deCoda could change the way that you learn to play songs

Best known for its high-level timestretching and pitchshifting algorithms, zplane.development has come up with deCoda, a more consumer-focused use for its technology, and it could change the way that you learn to play songs.

Promising to ‘decode’ existing music, this can analyse any song you feed it and show you its chords, song structure and tempo. This could put an end to having to learn by ear or search for (sometimes unreliable) information online.

deCoda also enables you to slow songs down, making it easier to practise them, then up the tempo as you get more proficient. You can transpose, too - up to an octave in both directions - or use the focus EQ tool to isolate parts of the audio spectrum based on frequency and panning information.

Other features include flexible looping options, an interface that’s optimised for touch, a piano roll for displaying melody information and exportable MIDI. Supported audio formats include WAV, AIFF, MP3, WMA, FLAC and OGG.

Available for PC and Mac, deCoda’s regular price is €49, but you can purchase it for €29 until the end of January 2020. Find out more on the deCoda website.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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