To change the notes in a sample, open the Note editor (also at melo.aden.space) and drop the sample on it. It reads the notes, stacked chords included, and lays them out on a piano roll. Drag a note up or down and only that note moves in the audio. One press turns a minor sample into major, or back. Then download the edited WAV, or the notes as MIDI. It is free, runs in your browser, needs no account, and nothing is uploaded.

What can the Note editor change?

The Note editor works on the pitch of the notes inside a recording. If you know Melodyne, the idea is the same.

• One note in a chord. Move the third of a chord and leave the root and fifth where they are.
• A whole key. Switch a minor sample to its major key (A minor to A major), or back.
• A melody. Move a sung or played note that doesn't fit your chords.
• The notes as MIDI. Get every note it read as a .mid file, to double the sample on a synth or rewrite it.

It reads samples, loops and whole songs up to 10 minutes long. Keys, pads, guitar and voices read best. Drums and noise have no clear notes to move.

How do I change a note in a sample?

1. Open the Note editor at tools.aden.space/melo.
2. Drop the sample anywhere on the panel, or press Choose a sample. WAV, MP3, FLAC and AIFF all work.
3. Wait for the notes. The editor shows "Reading the notes…", then each note as a bar on the piano roll, drawn over a heat map of the sample's sound.
4. Press play to hear the sample loop.
5. Move a note. Drag it up or down, or select it and press the up and down arrow keys. Shift-click picks several notes so they move together.
6. Listen again. The editor says "Updating…" while it renders your change, then plays the new version.
7. Download. The Download menu has Download WAV for the sample as it now sounds, and Download MIDI for its notes.

Changed your mind? Undo every change puts every note back where it was.

To open another file, press the upload button at the top of the editor (Open another sample).

How do I turn a minor sample into major?

The editor reads the sample's key when you drop it. When it finds one, a key switch appears next to Audio and MIDI at the top of the roll, with the sample's key on one side and its parallel key on the other, for example Am and A.

Press the other key and the whole sample changes. The editor moves the key's third, sixth and seventh, the three notes that differ between a minor key and the major key on the same root.

So an A minor chord (A C E) becomes A major (A C# E), and everything else in the sample follows the same rule. Press the first key again to go back.

If no key switch shows, the editor couldn't read a key. You can still move single notes by hand.

How do I convert a sample to MIDI?

You have two ways:

• Download MIDI. In Audio mode, the Download menu saves the notes it read as a .mid at the sample's tempo. The notes you moved come along in their new places.
• Switch to MIDI. The MIDI tab turns the same notes into MIDI you can move, stretch, add to, delete and play on a sound, with the sample still drawn behind them. Download MIDI then saves what you see.

The tempo comes from the sample. When the editor can't read one, it writes the file at 120 BPM. Both downloads can also be dragged from the menu onto a track in your DAW.

MIDI mode works on a copy of the notes. The WAV you download always comes from your changes in Audio mode.

For chords you type rather than read from audio, the MIDI editor is the better fit. See how to turn chords into MIDI.

Where else can I open the Note editor?

• From the Key finder. Drop a song in the Key finder and press Edit notes on its lane. The same editor opens in a dialog, and Use in playlist puts your edit back in the playlist as a WAV. See how to find the key of a song.
• From Track feedback. When Track feedback flags a part in the wrong key, its note opens the Note editor on just that part. See how to get feedback on your mix.

What to listen for, and common mistakes

• Small moves sound most natural. A semitone or two is usually clean. A big jump changes the character of a voice or an instrument, so listen closely after one.
• Check the chord, not just the note. Move one note in a chord and play it in context. A note that sounds wrong alone can be right against the bass.
• Know the key before you move anything. Run the track through the Key finder first. Then you know which notes belong and which ones clash. The music theory guide covers scales and chords.
• Don't fix what is meant to be there. A blue note or a passing tone outside the key often gives a melody its feeling. Remove it only if it bothers you in the full mix.
• Clear the sample. Changing the notes of someone else's recording doesn't make it yours. If it came from a released record, clear it before you release.

A 10-minute routine for flipping a sample

1. Drop the sample and press play. Hum along and find the note that feels like home.
2. Try the key switch. Listen to the minor and the major version over your drums.
3. Pick the one that fits, then move any single note that still clashes with your bassline.
4. Download the WAV for your DAW and the MIDI to double the line on a synth.
5. Repeat with one sample a day. Your ear for thirds and sevenths gets faster each time.

The Note editor is one of the free tools included with Aden. When the flip turns into a song, keep it in Aden, where each version and the feedback on it stay in one place.

FAQ

Is the Note editor free?

Yes, with no account. Samples and songs up to 10 minutes are read and changed in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.

How do I turn a minor chord in a sample into major?

Drop the sample and press the key switch, from Am to A for example. It moves the third, sixth and seventh of the key. To change one note, drag it up or down.

Can I get the notes of a sample as MIDI?

Yes. Switch to MIDI to play and change them right here, with the sample drawn behind them, or download them as a .mid for your DAW. The notes you moved come along.

Why does the editor find no notes in my sample?

Notes read best from keys, pads, guitar and voices. Drums, noise and very busy mixes have no clear pitch to follow. Try a cleaner part of the song, or an acapella or an instrumental stem.

Is this a free Melodyne alternative?

It covers the same core job in your browser: reading the notes in a recording, chords included, and letting you move each one. Downloads come out as a WAV or a MIDI file.