---
title: "MIDI"
description: "Use MIDI controllers to trigger interval scenes, map pads with MIDI Learn, and control live playback from your controller."
url: "https://flosync.com/docs/midi/"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-09-24"
---

# MIDI Controller Support

FloSync supports MIDI controllers for direct scene triggering during live performances. Connect a MIDI controller to trigger interval scenes from pads or buttons, with LED feedback showing which scene is active.

MIDI works with interval scheduling. Map each scene to a pad, then press pads to switch scenes during [Go Live](https://flosync.com/docs/go-live/).

## Supported Controllers

FloSync works with any MIDI controller, but provides enhanced LED feedback for these devices:

| Controller | LED Support |
| --- | --- |
| **Novation Launchpad** (X, Mini MK3, Pro MK3, MK2, and legacy models) | Full 127-color palette + SysEx RGB |
| **Akai APC** (APC40 MK2, APC Mini MK2) | 128-color velocity palette |
| **Akai APC** (classic APC40, APC Mini) | 6-color palette (red, green, yellow) |
| **Arturia Minilab 3** | Full RGB via SysEx |
| **Native Instruments Maschine** (MK2, MK3, Mikro, Jam) | 17-color velocity mapping |
| Other MIDI controllers | Velocity-based brightness (basic) |

## Setting Up MIDI

### 1. Enable MIDI

1. Open **Preferences** (⌘, on macOS, Ctrl+, on Windows)
2. Scroll to the **MIDI Control** section
3. Toggle **Enable MIDI Control** on
4. Click **Save**

### 2. Select Your Device

Choose your MIDI controller from the **Device** dropdown in Preferences. Click the refresh button to rescan for newly connected devices.

### 3. Map Scenes to Pads

*The schedule icon, on the right side of the toolbar.*

1. Open the **Schedule Panel** (click the schedule icon in the toolbar)
2. Switch to **Interval Mode**
3. Click the **Learn MIDI** button on any scene
4. Press a pad or button on your controller
5. The mapping is saved automatically

### 4. Set LED Colors

1. Click the **palette** icon next to a mapped scene
2. Choose from preset colors or use the slider for custom values
3. Different controllers interpret colors differently, so experiment to find what works best

To clear a mapping, click the **Clear mapping** icon next to a mapped scene.

## Using MIDI During Live Mode

Once your scenes are mapped and you [Go Live](https://flosync.com/docs/go-live/):

- Press any mapped pad to instantly switch to that scene
- The active scene's LED lights up brightly; other mapped scenes show dimmer
- MIDI triggers work the same as keyboard controls for interval scenes
- Scene changes triggered by MIDI also sync to network clients (if running as server)

## LED Feedback

When MIDI is enabled and a controller is connected:

- **Active scene**: LED lights up at full brightness in its assigned color
- **Other mapped scenes**: LEDs show at lower brightness
- **Unmapped pads**: Not affected

Colors can be customized per-scene in the schedule panel using the palette icon.

## MIDI Message Types

FloSync recognizes these MIDI message types for triggering scenes:

| Message Type | Trigger Condition |
| --- | --- |
| **Note On** | Any velocity > 0 |
| **Control Change** | Any value on the mapped controller number |
| **Program Change** | Any program number |

## MIDI and Network Sync

When using FloSync in server/client mode:

- MIDI triggers on the **server** broadcast scene changes to all clients

- **Clients** do not process local MIDI input during live mode

- This ensures all computers stay synchronized when using MIDI control

- Your MIDI mappings are saved as part of each scene, so they travel with your `.flo` configuration file. Exporting or importing a configuration brings its mappings along. A mapping records only a MIDI channel, message type and the note, controller or program number that message carries, not a specific controller model, so if the other computer has a different controller, its pads may not be in the same places; you may need to re-learn the mapping there.

- Mappings do not travel over network sync itself: when a client imports scene content from a connected server, MIDI mappings are left out of what it receives.

## Auto-Reconnect

If you disconnect and reconnect your MIDI controller, FloSync automatically reconnects and restores your mappings. No manual re-pairing is needed.

## Related

- [Go Live](https://flosync.com/docs/go-live/): scene navigation and keyboard controls during live mode
- [Scheduling](https://flosync.com/docs/scheduling/): setting up interval scenes for MIDI triggering
- [Network Sync](https://flosync.com/docs/network-sync/): how MIDI triggers propagate to network clients
- [Preferences](https://flosync.com/docs/preferences/): enabling MIDI and selecting your device