MIDI Tracks Overview
Homecrate includes a full MIDI track system alongside its audio tracks. Switch to MIDI mode using the MIDI tab above the timeline. You get 8 independent MIDI tracks, each capable of sending notes to hardware synthesizers, AUv3 instrument plugins, or both.
Audio Tracks vs. MIDI Tracks
| Audio Tracks | MIDI Tracks | |
|---|---|---|
| What they store | Recorded audio waveforms | MIDI note events (pitch, timing, velocity) |
| What they play back | Audio clips through your speakers | Note messages sent to a device or plugin |
| How you record | Microphone or audio interface | MIDI keyboard/controller connected via Bluetooth or USB |
| Where you edit | Clip trim handles + waveform view | Piano roll or drum step sequencer |
| Metronome tab | Audio | MIDI |
Both track types exist simultaneously in every project. You can have audio clips on tracks 1–8 and MIDI clips on MIDI tracks 1–8 at the same time — they all play back in sync.
Switching to MIDI Mode
Tap the MIDI tab in the tab switcher row below the transport.
[SCREENSHOT: MIDI tab selected — timeline showing MIDI clip rows, mixer showing MIDI channel strips]
The timeline shows your MIDI track rows. The mixer shows MIDI channel strips instead of audio channel strips.
The MIDI Channel Strip
[SCREENSHOT: MIDI channel strip with all elements labeled]
Each MIDI channel strip contains:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Track number (M1–M8) | Identifies this MIDI track |
| Activity dot | Flashes green when MIDI notes are being received from a hardware input |
| M (Mute) | Silences this track’s output during playback |
| R (Arm) | Arms the track for recording. Tap once for Armed, twice for Monitor (passes MIDI through to your device/plugin in real time), tap again to disarm. |
| INPUT section | Select which hardware MIDI device to record from, and which channel to listen on (Omni = all channels) |
| OUTPUT section | Select which hardware MIDI destination to send notes to, and which channel |
| AUv3 INSTRUMENT | Route this MIDI track’s notes to an instrument plugin on one of the audio tracks |
MIDI Clips on the Timeline
[SCREENSHOT: MIDI clip on timeline — showing mini piano roll preview and clip label]
MIDI clips display a mini piano roll preview showing the note pattern inside the clip. The colored dots represent notes at their relative pitches.
The clip label shows:
- The clip description (you set this when editing)
- The number of bars (e.g. “4bar”)
- The note count (e.g. “16n”)
MIDI Clip Handles
Like audio clips, MIDI clips have handles on the left and right:
- Top-left handle — trims the clip start; notes before the new start are removed and the clip shortens
- ⇄ bottom-left handle — moves the whole clip left or right in time
- Right edge handle — trims or extends the clip end; notes are clipped or the empty space at the end grows
Note: The right handle can extend a clip beyond its last note, adding empty bars at the end. This is useful when you want a 4-bar loop that starts repeating from bar 5, not from the last note.
Adding a MIDI Clip
Record from a MIDI Controller
- Arm a MIDI track (tap its R button until it shows red)
- Set up your input device in the INPUT section of its channel strip
- Tap ⏺ Record in the transport — you’ll hear a 4-beat count-in, then recording begins
- Play your part on the connected MIDI controller
- Tap ⏹ Stop — the recorded notes appear as a new clip
See Recording MIDI Input for detailed setup.
Add an Empty Clip Manually
- Long-press a blank area on any MIDI track row
- In the popup, select the Empty clip tab
- Set the number of bars
- Tap Add empty clip
The empty clip appears at the playhead position. Open it in the piano roll to draw notes by hand.
Generate a Clip with AI
The Music Chat assistant can generate chord progressions, melodies, basslines, and drum patterns. See Music Chat (AI Assistant).
Editing a MIDI Clip
Long-press any MIDI clip (or tap the ✏️ pencil icon) to open its editor.
- For pitched clips (melodies, chords, basslines): opens the Piano Roll Editor
- For drum clips (notes on pitches 36–51): opens the Drum Step Sequencer
Homecrate automatically detects drum patterns and routes them to the step sequencer for easier editing.
Routing MIDI to an Instrument Plugin
The most powerful MIDI workflow is routing a MIDI track to an AUv3 instrument plugin:
- Load an instrument plugin onto an audio track (e.g. a synthesizer on Track 1)
- In the MIDI channel strip for your MIDI track, tap No Instrument under the AUv3 INSTRUMENT section
- Select the instrument plugin from the list
[SCREENSHOT: AUv3 Instrument picker showing available instrument plugins]
Now when your MIDI track plays back (or when you play live in Monitor mode), notes are sent directly into the plugin’s audio engine. The plugin’s output comes out through the audio track it’s loaded on.
See Instrument Plugins & MIDI Routing for more.
Routing MIDI to Hardware
To send MIDI notes to an external hardware synthesizer or device:
- Connect your device via USB-MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI, or a compatible MIDI interface
- In the MIDI channel strip, tap No Device under OUTPUT
- Select your hardware from the device list
- Set the output channel to match your hardware’s receive channel
See MIDI Output: Connecting Hardware.
MIDI Playback and the Loop
MIDI clips respect the loop region just like audio clips. When looping is active and the playhead wraps back to the loop start, all active MIDI notes are silenced (note-off sent) and the relevant clips are rescheduled from the loop start. This prevents stuck notes.
See Loop Regions.