What Is a MIDI Soundboard?
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a protocol that transmits note, velocity, and control data between devices. A MIDI controller sends Note On messages when a pad or key is pressed and Note Off messages when released. LitPads receives these messages and triggers the corresponding pad at the transmitted velocity level.
The advantage of MIDI over touch or keyboard triggering is velocity sensitivity. MIDI controllers measure how hard the performer hits each pad or key, scaling the sound volume proportionally. Soft hits produce quiet sounds. Hard hits produce loud sounds. This dynamic response is essential for musical performance.
How Do You Connect a MIDI Controller to LitPads?
USB connection on Mac: plug the controller into a USB port. LitPads detects it automatically. USB connection on iPad: use a Lightning or USB-C camera connection kit adapter between the controller and the iPad. Bluetooth connection: pair the controller in System Settings (Mac) or Settings (iOS), and LitPads detects it immediately.
Connected device names appear in the Pad Settings screen. LitPads monitors all connected MIDI sources simultaneously, so a musician can use a pad controller and a keyboard at the same time without switching inputs. The musician's soundboard guide covers multi-controller performance setups.
How Does MIDI Learn Work?
- Open Pad Settings gear icon in Edit mode
- Tap MIDI Learn enters listening mode
- Press a key or pad on the controller note number captured instantly
- Mapped note name and number display e.g., C4, F#3
- Clear button removes the mapping reset and reassign anytime
The mapping is pad-specific, not controller-specific. Any connected MIDI device that sends the mapped note number triggers the pad. A pad mapped to C4 fires from a keyboard's C4 key, a pad controller's pad assigned to C4, or a foot pedal configured to send C4. This flexibility lets performers switch controllers without remapping.
MIDI velocity (0 to 127) scales the pad's volume proportionally. Velocity 0 produces silence. Velocity 127 produces full volume. The scaling is linear, matching the behavior of most hardware samplers. The drum pad app guide covers velocity curve expectations for different controller types.
Which MIDI Controllers Work Best with a Soundboard?
16-pad controllers map naturally to LitPads' 4-column grid with 16 pads per board. The physical layout mirrors the on-screen layout, creating a one-to-one correspondence between hardware pad position and software pad position. This spatial consistency helps performers build muscle memory.
Keyboard controllers offer more notes than pad controllers but lack the rubber pad feel that many musicians prefer for percussion triggering. Keyboards excel at melodic sample playback where velocity sensitivity and key layout match the musical intent.
Foot pedals provide hands-free triggering for performers whose hands are occupied with instruments. A vocalist can trigger backing tracks with a foot pedal while singing. A guitarist can fire ambient effects while playing. LitPads treats foot pedal MIDI messages identically to pad or keyboard messages.
How Does Hold Mode Work with MIDI?
Hold mode with MIDI is ideal for live performance: hold a riser during a buildup and release at the drop, or hold crowd noise during a scene and release when dialogue starts.
Hold mode with MIDI is essential for live effects: hold a riser during a buildup, release at the drop. Hold crowd noise during a scene, release when dialogue starts. The physical gesture of holding a controller pad provides the same temporal precision as holding a touchscreen pad, with the added benefit of velocity-sensitive volume control on the attack.
Marcel Iseli is an indie developer, DJ, and music producer with over 20 years behind the decks and in the studio. Rooted in hip hop culture, he collects drum machines, samplers, and vintage audio gear. LitPads grew out of that obsession: decades of triggering samples on hardware led him to build the software equivalent he always wanted.