Questions & answers
Everything people ask before and after downloading ChordViz. Can't find yours? Email charles@chordlab.ca.
Can ChordViz show the chords I play on my MIDI keyboard?
Yes. Plug in any MIDI keyboard or controller your Mac or PC recognises and ChordViz names each chord the moment you play it — root, quality, extensions, inversions and slash chords — on a big chord readout, a piano keyboard, a grand staff and a circle of fifths. Turn on Hold last chord and short, staccato chords stay on screen after you let go.
Can I rename a chord the way I teach it?
Yes. Unhappy with a label? Click the chord and give it your own name, or pick one of the other readings ChordViz considered. Your label is saved as a shape, so it applies to that voicing in every key, and the Roman numeral, note names and staff all follow it.
Can I design my own layouts?
Yes, as many as you want. Add or delete any of the 19 widgets — keyboard, chord name, staff, circle of fifths, piano roll, metronome, audio meters, webcam and more — then drag, resize and restyle them. Save each arrangement as a layout, and switch between them in a click.
Can I use ChordViz as a piano overlay in OBS, Twitch or YouTube Live?
Yes. Turn on the transparent background and live output, and ChordViz appears in OBS as a source with real transparency — through a Syphon Client on macOS or a Window Capture on Windows — so your keyboard and chord names sit over your camera with no green screen. You can also record a transparent video file for editing.
Can ChordViz play MIDI files?
Yes. Open a .mid file (or drag it onto the window) and it plays through your chosen instrument, driving every widget like live playing: the keyboard lights, the chord name and staff follow, and the Piano Roll widget scrolls each note away from the keyboard. You can loop, seek, mute the drum channel and pause on a chord to study it.
Does ChordViz detect chords from audio?
No — chord names come from MIDI, which is exact. Audio from a microphone, interface or other apps drives the audio visualizers (spectrum, waveform, VU, LUFS and more) and your recordings.
Can I use my own plugins with ChordViz?
Yes. ChordViz hosts your VST3 instruments on Mac and Windows, and Audio Unit instruments on Mac. It scans the places plugins are normally installed, so there is usually nothing to set up. Pick an instrument, open its own window to dial in a patch, and play it from your MIDI keyboard or the on-screen keys — the sound drives the visualizers and lands in your recordings. One instrument loads at a time, and instrument plugins are supported rather than audio effects. Scanning runs in a separate process, so a plugin that misbehaves can't take ChordViz down.
Is ChordViz itself a plugin I can load into my DAW?
Not yet. ChordViz runs as a standalone app today — it hosts your instruments rather than being hosted by something else. VST3 and Audio Unit builds of ChordViz are planned for later.
How do I start the free trial?
Download ChordViz and open it — the 30-day trial starts on first launch. There is nothing to sign up for and no credit card or payment information to enter.
Does the trial need an internet connection?
Only once. ChordViz needs to reach our servers the first time you launch it, to start your trial. After that it runs offline for the rest of the trial.
What happens after the trial?
You can buy a ChordViz Founder License for $29 USD, one time — it's not a subscription. Your saved layouts remain on your device.
How many computers can I use my license on?
A license activates on 2 devices. You can see which devices are using it — and free a slot at any time — from your account on this site.
Do I need an account to buy ChordViz?
No. Your license key arrives by email and you paste it straight into the app. An account on this site is optional — it's there if you want to manage your devices, re-download the installer, or find a receipt.
What do lifetime updates include?
Founder licenses include future updates to the ChordViz desktop application for as long as ChordViz is actively developed, including major ChordViz versions. Separate products such as ChordLab, optional hosted or cloud services, third-party paid assets, and multi-seat or school licenses are not included unless explicitly stated.
See it with your own playing.
Free for 30 days · Then $29 USD one time · Lifetime ChordViz updates