Software

MIDI*Haptics

Turn joysticks, game controllers and pedals into expressive MIDI controls.

Turn the controller you already own into a MIDI instrument.

I built MIDI*Haptics because I needed it.

For years I used Junxion from STEIM to turn unconventional controllers into expressive MIDI devices. When STEIM closed during lockdown, Junxion went with it — and I couldn't find anything that did the same job on modern macOS. So I built my own.

I've been working at the intersection of music and technology for over 30 years. Getting back into coding — with the help of today's extraordinary AI coding tools — and being able to build musical tools straight from my own imagination has been one of the genuine pleasures of the last couple of years. MIDI*Haptics is the first result.

What it does

Plug in a joystick, gamepad, pedal, or any HID-compatible controller your Mac already recognises, and MIDI*Haptics turns it into an expressive MIDI control surface. Map axes and buttons to MIDI CC or notes, shape the response with curves and range controls, invert axes, and save configurations for different setups.

If you've ever wanted to control a synth with a flight stick, trigger samples with a gamepad, or use a pedal board for something well outside its original purpose, this does that.

MIDI*Haptics game controller promotional image

Sostenuto Dual

Capture and hold your playing

View on the Apple App Store

I've always been fascinated by the little-used and little-understood sostenuto pedal on a piano.

Unlike the sustain pedal, which lets all the notes ring out, the sostenuto pedal holds only the notes you're pressing when you engage it. Those notes continue to ring while you play others normally.

I loved how some notes could sustain while others had short decay - it was almost like having four hands to play the piano with - or two pianos.

Sostenuto Dual is my way of bringing that possibility to live audio.

Capture a chord, a note or a texture, hold it, and keep playing over it. You can build up to 10 sustained layers from live audio on your Mac, using compatible MIDI pedals and footswitches to capture and release them as you play.

Choose between loop and spectral sustain, shape the attack and release, and balance your live playing with the sustained sound. The full version includes configurable MIDI controls, layer decay and the option to release layers one by one.

Try it in your own setup

Download Sostenuto Dual free and start the optional 14-day full-feature trial whenever you're ready. If it earns a place in your setup, a one-time in-app purchase permanently unlocks all features. There's no subscription.

After the trial, you can keep using all 10 layers in free mode with CC64 control. Layer decay and one-by-one release require the full unlock.

Sostenuto Dual is a standalone macOS application. MIDI foot control requires compatible hardware and an appropriate audio and MIDI setup.