Scales Lexicon vs MPC Progression Builder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scales Lexicon
This app provides a comprehensive library of musical scales with notation and audio playback. It offers transposition for various instruments and clefs, customizable rhythmic patterns, and the ability to export notation as PDFs. Practice scales with visual feedback on highlighted notes and piano keys.
- Over 100 musical scales
- Audio playback with visual note highlighting
- Transposition for multiple instruments and clefs
- Customizable rhythmic patterns and octaves
- PDF export of notation
- Forward and backward scale playback
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Over 100 scales notated and played for you, including note names, diatonic and melodic intervals. Transposition for instruments in Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, and E. Play along! Create a pdf of the notation and piano key markings for sharing or printing. Listen and watch the notes and piano keys highlight as it plays. Notation in treble, alto, tenor or bass clef. See the scale notated correctly, with double sharps and flats as needed. For example, Gb minor has a B double flat, not an A. Concert key signatures are supported to the common seven sharps or flats. Transposing key signatures can contain twelve sharps or flats or if selected, use the preferred enharmonic equivalent. Have the scale played in a wide variety of ways. • Choose from 11 rhythmic patterns. • Choose 1, 2 or 3 octaves. • Loop continuously, or play just once through. • Select the space between each loop. • Choose if you want the scale played forward and backward (up and down), or just forward. • Includes an optional 2 or 4 beat count-off. Drive your own software or hardware synth via MIDI to hear what you want, or use the app's own acoustic piano. A quick and easy reference tool for practicing your instrument. Broaden your knowledge and technique. Included scales: • Common: Major Natural Minor Harmonic Minor Melodic Minor - Up & Down Whole-Half Diminished Half-Whole Diminished Whole-tone Chromatic • Modes: Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian • Jazz: Major Pentatonic Minor Pentatonic Blues Blues Modified Blues Phrygian Blues Diminished Bebop Bebop Major Bebop Dominant Bebop Minor Bebop Minor 2 Harmonic Major Phrygian Dominant Lydian Dominant (Overtone) Lydian Augmented Augmented Half Diminished 1 Half Diminished 2 Diminished Whole Tone 6th Mode of Harmonic Minor Neapolitan Major Neapolitan Minor Harmonic Neapolitan Minor Prometheus • Hindustani Thaats: Bilawal Kalyan Khamaj Bhairav Poorvi Marwa Kafi Asavari Bhairavi Todi • World: Algerian Arabian Byzantine Hawaiian Hindu Hungarian or Egyptian Indian Indian Minor Jewish or Spanish Oriental Persian Romanian Bocovia Romanian Major Romanian Minor • China: Bi Yu Chaio Kung Youlan • Japan: Han-kumoi Hira-joshi Honchoshi Plagal Form Iwato Kokin-joshi, Miyakobushi Nohkan Ritsu Sakura Pentatonic Sansagari Taishikicho, Ryo • Composers: Prokofiev Scriabin Shostakovich Verdi Enigmatic Verdi Enigmatic - Up & Down • Messiaen Modes: Mode 1 - Whole Tone Mode 2 - Half-Whole Diminished Mode 3 Mode 3 Inverse Mode 4 Mode 4 Inverse Mode 5 Mode 5 Inverse Mode 6 Mode 6 Inverse Mode 7 Mode 7 Inverse Truncated Mode 2 Truncated Mode 3 Truncated Mode 3 Inverse Truncated Mode 5 Truncated Mode 5 Inverse Truncated Mode 6 Truncated Mode 6 Inverse
MPC Progression Builder
Create and export musical chord progressions for your music production workflow. Features include keyboard, scale-based, and circle of fifths modes for building and refining harmonic ideas. Export directly to MPC devices or as standard MIDI files for use in any DAW.
- Virtual keyboard for direct chord input
- Build progressions with up to 16 chords
- Scale-based chord suggestions
- Circle of Fifths progression builder
- MPC-ready .progression file export
- Standard MIDI file export
- Instant playback and auditioning
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Progression Builder for MPC is a powerful yet intuitive tool for producers who want to build rich, musical chord progressions and send them straight into their workflow. Designed with AKAI MPC users in mind, it also exports to standard MIDI files, making it equally useful for DAW producers, composers, and beatmakers alike. Build your progressions your way: - Keyboard Mode: Tap out chords directly on the built-in virtual keyboard and hear them instantly. - Progression Builder: Arrange up to 16 chords into full progressions you can audition, refine, and export. - Scale-Based Mode: Explore chords that naturally fit your chosen scale — perfect for clean harmonic flow. - Circle of Fifths Mode: Craft progressions using classic relationships that sound balanced and musical. Every chord pad can be customized, rearranged, or saved for later — giving you a flexible sketchpad for harmonic ideas. Whether you’re working on a soulful lo-fi loop, a jazz-inspired sequence, or a cinematic score, Progression Builder for MPC helps you find the right chords fast. Export your ideas with ease: - MPC-Ready Export: Generate .progression files compatible with MPC Live, X, One, and Force. - MIDI Export: Drop your chords into any DAW, sampler, or synth. - Instant Playback: Audition and tweak voicings, inversions, and timing before you export. - Clean, efficient, and tuned for real production environments, Progression Builder for MPC bridges the gap between music theory and creative flow — helping you stay in the zone.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is chart position: MPC Progression Builder at #188 against Scales Lexicon's unranked. MPC Progression Builder also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Scales Lexicon costs $2.99 and MPC Progression Builder $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Scales Lexicon against 5.0 for MPC Progression Builder. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | Scales Lexicon | MPC Progression Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #188 — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Patrick Q. Kelly | David Jones |
Customer experience
Scales Lexicon
MPC Progression Builder
In-app purchases
Scales Lexicon
No in-app purchases
MPC Progression Builder
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Scales Lexicon free?
Is MPC Progression Builder free?
Which has better reviews, Scales Lexicon or MPC Progression Builder?
Do Scales Lexicon or MPC Progression Builder have ads?
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