Installation
Drag, drop, play
MIDIpad is a free download, currently for macOS only, although I'm trying to figure out how to get it on Windows and Linux cleanly and still retain my sanity - watch this space, it could well happen.
Without a licence it runs in Demo Mode: the complete instrument, playable indefinitely. A licence key unlocks the full MIDI output and the settings that shape the instrument's character. See Demo vs licensed for where the line sits.
Install
- Download MIDIpad from the download page.
- Open the disk image and drag MIDIpad into your Applications folder.
- Launch it.
No account, no sign-in, and nothing needs an internet connection before it lets you play.
MIDIpad updates itself: it checks for new versions in the background, downloads them, and applies them on the next launch. Check for Updates… in the app menu does the same on demand.
First launch
The first open greets you with a short welcome - plug in a pad, and which MIDI inputs to add in your DAW - and offers a tour of the window. Both stay reachable later under Help → Welcome & Tour.
The main window opens with a key already chosen (C Major), the Chords instrument on stage, and a voice already selected. Once a pad is connected, MIDIpad makes sound on its own.
Two things to do next:
- Connect a controller - the window shows No controller detected until one is found.
- Make your first sound, then optionally set up your DAW to play through your own instruments.
MIDIpad also lives in the menu bar - the tray icon summons the window at any time.