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Your First Mapping

Learn how to create custom mappings by building a practical example step-by-step.

What You’ll Build

A simple pad mapping that opens Visual Studio Code when you press pad 1 (Note 60).

Understanding Mapping Structure

Every mapping has two parts:

[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { ... }  # What activates the mapping
action = { ... }   # What happens when activated

Think of it as: “When [trigger], do [action]”

Step 1: Open Your Config File

The config file is config.toml in your project root:

cd /path/to/conductor
open config.toml  # macOS
# or
nano config.toml  # Terminal editor

Step 2: Find the Modes Section

Scroll down to find the [[modes]] section. It looks like this:

[[modes]]
name = "Default"
color = "blue"

[[modes.mappings]]
# Existing mappings here...

Step 3: Add Your Mapping

Add this at the end of the [[modes.mappings]] section:

[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { Note = { note = 60, velocity_min = 0 } }
action = { Launch = { app_path = "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app" } }

What this means:

  • trigger: When pad Note 60 is pressed (any velocity ≥0)
  • action: Launch Visual Studio Code

Step 4: Save and Reload

  1. Save the file (Cmd+S or Ctrl+O in nano)
  2. Stop Conductor if it’s running (Ctrl+C)
  3. Restart it:
cargo run --release 2

Step 5: Test It

Press the first pad (bottom-left on Mikro MK3). Visual Studio Code should launch!

Understanding Note Numbers

How do you know which pad is Note 60?

Quick Reference (Maschine Mikro MK3)

Pad Layout (4x4 grid):
┌────┬────┬────┬────┐
│ 60 │ 61 │ 62 │ 63 │  Top row
├────┼────┼────┼────┤
│ 64 │ 65 │ 66 │ 67 │
├────┼────┼────┼────┤
│ 68 │ 69 │ 70 │ 71 │
└────┴────┴────┴────┘
   72   73   74   75    Bottom row

Find Note Numbers for Any Device

Use the pad mapper tool:

cargo run --bin pad_mapper

Then press each pad to see its note number.

Common Mapping Patterns

Pattern 1: Keyboard Shortcut

[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { Note = { note = 61, velocity_min = 0 } }
action = { Keystroke = { keys = ["Cmd", "T"] } }  # New tab

Pattern 2: Type Text

[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { Note = { note = 62, velocity_min = 0 } }
action = { Text = { text = "user@example.com" } }

Pattern 3: Run Shell Command

[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { Note = { note = 63, velocity_min = 0 } }
action = { Shell = { command = "open -a Calculator" } }

Pattern 4: Volume Control

[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { Note = { note = 64, velocity_min = 0 } }
action = { VolumeControl = "VolumeUp" }

Next Steps