Get your chord progressions into shape fast
Build your own library from past chord progressions — save and reuse them however you like

Chord Dock helps you design progressions with timeline editing Lite and a Circle of Fifths guide Extended, then drag-and-drop MIDI to any DAW. Toggle Triad/Tetrad, tensions and slash chords intuitively, and share progressions across DAWs.

Download Lite Buy Extended
VST3 AU AAX (Coming soon) macOS / Windows

Video overview of Chord Dock (English).

Key Features

DAW‑agnostic progression format

Edit → audition → drag MIDI. Keep the same progression across any DAW.

Timeline editing × Circle of Fifths

Drag/move/resize. Quick inversions and tensions. Diatonic suggestions speed up drafting.

Section Clips for song parts

Group Verse/Chorus into a colored clip. Move/duplicate as a unit, and double‑click to focus‑edit that section.

Tensions & slash chords

Visualize 9/11/13, set the bass for on‑chords. Clear superscript display.

Lightweight MIDI export

Prioritize editing speed. Hand off to your favorite sound plugins anytime.

Start fast with presets

Lite includes 10 editable presets. Extended unlocks 20 user presets and external sharing.

Feature Tour

Timeline editor screenshot

Draft quickly with the timeline

Drag/move/resize to build progressions intuitively. Snap to bars/beats, transpose and invert instantly. Shorten your loop: edit → audition → drag MIDI.

Stay oriented with the Circle of Fifths

See key centers and relationships. Pick diatonic/relative options quickly to keep consistency while adding variation.

Circle of Fifths screenshot
Preset management screenshot

Save, reuse, and share presets

Save up to 20 user presets with Extended, and export/import as files to share across environments and projects.

Section Clips (Focus Edit)

Group Verse/Chorus into a colored clip. Move/duplicate as a unit (contents follow), and double‑click to focus‑edit only that section.

Section Clips screenshot
Focus Edit Mode screenshot

Edit safely with Focus Edit Mode

Double‑click a Section Clip to enter Focus Edit Mode. Everything outside the section is greyed out to prevent mistakes. Press Esc (or click Exit) to return.

Lite vs Extended

Core features shared by both editions, and what Extended adds on top.

Feature Category Lite Edition Extended Edition
Timeline-based chord editor ✔ ✔
Resize, move, duplicate, invert chords ✔ ✔
Sections (Section Clips / Focus Edit) ✔ ✔
Change Section color — ✔
Custom chord colors (palette/timeline) — ✔
Major / Minor chords ✔ ✔
7th family (mMaj7 / m7b5 / dim / dim7) ✔ ✔
Tensions (9 / 11 / 13) — ✔
Slash chords (custom bass) — ✔
Circle of Fifths view — ✔
ext Snap (advanced snapping) — ✔
ext Range (flexible range editing) — ✔
Drag-and-drop MIDI export ✔ ✔
Chord progression file export ✔ ✔
Best suited for Solid core workflow for building full progressions Advanced harmony design and detailed production work

Product Comparison

Compared by workflow, portability, and editing UX (for reference).

Category Chord Dock (Extended) Scaler 3 InstaChord
Primary focus Visualization/editing, cross‑DAW portability AI suggestions/detection, performance tools Chord triggers/strums, basic progressions
Timeline editor Yes (free editing, transpose, snap) Yes (pattern/section oriented) Basic patterns
Circle of Fifths Integrated (key/relations visualized) Limited (scale info available) No
Tensions 9/11/13, masking, superscripts Yes Limited
Slash chords Yes (set bass) Yes Limited
Cross‑DAW portability High (symbol‑based, independent MIDI) Medium Limited
UI Flat, legible Dense, complex Simple
Price (ref.) $39 $79–$99 ~$69

System Requirements

Windows

  • Windows 10 / 11
  • VST3-compatible DAW
  • 64-bit OS

macOS

  • macOS 11 or later
  • Apple Silicon & Intel supported
  • VST3 / AU-compatible DAW

Download

Lite (Free)

Core timeline editing for chord tracks
Flexible chord palette for transpose, inversions, and octave adjustments
MIDI drag & drop
Export and import chord progressions as files
Includes 10 editable factory presets

Download (Free)

Extended (Paid)

Unlock Circle of Fifths, tensions/slash chords, and advanced visuals. Unlock 20 editable user presets.

License: up to 2 devices per account.
Deactivate any device to free a seat and activate another.
Purchase

Activation

ChordDock Extended is activated with the serial key issued after purchase.

From the settings menu in the top-right of the plugin (gear icon), open “Enter License…”.

Example of the ChordDock settings menu (gear icon) leading to license entry
Example of ChordDock license input and online activation

Entering your serial key launches your browser, where you log in to your Chord Dock account and approve the device (online activation).

Your license is linked to your account and managed across devices. For details on device limits and exact steps, see the FAQ at the bottom of this page.

FAQ / Troubleshooting

Click each question to show or hide the answer.

Q1. Can it auto-detect chords from audio or MIDI?

Not in scope. Chord Dock focuses on portability of progressions, visualization, and editing speed. If you need automatic detection, please use dedicated tools alongside it.

Q2. How many devices per license?

Up to 2 devices per account can be activated at the same time. Deactivate any device to free a seat and activate another.

Q3. How do I activate Extended on a second PC?

Follow these steps:

  • Install Chord Dock on the second PC.
  • On the second PC, open “Settings → License” and enter your serial key.
  • When your browser opens, log in to your Chord Dock account and approve that PC (online activation).

Once approval is complete, Extended is enabled on that PC as well. If both device slots are already in use, deactivate an unused device first and then try again (see also Q8).

Q4. Can I use it offline?

After activation, the local state is stored and you can use Chord Dock offline in normal use.

Q5. Which plugin formats are supported?

Currently supported: VST3 / AU. AAX (Pro Tools) is coming soon.

Q6. After updating, it shows as Lite

Chord Dock uses a shared installer for Lite and Extended. To use Extended, enter your serial key again and perform online activation.

If serial information is lost when reinstalling the OS or moving to a new machine, the plugin may revert to Lite mode.

Q7. I can’t find / forgot my serial key

Open “Settings → Online activation” in Chord Dock and log in. There you can check:

  • Licenses you own
  • Activated devices
  • Serial keys (can be copied)

This is usually faster than searching for the original purchase email, so please check here first.

Q8. I entered an Extended serial but it won’t activate

Please check the following:

  • You have an active internet connection
  • No typos in the key (O vs 0, l vs 1, etc.)
  • You have not reached the activation limit (2 devices).
    → You can deactivate unused devices from the online activation screen.
Q9. I want to deactivate an old / unused PC

Open “Settings → Online activation” to see the list of devices. Deactivate unused devices to free up a slot for a new PC.

Q10. After installing, the plugin does not appear in my DAW

Please check the following:

  • VST3: supported in most major DAWs
  • AU: supported only in Logic Pro (GarageBand does not load AU MIDI effects, so it is not supported)
  • AAX: coming soon (Pro Tools is not supported yet)

Additionally:

  • Rescan plugin folders in your DAW
  • Restart your DAW
Q11. Is AAX (Pro Tools) supported?

Not yet. AAX (Pro Tools) support is currently in development. We’ll announce availability on the Update page.

For now, please use VST3 (and AU on macOS).

Q12. I only want to use Lite. Do I need an Extended serial?

No. If you do not enter a serial key, Chord Dock runs as Lite automatically.

Q13. I purchased Extended but it still shows as Lite

Please check the following in order:

  • In “Settings → License”, confirm that the status shows “Extended”. If not, re-enter your serial key.
  • Click “Open License Management Page” to open your browser, log in to your Chord Dock account, and check that this PC is listed as an activated device.
  • If both device slots are already in use, deactivate an unused device first and then try again. Note that activating on a second PC requires entering your serial key again (see also Q2 and Q9).

After making these changes, restart your DAW and reopen the plugin. If it still shows Lite, please contact us via the support form.

Q14. Will my projects remain compatible after updating?

In principle, updates are backward compatible. In rare cases, your DAW’s plugin cache may require a rescan.

Q15. Will my settings and presets be lost when updating?

No. User settings and presets are stored in your OS’s user data area and are kept when you update.

Q16. Can I use Extended in an offline environment?

It works as follows:

  • Only the first activation requires an internet connection.
  • After activation, you can use it offline in normal use.

However, an internet connection is required in these cases:

  • Activating on a new PC
  • Deactivating devices
  • Retrieving your serial again

DAW Hosts / Formats

Plugin formats by OS

  • macOS: VST3 / AU (AAX coming soon)
  • Windows: VST3 (AAX coming soon)

Representative hosts

  • Logic Pro, SONAR / Cakewalk, Cubase, FL Studio, Live, Studio One (Pro Tools support coming soon via AAX)
  • We will add other hosts or version‑specific notes here as they are confirmed.

Setup guides for MIDI routing in each host will be published soon.