Writing chords can happen in two very different ways. Some producers prefer building every note manually in the piano roll, while others rely on chord generators to speed things up. Both approaches work, but they solve different problems, especially when MPE chords enter the picture.
Manual MIDI Programming: Maximum Control, Slower Results
Manually drawing MIDI chords gives you full authority over voicing, timing, and harmony. This approach is ideal when you already know the progression you want or when you are recreating a specific musical reference.
Programming MIDI in FL Studio’s piano roll
Example:
You want a tight, four-note jazz voicing with a delayed top note and subtle velocity differences. Drawing the chord manually lets you:
- Offset individual notes by milliseconds
- Fine-tune velocity per note
- Keep everything locked to a fixed MIDI grid
The downside is speed. Exploring alternatives, like minor to suspended, open to closed voicings, or adding expressive bends, means rewriting or duplicating MIDI clips repeatedly. For modern MPE-based workflows, this can become friction-heavy.
Explore the FL Studio’s Piano Roll
Chord Generators: Faster Ideas, Musical Variations
Chord generators focus on intent rather than construction. You play a single note or shape, and the plugin handles voicing, scale correctness, and harmonic movement.
Chord Seq AI– Your AI Chord Generation Companion
Example:
You hold one note and cycle through chord types- major, minor, add9, suspended, without touching the piano roll. This makes it easier to:
- Audition progressions quickly
- Stay in key without theory-heavy decisions
- Generate ideas you would not normally play
This is especially useful in early songwriting or when you want movement rather than perfection.
ChordSeqAI Tutorial
Where MPE Changes the Conversation
Traditional chord generators usually output static, note-on/note-off MIDI data. Even when the chords sound musical, every note behaves the same once triggered.
Tools designed around MPE-compatible workflows go a step further by allowing per-note expression, meaning each note in a chord can respond independently to pitch movement, pressure, and timbral changes.
Example:
With an MPE-aware chord generator, you can:
- Bend from any chord to any chord
- Bend from a single note to a complex chord
- Bend only the top note of a chord while keeping the bass stable
Performing these smooth chord bending would be extremely time-consuming to draw manually in a piano roll.
This kind of per-note expressive control bridges the gap between generated chords and hands-on MIDI programming. The result feels performed rather than mechanically programmed, especially when paired with MPE-ready instruments.
What is MPE and How Does It Work
So, Which One Should You Use?
- Manual MIDI works best when precision is the priority and the harmony is already defined.
- Chord generators excel at speed, exploration, and modern expressive workflows.
For producers working with expressive synths, cinematic textures, or evolving harmonic parts, chord generators, especially MPE-focused ones, are a must-have workflow upgrade.
Try Fluid Chords 2 to Bend Your Chords
Fluid Chords 2 is an intelligent chord bending plugin that enables you to bend from any chord to any chord in real time. You can choose the MPE compatible Synths or Samplers of your choice inside Fluid Chords 2.
Fluid Chords 2 Walkthrough