Surface Builder

What it does

A builder for custom MIDI control surfaces. You set a surface size, then drop in buttons, switches, knobs, faders, sliders, XY pads, keyboards, chord strips, clocks and meters, size and color each one, and assign what it sends. Objects can send a CC, a note, a chord, recorded MIDI, or switch scenes and hide other objects. Sixteen ports route output to separate instruments. It loads as an AUv3 MIDI controller, instrument or effect, and the audio version also triggers, cues and stops audio clips.

In the demo

Jade opens a rig she built the night before: chord buttons, a keyboard, volume sliders, pan, stereo width, an LFO, a timer and VU meters driving saxophone, piano and bass across three ports. She then starts a blank surface, builds chord buttons and groups them so only one latches, adds a keyboard with long keys and poly aftertouch, and drags audio files onto buttons as clips.

Worth knowing

Building a surface takes real time and a working knowledge of MIDI routing, so it suits live rigs more than a quick tweak. A MIDI monitor window is built in for checking what each object sends.