gliff

Install the plugin on Windows: do this once

Five steps, about two minutes. After this it's just another instrument in your plug-in list.

Step 1

Unzip the folder

Inside: gliff.vst3 and this guide.

Step 2

Move it into your VST3 folder

Copy gliff.vst3 into C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3.
That folder needs admin rights. If the paste is blocked, accept the UAC prompt, or right-click File Explorer → Run as administrator and try again.

Step 3

Windows may flag it first

gliff isn't signed with a Windows code-signing certificate yet, so the first time you open the download, Windows SmartScreen can show a blue "Windows protected your PC" screen. Click More info, then Run anyway. That's expected for a small independent tool — it doesn't mean anything's wrong with the file.

Step 4

Rescan in your DAW

Ableton Live: Preferences → Plug-Ins → Rescan. Reaper: Preferences → Plug-ins → VST → Re-scan. FL Studio: Options → Manage plugins → click Find plugins (top right) and wait for the scan to finish — if gliff still doesn't show up, click Verify plugins to force a full rescan, then search "gliff" in the plugin list.

Step 5

Load it and play something

Add gliff as an instrument on its own MIDI track (it's silent — it doesn't make sound, just shows what you're playing). Play a chord: the strip names it with a guitar shape, same as the Max for Live device.

Hearing what you play: gliff needs its own track

gliff is an instrument plug-in, not a MIDI effect. It makes no sound of its own and has no audio input, so it cannot sit in front of a synth on a single track. Give gliff its own track, then pass its MIDI through to your instrument's track. Two tracks, always.

Ableton Live

Put gliff on its own MIDI track.
Put your instrument on a second MIDI track.
On the instrument track, set MIDI From to the gliff track, then set the dropdown directly below it to gliff — the plug-in itself, not Pre FX or Post FX. Both fields.
Set that track's Monitor to In.
Arm the gliff track and play. gliff names the chord, your instrument plays it.

FL Studio

Open the Channel Rack (F6) → + → add gliff.
Add your instrument as a second channel.
Open gliff's wrapper settings — the cog at the top-left of the plug-in window — and under MIDI set Output port to 1.
Open your instrument's wrapper settings and under MIDI set Input port to the same number, 1.
Click gliff's channel in the Channel Rack so it is the selected channel. FL only sends your keyboard to the selected channel, and this is the step most people miss.

Any other DAW

Same shape every time: gliff on its own track, your instrument on another, then either route gliff's MIDI output into the instrument's MIDI input, or arm both tracks so they each receive your controller.

Before you forget

gliff's plugin window uses Microsoft Edge WebView2 to draw its UI. It ships built in on Windows 10 and 11 by default, so most people won't need to install anything. If the plugin window opens blank or white, grab the WebView2 Evergreen Runtime from Microsoft directly.
It produces no audio itself. To hear what you're playing while it names the chord, give gliff its own track and route it into an instrument — see Hearing what you play above.
gliff passes the MIDI it receives straight through, which is what makes the routing above work.
FL Studio drag target: drag chords onto the Channel Rack or Piano Roll, not the Playlist — FL's Playlist doesn't accept MIDI-file drags for any chord tool, per Image-Line. This is an FL limitation, not specific to gliff.

Requirements

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime (ships with Windows 10/11 by default — see above if it's missing).
A DAW that hosts VST3 plug-ins.
Windows only — this is the VST3 build. For the macOS VST3/AU build, see INSTALL.html.

Support & license

Questions or something broken? get.gliff@gmail.com.
gliff is free. Use it in your music, commercial or not — just don't resell or redistribute the files themselves.