AR Midi Patchbox

A virtual MIDI patchbay for Mac, iPad and iPhone. Inputs on the left, outputs on the right: drag an arrow from one to the other and the MIDI flows. Every connection has its own filters and transformations, and ten memory slots switch your whole setup with one tap.

Download on the App Store User guide Free · Mac · iPad · iPhone · macOS 14, iPadOS/iOS 17 or later · Guida in italiano
The patchbay on iPad: inputs on the left, outputs on the right, arrows between them and the ten memory slots at the bottom.
Patchbay — inputs on the left, outputs on the right, one arrow for every connection.
Dragging a new connection from Drum Pads to the Studio Mac output.
Connect — drag from an input to an output, with your finger or the mouse.
The parameters of a connection: input channel filter and channel router.
Channels — filter the input channels and send each one to the channel you want.
Transpose by one octave down on channel 2 and a soft velocity curve.
Transpose and velocity — octave layers, softer or harder playing, fixed velocity.
Monophonic mode with Hold and release with the sustain pedal.
Mono and Hold — one note at a time, held until the next one or the sustain pedal.
The slot bar with Studio, Live and Rehearsal and the menu of the Live slot.
Memory slots — ten complete setups, recalled with one tap and no stuck notes.
The event monitor with incoming and outgoing MIDI messages.
Monitor — the MIDI coming in and going out, decoded.

How it works

Patchbay

Connect anything to anything

Add your instruments to the two columns and drag an arrow from an input to an output. One input can play several instruments and several inputs can reach the same instrument.

  • USB, Bluetooth, network and IAC ports, with the connection type on every icon.
  • Virtual ports that DAWs, synths and other apps see as regular MIDI ports, and find again at every launch.
  • An unplugged instrument stays in place, greyed out, and comes back with its connections.
Routing

Every connection, its own rules

Tap an arrow to shape the MIDI that goes through it, in a fixed and predictable order.

  • Event type filter, with a list of allowed or excluded controllers.
  • Input channel filter and a 16-channel router.
  • Transpose up to four octaves, evaluated on the output channel.
  • Velocity: fixed value, scale, offset, curve and limits.
  • Monophonic mode and Hold, released by the next note, the sustain pedal or a CC.
Slots

Ten setups, one tap away

Save the whole patchbay — ports, virtual ports, connections and parameters — in one of ten slots and recall it between songs or between studio and stage.

  • Notes that are playing are ended before the switch: no stuck notes.
  • Virtual ports shared by two slots are kept, so other apps stay connected.
  • The current setup is saved automatically and restored at launch.
Safety

Built for playing live

The MIDI engine runs on its own real-time path, with every note tracked so that it always gets its Note Off.

  • Panic button always in view: Note Off for every note and All Notes Off on every output.
  • A rate limiter on every output stops MIDI loops before they lock up your instruments.
  • On iPad and iPhone the routing keeps running while you play another app.

On the Mac too

AR Midi Patchbox on the Mac with the event monitor open on the right.
The same patchbay on Mac, iPad and iPhone, with the event monitor in a side panel.

Everything in the box

Virtual ports

Create named MIDI ports for your DAW and your apps; they keep their identity from one launch to the next.

Bluetooth MIDI

Pair Bluetooth LE keyboards and controllers from inside the app, on Mac, iPad and iPhone.

Network MIDI

Exchange MIDI with other Apple devices on your Wi-Fi or wired network.

Event monitor

Incoming and outgoing messages with time, port, channel and decoded data, with filters and pause.

Instrument icons

Keyboards, modules, pads, controllers, computers and more, guessed from the device name or chosen by you.

SysEx

System exclusive messages go through whole, up to 64 KB each, never mixed between sources.

Accessible

Create and remove connections with VoiceOver, without dragging.

Free, no strings

No in-app purchases, no ads, no account, no data collected. In English and Italian.

Get the app

AR Midi Patchbox is free on the App Store for Mac, iPad and iPhone. The user guide shows every screen in detail. Privacy · Questions: info@armusic.dev.