deCoda — Audio Analytics Software| Music Tech Alliance

Zplane is a research-focused company launches deCoda software version 1.0 on December 9, 2019. deCoda claims that it can decode any song in minutes telling you the key, tempo, chords and where the verses and choruses are.

The Introduction to Zplane Company

Zplane was founded in January 2000 in Berlin, Germany, by Tim Flohrer, Dr. Alexander Lerch and Martin Schwerdtfeger. They focus on signal processing solutions and make all technologies available for licensing to the music industry in form of ready-to-use SDKs. Hard- and software design and development services are available on various native and DSP platforms and operating systems.

Additionally, Zplane allows employees to switch between the academic and commercial context as required. Staff is not exclusively focusing on product development, they are also involved in research and lecturing at the Technical University Berlin and the University of Arts Berlin, share their knowledge in scientific publications and supervise master and diploma theses.

Audio Analysis Software, deCoda

The slogan of deCoda is “The easy way to learn songs fast”. Here is the link of deCoda demo version can be freely download, but demo version can’t be exported and the audio playback is limited to 2 min.

Import Audio Files

After opening deCoda, the first thing is importing an audio file into deCoda. Audio files like wav, aiff, mp3, wma, flac, ogg files can be imported into deCoda. But it doesn’t support MIDI file.

Click in the upper left menu opening the file you want to analyze. The item of “Project History” lists the files you have imported.

Playing Audio

After analyzing an audio, you’ll see the song structure and chord progression above the screen and the sound wave in the center of screen. You can click computer’s space bar and listen the music.

Click the song structure above screen, you can switch the part you want to play.

There are two buttons of transposing key and changing tempo in the right corner. For those users who wants to play with the song and practice music skill, it is very convenient.

There are two kinds of version of deCoda. One is demo version, the other one is full version. The difference between them is not only the time limit, but also exporting a part of music into audio loop as wav file. If you want to practice the chorus of a song, you can export this part as an individual wav file.

Although there is an exporting MIDI option in the upper right corner. Practically, you can’t export any audio file with guitar or piano as MIDI file. After I ask zplane, it replies that you only can export MIDI if you have drawn some notes in the piano roll.

If you can’t play music, please adjust the “Output” in the “Settings” in the left corner.

Using CD as Audio Files

The key point of using deCoda is importing audio files, but generally speaking, users usually don’t have any mp3 and wav files. I have tried loading the audio files from CD player, it gets stuck. I suggested you download your music into iTunes folder.

Import audio files from iTunes folder.

Pricing and Installment

Get deCoda for just €29 until the end of January 2020, normally its price is €49.

After buying the full version of deCoda, you have to register an official account in zplane website and signing up your product to get the serial number and unlock key. After logging into your account, clicking the “Downloads” link in the right section to get the full version deCoda. The demo version of deCoda can’t upgrade to full version directly.

Download full version by logging zplane account(left image). After installing it, typing the serial number like right image. One serial at least can install two computers.

Other basic and advanced operations can be taken the user manual and videos as referenced. Thanks for reading. 😃