Gliff
Key Features
- Names held MIDI chords in real time, including slash chords, inversions, and partial matches.
- Shows incoming harmony as both a fretboard shape and a piano view for quick translation between instruments.
- Writes clean polyphonic MIDI output that can be routed to other instruments in the DAW.
- Lets users click the on-screen fretboard to audition voicings through the plugin's MIDI output.
- Supports drag-and-drop of a one-bar MIDI clip from the plugin into the DAW timeline.
- Includes built-in standard, drop, DADGAD, open, ukulele, custom tuning, and capo options.
- Ships as macOS VST3/AU, Windows VST3, and a Max for Live device for Ableton Suite.
Description
Gliff is a MIDI effect for turning incoming notes into guitar-aware chord information and clean polyphonic MIDI. Put it on a MIDI track, play from a keyboard, MIDI guitar, DAW clip, or the on-screen fretboard, and it names the chord while showing a playable fretboard shape.
The important distinction is that Gliff is not an audio-to-MIDI converter. It does not listen to a recorded guitar signal; instead, it translates MIDI note data into guitar voicings, inversions, slash-chord interpretations, and output that can be dragged back into a DAW clip.
That makes it useful when you already know the harmony but want it to behave more like something a guitarist could play. Alternate tunings, custom tunings, capo modeling, real-time chord naming, and a one-bar MIDI drag workflow make it a compact helper for producers sketching guitar-like parts, guitarists using MIDI hardware, and keyboardists who need better fretboard logic inside a normal writing session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gliff convert recorded guitar audio into MIDI?
No. Gliff works from MIDI note data, so it needs a MIDI keyboard, MIDI guitar system, existing DAW MIDI clip, or clicks on its on-screen fretboard.
Can Gliff output MIDI to another instrument?
Yes. The developer describes it as reading MIDI input, identifying the chord, showing the voicing, and writing clean polyphonic MIDI back out for routing or drag-and-drop use.
Is Gliff useful without a MIDI guitar?
Yes. Keyboard players can use it to translate chords into fretboard shapes, while non-guitarists can use the fretboard interface and MIDI drag workflow to create more guitar-aware parts.
What is the main FL Studio limitation?
The developer notes that FL Studio's AU host behavior does not pass MIDI through in the required way. On Windows and FL Studio workflows, the VST3 build is the relevant option.
