Alphatheta Chordcat

Alphatheta's Chordcat is a new type of groovebox. It lets you build chord progressions, record ideas and structure songs. No advanced musical knowledge is required. It can be used at home, in the studio or anywhere else. It's powered by batteries or USB-C cable. It fits in a bag.

Chordcat features

The Chord Cruiser mode is a chord suggestion system. It can suggest up to 110,000 compatible combinations. You can listen to each suggestion and select it. The device also offers 18 predefined chord progressions. Some are linked to musical genres, others are simpler. You can use them directly or as a basis for creating your own chord progressions.

The 8-track sequencer lets you play several sounds at the same time. Each track can be controlled separately (volume, panning, etc.). Up to 16 patterns can be created per track. Each pattern can last up to 8 bars (128 steps). Running Direction mode modifies pattern playback. You can select a different direction by pressing a button. This changes the way sounds are played.

Chordcat contains 145 instrument sounds and 16 drum kits. You can adjust the sounds with a filter and an amplitude envelope. These settings can vary from pattern to pattern. This allows sounds to evolve over time.

You can select a key and a scale. The keyboard will only display compatible notes. This allows you to play freely without making mistakes. When a proposed chord is compatible with the chosen scale, this is indicated by an LED light. This is useful for people new to music, but also for those who want to go faster.

The Chordcat can be connected to other equipment. It has MIDI IN/OUT/THRU and USB-C ports. It can be used with external synths or music software. Dedicated software, Chordcat Manager, lets you transfer sequences between the device and a computer. An Ableton Live Lite license is also offered if you register your product.

The device is flat. There are no protruding buttons. It's easy to carry. It runs on 6 AA batteries or via a USB-C cable. So you can create music without being plugged in.