Tutorial: Inter-App MIDI

Inter-App MIDI

How to: Connect to DAWs or Standalone Synthesizer Apps

If you haven't already, install chorus.js and follow the Quick Start Guide

This tutorial is optional and intended for DAW/synthesizer app users.
If you are ok with the setup from the Quick Start Guide, skip ahead to the Rhythm tutorial.

Outline:

TODO: Add screenshots for everything

Creating Inter-App MIDI Ports

First we need to create a "virtual MIDI port" that can be used to send MIDI messages between applications.

macOS

  1. Open the built-in Audio MIDI Setup application (under /Applications/Utilities)
  2. Go to the MIDI Studio window (menu: Window -> Show MIDI Studio)
  3. Double click IAC Driver to open the IAC Driver Properties window
  4. Make sure Device is online is checked
  5. Click More information to expand the IAC Driver Properties window
  6. Click + to add a port and name it whatever you want.

TODO: screenshot

Windows

  1. Create a virtual MIDI port:
    • Install loopMIDI
    • Run loopMIDI and click + to add a virtual MIDI port
  2. Launch Bitwig Studio and start a new project
  3. Add a generic MIDI Controller:
    • Bitwig preferences → Controllers → Add Controller Manually → Generic → MIDI Keyboard
    • Choose the loopMIDI port
  4. Add a software instrument track with an instrument (such as Polysynth)
  5. Run the Chorus examples and select the loopMIDI port you setup:

     node node_modules/chorus/examples/play-song -p loopmidi

Linux

Try the JACK Audio Connection Kit.

DAW Setup

Now we need to use the inter-app MIDI port we've created as input to our DAW (or standalone synthesizer app). The way you do this depends on the DAW/app (so check its documentation). Examples for several DAWs are shown below.

Ableton Live

TODO

Next Steps

Next is the Rhythm tutorial.