Diagnosing a key reading you do not believe
First verify the input and the passage. Then distinguish a different spelling, a relative-key ambiguity, a modulation, a modal passage and an incorrect result.
In this guide: SESSION™ Key. Apple silicon · macOS 14.4+ · Up to 3 Macs. Price and requirements.
Published by Capiscana, Inc., maker of SESSION™ products. About these comparisons.
On this page 8 sections
Use the exact audio
Compare the same edit at the same pitch and speed. A slowed vinyl rip, transposed sample or altered stream may differ from the released song’s database entry.
Compare phrases
Replay the verse and chorus separately. A whole-file result and a live reading of the intro are summaries of different material, so a disagreement does not immediately identify a faulty tool.
Check harmony and tuning
Find the tonal center with an instrument. Sparse fifths may not establish a major or minor third. A record away from reference tuning can also complicate a pitch-class label.
Read the display correctly
In current SESSION™ Key documentation, the outline indicates a lock and the color indicates confidence. Amber and green can both occur with a lock. A locked reading means the displayed result is held, not that it has been independently proved correct.
Using SESSION™ Key
Read system audio, use the microphone, or drop an audio or MIDI file on the menu bar. Live analysis follows the passage playing; a file gives the analyzer a different span of material.
The outline marks a locked reading; green and amber communicate confidence separately. A locked reading can still be uncertain. Listen, check the musical context, and use the half-time or double-time control when the pulse needs it.
Put the result to work
Key and tempo in Pro Tools · Use Key with Ableton Live · Check a reading you do not believe · Compare analysis tools
Sources and scope
Product documentation reviewed October 17, 2026. These are comparisons of published capabilities, not independent performance tests. Prices and availability can change.
The musical explanations are editorial guidance; the product source supports the descriptions of Key. Check a disputed tonal label against the actual music.