Scale Breaker by Chaos Culture
Scale Breaker by Chaos Culture
BREAK OUT OF SCALE, WITH SCALE BREAKER!
USER GUIDE: CC Scale Breaker Manual
Additional information
| MaxforLive | MIDI Devices |
|---|---|
| Ableton Live Compatibility | Ableton Live 10 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 10 Suite, Ableton Live 11 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 11 Suite, Ableton Live 12 Standard with MaxforLive, Ableton Live 12 Suite |
| Min. Requirements | Ableton Live 10 Standard with MaxforLive Installed or Ableton Live 10 Suite |
| OS | Mac, Windows |
PRICE: £11.00
Product reviews
5 out of 5
3 reviews
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January 26, 2026
This reviewer bought this product from our store.
The best microtuning device
As a producer who relies heavily on microtuning and Egyptian Maqamat, finding the right workflow is everything. I was originally planning to buy MTS-ESP, but after using Scale Breaker, I realized it covers every single one of my needs.
What sets this apart from Ableton’s native tuning system is the flexibility. While Ableton’s system has good modulation presets, Scale Breaker wins on freedom. The ability to create your own custom scales from scratch is a massive advantage that the native system just doesn't handle as smoothly.
It is also much more compatible with third-party plugins and even my hardware synths. I use it to microtune my entire project, and it has saved me money and time. I really hope the developer keeps updating it, because there is absolutely no other device that offers this level of control and ease. Essential for any serious microtonal artist.
I recommend this product
Reply from Chaos Culture
February 9, 2026
May 3, 2024
This reviewer bought this product from our store.
i'm still getting to know this device, but to be honest it feels like probably the best designed piece of software i've bought in as long as i can remember. so clean, so well designed, so functional... i didn't know we made things like this anymore
March 15, 2024
This reviewer bought this product from our store.
The entire world is sleeping on this thing. It works more reliably than Oddsound MTS-ESP, can adapt non-MPE instruments into MPE instruments, and is more capable than even Live 12's new built-in tuning stuff. It seems weird that nobody else has even left a review of Scale Breaker here. It's simply nuts.
Scale Breaker by Chaos Culture
Welcome to the Scale Breaker Max for Live device for retuning MIDI controlled instruments in Ableton Live 10 and 11.
Live, as well as most VST Instruments and DAWs, is tied to the standard 12-Tone Equal that is almost exclusively used in today’s music. This device modifies the Pitch Bend data of MIDI signals to break out of this limitation, forcing the instruments to play in tunings that otherwise would be impossible. Scale Breaker is packed with a lot of small functionalities in order to make it the ultimate retuning device.
Pitch Bend data is not only being offset by a static value once a new note is played, it is also translated continuously. Pitch envelopes of Live’s MPE MIDI Editor or the input of MPE MIDI Controllers are converted entirely. Automations related to the tuning are latency compensated and will update all currently held notes.
Additionally to the Tunings, this device supports custom Keyboard Mappings. It can import and export .scl and .kbm files, and a built-in editor can be used to make customizations in real time.
An Adaptive Base allows Just Intonation tunings to be used properly in any key, regardless of the played chords and their root notes. Such a system is necessary and the reason why 12-TET became the standard, as it doesn’t require retuning the instruments for almost every chord that is being played. However, retuning gets easier with Scale Breaker since the Adaptive Base is controlled with low velocity notes, making it possible to specify the Base Tunings within Live’s MIDI Editor or through other means of generating MIDI notes – such as MIDI Keyboards and other plugins. There is no need to use additional controls in a separate window
The Follow system can be used to link together the Tunings and Mappings of some or all instruments in a song. This includes the Adaptive Base, as well as automations of the Base Tuning. All of this data is communicated across the devices in real time with latency compensation for most accurate timings. It also helps to write music in Just Intonation, as every instrument is guaranteed to be in tune with each other for every played chord.
Tuning & Mapping Slots can be used to load multiple Tunings and Mappings into the device. Control which one should be used with automation or with MPE Note Expressions on a per note basis.
Finally, the Freeze functionality can be used to create smooth transitions. Switch between different Tunings for each individual note or for the whole Adaptive Base system directly from Live’s MIDI Editor.
From basic and Microtonal scales with any amount of notes or formal octave intervals to and complete experimental setups. This device aims to provide everything you need to control any MIDI-controlled instrument, such as stock Live devices, VST Instruments or hardware instruments, whether they support MPE or not, and still keep them polyphonic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Scale Breaker is designed for Ableton Live 10 and 11. It works as a Max for Live device, so you will need either the Suite edition or a separate Max for Live licence.
Scale Breaker works with any MIDI controlled instrument, including VSTi plugins. It modifies Pitch Bend data at the MIDI level, so it can retune virtually any instrument that responds to Pitch Bend messages.
No, Scale Breaker supports both MPE and non-MPE workflows, both polyphonically. You can use MPE MIDI controllers if you have one, but the device also works perfectly well with standard MIDI input and Ableton Live’s MPE MIDI Editor.
Scale Breaker supports Scala .scl and .kbm files, which are the most widely used formats for microtuning and alternative tuning systems. It also includes a built-in editor for these files, so you can create and modify tunings directly within the device.
Adaptive Just Intonation is a tuning approach that adjusts intervals in real time to keep harmonics as pure as possible relative to the notes being played. Scale Breaker implements this with latency compensated synchronisation across instruments, ensuring that multiple tracks stay in tune with one another even when Pitch Bend data is being continuously recalculated.
Yes, Scale Breaker allows you to morph between up to 32 tunings and 32 mappings, with morphing applied individually for every note. This makes it possible to automate tuning shifts smoothly across your arrangement or control them live.
Once purchased, download the device and drag it onto a MIDI track in Ableton Live 10 or 11, placing it before your instrument in the device chain. From there you can load Scala files, select your tuning system, and the device will begin modifying the Pitch Bend output immediately.
Important Information
V1.0.0 – Initial Release – April 2022
Our Products are generally provided as Zip file downloads which in all cases will need to be extracted and saved to your hard drive prior to installation. Details on the different file type provided and what to do with them are below.
.alp Files – These are Ableton Live Packs and will either install directly into the Packs Section of the browser of Ableton Live or ask you to save them to your hard drive. For packs that install to the library, when you double click on them you will see a pop up window asking you to confirm that installation is ok as the files are described as “Legacy”. This is fine and you are ok to proceed, the packs are created using the format for an earlier version of Live and so remain compatible with the current version.
.amxd files – These are individual MaxforLive Devices and can be stored anywhere on your hard drive. We’d advise creating a folder for them and then adding that folder as a location within the Places section of Lives Browser.
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