What is the problem?
I’d like to suggest an enhancement to the existing chromatic grid mode on the Synth.
At the moment, chromatic pad layouts allow full access to all 12 semitones, which is great for flexibility. However, visually it’s quite minimal. Only the root note is clearly indicated, so there’s no immediate sense of which notes belong to the currently selected scale.
It would be incredibly useful to add an optional scale highlighting overlay within chromatic mode, where:
-All pads remain fully chromatic and useable (no restriction on notes)
-Notes that belong to a selected scale are visually highlighted (e.g. brighter or different colour)
-Non-scale notes remain playable but are visually subdued
-While I’m envisaging this being best for pad layouts where the entire grid is controlling one synth, the root note could retain a distinct colour for orientation for other layouts.
This would bring chromatic mode closer to a “guided chromatic” workflow, keeping full freedom while adding scale context directly on the grid.
What should this feature achieve?
Why this matters:
-Makes it much easier to stay oriented while improvising.
-Encourages intentional use of out-of-scale notes rather than accidental ones
-Speeds up learning and exploration for users who think in scales
-Reduces the need to switch away from chromatic mode just for visual guidance
-Since scale awareness already exists elsewhere in the Synth, this seems like it could be implemented as a visual layer rather than a change to note behaviour.
This would be a small UX tweak that could make a big difference in day-to-day use.
Thanks for considering
Are there any workarounds?
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Any links to related discussions?
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Any references to other products?
Novation Launchpad pro mk3 implements something like this.