Magic Tone Network

Free Magic Tone Network

Box Shot - Magic Tone Network

The XpressPads Magic Tone Network video tutorial series is the perfect addition to the XpressPads Finger Drumming eCourses. Ultimately, it makes it possible to compose songs completely on pads. While the XpressPads finger drumming technique focuses on all areas of drumming on pads, the Magic Tone Network video tutorial series instead teaches you how to compose chord progressions and melodies on pads.

The Magic Tone Network does not require that you know musical notation, nor does it require any background in music theory. It is about visual composing and recognizing structures in music. It’s easy and exciting! There is no need to worry about different keys and various chord fingerings: just shift playing patterns to a different center pad on your 8×8 pad controller, and you’re in a different key. In fact, the Magic Tone Network itself is one of the most logical and simplest structures that you will ever see in music. It’s accessible to anyone, even those without any prior musical experience, and the system opens the door to the great universe of computer-based music composing.

Best of all? You don’t have to pay anything for it. There are no hidden costs and no purchasing of tutorial sections in order to advance in your development. Moreover, this tutorial is one that you as the user can influence. The concept behind it is flexible. There are a couple of basics that you need to learn, but based on your own ideas and ways of thinking about music and pad controllers, you can come up with individual ideas, independent of the program, then share them with the community.  You can even submit your own Magic Tone Network video tutorials and performances which can then be shared on the XpressPads website if you like.

All XpressPads Magic Tone Network videos, technique explanations, graphics, and charts will be published in the XpressPads blog under the main category “Magic Tone Network”. It is an “open-end” tutorial series. It will grow over the years, so I encourage you to ask questions using the comments section for each lesson or go to the Youtube comments area and post. On Youtube, you’ll find all the tutorial videos and performances sorted logically in playlists.

Last but not least! Save time and download the Magic Tone Network Automap layout to turn your Launchpad into a highly effective musical instrument instead of creating the specific Magic Tone Network layout on your own.

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Update 2016-12-04: Please check out this awesome MIDI converter script for Ableton Live. It is a huge time saver, super-easy to set up, and works with Ableton Push 2 & 1, and with Novation Launchpad Pro & MK2.

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Update 2021-01-31: New MTN presets for Novation’s Launchpad Pro MK3, Launchpad X, and Launchpad Mini MK3, as well as Native Instruments’ Maschine Jam are now available for free download. Check them out!

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Shall we begin?