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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sampler.meiji.industries/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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MIDI and external gear

Meiji Sampler lets you map physical MIDI controls — knobs, faders, pads, keys — to actions inside the app. Once mapped, a MIDI control behaves exactly like pressing the equivalent keyboard shortcut.

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When to use MIDI mapping

Use MIDI mapping when you want to:
  • trigger pads and chop slices from a drum pad controller
  • control loops or scenes from hardware buttons
  • mute, solo, or clear loops hands-free during a live set
  • control transport and recording from a foot switch or pad
  • trigger PerformFX slots from a controller
You do not need MIDI mapping to use Meiji Sampler. The keyboard workflow is complete on its own. MIDI mapping adds a physical control layer on top.

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The mapping model

Mappings are one-to-one:
  • One MIDI control maps to at most one action.
  • One action maps to at most one MIDI control.
If you assign a control that is already mapped, the old mapping is replaced. If you assign an action that is already mapped to a different control, you are asked to confirm the replacement. Mappings are saved to your settings file and persist across sessions.

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MIDI Settings

Press Tab to access Settings and then select MIDI from the leftmost menu.
  • Mappings — the MIDI learn workflow for creating and managing mappings
  • Monitor — a live display of all incoming MIDI events
Switch between them with Left and Right.

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Creating a mapping

The Mappings sub-view opens in the Listening phase. This is a two-column layout showing existing mappings (Trigger on the left, Function on the right) with an animated spinner prompting you to move a control.

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Step 1: Move a control on your MIDI device

Turn a knob, push a fader, or press a pad on your connected MIDI controller. Meiji Sampler detects the control and transitions to the Assigning phase. If the control you moved already has a mapping, a confirmation dialog appears first. Press Enter to reassign it or Esc to go back and try a different control.

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Step 2: Choose an action from the menu

The Assigning phase shows a hierarchical menu on the right side. Navigate with Up and Down, drill into categories with Enter, and go back with Esc. The top-level categories are:
CategoryWhat you can map
TransportPlay/Stop, Record/Overdub
PadsTrigger any pad (1-0), plus individual chop slices per pad
LoopsControl any loop slot (1-0), or map loop Mute, Solo, Undo, and Clear
ScenesTrigger or Cue any scene slot (1-0), plus Scene Stop
MixerMute any mixer channel (1-0)
PerformFX Slot triggers, Bank Toggle, Kill All FX (when PerformFX is enabled)
Drill into a category, then a slot, then an action. For example: Loops > Loop 3 > Mute. Leaf items in the menu show any existing MIDI mapping dimmed next to them, so you can see what is already assigned.

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Step 3: Confirm

Press Enter on a leaf action to assign the mapping. If the action is already mapped to a different control, a confirmation dialog appears. Press Enter to replace the old mapping or Esc to go back. After assignment, the status bar confirms the mapping (for example, CC 21 ch 1 -> Loop 3 Mute) and the view returns to Listening, ready for the next mapping. The menu remembers which category you last assigned to, so the next assignment starts in the same area for faster batch mapping.

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Editing an existing mapping

In the Listening phase, use Up and Down to highlight an existing mapping in the list, then press Enter to reassign it. The Assigning menu opens with the current action’s category pre-selected.

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Deleting mappings

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Delete a single mapping

In the Listening phase, highlight a mapping with Up and Down, then press Delete or Backspace to remove it. You can also delete during the Assigning phase: press Delete or Backspace to remove the mapping for the control you just moved and return to Listening.

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Clear all mappings

During the Assigning phase, press Shift+Delete to remove every mapping at once. This returns to Listening with an empty mapping list.

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Leaving the MIDI tab

Press Esc from the Listening phase to close the MIDI tab and return to the Create tab.

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External routing

To route audio between Meiji Sampler and a DAW, use a loopback driver:
  • BlackHole (macOS)
  • Soundflower (macOS)

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Where MIDI mappings work

MIDI mappings respond in the main sampler views and in channel overlays:
  • Pads, Loops, Scenes rows — all mappings fire normally
  • Channel Detail and Chop views — mappings continue to work while you inspect a channel or chop a sample, so you can trigger pads or control transport without leaving the overlay
  • Help overlay — mappings still fire (note: triggering a pad action dismisses Help as a side-effect)
MIDI mappings are blocked in stateful modals and views (Settings, Bounce, Trim, MIDI Learn, Search, etc.) to prevent mapped actions from silently dismissing work-in-progress UI.

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Good use cases today

  • trigger pads from a controller
  • control loops or scenes from hardware
  • keep triggering mapped pads while inspecting Channel Detail or chopping a sample
  • monitor incoming MIDI while setting mappings
  • let external transport messages control session playback when explicitly enabled