Any simple way to get MIDI chords notation automatically?

Hi All,

 

I Found this old tutorial (from 2011) showing how to add MIDI chords automatically in Logic Pro.

https://ask.audio/articles/create-a-quick-chord-chart-in-logic-pro/

However I couldn't find this resource in Logic Pro X.

 

The "chord Analysis" that appeared in the STEP 3 of the tutorial (https://ask.audio/articles/create-a-quick-chord-chart-in-logic-pro/) is what I need.

 

I'm looking for a way to have the MIDI Chords identified. I know that if I select the chord notes (in piano roll) the chord will be displayed but this demands to do chord by chord (and take manual notes). Is there any tool or plugin that show the chords automatically? If not, is there any free sw that I could import MIDI file and have this notation?

 

Thanks for the help.

Alas, the global chord track was removed from Logic X. I would suggest putting in a feature request to Apple asking them to reinstate it.

 

Alan.

Alas, the global chord track was removed from Logic X. I would suggest putting in a feature request to Apple asking them to reinstate it.

 

Alan.

Thanks for the advice.

 

Does anyone know an alternative to have those chords? Even out of Logic (with preference for a free SW)

 

Thanks

There’s a free (donateware) “MidiChordAnalyzer” here which may help.

Insert the plug-in, put some notes in, and it tells you the chord name… or tries.

 

Insert Piz Here - midiChordAnalyzer

http://thepiz.org/plugins/?p=midiChordAnalyzer

There’s a free (donateware) “MidiChordAnalyzer” here which may help.

Insert the plug-in, put some notes in, and it tells you the chord name… or tries.

 

Insert Piz Here - midiChordAnalyzer

http://thepiz.org/plugins/?p=midiChordAnalyzer

 

Thanks Jangus. But unfortunately this is not what I need.

I know how to create/read a chord. But I want to avoid the effort to analyse chord by chord and take manually notes.

 

To explain the situation better: I'm working in a composition with a friend. He sent me the MIDI file. I opened it in LOGIC but now I have to analyse each chord he is using, take notes, etc to create my sessions.

I wonder that there is a plugin that could read the MIDI chords and give me the list / notation.

 

Thanks anyway

A plugin can’t change the piano roll or score really. You could probably do it using a transformer in the environment but it would take some pretty brilliant programming there to figure that out. Short answer, no you can’t do it in LPX. There are other programs that can do this

Can you tell us a bit more about this project, Zeh? How many chords do you actually have to identify? And why are you trying to analyze then? Are you adding melodies, harmonies, etc.?

 

I suspect you'll better serve the project better by identifying (and experimenting with) the chords manually, but you might consider something like Plugin Boutique's Scaler.

Can you tell us a bit more about this project, Zeh? How many chords do you actually have to identify? And why are you trying to analyze then? Are you adding melodies, harmonies, etc.?

 

I suspect you'll better serve the project better by identifying (and experimenting with) the chords manually, but you might consider something like Plugin Boutique's Scaler.

 

 

Thanks Garamond and Dewdman42,

 

Garamond, It's exactly that. I'm adding other instruments (harmonies and melodies). Once I didn't find a tool I really did it manually as you mentioned (and it was not a complex chord harmony). But once I'm noobie in the DAW world I take advantage of every new situation/doubts to learn ways to do this. It's kind of weird that a feature like this (that seems so basic) doesn't exist in LPX.

 

Thanks all

If you are ready to pay for same, it seems that Band-In-A-Box can do that:

• Chord Wizards
  

Band-in-a-Box Chord Wizards automatically interpret chords from songs and write them to the chord sheet. The MIDI Chord Wizard interprets and imports chords from MIDI files, and the Audio Chord Wizard analyzes audio files (MP3, MP4, M4A, WAV, AIFF, etc), interprets the chords, and imports them into Band-in-a-Box. Use this feature to help motivate students by providing chords to their favorite songs.

Activate the IAC port in the Audio MIDI Setup utility .

 

In the Environment, cable a MIDI instrument object from the software instrument channel strip that is playing chords you want to see.

Set the port to IAC as shown in the attachment.

 

Disable the Record Enable button on the track to prevent a MIDI feedback loop.

Turn on Solo for this track if there are more than one in the project.

 

Chords will appear in the transport MIDI Activity display in the control bar.

You still have to manually...make note of them.

IAC.png

 

Mr. V,

Thanks. I had just tested it and it worked PERFECTLY. I think this will be a very useful tip. As far as I research few people know about this possibility.

Really thanks!

Hi All,

Just to update this topic.

 

It's probably an obvious mention but I lost time to identified this. So I think this comment will be useful to noobies like me:

 

To use the method described to Mr. V, the MIDI chords needs to be quantized with no crossing between them.

I use to extend the chords (to give a less automatic feel) and this affects the chord identification. If the notes from the previous chord avance to the begging of the next one, the chord will be shown in the display as something different (a mix among all notes from both chords).

 

That's it

Activate the IAC port in the Audio MIDI Setup utility .

 

In the Environment, cable a MIDI instrument object from the software instrument channel strip that is playing chords you want to see.

Set the port to IAC as shown in the attachment.

 

Disable the Record Enable button on the track to prevent a MIDI feedback loop.

Turn on Solo for this track if there are more than one in the project.

 

Chords will appear in the transport MIDI Activity display in the control bar.

You still have to manually...make note of them.

IAC.png

 

Interesting thread & probably answers my question on having Logic show the chords played on a midi track just as it detects chords played on the keyboard.

I will have to look into this more as I heard the Chord track has been removed in Logic X.

Thanks.

A quick addendum to this topic; I have recently started using Plugin Boutique's Scaler plugin for this. Inserted as a Midi FX it will read the midi chords on that track. It does a lot more than that of course and the midi doesn't have to be quantised. Zeh, it might be worth your while checking it out. It doesn't require any environment patching and it's chord detection is very good - it has, on a number of occasions, saved me a lot of time manually working out chord progressions in the score editor. Of course YMMV.

 

Alan.

I wanted to try this, but open Midi Environment is grayed out. I opened Audio MIDI Setup utility, and I see IAC there but I can't figure out how to "activate" it. Revert and Apply are grayed out there.

I wanted to try this, but open Midi Environment is grayed out.

Make sure you first open a project in Logic.

 

I opened Audio MIDI Setup utility, and I see IAC there but I can't figure out how to "activate" it. Revert and Apply are grayed out there.

Double-click the IAC icon then in the pop-up IAC Properties window, select Device is online.