MIDI

MIDIpad outputs on four virtual MIDI devices that're open the whole time the app is running:

• MIDIpad Chords - the strummed instrument, playing the strings or the Arp. MPE by default, or Single channel; the channel layout is below.
• MIDIpad Drums - the drums, with the notes of the drum library you pick, on one channel or one per drum - see Drums below.
• MIDIpad Bass - the bass that follows Chords - see Bass below.
• MIDIpad Progression - the chords you play as block chords on the beat - see Progression below.

It sends notes and expression only, with no audio, clock or transport. There's also one input, MIDIpad Sync, which takes a MIDI clock and its Start, Continue and Stop - see Following your DAW's clock. It also takes notes on channel 1, and three hollow dots above a wedge on the chord wheel mark the chord they make. It expects block chords, like the ones MIDIpad Progression sends, so anything else may mark the wrong chord. Notes on other channels are ignored.

Channels

Instrument → Output, or Channels in Settings → App Settings, picks one of two configurations for Chords, Drums, Bass and Progression at once: MPE, the default, or Single channel. Changing it releases everything that's sounding first.

Chords

The Arp plays on the same channels as the strings.

There are two ways to use it in your DAW:

• As one instrument: treat all the channels as one instrument.
• With MPE: enable MPE on the receiving track or synth to get each note as an independent voice with its own expression.

MPE details

Under MPE, when the port opens (and whenever the setting returns to MPE), MIDIpad announces a standard MPE lower zone (MPE Configuration Message: RPN 6 on channel 1, fifteen member channels) followed by pitch-bend sensitivity (RPN 0): ±48 semitones on member channels, ±2 on the master. Single channel announces nothing.

Per-note messages

Under MPE, each note's channel carries:

Under Single channel, channel 1 carries every string's Note On and Note Off with velocity, one Channel Pressure that follows the loudest string's Energy, and one CC74 that follows the brightest string's Timbre.

Velocity, pressure and CC74 are fitted into the Velocity range in the instrument controls and the Pressure and Slide ranges in Settings → App Settings. Out of the box, velocity runs from 1 to 127, pressure from 0 to 127, and CC74 from 64 to 127.

Tilt and sustain pedal

These go out on channel 1:

Drums

The notes come from the Keymap. With the default, General MIDI:

MPE - the default - gives each drum its own channel behind a master, and announces an eleven-member zone when the port opens (and whenever the setting returns to MPE):

Single channel puts everything on channel 1, notes and velocity only.

Drums doesn't use channel 10, so set a drum track to listen on all channels.

Drums sends notes and velocity in every mode. With its tilt CCs on, it also sends CC11 and CC1 on channel 1, the same way as Chords, except with the EZdrummer 3, Addictive Drums 2 and Steven Slate Drums 5 keymaps.

Bass

Under MPE, MIDIpad Bass announces an MPE lower zone when it opens, the same way as Chords, with one member channel.

Under Single channel, everything is on channel 1.

Each note carries channel pressure and CC74 from the strings, like a Chords string, fitted by the Pressure and Slide ranges. The Bass sends the Chords tilt CCs on its master channel when its Tilt CCs setting is on.

Progression

While the Progression is on, MIDIpad Progression sends each chord's notes together on a beat, and they end together at the next chord change. Velocity follows the Chords Velocity range.

Under MPE, it announces an MPE lower zone with fifteen member channels, the same way as Chords, before the first chord it sends. Each note carries channel pressure and CC74 from the string playing that note, or the nearest string when none does, fitted by the Pressure and Slide ranges, and pitch bend is reset to centre before each Note On. Under Single channel, one channel pressure follows the loudest note and one CC74 the brightest.

It sends no sustain pedal. With its Tilt CCs setting on, it also sends the Chords tilt CCs on channel 1.

Following your DAW's clock

The MIDIpad Sync port accepts a standard MIDI clock, with Start, Continue, Stop and Song Position Pointer. While a clock is arriving and your DAW is playing, Chords, Arp, Bass and Drums follow its tempo and position, and the Tempo field shows the clock's tempo, with a green dot to show it's following. When your DAW stops, the ringing strings and the Arp stop too. See Tempo and time signature.

Panic

On quit, and whenever the output settings change, MIDIpad releases everything it has sounding and follows it with All Notes Off on every channel it touched. Instrument → All Notes Off (⌘.) does the same on demand, on every port. It also sends sustain off (CC64 at 0) on all sixteen channels of the Chords port when the port opens and on every panic, so a held sustain in a clip can't hang the strings. The Drums port sends channel pressure 0 on all sixteen channels at the same times, so a drum instrument can't hold on to an old pressure value.