Unlocking Your Hardware Studio: Introducing the Instrument Profiles Directory & Live MIDI Sync

If you’ve ever tried to integrate physical hardware synthesizers and drum machines into a digital, browser-based sequencer, you know the struggle.

First, you have to dig up the manual to find the exact MIDI Control Change (CC) numbers for parameters like filter cutoff, resonance, or envelope decay. Next, you have to map them manually in your software. If you're using a drum machine, you have to manually configure the output channel to MIDI Channel 10 and configure separate pitch note mappings for every single pad.

By the time your knobs are mapped, the musical inspiration has evaporated.

That’s why we built the Instrument Profiles Directory and Live MIDI Sync in the closeby.1 sequencer. It’s a unified hub that automatically bridges the gap between your browser and your physical hardware synthesizers, getting you from connection to creation in seconds.

A Curated Database of Popular Hardware

The new Instrument Profiles Directory features a growing list of pre-mapped baseline configurations for industry-favorite instruments from Moog, Korg, Behringer, Arturia, Novation, and ASM.

Using our dual-axis quick filters, you can find your gear in seconds:

Filter by Brand: Browse specific manufacturer hubs (like our dedicated Behringer, Korg, or Arturia pages).
Filter by Engine Configuration: Instantly sort devices by their architecture, grouping them into Mono (monophonic synths), Poly (polyphonic synths), or Drum (drum machines and rhythm modules).

4 Pillars of a Bidirectional Studio Experience

To make browser-to-hardware routing feel as magical as possible, we implemented four core Web MIDI capabilities directly on each specifications page:

1. Unified MIDI Hardware Device Dropdown

Instead of wrestling with separate, redundant menus for MIDI inputs and MIDI outputs, we consolidated everything into a single MIDI Hardware Device selector. Select your synth (e.g., "Minitaur") in the dropdown, and the app automatically maps the corresponding input and output ports behind the scenes.

2. Live Bidirectional CC Synchronization

MIDI CC has traditionally been a one-way, push-only protocol. Synths don't have a standard way to report their current knob states back to a computer. Our new Live CC Sync feedback loop solves this. When you physically tweak knobs on your desk, the app captures the incoming CC signals and instantly slides the matching controls on your screen in real-time. Your virtual patch state and physical synth stay completely in sync.

3. Automatic Drum Synth Configurations (Channel 10)

Under standard MIDI conventions, MIDI Channel 10 is reserved for percussion. When you open a drum machine profile (such as the Arturia DrumBrute or Korg drumlogue), the app automatically pre-configures the output to Channel 10 on load and maps interactive Virtual Drum Pads matching the official pitch specs of the hardware.

4. Hands-Free Pulse & Loop Testing

To let you verify MIDI connections without sitting at a keyboard, we built two test triggers:

Pulse Note: Sends a single test trigger note (C4) to hear your patch instantly.
Loop Note: Toggles a repeating, hands-free note pulse (firing every 600ms). This allows you to step away from the keyboard and perform filter sweeps with both hands while the synth loops in the background.

How to Get Connected in 3 Steps

Getting started is simple:

Find Your Synth: Navigate to the Synth Directory and click on your synthesizer model card.
Select Your Port: In the Virtual MIDI Controller settings bar at the top of the card, select your physical port name under the MIDI Hardware Device dropdown.
Start Tweaking: Toggle the Loop Note button to start a repeating test trigger, and grab either your physical synth knobs or the on-screen sliders to sculpt your sound.

Wrap Up

The Instrument Profiles Directory brings your physical hardware and browser-based projects closer together than ever. By removing the tedious manual mapping process, you can focus on what actually matters: dialing in gorgeous patches and writing music.

Plug in your hardware, load up your profile, and start modding!