5 ms·

Show HN: I built a WebMIDI sequencer to control my hardware synths

43 points by simplychris 10mo ago

Hey HN, I’m an ex-Google engineer trying to get back into music production. I needed a way to sequence my hardware synths using AI contexts without constantly switching windows, so I built this. It runs entirely in the browser using WebMIDI. No login required. It connects to your local MIDI devices (if you're on Chrome/Edge) and lets you generate patterns. Tech stack: [React / WebMIDI API / etc]. Link: www.simplychris.ai/droplets Code is a bit messy, but it works. Feedback welcome.

vermon 10mo ago
Vibe coded? Asking because it looks very similar to my vibe coded webmidi project which is a beatmatching practice for DJ’s :) https://beat.maido.io/ https://beat.maido.io/
- Mattrou 10mo ago
  It definitely was made with gemini, you can tell by the fact that gemini shoe horned AI features that only work with a google api key.
rcarmo 10mo ago
This is pretty cool in concept. Need to go and get stuff to plug into my laptop to test :)
- thenthenthen 10mo ago
  Does webmidi works over usb-otg? Then maybe it could run from a phone or tablet!
  - piltdownman 10mo ago
    Yeah you can connect via USB MIDI using an OTG adapter by enabling "USB MIDI Peripheral mode" in Developer Options. There's plenty of videos on how to set it up from the Android MIDI Arranger App community - just N.B. you may need a powered USB hub depending on your use-case.
  - gbraad 10mo ago
    I use my tools from a linux machine (reliable) and Android (OK). I got a h4midi wc to improve the setup. Webmidi and JS is not idealz as wakelock is needed and javascript is actually slow.
gbraad 10mo ago
I wrote mine also, integrating an Akai Fire, at https://music.gbraad.nl/meister https://music.gbraad.nl/meister as part of a tool to do live performances. This controls some of my remix tools, mixxx and vj tools too. Edit: my usecase is more integrating different tools and devices, Bitwig, Electribe, mixxx, my mod/protracker remix tool, etc. I guess your usecase is more to generate music, less my thing, but possible. I just have a particular sequencer/tracker use. Generation happens in bitwig
Aldipower 10mo ago
This does not solve the underlying problem at all, which makes today's MIDI, coming from a normal computer, almost unusable for serious sequencing. This is timing and jitter issues! So, may I asked, what is the actual use-case for this sequencer? I would like to see/hear some music you made with it. Or is this just for the sake of using AI?
- Libidinalecon 10mo ago
  If you have hardware synths you are going to have a decent midi and audio interface that this is not a problem. It wasn't even a problem 25 years ago. There is no reason for consumer grade audio to be able to do this because most people will never use it.
  - Aldipower 10mo ago
    I have maybe 20 hardware synths and I do a lot of sequencing. And yes it wasn't a problem 25 years ago, that is exactly why I still use an Atari STe! :-) But today it is a problem. It is just not possible to do complex and tight sequencing today with a normal Win, Mac or Linux computer. Even with my RME PCIe card. Your argument, "it wasn't a problem decades ago, so it cannot today either" is simply not correct.
    - titzer 10mo ago
      From what I understand, midi messages can have timestamps into the future, but that implies buffering on the receiver end. Do most MIDI instruments not support enough buffering to overcome lag? Because in sequencing, the future is pretty-well known.
      - Aldipower 10mo ago
        Yes, they have timestamps. But if you do buffer (or better to say, delay it), you introduce latency, which is even more worse then jitter. The ideal is 0 latency. And another downside with buffering, you would need to manifest the buffer time at all device you trigger to be the same time otherwise you do not stay in sync. Edit: Actually midi note on events that are being sent to devices do _not_ have a timestamp! Only events that are persisted in a file may have timstamps.
srameshc 10mo ago
Thanks this looks intersting and I am going it to try it later. I have old Axiom 49 and it really doesn't work that much with modern DAW as it is assumed it's old and outdated. But I like the form factor and it is solid. I hope I can make it work witht his one ?
0x20cowboy 10mo ago
Neat - here is another one you might find helpful (chrome only) https://cdn.robrohan.com/seq/index.html https://cdn.robrohan.com/seq/index.html And the source: https://github.com/robrohan/r2_seq https://github.com/robrohan/r2_seq
- johnwheeler 10mo ago
  It's kind of annoying when someone shows what they're working on, and the first comment is always, "Oh yeah, here's some alternatives." It feels like less like you're trying to be helpful and more like you're just kind of cheekily crapping on them. 2 cents. Maybe it would be more helpful if you were to ask how it could be different, what it improves upon. Ask if they've seen this. Something more than, "Oh yeah, here's something in addition to what this person is trying to show."

43 points by simplychris 10mo ago

vermon 10mo ago

Vibe coded? Asking because it looks very similar to my vibe coded webmidi project which is a beatmatching practice for DJ’s :) https://beat.maido.io/ https://beat.maido.io/

Mattrou 10mo ago
It definitely was made with gemini, you can tell by the fact that gemini shoe horned AI features that only work with a google api key.

rcarmo 10mo ago

This is pretty cool in concept. Need to go and get stuff to plug into my laptop to test :)

thenthenthen 10mo ago
Does webmidi works over usb-otg? Then maybe it could run from a phone or tablet!
- piltdownman 10mo ago
  Yeah you can connect via USB MIDI using an OTG adapter by enabling "USB MIDI Peripheral mode" in Developer Options. There's plenty of videos on how to set it up from the Android MIDI Arranger App community - just N.B. you may need a powered USB hub depending on your use-case.
- gbraad 10mo ago
  I use my tools from a linux machine (reliable) and Android (OK). I got a h4midi wc to improve the setup. Webmidi and JS is not idealz as wakelock is needed and javascript is actually slow.

gbraad 10mo ago

I wrote mine also, integrating an Akai Fire, at https://music.gbraad.nl/meister https://music.gbraad.nl/meister as part of a tool to do live performances. This controls some of my remix tools, mixxx and vj tools too. Edit: my usecase is more integrating different tools and devices, Bitwig, Electribe, mixxx, my mod/protracker remix tool, etc. I guess your usecase is more to generate music, less my thing, but possible. I just have a particular sequencer/tracker use. Generation happens in bitwig

Aldipower 10mo ago

This does not solve the underlying problem at all, which makes today's MIDI, coming from a normal computer, almost unusable for serious sequencing. This is timing and jitter issues! So, may I asked, what is the actual use-case for this sequencer? I would like to see/hear some music you made with it. Or is this just for the sake of using AI?

Libidinalecon 10mo ago
If you have hardware synths you are going to have a decent midi and audio interface that this is not a problem. It wasn't even a problem 25 years ago. There is no reason for consumer grade audio to be able to do this because most people will never use it.
- Aldipower 10mo ago
  I have maybe 20 hardware synths and I do a lot of sequencing. And yes it wasn't a problem 25 years ago, that is exactly why I still use an Atari STe! :-) But today it is a problem. It is just not possible to do complex and tight sequencing today with a normal Win, Mac or Linux computer. Even with my RME PCIe card. Your argument, "it wasn't a problem decades ago, so it cannot today either" is simply not correct.
  - titzer 10mo ago
    From what I understand, midi messages can have timestamps into the future, but that implies buffering on the receiver end. Do most MIDI instruments not support enough buffering to overcome lag? Because in sequencing, the future is pretty-well known.
    - Aldipower 10mo ago
      Yes, they have timestamps. But if you do buffer (or better to say, delay it), you introduce latency, which is even more worse then jitter. The ideal is 0 latency. And another downside with buffering, you would need to manifest the buffer time at all device you trigger to be the same time otherwise you do not stay in sync. Edit: Actually midi note on events that are being sent to devices do _not_ have a timestamp! Only events that are persisted in a file may have timstamps.

srameshc 10mo ago

Thanks this looks intersting and I am going it to try it later. I have old Axiom 49 and it really doesn't work that much with modern DAW as it is assumed it's old and outdated. But I like the form factor and it is solid. I hope I can make it work witht his one ?

0x20cowboy 10mo ago

Neat - here is another one you might find helpful (chrome only) https://cdn.robrohan.com/seq/index.html https://cdn.robrohan.com/seq/index.html And the source: https://github.com/robrohan/r2_seq https://github.com/robrohan/r2_seq

johnwheeler 10mo ago
It's kind of annoying when someone shows what they're working on, and the first comment is always, "Oh yeah, here's some alternatives." It feels like less like you're trying to be helpful and more like you're just kind of cheekily crapping on them. 2 cents. Maybe it would be more helpful if you were to ask how it could be different, what it improves upon. Ask if they've seen this. Something more than, "Oh yeah, here's something in addition to what this person is trying to show."