MIDInet
Redundant MIDI Over Network
One controller, instant
Dual-stream failover
Up to 16 highways
Major New Features
Multi-device support, operational modes, native system tray, and self-updating — MIDInet v3.1 is the biggest release yet.
Multi-Device Highways
Run up to 16 independent MIDI controllers on a single Raspberry Pi host. Each controller gets its own virtual port on every client — no more one-controller-per-host limitation.
- ✓Protocol v2 with per-device packet routing
- ✓Interactive device highway editor in admin
- ✓Per-device MIDI metrics and activity tracking
- ✓Identity cloning per highway
Three Operational Modes
Choose the right architecture for your show. Switch modes live from the cockpit-style admin selector with built-in safety checks and automatic client restart.
- ✓Single — one controller, minimal setup
- ✓Redundant — primary + backup with failover
- ✓Multi-Device — up to 16 controllers simultaneously
- ✓Mode change safety: confirms, restarts clients, validates
Native System Tray
Full system tray app on macOS and Windows with color-coded health status, focus management, one-click updates, and show protection.
- ✓Green / yellow / red / gray health icon
- ✓Blocks quit when Resolume Arena is running
- ✓Auto-start at login on all platforms
- ✓Real-time MIDI rate and packet loss in tooltip
Self-Update System
One-click updates from admin dashboard or system tray. Version mismatch detection warns when host and clients run different builds.
- ✓Real-time download progress in admin UI
- ✓Git-hash tracking across all components
- ✓Automatic service restart after update
- ✓No manual SSH or terminal needed
How It Works
Three operational modes, each with redundant dual-host broadcasting. Choose the topology that fits your show.
Dual controllers, dual hosts, dual streams. Full redundancy at every layer.
Built for Live Performance
Every feature designed for production environments where reliability is non-negotiable.
Sub-Perceptible Latency
End-to-end from USB read to virtual device output. Well under the 15ms perceptible threshold — your performers will never feel the network.
Dual-Stream Redundancy
Inspired by Dante/SMPTE ST 2022-7. Both hosts broadcast simultaneously on separate multicast groups. Clients switch on 3 missed heartbeats.
Full Duplex MIDI
LED feedback, motorized fader sync, and display updates flow back to the physical controller. One focused client at a time, switchable via API, tray, or MIDI note.
Focus Management
Auto-claim on startup, manual override via dashboard, REST API, tray icon, MIDI note, or OSC command. 10-second auto-renew survives host restarts.
Unlimited Cable Distance
Place your MIDI controller anywhere on the network — FOH, backstage, across the venue. No USB extenders, no signal boosters, no flaky active cables. Just Ethernet.
Zero-Config Discovery
NDI-style mDNS/DNS-SD discovery. Plug in a client and it finds hosts automatically. No IP addresses to configure, no network setup.
Device Identity Cloning
Virtual devices match the physical controller's name, manufacturer, and port count. Resolume Arena sees "Akai APC40", not a generic port.
MIDI Pipeline Processing
Channel filtering, note transpose (-48 to +48), velocity curves (linear, log, exp, S-curve), and message type filtering — all hot-reloadable.
Hot-Reload Config
Pipeline changes, alert thresholds, and failover settings apply instantly via REST API. No service restart, no dropped MIDI messages.
Input Redundancy
Hot-swap between two physical MIDI controllers. Activity-based auto-switch or manual trigger via API/CLI/OSC. Full state reconciliation on switch.
REST + WebSocket + OSC
Complete REST API for automation, WebSocket streams for real-time dashboards, and OSC listener for show control integration. Bearer token auth.
Bitfocus Companion Ready
Lives alongside Companion on the same network. REST API endpoints for triggering failover, switching focus, and reading status from StreamDeck buttons.
Multi-Device Highways
Run up to 16 independent MIDI controllers on a single host. Each device gets its own virtual port on every client — perfect for complex rigs with multiple controllers.
Operational Modes
Choose Single (one controller), Redundant (primary + backup), or Multi-Device (up to 16). Switch modes live from the cockpit-style admin selector with safety checks.
System Tray App
Color-coded health icon, focus control, update checks, and auto-start — all from the system tray on macOS and Windows. Blocks quit when Resolume Arena is running.
One-Click Updates
Update from admin dashboard or tray with real-time progress. Version mismatch detection warns when host and clients are out of sync. Git-hash tracking across all components.
Featherweight Footprint
Under 1MB of RAM and less than 5% CPU on a Raspberry Pi 4 — with 16 MIDI controllers connected. Lives happily alongside Bitfocus Companion on the same Pi.
Real-Time Architecture
Fixed memory allocations, lock-free hot path, no garbage collector, no dynamic growth in the critical loop. Runs rock-solid for days or weeks without degradation.
Redundancy at Every Layer
Inspired by broadcast-grade protocols like Dante and SMPTE ST 2022-7. No single point of failure.
Host Redundancy
~10msPrimary / Standby Dual-Stream
Two Raspberry Pi hosts broadcast simultaneously on separate multicast groups. If the primary fails, clients switch to the standby within 10ms. Manual switch via dashboard, API, CLI, MIDI note, or OSC.
Input Redundancy
~5-10sDual MIDI Controllers
Connect two identical controllers to the host. Activity-based auto-switch detects disconnection or silence. Feedback routed to both controllers keeps LEDs in sync.
Network Redundancy
TransparentJournal Recovery + Jitter Buffer
MIDI state journal (RFC 6295 inspired) enables full state reconstruction after packet loss. Configurable jitter buffer (0-2000µs) smooths WiFi-induced variance.
Client Resilience
2-30sSupervised Task Restarts
Internal watchdog monitors all client tasks. Automatic restart with exponential backoff (2s → 30s). Virtual MIDI device persists across task restarts — no application disruption.
Runs Everywhere
Host on a Raspberry Pi, connect clients from macOS, Windows, or Linux. One-command install on every platform.
Raspberry Pi
Host- ✓ALSA MIDI input
- ✓SCHED_FIFO real-time priority
- ✓Systemd auto-start
- ✓One-command provisioning
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Hakolsound/MIDInet/main/scripts/pi-provision.sh | sudo bashmacOS
Client- ✓CoreMIDI virtual ports
- ✓LaunchAgent auto-start
- ✓Menu bar tray icon
- ✓Native notifications
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Hakolsound/MIDInet/main/scripts/client-mac.sh | bashWindows
Client- ✓Windows MIDI Services (Win11)
- ✓teVirtualMIDI (Win10)
- ✓System tray icon
- ✓Scheduled Task auto-start
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Hakolsound/MIDInet/main/scripts/client-win.ps1 | iexLinux
Client- ✓ALSA sequencer virtual ports
- ✓Systemd user service
- ✓AppIndicator tray
- ✓XDG autostart
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Hakolsound/MIDInet/main/scripts/client-linux.sh | bashOff-the-Shelf Hardware
No proprietary hardware. Build a broadcast-grade MIDI network with off-the-shelf components. Hardware not included — bring your own Pi and controller.
Plug In. It Works.
Hardware boxes need one unit per server with manual port routing and zero redundancy. OSC broadcast? Flaky UDP, playback glitches, and composition size headaches. MIDInet auto-discovers every client — one device, unlimited servers, instant failover.
| Feature | MIDInet ~$80 Pi 5 + free software | Bome BomeBox ~$229 Per unit (need one per server) | iConnectivity mioXL ~$400 8x12 DIN + USB | iConnectivity mioXM ~$250 4x4 DIN + USB | DOREMiDi MR-1 ~$155 RTP-MIDI gateway | Apple RTP-MIDI Free macOS built-in | OSC Broadcast Free DIY workaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | Plug in, it works | Route each port manually | Auracle config per port | Auracle config per port | IP + session config | Manual sessions | Manual message mapping |
| Latency | <5ms | ~5-10ms | ~3-8ms | ~3-8ms | ~5-15ms | ~2-10ms | Variable |
| Redundancy | Dual-Stream | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Failover | ~10ms auto | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Topology | Many-to-Many | Point-to-Point | Hub-and-Spoke | Hub-and-Spoke | Point-to-Point | Point-to-Point | Broadcast (flaky) |
| Multi-Client | Unlimited | 1 box per server | Up to 22 ports | Up to 12 ports | 1 connection | Manual sessions | Broadcast (unreliable) |
| Identity Cloning | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Bidirectional | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Focus Management | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| MIDI Processing | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| API / Control | REST + WS + OSC | Bome Network app | Auracle app | Auracle app | None | None | Custom scripting |
| Zero-Config | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Open Source | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
MIDInet
Pi 5 + free softwareBome BomeBox
Per unit (need one per server)iConnectivity mioXL
8x12 DIN + USBiConnectivity mioXM
4x4 DIN + USBPrices sourced from B&H Photo, Sweetwater, and Amazon (Feb 2026). MIDInet is the only solution with zero-config setup, dual-stream redundancy, and automatic failover.
The 16th Sheep — Reunion Tour
How a sold-out, nationally televised concert tour deployed MIDInet for fully redundant MIDI control across a massive multi-server Resolume Arena setup.
Zero MIDI Failures. Every Night.
One of Israel's biggest reunion tours — 5,000+ seats per night, sold out in minutes — relied on MIDInet to distribute MIDI across the entire video production. From FOH to stage, across multiple Resolume Arena servers, with dual APC-40 controllers in perfect sync.
The Challenge
Distance
FOH placed over 100 meters from stage-side media servers. USB and DIN MIDI are physically impossible at this range — no extender is rated for it reliably.
Scale
12 channels of 12G-SDI cameras forced all video processing stage-side. Multiple Resolume Arena servers on both macOS and Windows needed simultaneous MIDI control with full feedback.
Reliability
5,000+ audience per night with national media coverage. A fully redundant solution was non-negotiable — both main and backup controllers had to stay in sync at all times.
What We Found
Outdated products, minimal maintenance, prohibitive cost
Unreliable, no redundancy, no MIDI feedback support
Flaky at distance, one cable per machine, no failover
No redundancy, no identity cloning, point-to-point only
How MIDInet Fit
What This Setup Would Cost
| Approach | Cost | Redundancy | Feedback |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIDInet + existing LAN1 Raspberry Pi | ~$80 | Full dual-stream | Bidirectional |
| BomeBox per server4 units | ~$916 | None | Yes |
| iConnectivity per server4 units | ~$1,600 | None | Yes |
| MIDI-over-fiber (mil-spec)Per link pair | $4,000+ | None | Limited |
| USB extenders (100m)4 active runs | ~$800+ | None | Unreliable |
MIDInet + existing LAN
1 Raspberry PiBomeBox per server
4 unitsiConnectivity per server
4 unitsMIDI-over-fiber (mil-spec)
Per link pairUSB extenders (100m)
4 active runsCosts estimated for 4 Resolume Arena servers with dual-controller redundancy.
One Price. Yours Forever.
Perpetual license with 12 months of free updates. No subscriptions, no recurring fees. Start with a free 36-minute trial.
Free 36-minute trial included. No credit card required.
Works With Your Stack
Designed to slot into existing live production workflows. No vendor lock-in, no proprietary protocols.
Resolume Arena
Identity CloningVirtual MIDI devices match your physical controller's name. Existing mappings work unchanged — Resolume sees "Akai APC40", not a generic port. MIDInet even blocks quit when Arena is running.
TouchDesigner
Virtual MIDIMIDI-driven generative visuals and interactive installations. Multi-device mode routes different controllers to different TD patches simultaneously.
QLab
Virtual MIDITrigger show cues across multiple QLab machines from one controller. Redundant failover ensures your cue list never misses a trigger during a live show.
Madrix
Virtual MIDILED and lighting control via MIDI. Distribute controller input to multiple Madrix instances across your lighting network with zero configuration.
Bitfocus Companion
REST APILives alongside Companion on the same network. REST API endpoints for triggering failover, switching focus, and reading status from StreamDeck buttons.
DAWs & Media Servers
Virtual MIDIAbleton Live, Logic Pro, Millumin, Disguise, VDMX — any software that reads MIDI sees a native virtual device. No drivers, no plugins.
OSC Control Systems
OSC ListenerSend failover triggers, input switches, and focus commands via OSC. IP whitelist for security. Works with any show control system.
Custom Automation
REST + WS + CLIFull REST API with bearer token auth, WebSocket real-time streams, and CLI tool. Automate everything from your own scripts or CI/CD pipelines.
Built for the Live AV Community
Share knowledge, exchange experience, and help shape the future of reliable MIDI distribution. Join VJs, lighting designers, and media server operators building shows with MIDInet.
“Zero-config discovery is a game changer for touring rigs.”
VJ / Touring“Finally, redundant MIDI without proprietary hardware.”
Show Designer“The failover is so fast our performers never noticed.”
Technical Director