Node Audio presents Tonebank: Afro-Harmonic Sequencer

A MIDI effect plugin (VST/AU) for generating hypnotic loops, addictive melodies, basslines and multi-part textures, Tonebank provides an environment for creating harmonically cohesive groove music, but ensures that what you create is unique to you.

Tonebank creates live MIDI output using rules derived from traditional African music, and was developed in collaboration with a professor from the Royal Academy of Music. Tonebank brings the strength and cohesion of music from deep traditions to the modern producer’s toolkit. Tonebank

works in a way that may be new to you, but brings fundamental logic to support your creativity, generating ideas from your input that will kickstart your inspiration.

Tonebank is out now from Node Audio for £59 / $79 USD in VST3, AU and CLAP formats.

You choose the loop length, rhythm, harmonic system, swing and even micro tuning; Tonebank provides the environment (grid) for you to manipulate your own rhythmic and harmonic sequence.

Within this environment, Tonebank generates melodies and accompaniments for you, with features you can automate or modify in real time to shape the characters of your music.

Tonebank’s grid governs two tabs: The Accompaniment tab is for basslines, harmonic arpeggiation and textures. The controls access density, rates of development, range, accentuation and rhythmic tension. You can mute areas and freeze ideas if you hear one you love.

The Melody tab outputs topline ideas. Tonebank speaks to you but you control phrase length and space, density, rate of development, range, even start and end points of melodic phrases. Again you can freeze ideas when you love them, even direct in real time when you want Tonebank to play a melodic phrase.

Record Tonebank’s MIDI output to edit in your project. Multiple Tonebank plugins in the same project will inherit a shared grid to work as a group, guaranteeing cohesion even if you know no music theory.

A Generative Musical System

Tonebank is a generative system that teaches you how African musicians create infinite variations from simple structures. Think of it like jazz theory - once you understand the framework, you can improvise endlessly. Tonebank generates melodies automatically from rhythmically patterned harmonic sequences.

As you manipulate the character of Tonebank’s outputs, you create basslines, inner parts, textures and solos from the same unifying structure.

Please visit the product page for more information and to download the 14-day free trial.