click, and multiple buttons can be on at once. Chords that don't match the filter are shown in dark gray. Turning all buttons (C–B) on is the same as clearing the filter.
• ③ Note-count filter (FILTERS, bottom row: 3–6): Narrows down chord suggestions by the number of notes in the chord. Each button toggles on and off with each click, and multiple buttons can be on at once. Chords that don't match the filter are shown in dark gray. Turning all buttons (3–6) on is the same as clearing the filter.
• ④ Chord suggestion display: The area where recommended chord suggestions are shown. Up to 32 chords are shown per page. Clicking a chord previews it, and dragging it to the chord stock or sequence area copies it there. For details on playing with an external MIDI device, see "7.2 Operating with an External MIDI Device".

• ⑤ Page switch button: Switches the displayed page when there are two or more pages of chord suggestions. You can also scroll pages with the mouse wheel. If there is only one page, neither "<" nor ">" is shown.

6.4　Sequence Area

• ① Sequence pattern selection menu: The area for switching between saved sequence patterns, and for adding, overwriting, and deleting sequence patterns. Switching sequence patterns expands that pattern's content into the step area.
  • Sequence pattern add button (Save As): adds the current step area content as a new sequence pattern. The name is automatically set to the selected sequence pattern's name followed by a sequence number.
  • Sequence pattern save button (Save): overwrites the selected sequence pattern with the current step area content.
  • Sequence pattern delete button (Del.): deletes the selected sequence pattern. Clicking [OK] on the confirmation screen deletes it. If all sequence patterns are deleted, a "New Sequence" is created automatically.

• ② Transport section: The area for playing/stopping the sequence pattern and for real-time REC.
  • The sequence pattern play/stop button (▶/■) plays and stops the sequence pattern you’ve created. It also links to your DAW’s play/stop controls, and playback follows your DAW’s BPM setting.
  • REC button (●): pressing this arms recording; while the sequence pattern is playing, chords you play in the chord stock or chord suggestion display are recorded. Pressing it while the sequence pattern is stopped arms a recording-standby state, and clicking in the chord stock or chord suggestion display, or playing your DAW, starts sequence pattern playback and recording.
• ③ Page controls (1–8): Sets the number of pages (bars) in the sequence pattern. Double-clicking a page number makes pages 1 through that number active. Clicking an active page number displays that page in the step area for editing. You can also switch pages by hovering over a page number and scrolling the mouse wheel.

• ④ Running direction button: Sets the playback direction of the sequence pattern. Choose one of four base progression patterns — Right, Down, ClockWise, or CounterClockWise — and combine it with Reverse (reverse playback) and SwitchBack (back-and-forth playback). Turning on Reverse plays the chosen pattern in the opposite direction. Turning on SwitchBack makes playback go to the last step and then retrace the same path in reverse back to the first step. Combining these lets you set 16 different progression directions in total.

• ⑤ Step area (1–16): The area where you arrange chords to build a sequence pattern. There are 16 steps per page (4×4). Clicking a step selects it, and that step's information is shown in the keyboard, gate length bar, and velocity bar. With a step selected, pressing Delete or BackSpace on your keyboard, or pressing the delete button in the chord stock area, deletes that step's information. You can also drag and drop step information to move it between steps; if the destination already has information, it is overwritten.
• ⑥ Gate length bar: Adjusts the note length of the selected step (1–32 steps). Drag the bar, or scroll the mouse wheel over it.
• ⑦ Velocity bar: Adjusts the note velocity of the selected step (0–127).

• ⑧ Playback position display (Bar/Step): Shows the page (bar) and step position currently playing.

6.5　MIDI Import/Export Area

• ① MIDI import area: Dragging and dropping a MIDI file (.mid) onto this area reflects that file's sequence pattern in the sequence area. Any existing content in the sequence area is overwritten by the loaded content.
• ② MIDI export area: Dragging and dropping this area onto a track in your DAW, or onto your computer, exports the current sequence pattern as a MIDI file (.mid).

6.6　Performance Mode

• ① Mode switch menu: Switches how the chord suggestion area is displayed.
  • Standard: shows chord suggestions gathered into a single area.
  • Performance: splits the chord suggestion area into left and right halves. Clicking back and forth between the two areas lets you play recommended chords continuously.
• ② Chord suggestion area (left): Shows chord suggestions that follow the chord selected in the chord stock. Selecting a chord here shows the chords that follow it in ③.
• ③ Chord suggestion area (right): Selecting a chord here overwrites ② with the chord suggestions that follow it.

6.7　Other Controls

• ① Screen size switch button: Switches the plugin window's display size each time you click it.
• ② Log out button: Logs out of your AlphaTheta account.
• ③ Information button: Shows the Information screen, where you can check the plugin's version. Clicking [Link to the user manual] opens the user manual page in your web browser. Click the [×] button, or click the plugin screen, to close it.
• ④ Help button: Overlays the plugin screen with the controls that respond to external MIDI input and the MIDI note name and note number assigned to each. See "7.2 Operating with an External MIDI Device" for details on the assignments. You can't operate any controls while this is shown. Click anywhere on the screen to close the help overlay.
• ⑤ Undo button: Undoes the previous action and reverts to the prior state (Windows: Ctrl+Z, macOS: command+Z).
• ⑥ Redo button: Redoes an action that was undone (Windows: Ctrl+Y, macOS: command+Shift+Z).

The actions covered by Undo/Redo are as follows.

Sequence area:

• Moving a chord between steps
• Adding/removing a note via the keyboard
• Deleting a step's chord
• Copying a chord
• Registering a chord via real-time REC
• Increasing/decreasing the number of active pages
• Copying between pages
• Changing the selected sequence pattern
• Registering a chord via MIDI import

Chord stock area:

• Moving a chord between slots
• Adding/removing a note via the keyboard
• Deleting a chord
• Copying a chord
• Registering a chord via the chord record button
• Changing the octave
• Changing the transpose
• Setting chords via the random button
• Changing the selected chordset

7.1　Keyboard Shortcuts

The following keyboard shortcuts are available.

• Undo: Ctrl+Z (macOS: command+Z)
• Redo: Ctrl+Y (macOS: command+Shift+Z)
• Copy: Ctrl+C (macOS: command+C)
• Paste: Ctrl+V (macOS: command+V)
• Delete chord: Delete or BackSpace key (macOS: Delete key, or Fn+Delete)

7.2　Operating with an External MIDI Device

Connecting an external MIDI keyboard or similar device lets you play the chord stock and chord suggestion display, and switch pages. The assignments are as follows.

• Chord stock (positions 1–13 from the left): C2 (note number 48) to C3 (note number 60)
• Chord suggestion display (positions 1–32 from the top left): C4 (note number 72) to G6 (note number 103)
• Previous page (Page Down): A3 (note number 69)
• Next page (Page Up): B3 (note number 71)

If you log in with an account whose Chordcat is not yet product-registered, the plugin runs as a Trial version. In the Trial version, the plugin name at the top left of the screen shows "Chord Cruiser Trial", and the following features are restricted.

• You cannot add, overwrite, or delete chordsets (Save As/Save/Del.). Only the chordsets provided by default are available.
• You cannot add, overwrite, or delete sequence patterns (Save As/Save/Del.). Only the initial "New Sequence" is available, and it cannot be renamed.
• MIDI import/MIDI export are not available.

Attempting a restricted action shows a "Trial Version" popup. The popup offers the following options.

• [Purchase Page]: opens the product purchase page in your web browser.
• [Product registration]: opens the product registration page in your web browser.
• [OK]: closes the popup.

To use all features, register your Chordcat product to your AlphaTheta account.

If Chord Cruiser doesn't behave as expected, check the following.

9.1　Limitations

• Running multiple instances is not guaranteed to work. You can launch multiple instances, but this has not been verified.
• Sequence pattern playback is linked to your DAW's playback. When your DAW plays, the plugin's sequence pattern plays back automatically, and the plugin's own play/stop button has no effect.
• MIDI note number 0 is displayed as C-2. If your DAW or instrument uses a different reference (for example, treating note number 0 as C0) for displaying note names, the octave shown for the same note number will differ, although the actual pitch does not change. If note names don't match, use the note number as the reference.

9.2　Symptoms and Solutions

The screen sometimes doesn't refresh

If you have multiple instances running, the screen may not refresh. Solution: hide the plugin window once, then show it again.

Sometimes you can't log in

If login fails, an error message appears on screen. Solution: follow the message's instructions and check your input and network connection.

10.1　Trademarks and Licenses

• Chord Cruiser™ is a trademark or registered trademark of AlphaTheta Corporation.
• Windows is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
• Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
• Intel® is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries.
• Logic Pro and GarageBand are trademarks of Apple Inc.
• Cubase is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
• Ableton Live is a trademark of Ableton AG.
• All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.