Settings

ScaleMaster has a huge amount of settings. They are categorized into four groups: Sound, General, Instrument and Midi. So let's dive right in and begin with sound as these are the settings we are going to change most often.

 

Sound

In this section we have 4 settings - the instrument sound, volume, local audio and Count-In. Note that tapping the sound name (Vibraphone) switches the display to the table shown below.

Instrument Sound

Tapping the instrument sound's name (Vibraphone above) switches the settings window into the sound selection table. We have 128 sounds to work with. Once we make a selection the window reverts back to the regular settings window.

Volume

The volume slider changes the ScaleMaster's output volume.

Local Audio

This setting determines whether or not ScaleMaster produces audio. In some circumstances it may be desirable to silence the app like when driving external synths for example.

Count-In

This is a simple switch to turn on/off count in for exercises. Count-In will play two measures.

 

General

These settings address display preferences in general.

Syllables

If desired ScaleMaster can use syllables (i.e. Do, Re, Mi) instead of note names.

Letters

In some locales (i.e. Germany) the letter B is not used in music notation due to a historic decision when it was found that the letter B is too similar to the flat symbol (b). H is used as a substitute in these countries and Bb becomes simply B. ScaleMaster allows to switch between either display preferences.

Chords

Some European countries use a shorthand of sorts for chord symbols where the major triad for example is written as a triangle (∆) instead of the otherwise used notation"Maj". ScaleMaster allows for switching between these types of chord notation.

Auto Follow

This setting determines whether the instrument display will follow along the played notes in exercises.

Instrument

Here we have two settings only - one for the instrument and one for handedness.

Instrument

ScaleMaster currently supports Banjo, Bass, Cello, Double Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Piano, Viola and Violin. Selection of an instrument will cause future new documents to assume that instrument as well. So if you are a guitar player and select guitar in one document all future new documents will become guitar documents by default. Of course it is always possible to change the instrument again.

Handedness

All string instruments in ScaleMaster can be displayed for left hand or right hand stringing.

 

Midi

Channel

This stepper button allows to change the MIDI channel on which ScaleMaster broadcasts. The default is 1.

 

Summary

There are a ton of settings in ScaleMaster, but that is a good thing. In most cases however the sound settings are the ones we are most likely to go back again and again to change. Which is why they are placed right at the top of the window. Other things like locale specific view settings (Letters, syllables, etc.) are probably only going to be set once and then left as they are.

Next let us take a look at a central aspect of ScaleMaster - documents.