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Turn Any Controller Into a Supercharged Macro Pad

What if every button on your Xbox controller could be a keyboard shortcut? What if tapping a MIDI pad softly did one thing, and hitting it hard did something else?

Conductor is the missing link between your game controllers, MIDI devices, and your computer. It’s open-source, blazingly fast (<1ms latency), and lets you create workflows that expensive macro pads can’t touch.

v3.0 is here: MIDI + gamepads in one workflow. Use your $30 Xbox controller as a 15-button macro pad, or combine a MIDI controller with a racing wheel for creative hybrid setups.

✨ The Killer Feature: Velocity sensitivity. Press soft = copy, press hard = paste. One pad, multiple actions. Mind. Blown.

What’s Possible with Conductor

Transform your creative workflow in ways traditional macro tools can’t:

🎵 Music Production

  • Velocity-sensitive recording: Soft press = loop record, hard press = punch record
  • One pad, three actions: Turn a $30 MIDI controller into a pressure-sensitive control surface
  • Gamepad as DAW navigator: Use your Xbox controller for timeline navigation while keeping hands on MIDI keyboard

💻 Software Development

  • Git workflow on a pad: Soft = status, medium = commit, hard = commit+push
  • Velocity-based scrolling: Soft tap = 1 line, hard hit = jump 10 lines
  • Build triggers: Press A button to build, hold B to run tests

🎮 Content Creation

  • Racing wheel for video editing: Use pedals for effects control, wheel for timeline scrubbing
  • Gamepad for streaming: 15+ shortcuts at your fingertips without touching keyboard
  • Form automation: Fill complex forms with one button press

⚡ Power Users

  • Repurpose existing hardware: That dusty Xbox controller? It’s now a 15-button macro pad
  • Hot-reload everything: Change configs on-the-fly, no restart needed (0-10ms reload)
  • Context-aware mappings: Different actions based on active app, time of day, or system state

Key Features

Multi-Protocol Input (v3.0+)

MIDI Controllers:

  • Full MIDI controller support with RGB LED feedback
  • Native Instruments Maschine, Launchpad, APC Mini, and more
  • SysEx support for advanced LED control

HID Gamepads (NEW!):

  • Xbox 360/One/Series controllers
  • PlayStation DualShock 4/DualSense controllers
  • Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
  • Button chords, analog sticks, triggers with full velocity sensitivity
  • See the Gamepad Support Guide for details

Coming Soon:

  • OSC (Open Sound Control) for networked devices
  • Custom USB HID devices
  • Keyboard/mouse intercept for hybrid workflows

Core Capabilities (v2.0.0)

Event Detection:

  • 4 Core Triggers: Note, Velocity Range, Encoder, Control Change
  • 5 Advanced Triggers: Long Press, Double-Tap, Chord, Aftertouch, Pitch Bend
  • 10 Action Types: Keystroke, Text, Launch, Shell, Volume Control, and more

Visual Interface (NEW!):

  • Tauri GUI: Modern desktop app for visual configuration
  • MIDI Learn: One-click auto-detection of MIDI inputs
  • Live Preview: Real-time event monitoring and testing
  • Device Templates: 6 built-in templates for popular controllers

Daemon Infrastructure (NEW!):

  • Background Service: Runs as system service with auto-start
  • Hot-Reload: Config changes applied in 0-10ms without restart
  • IPC Control: Control daemon via CLI or GUI
  • Per-App Profiles: Automatic profile switching

LED & Feedback:

  • 10 LED Schemes: Reactive, Rainbow, Pulse, Breathing, and custom patterns
  • Multi-Mode System: Switch between mapping sets on the fly
  • Device Profile Support: Load Native Instruments Controller Editor configurations

Performance

  • Response latency: <1ms typical
  • Memory footprint: 5-10MB
  • CPU usage: <1% idle, <5% active
  • Binary size: 3-5MB (optimized)

Who is Conductor For?

🎹 Music Producers & Live Performers

You have: A MIDI controller (Maschine, Launchpad, APC Mini) that’s not fully integrated into your workflow, or you’re manually switching modes constantly during recording sessions.

Conductor gives you: Velocity-sensitive DAW control, per-app profile switching, RGB LED feedback that shows your current state, and hot-reload that lets you tweak mappings mid-session.

Example workflow:

“Soft press on pad 1 = loop record, medium press = one-shot sample, hard press = toggle reverb. One pad, three actions. I don’t switch modes anymore—velocity does it for me.”

See Music Production Examples →

💻 Software Developers & DevOps Engineers

You have: Too many terminal windows open, countless keyboard shortcuts to remember, and repetitive git workflows that waste 20-30 minutes daily.

Conductor gives you: One-button git operations, build/test triggers mapped to gamepad buttons, and context-aware shortcuts that change based on your active IDE.

Example workflow:

“Press gamepad button A = git status. Hold for 2 seconds = commit and push with auto-generated message. My PlayStation controller saves me 30 minutes every day.”

See Developer Workflows →

🎮 Streamers & Content Creators

You have: A $150-300 Stream Deck on your wishlist, or you’re using keyboard shortcuts that break your flow during streams.

Conductor gives you: Professional stream controls for free using your existing Xbox/PlayStation controller, with velocity-sensitive audio fading and button chords for complex actions.

Example workflow:

“Xbox A button = switch scene, B = mute mic, triggers = analog audio fade in/out. I saved $300 by repurposing my gamepad instead of buying a Stream Deck.”

See Streaming Setup Guide →

🎬 Video Editors & Post-Production

You have: Keyboard-heavy editing workflows that strain your wrists, and you wish timeline scrubbing felt more natural.

Conductor gives you: Analog pedal control for timeline speed and zoom, ergonomic button layouts on MIDI controllers or racing wheels, and hands-free transport control.

Example workflow:

“My racing wheel’s gas pedal controls timeline playback speed (0-200%). Brake pedal = zoom level. It sounds crazy, but it’s incredibly intuitive and ergonomic.”

See Video Editing Examples →

⚡ Power Users & Automation Enthusiasts

You have: Repetitive tasks you’re sick of doing manually, forms that need filling out dozens of times daily, or app-specific shortcuts you can never remember.

Conductor gives you: Context-aware shortcuts that change based on active application, form automation that fills entire forms with one button press, and MIDI Learn that makes configuration visual and instant.

Example workflow:

“I mapped long-press to ‘fill entire web form with saved data.’ Double-tap = refresh page. Velocity determines scroll speed. Saved hours every week.”

See Automation Examples →

🕹️ Gamers Repurposing Controllers

You have: A dusty Xbox controller, old racing wheel, or HOTAS setup that you barely use anymore.

Conductor gives you: A second life for your gaming hardware as professional productivity tools. That $150 racing wheel becomes a $300 video editing controller.

Example workflow:

“My Thrustmaster HOTAS from Star Citizen now controls my entire dev environment. 20+ shortcuts without touching the keyboard. Plus, it’s just fun to use.”

See Gaming Hardware Repurposing →

Not Sure Where to Start?

Try the Quick Start Guide → - Set up your first mapping in 5 minutes

Browse Device Templates → - Pre-built configs for popular controllers

Explore Use Cases → - See how others use Conductor

Why Conductor?

Unlike existing MIDI mapping tools, Conductor provides:

  • Multi-Protocol Support: Use MIDI controllers AND gamepads in the same workflow (v3.0+)
  • Advanced Timing: Long press, double-tap, chord detection out of the box
  • Velocity Sensitivity: Different actions for soft/medium/hard pad hits
  • Full RGB Feedback: Not just on/off LEDs, but animated schemes and reactive color
  • Modern Architecture: Fast Rust core, hot-reload config, cross-platform
  • Open Source: Fully customizable, extensible, community-driven

Quick Examples

MIDI Controller

# Press pad lightly for copy, hard for paste
[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { type = "VelocityRange", note = 36 }
soft = { action = { type = "Keystroke", key = "C", modifiers = ["Cmd"] } }
hard = { action = { type = "Keystroke", key = "V", modifiers = ["Cmd"] } }

# Hold for 2 seconds to open terminal
[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { type = "LongPress", note = 37, duration_ms = 2000 }
action = { type = "Launch", path = "/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app" }

Gamepad (v3.0+)

# Press A button to build your project
[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { type = "GamepadButton", button = "South" }  # A on Xbox, X on PlayStation
action = { type = "Shell", command = "cargo build" }

# Hold B button for 1 second to run tests
[[modes.mappings]]
trigger = { type = "GamepadButton", button = "East", hold_ms = 1000 }
action = { type = "Shell", command = "cargo test" }

Platform Support

  • macOS: Full support (11+ Big Sur, Apple Silicon + Intel)
  • Linux: Planned for Phase 4 (Q4 2025)
  • Windows: Planned for Phase 4 (Q4 2025)

Device Compatibility

MIDI Controllers

  • Fully Supported: Native Instruments Maschine Mikro MK3 (RGB LEDs, HID access)
  • MIDI-Only Support: Any USB MIDI controller with basic LED feedback
  • Coming Soon: Launchpad, APC Mini, Korg nanoKontrol, and more

HID Gamepads (v3.0+)

  • Xbox: Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S controllers
  • PlayStation: DualShock 4, DualSense (PS5)
  • Nintendo: Switch Pro Controller
  • Generic: Any gamepad with standard HID support

Get Started

Ready to dive in? Check out the Quick Start Guide or Installation Instructions.

Project Status

Conductor is currently at v3.0 with multi-protocol input support, production-ready daemon infrastructure, and visual GUI configuration.

What’s New in v3.0:

  • 🎮 HID Gamepad Support: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Pro controllers
  • 🎯 Unified Input Manager: MIDI + gamepad in single workflow
  • 📦 Controller Templates: 3 official gamepad templates (Xbox, PS, Switch)
  • 🔍 MIDI Learn for Gamepads: Auto-detect gamepad buttons
  • ⚡ Hot-Plug Detection: Automatic reconnection with exponential backoff

v2.0.0 Features:

  • 🎛️ Tauri GUI: Visual configuration editor with MIDI Learn mode
  • 🔄 Hot-Reload Daemon: 0-10ms config reloads without restart
  • 🎯 Per-App Profiles: Automatic profile switching based on active app
  • 📊 Live Event Console: Real-time event monitoring
  • 📦 Device Templates: 6 built-in MIDI templates

See the Roadmap for planned features and Changelog for full release notes.

Community

License

Conductor is open source software licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

Next: Install Conductor | Quick Start