MIDI
Arkestra has a comprehensive MIDI system via MIDIKit. You can map MIDI CC values and note on/off messages to any parameter, macro, chain selection, scene trigger, or snapshot restore.
Connecting a MIDI device
Section titled “Connecting a MIDI device”MIDI devices are auto-detected when connected. Open the MIDI tab (piano keys icon) in the right panel to see connected devices and enable/disable them.
MIDI Learn
Section titled “MIDI Learn”The fastest way to assign MIDI:
- Right-click any parameter → MIDI Learn
- A “waiting for MIDI” indicator appears
- Move the knob/fader on your hardware
- The assignment is made immediately
Manual mapping
Section titled “Manual mapping”Right-click any parameter → Map to MIDI → … to open the MIDI mapping sheet and manually choose:
- Channel (1–16 or Any)
- Message type: CC, Note, Program Change (PC), or Pitch Bend (PB)
- CC number (for CC type)
- Min / Max range scaling
Mapping to non-parameter targets
Section titled “Mapping to non-parameter targets”MIDI can also control:
- Chain selection — trigger a specific chain index on a track
- Scene trigger — fire a scene
- Snapshot restore — restore a snapshot slot
- Track Macros / Chain Macros — macro knob values
All of these use the same right-click → MIDI Learn or Map to MIDI workflow.
Note mapping
Section titled “Note mapping”When a parameter is mapped to a Note, the mapping sheet offers:
- Note number — the specific note (0–127) to listen for, or Keytrack mode to respond to any note
- Channel — 1–16 or Any
- Mode — Gate (note-on → 1.0, note-off → 0.0) or Toggle (each note-on flips between 0.0 and 1.0)
In Gate mode you can additionally enable:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Velocity | Drives the value from the note’s velocity instead of a fixed 1.0 |
| Keytrack | Maps the note number to a value — lower notes give lower values, higher notes give higher values |
| ADSR | Shapes the output contour with an Attack / Decay / Sustain / Release envelope, using a local envelope or a shared Global ADSR |
Pitch bend
Section titled “Pitch bend”Pitch Bend (PB) mappings use the pitch wheel on a selected MIDI channel as a live 0–1 control source. Learn it the same way as any other message — move the pitch wheel during MIDI Learn, or choose PB in the mapping sheet and set the channel manually.
Default-to-zero preference
Section titled “Default-to-zero preference”A Default CC to zero toggle in MIDI settings controls what CC, pitchbend, and PC-mapped parameters read before any MIDI data arrives. When on, they show 0 until the first message; when off, they hold their saved position.
MIDI clock
Section titled “MIDI clock”Arkestra can sync its internal tempo to an incoming MIDI Clock signal. Enable this in the MIDI tab (piano keys icon) in the right panel.
See also Ableton Link → for network-based tempo sync.
LED feedback
Section titled “LED feedback”Arkestra sends MIDI feedback to supported control surfaces. Track fader positions and chain selection states are reflected as LED states on the Launch Control XL and APC40 MkII when set up via the Control Surface section in the MIDI & Sync panel.