MIDI Designer (MD) is a tool for musicians to create custom interfaces for controlling external hardware instruments, effects, VST plugins, and apps. These interfaces can consist of a variety of different controls including buttons, knobs, sliders and X-Y pads. MIDI Designer is the only controller designer that is 100% created in IOS: all editing can be done on your iOS device. This provides a fast streamlined experience from idea to execution. You can work on your interfaces on the train or while you’re waiting for your coffee. MD is very powerful but easy to use. Instead of using scripting, you create complex functionality by setting up relationships between controls. This feature is called super- and subcontrols, and it allows you to dial in the exact behavior you’re looking for without any guesswork.

While MD controllers are often used by musicians for controlling hardware and software, they are also leveraged in lighting, robotics, VJ performances, and interactive art installations. Any device or system that allows for MIDI control is a perfect target for MD.

The MIDI Designer Community of users creates and shares layouts and pages for important MIDItargets. The Community also provides expert advice and help for solving new problems in MIDIDesigner.

—The MIDI Designer Team at Confusion Studios LLC

MIDI Designer provides you with many sources of information of many different kinds.

1. Check out the tutorial in the application itself, at More → Config → Actions → Show Tutorial
2. Watch the Walkthrough Video
   
   

   
   

3. MIDI Designer Manual (this document).
4. Search!—The MIDI Designer website, the Q&A forums, and the MIDI Designer YouTube Channel very well indexed by Google. Search for what you need.

If you have a problem or question, check the chapter on Troubleshooting—Getting Help to find out more information.

#workInProgress Please see Features Document

• Design a beautiful, expansive and functional MIDI controller
  • Create up to eight page banks of six pages each for a total of 48 pages of controls
  • Create an unlimited number of controls, including knobs, sliders, buttons, XY pads
  • Create decorative controls like panels and shapes for functional clarity and design
  • Change background textures, colors, LED and text colors for pages
  • Change LED color, size, and placement of individual controls
• Send all commonly-used types of MIDI messages including command changes, notes, sysex and NRPN.
• Advanced Features allow for powerful MIDI controllers without scripting:
  • Create powerful relationships between using super* and sub-controls to solve many standard controller issues
  • Other advanced features like Control Copies and Hidden Controls allow for total flexibility and control
  • Page and Bank jump buttons allow for fast switching in performance mode
  • Knob and Slider overlays allow you to see the value of a control that your fingers are obscuring
• Catalog and Share: save, load, mail and share layouts and pages
• Many Ways to Get Connected: Out of the box, MD can connect to MIDI inputs and targets via CoreMIDI over Network, virtually (other apps), and via hardware. External hardware and apps also allow for connection via Bluetooth, USB, and other options via Wi-Fi.
  • Control External Hardware
    • Synths
    • Drum Machines
    • Midi Enabled Guitar Pedals
  • Control other iOS apps via Virtual CoreMIDI (Example)
  • Control software on remote machines
    • DAWs like Ableton Live, Reaper, Logic
    • DJ Controllers like Traktor
    • VST plugins (Mac, PC, Linux)
  • Control other equipment and software
    • Lighting
    • Robotics
    • Video
• Use external MIDI controllers to control MD
  • Hardware pedalboards
  • Hardware MIDI controllers
  • Sequencers and other CoreMIDI Apps
  • MIDI Designer as Pass-through with “MIDI Thru”
    • Example: keyboard controllers
    • Example: pedalboards

MIDI Designer Pro, Lite and 12 are in version 1.7 since 2014-12-17.

Note: MIDI Designer Lite and MIDI Designer 12 are on vacation and are available only for existing users and by special arrangement.

• iPad, iPhone or iPod touch
• iOS 5 or better