MIDISynth
MIDI-driven live visuals
Free · In‑App Purchases
Play a note, fire a visual. Built for live stages where Resolume is overkill and you need a cue running in seconds, not minutes.
MIDISynth turns your MIDI controller into a visual instrument.
Press a key, trigger a visual. Hold it, and the effect holds with you. Release, and it
resolves. Everything is driven by the notes you are already playing, in real time, on a
Metal-accelerated engine built for stage work.
It was written for one specific frustration: the big VJ suites can do anything, but
getting a single one-shot visual mapped to a single note takes ten minutes of patching.
MIDISynth does that in seconds — and then stays out of the way.
WHAT IT DOES
• Map any MIDI note, chord or CC to a visual effect
• Effects respond to velocity, note length and pitch
• Real-time rendering on Apple's Metal framework
• Output to a second or third display for projection or LED walls
• Scenes hold a complete setup — switch instantly between songs
• Blackout and Panic controls for when a show goes sideways
VISUAL EFFECTS
Pulse, Flash, Image Overlay, Video Overlay, Background Animation, Shader Background
Pulse, Mandelbrot Infinite, Geometric Image, Note Geometry and animated Text. Layer them,
tint them, blend them, and drive every parameter from the incoming MIDI.
BRING YOUR OWN MEDIA
Import your own images and videos into the asset library and trigger them like any other
effect. Video overlays support transparency, so logos and mattes composite cleanly over
what is underneath.
GENERATIVE ENGINE
Beyond triggered clips, MIDISynth can generate visuals from the musical structure itself.
Entities and ribbons spawn from what you play, following palettes and motion profiles you
define, reacting to gesture and phrasing rather than to individual notes.
AUDIO REACTIVE
Not every instrument sends MIDI. Feed a microphone or line-in signal and MIDISynth will
analyse it live — frequency bands, beat detection, level — and use that to drive the same
effects. Audio is analysed in real time and never recorded.
BUILT-IN SEQUENCER
A piano-roll sequencer for programming cues in advance. Import and export standard MIDI
files to move material between MIDISynth and your DAW.
RECORD YOUR OUTPUT
Capture the visual output to H.264, HEVC or ProRes 422, at 1080p, 1440p, 4K or matching
your output resolution.
WORKS OFFLINE, ALWAYS
MIDISynth has no network access at all. No account, no login, no analytics, no tracking,
nothing to sync. Your projects, media and settings stay on your device. On stage this
matters: the app does not care whether the venue WiFi works.
FREE AND PRO
Everything above is real, and a lot of it is free. The free tier gives you full MIDI
input, three scenes, five visual effects, ten imported assets and output on your main
display — enough to play a real set.
MIDISynth Pro unlocks the rest: every visual effect and the shader library, the Generative
Engine, MIDI Learn, audio-reactive mappings, song switching, unlimited scenes and assets,
output on external displays, and video recording.
Pro is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-time Lifetime purchase
that includes Family Sharing and all future updates.
REQUIREMENTS
macOS 14 or later, or iPadOS 17 or later. A MIDI controller is recommended but not
required — the built-in sequencer and audio input both work standalone.
TERMS & PRIVACY
Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy: https://www.smart-app.dev/MIDISynth/support/privacy.html
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
The developer, Stefan Hollekamp, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Stefan Hollekamp
- Size
- 36 MB
- Category
- Music
- Compatibility
Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later.
- iPad
Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.0 or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- iPad
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- MIDISynth Pro — Monthly $3.99
- MIDISynth Pro — Lifetime $69.99
- MIDISynth Pro — Yearly $22.99
- Copyright
- © Stefan Hollekamp
