What is SESSION™ Key?
Find the key and tempo of a reference, then send supported values into your session.
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
See the reference-to-session workflow
- Select a clip in a supported DAW, play Mac audio, use the microphone, or drop an audio file on Key.
- Check key, tempo and confidence against the music. Use half or double tempo when the groove needs it.
- Send supported values into the destination you have set up, then check the values in the project.
- Price
- $49 once
- Requirements
- macOS 14.4 or later on Apple silicon. One license covers up to three Macs.
- Input and setup
- 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.
- Working with it
- Optional Beta sends connect the reading to supported DAWs and Auto-Tune. The fields and setup vary by destination. Check the integration guide before purchasing for a particular send.
- Before the session
- 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.
From reference to session
Play a representative passage, select the intended input, and inspect the result. File-drop analysis can inspect a whole file rather than only the current passage. Microphone mode can hear a room or an external source; room noise and competing sounds can affect the result.
Choose the destination
- Pro Tools: send session tempo and the Key Signature ruler.
- Logic Pro: send project tempo and key signature.
- Ableton Live: send tempo in Live 11 and 12, with scale support in Live 12.
- FL Studio: send tempo through the included controller integration.
- Studio Pro (formerly Studio One): send tempo and key with the documented setup.
- Bitwig Studio: send tempo and set the Music Scale destination.
- Cubase: send tempo directly and import key through the generated MIDI file.
- REAPER: send tempo using the documented integration.
- Reason: send tempo through the supported integration.
- Auto-Tune: send key and major/minor scale to supported open instances.
Optional Beta features
The current product page labels DAW and Auto-Tune sends, selected-clip analysis, Finder actions, decimal BPM and recent readings as optional Beta features. Enable only the features needed for the session. Recent readings can retain results; that is different from recording the audio.
Local analysis and licensing
The product page describes key and tempo detection running on the Mac. Licensing, updates and support use network services. A licensed copy can work offline for up to 21 days after a successful online license check. Read the current product and privacy details before relying on an offline or restricted-network setup.
Sources and scope
Product documentation reviewed October 17, 2026. These are comparisons of published capabilities, not independent performance tests. Prices and availability can change.