Abstract: A method for signal controlled switching between audio coding schemes includes receiving input audio signals, classifying a first set of the input audio signals as speech or non-speech signals, coding the speech signals using a time domain coding scheme, and coding the nonspeech signals using a transform coding scheme. A multicode coder has an audio signal input and a switch for receiving the audio signal inputs, the switch having a time domain encoder, a transform encoder, and a signal classifier for classifying the audio signals generally as speech or non-speech, the signal classifier directing speech audio signals to the time domain encoder and non-speech audio signals to the transform encoder. A multicode decoder is also provided.