TranceTools Studio: a free trance idea generator

Sig4/4
Position1.1.1
Time0:00.000
Chord–
Idea rack
Preset

Turn a knob to reshape the idea. Spark rolls a new one around the knobs.

Space play · S spark · Ctrl+Z undo · Tab switch view · ? help

How to use the Studio

The Studio is a trance idea generator laid out like the DAW you already use. Seven tracks (chords, a supersaw lead, bass, arp, trancegate, drums and kick) share one key, tempo and progression, so everything fits together. When you like what you hear, export the MIDI and finish it in Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase or Bitwig.

The idea rack. Press Spark (or S) for a whole new idea. The eight knobs steer it: Mood picks darker or more euphoric progressions, Energy makes everything busier, Brightness opens the filter and the chord colours, Width sizes the supersaw, and Movement, Chop, Groove and Low end shape the arp, gate, drums and bass. Drag a knob up or down (or use the arrow keys); turning one reshapes the idea straight away, and Spark rolls a new idea around wherever the knobs are. Double-click a knob to centre it.

Tracks. Each track header has M (mute), S (solo), a lock and a re-roll button, plus a volume fader and level meter. Spark and the knobs leave locked tracks alone, so you can keep a progression and keep rolling basslines over it.

Four views, switched in the status bar at the bottom (or with Tab). Arrange shows the idea as clips. Session is a clip launcher with every idea as a row: click a clip to use that idea's bassline, arp or drums in the current idea, then Save to keep the mix. Mix has a channel strip for every track. Edit shows the selected track's notes full size.

Devices and Clip. Click a track and its devices appear in the panel at the bottom, each with knobs and a little display. The Clip tab shows its notes in a piano roll: click to add a note, drag to lengthen it, click a note to delete it. Editing notes locks the track so Spark keeps your changes, and "Back to generated" undoes them.

Export. The Export menu has two downloads. MIDI is a zip with a MIDI file for each track, the full loop with every track on its own channel, and a text sheet of the chords, settings, volumes and knob positions. WAV loop is the loop exactly as you hear it, cut so it repeats seamlessly. For a full song, stems and your own synths, there's the TranceTools app.

Song mode. The Loop button next to Stop switches to Song: the idea plays as a full track, with an intro (drums and bass), a build (arp and gate join), a breakdown (pads and lead, no kick, a riser and snare roll), two loops of drop, and an outro. Press it again to go back to the loop. Song mode is for listening: exports are the loop. To export whole arrangements, use the TranceTools app.

Sounds. Chords, Lead, Arp and Bass each have a Sound knob on their device: a supersaw lead can become a pluck, an acid line or a soft lead, and so on. The sound goes in share links too.

Undo. Every change can be undone with the arrow buttons or Ctrl+Z (⌘Z on a Mac), and redone with Ctrl+Shift+Z. Each idea keeps its own history while the page is open.

Idea of the day. Every day there's one idea that everyone gets, under the knobs in the rack. Make it your own, then press Share to show people what you did with it.

Share. Share copies a link with the whole idea inside it, hand-edited notes and all. Whoever opens it gets their own copy in their Ideas, so it's also a handy way to move an idea to another computer or keep a backup.

Questions

Is the Studio free?

Yes. There's no account and no paywall, and the loop MIDI and WAVs you export are yours to use in released music. Full songs and stems are in the TranceTools app, the paid Mac app and plugin where you finish tracks.

Where are my ideas saved?

In your browser's local storage on this device. Nothing is sent to us. Clearing your browser's site data deletes them, so export anything you want to keep, or press Share and keep the link: it holds the whole idea.

Why does it sound basic in the browser?

The browser plays simple synths so you can judge the notes and rhythm. Load the exported MIDI onto proper supersaws, plucks and basses in your DAW and the same idea will sound like a record.

Can I use my own chords?

Yes. Pick any four chords in the Chords device, or build a progression in the Chord Lab: the Studio offers your last Chord Lab progression the first time you open it.