Captain Plugins Epic 7 Walkthrough - Tutorial

[@anthonycresswell4690]

Glad to see that the idea I put forward years ago to mixed on key to allow note syncing between chords, melody and deep has finally been developed and rolled out. Cant wait to download 7 and experiment and see how it speeds up my workflow. Congrats guys! For me personally it takes captain epic from a good product to a great product!

[@RK-MODE]

Nice video, I just purchased Captain Epic and just wanted to throw this out there: It would be nice if you had some short videos for specific use cases and how you would use Captain Epic with your Daw, for example: 1. I have a bass line in my daw already but I want to use Captain Plugins to come up with a melody and chords 2. I have a melody and want to use "" to create a bass line and chords And so on, some of us don't all know what key something is in and it varies depending on the DAW you are using, thank you.

[@mixedinkey]

Thanks for sharing these ideas, they are great. I've added them to our To-Do list we have for content creation.

[@audriusurvakis9604]

This is so fire, for someone that always had the hardest time with music theory and looking for chords, this takes the guess work and the time it takes to get an idea going a snap. Thank you!

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you! Glad to hear that 💙

[@daftstuff6406]

this is now turning into something really robust and useable - took a little while and work and feedback and listening. now anyone developing their own music ideas can happily use this inexpensive tool to augment their production. Congratulations and I do look forward to partaking of your future innovations.

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you 💙 !

[@redpeople2192]

Thanks Andy, I find these walkthroughs very useful as a reminder of some of the features that have been added.

[@mixedinkey]

Glad to hear! Let me know if you have some suggestions for other tutorials, we will be working on a lot of them this year. Happy new years :)

[@FlyingBystander]

Good on ya Andy. Nice informative tutorial. These plugs are always my go to for inspiration. Now if I could get past 8 bars I'll be golden!

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you. We really appreciate the positive feedback :) "Now if I could get past 8 bars I'll be golden!" -> Maybe we can do some arrangement tutorials in the future :)

[@FlyingBystander]

I think you're on to something there for sure !@@mixedinkey

[@carlvanhaesendonck2278]

I liked this real-time tutorial of creating a unique arrangement around an initial vocal/song sample - thank you!

[@mixedinkey]

Thank YOU :)

[@oscaralberto4546]

OMG This is a must have for all music producers!!! Definetely buying it :-D

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you 💙

[@johnnyvegas2015]

Love this plugin and I use it in my productions ...thanks for the walkthrough 😀

[@mixedinkey]

Great to hear! 💙

[@johnsignoretti4002]

Awesome job as always Andy!!

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@base21kb]

I like and use Captain Plugin for a long time and appreciate the evolution and the improvements, however I would like to be able to chain without clicking verse / chorus / bridge / chorus etc .. And make them turn in a loop to return to the beginning of the sequence. Is it possible ? I think not, but it would be great..

[@mixedinkey]

You're are correct, we don't have the option to go automatically from one tab to the next, but I've added your idea to our Wishlist and we will definitely consider adding this option on a future update. Thank you for sharing it :)

[@Robert-kn5fj]

I upgraded but I'm pretty unhappy. I played in my own chords, but when I change the rhythm, all my chord voicing is thrown out and replaced by some generic triads in the wrong register too. It's completely unacceptable. Please fix.

[@jesussaddle]

I don't understand why a company can just let a comment like this sit and not respond to it. People are seriously frustrated, and to come along and see the lack of engagement might mean I've purchased the wrong tool.

[@AhyeahThetimeofourlives]

^^ Ehem

[@mancavemusician]

I got completely stuck, writers' block so to speak and then I discovered CC! I'm back to making Music, thank you

[@mixedinkey]

That's amazing to hear :)

[@estebanbse5394]

Great news!!! Congratulations🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤😊😊😊

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you :)

[@klinikat5313]

is it possible to start with your own created chords and then using epic chords ? thnx for the vid btw.

[@exitthelemming145]

The improvements in Captain Plugins probably warrant promotion to Colonel or at least an extended furlough for the developers. Particularly so in the case of Captain Deep where the previous version was sorely lacking in any scalar or chord tone movement for the bass-line. Kudos to Mixed in Key. That said, it is probably impossible to code music software that still allows for a level of dissonance consistent with the recalcitrant creative muse.

[@audialsavant2658]

Absolutely love the new TAB feature ! This helps the workflow tremendously ! However, think I immediately found a bug, copying notes from piano roll of 1st tab to piano roll of second tab (to create a variation and not have to re-enter chords) kills the bottom chord display of the 2nd tab :( Please advise if there is a way to duplicate chords on one tab to another UPDATE: Ok, so I realized NOT to create empty TABS ahead of time, just saw in video that you can "Duplicate" current TAB, so now my only issue is that it puts the duplicated tab right next to the original and not at the end of the tab list, so.... can the TAB order re-arranged in any way ? Lastly, do you have a Forum ? If not you really should get one up and running so us users can help each other and not take up all your time :)

[@desoconnor7445]

Great to see Captain evolving in big leaps and nice vocals …where are they from? 👍🙏🏿🙏🎩

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you 💙 and Andy got the vocals from Splice.

[@OliSavageBeatz]

Is the Captain Plugins Epic for 95€ all in 5? Like Captain Drum, Bass, Melodie, Chords, and the Instrument for Keyboard?

[@88keyz]

I hope to see an mobile version of capitan plugins or and offline version with all the online features available hopefully one day if not will ill use capitan when i rarely connect my pc to online music production 🫡👍🏾🫡 also if n when mobile or offline is available ill gladly be and beta tester 😂 fingers cross 🤞

[@OliSavageBeatz]

Quick question... Captain Chords Epic. You can generate chords in the video on yt I saw the generate button but not mine, just the dice but it only selects the pre-made chords at random, I have the latest version. Why the symbol that you also have, the one with 2 arrows that are rotating in a circle. I'm on the same tab etc. as you. I have the symbol on the others in Melody and Bass Captain and can generate

[@thegroove2000]

Also when selecting a progression so dont forget, it should be highlighted and maybe numbered. A suggestion.

[@buckyhampton9722]

Hey Andy , I remember You did A Video showcasing Captain Chords Epic in Logic Pro X , & in that video you demonstrated Preferences you could set in Logic Pro that would enable you play the patterns inside of your Captain Chords Plugins without having to Click on each Plugin /Track individually to get sound from the plugins ( when you have created patterns inside the plugins , but haven't dragged the midi out yet ) .. Do you mind Sharing those Logic Pro Preference / Settings again with me or pointing me to that Video you posted a while back ? Thanks It would help a lot , because when I Load up Logic Pro I don't get any audio playback , without having to Click on each Captain Chord Plugin / Track individually ...

[@Ignitezdj]

Love this plugin

[@mixedinkey]

Thank you 💙

[@BoolPoint]

How is that different from LANDR Composer?

[@Deejay_Peter]

hi andy love the program i use on mojave wich is the latest os that it works on thanks

[@mixedinkey]

Awesome :)

[@deanparsons9675]

Andy - I don’t seem to have the Sound PRESET menu in my the epic pack under Chords for Logic Pro I just purchased. Can you help?

[@Michael_Lak]

I'm so glad this version works with reaper😊

[@mixedinkey]

Glad to hear it :)

[@sternenherz]

I wish Captain Chords was available as offline-installation. I don't feel like "owning" a product, when i can't use it on my Laptop while traveling. It's really weird to read the explanation for it in the FAQ "Using cloud-tech means a smaller installation footprint on your computer, since we don’t need to include the masses of music theory and performance data that works behind-the-scenes to make Captain Plugins so effective." I think musicians can handle some Gigabytes of installation files.. :D

[@mixedinkey]

We understand your concern about feeling limited when you can't use the product while traveling. One of the main reasons for requiring an online connection is to combat software piracy, which unfortunately impacts our ability to offer standalone installations. Additionally, since launching Captain Chords, we’ve made over 5000 updates to enhance the software. Having these updates managed server-side allows us to continuously improve your experience without needing constant VST re-downloads. While we recognize that many musicians could handle a larger installation file, this approach ensures you always have the latest tools and features without any hassle. We appreciate your understanding and support.

[@sternenherz]

@@mixedinkey i understand the Software piracy argument much more than any other argument, like a lightweight installation! I guess forced online connection is one of the last resorts to combat piracy

[@thegroove2000]

Well done to the team.

[@michel6300]

Hi Andy, after importing a midi file into Captain Chords I can't select all the notes and then move them. So I have to select all notes with CTRL A and move them all at once. Unfortunately this does not work. Or is there a trick?

[@B.A.M.-lb3ns]

So where did you use the Melody Plugin, or is the Female Voice the melody part?

[@mixedinkey]

I think Andy doesn't use the Melody plugin on this tutorial, so the vocal becomes the main melody in that context :)

[@christdaily212]

Hi, how to get such a vocal?

[@mixedinkey]

I think Andy got it from Splice :)

[@thegroove2000]

Do they all sync together for progressions, key changes etc?

[@andreama4406]

I have a question: is it possible to write a song in 3/4 time? Thank you

[@mixedinkey]

We don’t have the option to write in 3/4, but it’s definitely something we might consider adding in the future :)

[@audialsavant2658]

Just lost a lot of work :( TAB issue, create 3 TABS in Captain Chords, now open captain deep and make bass parts, in captain deep "duplicate" last TAB, close captain deep, open captain chords and Logic Pro 10.3.3 crashes, so I am guessing you better make all Tabs in Captain Chords and just use deep to match bass lines

[@dhawaljain3837]

I bought yesterday is this plugin worth it

[@johnnyvegas2015]

I use it and it's beneficial

[@mixedinkey]

let us know what you think when you get a chance to play with it. Hopefully, you will like it 😊

[@teddym2808]

I can not believe I have to come to youtube to ask this. Your product pages for captain and pilot pluigns both say they are compatible with pro tools. Yet your purchase page says vst on Windows and VST/AU on Mac only. So which is it? I don't even want to install the demo if there is no AAX. You won't even mention whether they are native apple silicon or not. How can such a professional looking webpage omit this information?

[@teddym2808]

Ok so through FAQ and a different page I managed to find that the captain plugins are aax, but weirdly only on Mac (I use pro tools on both windows and mac) and then another page told me they were native apple silicon. So that's fine. But I can't find the info about pilot plugins and they seem more streamlined and a lot more suitable for my workflow. Also you really need to do AAX on Windows, there are plenty of Windows PT users. IMO.

[@michail_777]

Hello, I have a question. How does this work? Is it a real AI that creates chords by itself? Or are they ready-made "loops" that can be arranged in different tonalities? If they're just pre-made "loops", how many "loops" are there? Can I add third-party MIDI loops? It's just that I've bought a similar program before, and it turns out there are 5-10 "loops" in each genre.Or your plugin with an "infinite" number of chord variations?

[@mixedinkey]

hey, good question. This is not using AI. There are 27+ Music Genres, 96,000+ Chord Progressions, 120+ Pianistic Styles and 250+, Built-In Instruments. You can also import your own MIDI and made the adjustments on it. So, even though it's not using AI, you will still have a lot of options to choose from ;) Which genre do you produce?

[@benjones6625]

is this the current captain epic set of plugins or is this a new release? - do current owners get a big discount if upgrading?

[@mixedinkey]

If you are already on Captain Epic, you get a free update. You can download it from here: mixedinkey.com/get-captain-epic/ If you are on version 5, you can upgrade to Epic 7 for only $39 here: mixedinkey.com/captain-plugins/epic-7-upgrade/

[@neelbien]

is there a routing tutorial for FL Studio?

[@mixedinkey]

We should have one inside the plugins :)

[@uom09]

It does not work on mixcraft pro v9?

[@mixedinkey]

hey, Mixcraft is not officially supported, but hopefully we can add official support to it soon :)

[@bigfudge479]

Please, make tabs in Capitan Beat Epic like it's made in Capitan Chords Epic to make different patterns for intro, drop etc.

[@mixedinkey]

It's in our To-Do list :)

[@AFRoSHEENT3ARCMICHAEL69]

Do i just update if i already own chords, bass, and melody?

[@mixedinkey]

if you are on Captain Epic, you can update for free to version 7. If you are still on version 5, it's a $39 upgrade fee. You can get your upgrade deal here: mixedinkey.com/captain-plugins/epic-7-upgrade/

[@khudson4901]

I can easily see this being a problem. The inherent generic chordal structure and/or formula rhythm being copied. Every song you create would sound the same; or the same as someone else. No wonder all pop artist sound the same. Same program, same sound, same copyright problem. Splice, and like have the same inherent problem. Clever software, but i wouldn't use it for commercial use. Can it play Bb Maj 7 add 2 drop 2. 😊

[@mixedinkey]

Hey there! I totally get where you’re coming from. It’s a fair concern that using tools like Captain Plugins Epic might lead to some tunes feeling a bit too “cookie-cutter,” especially if everyone's leaning heavily on the presets. The beauty of music production software, though, lies in how you twist and tweak those presets to create something uniquely yours. Think of it as starting with the same set of paints as another artist but painting a completely different picture. And, you can always use your own sound presets and edit the actual MIDI notes as you like. Fortunately, our chords dialog is very flexible, in addition to having buttons for the most used chords extension by scale degree we also have a custom chord field allowing you to type in what chord you would like. In your example, you could type in Bb Maj7 9 and would have the same pitches in your 'Bb Maj 7 add 2 drop 2'. To make the voicing the same you could easily click on the 7 and 9 hit Shift-down to move them down an octave. In general, we don't define the voicings or inversion within the chord selection as we allow for built-in voice leading within rhythms and patterns you select. So it's possible you could have a drop 2 voicing occur just because of good voice leading between chords.

[@chasingcolours6789]

Love the concept and arrangement possibilities here, but can't help feel that by version 10 you guys will have nailed it! At the moment it still feels just a little slow and clunky as a workflow and sorry to say somewhat cheesy sounding results (imho). Here's to your hardwork and for making this an ever better product!

[@mixedinkey]

Could you provide a bit more detail on the parts of the workflow that felt slow or clunky? How can we make it better for you in our next update?

[@anarchy0208]

@@mixedinkey I am not talking instead of him though, I have some suggestion for Captain Plugin update. First, I mainly make R&B, Hiphop/Trap beats but Captain Plugins seems more friendly to genres such as EDM/House/Dance. So I want more R&B/Hiphop specified chords. Second, Why don't you add a feature for chord suggestion, I know I can import my own midi, but like in this video, I can use vocal loops or melody loops for reference. So it would be grateful the plugin can import audio file and suggest me some proper chord candidate. Third, When it comes to Captain melody, suggested rhythm does not go well with chords that Captain Chords suggested to me. So I want it to be smarter melody generator. Lastly, I also bought pilot plugins, which I rarely use. Is there going to be more add on for other genres? I do not know when to pull them out BC I already have Captain plugins. Thanks for listening.

[@mixedinkey]

These are amazing suggestions, thanks a lot for sharing. I added them all to our Wishlist for future updates. Regarding Pilot Plugins new style packs, we are currently working on them as we speak. We are on the final stages of testing before releasing new styles. We don't have an ETA yet for the release, to be honest, but hopefully very soon :)

[@GodAtum]

@@mixedinkey same. I tried this out for a month then unfortunately had to get a refund as Melody didn't sync at all with Chords or Bass. hopefully in the next update that'll work

[@Monschmeister]

@mixedinkey Andy you must be sitting on the second largest analysis of chord progression after Shazam. Share them in your plugins but group them by genre….esp the not so popular chord progressions

[@GodAtum]

you forgot Captain Melody, please make a tutorial on that too

[@mixedinkey]

will do :)

[@show_me_lights]

its very cheesy sounding, can you make a captains plugin club music version?

[@AutPen38]

It's only cheesy in the same sense that sample pack construction kits are cheesy. The basic ingredients are there, but it is up to the human (you) to add extra spices for originality. It looks like a great "song starter" plugin to me, but to make a full "professional" track, you'd have to get creative once you've exported the midi files into your DAW.

[@mixedinkey]

the goal of the tutorial was just to go over what's new in Epic 7 in little bit more in-depth. as @AutPen38 said, Captain Plugins gives you a great foundation for your tracks, the goal is not to make the entire song for you in one click. What would be the fun in that? ;)

[@SirFleezy007]

Add audio to midi detection? I don’t care if it’s a paid upgrade you will be next level!👌

[@mixedinkey]

Great idea, thanks for the suggestion. We will add it to our Wishlist :)

[@dregolston]

I never 👎 got this version to work in windows…..

[@mixedinkey]

have you tried reaching out to our support team at [e-mail]? We should be able to troubleshoot it from there. If you haven't, you can shoot me an email there and ATT James Araujo to make sure I get your email :)

[@serialchilla]

HOW DO I DELETE TIME ONCE I'VE ADDED IT lol i'm losing my mind

[@mixedinkey]

Can you please explain what do you mean by "delete time once I've added it?" If you can send us a screenshot or video of what you mean on [e-mail], that would be helpful :)

[@serialchilla]

@@mixedinkey thanks for responding!!!!!! after you click “duplicate” to add more time to a given drum beat, i can’t figure out how to undo that and instead keep the loop to the amount of time it was before. ex: my loop was 4 bars, i “duplicated” a section and made it six bars. how do i then go back to making my loop only 4 bars? btw other than this i’m having an absolute blast with your product :)

[@mixedinkey]

hey, there should be an Undo button on the upper-menu next to "Sync", How-to-Guides, and Settings. Can you please click on that button and let me know if it does the trick?

[@OliSavageBeatz]

Amazing. I buy this. Just 100€ and 3000 times better then Unison bass Dragon and midi Wizard for Scamy 1000€ i hope more Updates Later

[@theopacalypse]

tons of crashes lately, looks like bug fixes have been abandoned

[@mixedinkey]

can you please shoot us an email with more info on those crashes? ([e-mail])...we will definitely take a look and try to fix them ASAP :)

[@C-MAGs]

Sounds amateurish to me. I must be missing something here. Like a 21st century Ejay.

[@rogercote8578]

Talk too much. Going straight to the point is much more practical and less tiring. Your accent is fine but going around in circles to get the chord progression that suits you seems pointless to me. The goal is to understand how the software works. After demonstrating once how to change the chord progression, there is no point in repeating it 3 to 5 times. And when you add long comments between demonstrations, you'll realize that the video could be much shorter and more practical than hearing things completely outside the purpose of the video, which is to demonstrate how the software works.

[@jeno.javori_music]

Wow, Idea is good, good for Djs and remixers,but too slow for real musicians, while clicking with mouse and selecting chords, a musician just creates many variations in his head, and outputs the right one.

[@mixedinkey]

what do you think we can do to make the workflow better for pro musicians? :)

[@jeno.javori_music]

​@@mixedinkey Bank and Rhythm selection can be controlled Via Midi Rotaty controller button? Can most favourable presets reached by one click or via Midi? I am sorry I couldnt find a trial, version for this sofware. But Its unique, and a great idea and realisation alltogether.

[@TracingFlares]

good tool.. but not for me. I get much faster to better sounding ideas. For me it souds "steril" 😊 but thanks

[@mixedinkey]

What can we do to make it better for you on a future update?

[@TracingFlares]

@@mixedinkey just go ahead with what you do. Its a good tool as i said. Just not for me.

[@SuperPedalhead]

That vocal loop was torture to listen to for 30 minutes

[@wojciechsura]

Begs for i, VII, v, VI :)

[@mandelyfe]

wow interesting, let's collaborate