MIDI CommanderStream Deck plugin
MIDI Commander support
Setup help and fixes for the most common MIDI issues. Most problems come down to a port, a channel, or a DAW setting, and the answers below cover each one.
Getting started
MIDI Commander needs Stream Deck software 7.1 or later on macOS 12+ or Windows 10+.
- Install the pluginInstall MIDI Commander from the Elgato Marketplace and it appears in the Stream Deck app.
- Add an actionOpen the MIDI Commander category in the action list and drag Send Note, Send CC, CC Dial, Program Change, or Transport (MMC) onto a key or dial.
- Choose a MIDI output, channel, and valueThe output list shows every MIDI port on your computer right now. Pick the one your DAW, synth, or lighting software listens to.
- Turn on Feedback (optional)Choose a MIDI input and tick Feedback so the key follows incoming MIDI. On a CC Dial, the same option is called Sync value from incoming MIDI.
Connecting to apps on the same computer
To reach software on the same machine without a hardware interface, you need a virtual MIDI port.
macOS
MIDI Commander creates MIDI Commander Out and MIDI Commander In automatically while the Stream Deck app is running. Enable MIDI Commander Out as an input in your DAW, and send feedback to MIDI Commander In.
You can also use the built-in IAC Driver: open Audio MIDI Setup, choose Window > Show MIDI Studio, double-click IAC Driver, and tick Device is online.
Windows
Windows has no built-in virtual MIDI ports. Install the free loopMIDI, add a port, and leave it running.
Pick that port as the output in MIDI Commander and as an input in your DAW. For two-way feedback, create a second loopMIDI port for the return path.
Troubleshooting
My MIDI port isn't in the list
The port list is read from your computer when you open an action's settings. Connect the device or start your virtual MIDI driver first, then close and reopen the action's settings.
On Windows, make sure loopMIDI is running and has at least one port. On macOS, MIDI Commander Out and MIDI Commander In appear while the Stream Deck app is running.
The key shows a warning triangle when I press it
MIDI Commander couldn't send to the selected output port, usually because the device was unplugged or the virtual port was renamed or closed. Reconnect it, then choose the port again in the action's settings.
My DAW isn't receiving anything
Work through these in order:
- Your DAW has the port enabled as a MIDI input: MIDI Commander Out, the IAC Driver, or your loopMIDI port.
- The track or MIDI mapping listens on the same channel as the action.
- The DAW's MIDI activity indicator or monitor flickers when you press the key.
Keys don't light up when my DAW changes
Turn on Feedback in the action's settings and choose a MIDI input. Your DAW must send MIDI back out to that port, on the same channel and note or CC number.
For Send CC, values of 64 or higher light the key and lower values turn it off.
Transport keys do nothing
Transport keys send MIDI Machine Control (MMC). Enable MMC input for the MIDI Commander port in your DAW's sync or MIDI settings. The default device ID is 127, which addresses all devices.
If your DAW doesn't support MMC, map a Send Note or Send CC key to its transport controls instead.
The CC Dial jumps the first time I turn it
In absolute mode the dial starts from its last known value. Turn on Sync value from incoming MIDI and pick an input so the dial picks up the DAW's current value, or switch to relative mode so the dial sends increments instead of absolute values.
Relative mode moves the wrong way or too fast
Relative mode sends two's-complement increments. Set the matching control in your DAW to a two's-complement relative encoding, and lower the Step setting on the dial for finer moves.