ARTonic Music ChordAXE

The MIDI plugin for expert harmony by ear and feel

ChordAXE is a real-time controller for playing chord changes through virtual instruments with fluid voicing and dynamic phrasing. Use it for songwriting and beatmaking to create beyond the constraints of fretboards, keyboards, and theory. Steer your way through harmony with the playable Mesh, and flow from chord to chord without getting lost in the notes. Get that instant feeling when the right chords make your instrument come alive. 

THE CREATIVE FLOW FOR SONGWRITING AND BEATMAKING

Steer chord changes through the universe of harmony

Trace paths on the playable Mesh to sound out harmonic ideas. Find chords in their natural order based on the circle of fifths—wielded by masters from Bach to Stevie Wonder. Navigate musical vibes and key centers while exploring presets of iconic changes and tracing your own progressions. Create freely with chords as shapes instead of working note by note. 

Voice your changes for different instruments and keys

Contour chords and harmony to bring out the character of any virtual instrument. Alter your voicing register on the fly to play in each instrument's optimal pitch range. Open or tighten note spacings by ear. Flip inversions to vary harmony part voicing through chord transitions. Sound out your changes in any key without pitch shifting—so the notes stay in your instrument's sweet spot.

Phrase your changes with dynamic feel

Drive progressions with a keyboard, DAW piano roll, and rhythmic pattern presets—all merging in real time. Articulate harmony part lines through your changes with dynamic control of each chord note. Play solid or broken chords to create song structures, beat foundations, melodies, riffs, and basslines that define your signature sound.

Get creative in real time

Summon chord changes, voicings, and phrasings in a continuous songwriting or beatmaking flow to build emotional worlds with your favorite instruments. Elevate your musical storytelling with harmonic superpowers. 

ARTonic Music was founded in 2025 to bridge the long-standing gap between natural musical expression and complex theory. Their technology empowers musicians to navigate harmony by ear, feel, and instinct while creating at a level above individual notes.ChordAXE, their debut plugin, integrates ARTonic's CPX* engine 

with a playable Mesh interface—putting total harmonic control in the hands of creators at all skill levels.The team draws on decades of experience developing innovative products for the global musical instrument and pro audio communities.

Features

• Play virtual instruments with expert harmonic control over chord steering, progression voicing, and chord note phrasing
• Steer through chord changes and key centers in their natural harmonic order with the playable Mesh—built on the circle of fifths
• Flip between the Mesh view for chord tracing, and the MIDI view for phrasing
• Drive chord changes in real time with a keyboard, DAW piano roll, and rhythmic pattern presets—all merging to phrase your chord notes
• Borrow from iconic progression presets to rework their structures in different keys with your own voicing and phrasing
• Explore progression preset traces on the Mesh to decode and master their harmonic DNA—then apply that knowledge to trace your own progressions
• Dial in chord voicings by ear to sound out all theoretically possible pitch registers, inversions, and note spreads—in all keys
• Play outside the movable MIDI control zone to mix chord notes with extra notes on the fly—melodies, riffs, basslines, passing notes, and pedal tones
• See your chord notes and extra notes playing on the MIDI view piano key display
• Play chord voicings beyond the physical limits of fretboards and keyboards
• Perform superhuman chord transitions, voicings, and phrasings in real time
• Craft well-voiced chord changes in 3-, 4-, or 5-part harmony, plus an optional sub-octave part
• Carry chord notes and rhythmic phrasing across changes so your harmony lines play musically through transitions—without stopping and starting
• Build your harmony chops by ear while playing endless combinations of chords, voicings, and phrasings—in all key

Compatibility

 MAC OSX    WINDOWS

 Windows Requirements

• Host application compatible with:
  
  • AAX Native plugins
  • VST plugins
  • VST3 plugins

• Windows 10 or higher

 Mac Requirements

• Host application compatible with:
  
  • AAX Native plugins
  • Audio-Unit plugins
  • VST3 plugins

• Mac OS X 10.15 or higher