Chordcat is a new type of portable groovebox introduced by AlphaTheta to help producers instantly discover new inspiration for chord progressions, and allow musicians to quickly capture and develop their ideas.
Find harmony, spark creativity: here comes the Chordcat groovebox – Play, make music, and get inspired with the Chord Recommendation feature.
During its initial pre-release in Japan, Chordcat received enthusiastic feedback from a wide range of music creators, from beginners to experienced producers, who quickly snapped up all available units. Following this positive momentum, Chordcat is now launching globally so that even more people can use it to stimulate their creativity.
Designed to evoke the freedom of musical exploration, the Chord Cruiser function suggests smooth and intuitive chord transitions, providing you with creative harmonic options. This way, you can intuitively select the recommended chords while playing to compose your tracks without needing advanced music theory knowledge.
Chordcat includes an 8-track sequencer to record and play back multiple performances, along with 145 instrument tones, 16 drum sounds, and advanced musical arrangement functions to experiment with. All of this gives you the freedom not only to compose chord progressions but also melodies and rhythms exactly the way you imagined them.
Wherever inspiration strikes – at home, in the studio, or on the go – Chordcat helps you turn ideas into music. From intuitive chord creation to versatile sound design, this groovebox is your ultimate tool to unleash your creative potential and fuel your musical imagination.
Key features of Chordcat: a groovebox to inspire you and bring your creative vision to life
A large creative workspace: 8 tracks, 16 patterns, and 128 steps (8 bars)
Chordcat offers an intuitive and flexible workspace for your music production, including:
• 8 tracks: play up to 8 different instruments or sounds simultaneously, such as drums, bass, and synths, with independent control of each track. You can also adjust each track’s volume and stereo position to balance left and right audio channels.
- 16 patterns: create and save up to 16 unique phrases per track, and build dynamic song arrangements. You can also use the Pattern Chain function to play patterns in a designated sequence for smooth transitions.
- 128 steps (8 bars): arrange sounds precisely using a structure of 16 steps (1 bar) x 8 pages, allowing for detailed sequencing and timing in your compositions.
MAIN FEATURES
Chord Cruiser Mode: easily create unique chord progressions
Chordcat can suggest up to 110,000 chord combinations*1 you can use to create your compositions. Set the groovebox to Chord Cruiser mode, and an exclusive algorithm will suggest musically compatible chords from its database. You can listen to these chords and assign your favorite to the keyboard, which automatically triggers the next suggestion. With this intuitive workflow, you can easily bring original tracks to life. Chordcat also includes 18 preset chord progressions, called Chordsets – 13 of which are inspired by various music genres like house and future bass, while the remaining 5 contain basic chords like major and minor. You can use these presets as they are or as a starting point for new ideas. From there, Chord Cruiser mode gives you the freedom to create entirely unique chord progressions.
*1 Total number of chord combinations in the database.
Versatile arrangement functions and intuitive instrument controls
3 built-in effects
Add a unique touch to your music with 3 powerful effects: Arpeggiator, Delay, and Ducker, all intuitively controlled using the XY pad.
• Arpeggiator: create melodies from chords.
• Delay: adds depth to your sounds and a spatial dimension to your music.
• Ducker: adds dynamics and emphasis, creating a sense of movement in your tracks.
Running Direction Function
Push the boundaries of your compositions. With Running Direction, you can change the playback direction of 4×4 step-sequenced patterns at the press of a button. Choose from 4 directions: right, down, clockwise, and counterclockwise, to discover new phrases and rhythms. This feature offers fresh ideas, enabling you to craft innovative chord progressions or explore rhythms across different genres.
Preset sounds and tone editing features
Spark new ideas during the creative process by selecting from 145 preset sounds and 16 drum kits designed for a wide variety of genres. You can customize your preset sounds using a low-pass filter and amplifier envelope. These parameters can be automated per pattern, so your sounds can dynamically evolve throughout the track. This allows you to go beyond static presets and create expressive, lively phrases that bring your music to life.
Key and Scale Settings
Play with full creative freedom without hitting a wrong note. When you set a key and scale in Chordcat, only the notes belonging to that key and scale are mapped to the keyboard. For example, if you set the key to E and the scale to minor blues, only the notes in the E minor blues scale will be available on the keyboard – so you can improvise freely, knowing that each note fits harmonically with your melody. The compatibility of the suggested chords in Chord Play or Chord Cruiser mode with the selected key and scale is indicated by LED lighting. This is useful for both beginners and professional musicians, enabling efficient and creative music production.
28y passionate guy about music, social media, digital marketing and infographics!
I founded youBEAT in 2012 as manifesto of my passion for electronic music, with the aim of promoting artists and events.
Graduated in Media Languages at UCSC in Milan (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) with a thesis on the revolution of daily life with the streaming in entertainment and information.
Everyday more passionate and keen about data, tools and music insights and their connection in this everyday faster social connected world.
From 2017-2023 A&R, Marketing and International Manager at EGO Music (www.egomusic.net).
In 2024 I founded MAVIL, my artists&labels mgmt and promotion solo company!