Controllers

MAGDA can be driven by any class-compliant MIDI controller. Hardware knobs, sliders, pads, and pitch/mod wheels can all map to plugin parameters, macros, and LFO rates — with two complementary mapping systems:

• Automap profiles — a controller-specific profile maps each control to a focused-device macro automatically. Plug in a supported keyboard, focus a device, and the eight macro knobs already drive that device's macros. No setup.
• MIDI Learn — right-click any parameter, macro, or LFO Rate, choose Learn MIDI, move a controller, done. The mapping is yours and persists with the project.

Both can coexist. A Learn'd binding shadows automap on the same CC so your custom mapping wins.

Controllers Dialog

Open from Settings > Controllers.

The dialog lists every controller MAGDA knows about. Each row shows the manufacturer and model, the live MIDI input port the controller is connected to, and a connection-status indicator (green dot when the named port is currently available).

Two buttons sit in the header:

• + Add profile — register a new controller using one of the profiles already in your controllers directory. Pops a menu of available profiles, then asks which MIDI input the controller is connected to.
• Upload profile… — pick a .json profile from disk and import it. Validates the JSON, copies it into the controllers directory, and refreshes the registry. After upload, the new profile is available to + Add profile.

Right-click a row to Show profile in Finder (reveals the JSON file) or Remove (deletes the controller and its bindings).

Bindings created by MIDI Learn against a removed controller's port still work — they attach to the live MIDI port name, not to the controller registry entry.

Profiles

A profile describes a controller's physical layout — which CC numbers correspond to the eight macro knobs, and so on. MAGDA ships with profiles for common controllers (Launchkey Mini MK3 / MK4, generic 8-knob, etc.) and you can add your own.

When a profile is assigned to a controller and a device is focused, the profile's macro knobs drive that device's macros. Focus a different device — the same hardware knobs follow.

If you only want MIDI Learn (no automap), don't add a controller — Learn'd bindings route via the live port name and don't need a registry entry.

Profiles directory

User profiles live alongside MAGDA's other configuration:

Platform	Path
macOS	~/Library/MAGDA/controllers/
Windows	%APPDATA%\MAGDA\controllers\
Linux	~/.config/MAGDA/controllers/

On first launch the bundled profiles are seeded into this folder. Edits and additions there are durable — drop a new *.json profile in and it's available next time you open the Controllers dialog.

Profile JSON format

For the full JSON schema, the resolver list (the functions that route a CC to a target — focused.macro, selected.volume, master.pan, etc.), the <vendor>.<model>.<intent> id convention, and a worked example, see the Controller Profile Format reference.

MIDI Learn

To map a single hardware control to a single MAGDA target:

1. Right-click the parameter, macro knob, or LFO Rate slider.
2. Choose Learn MIDI. The control pulses orange.
3. Move a knob, slider, or press a button on your controller.
4. The binding is captured. The pulse stops; an orange dot appears.

Learn works on:

• Plugin parameters — any device parameter (pulses on the slider).
• Macros — track, rack, or device macros. Right-click the knob.
• LFO / modifier Rate — right-click the Rate slider in the modulator editor.

To cancel without capturing, choose Cancel MIDI Learn (same menu, same item).

Clearing Mappings

Right-click → Clear MIDI Mapping (N) removes only your Learn'd bindings; automap profile coverage is left alone. After clearing a Learn'd macro, the macro falls back to its profile mapping (the dot returns to green).

Indicator Legend

MAGDA shows controller coverage as small dots on macro knobs, parameter slots, and device headers.

Dot	Meaning
Green	Profile-driven (automap) binding is active on this target.
Orange	A user MIDI Learn'd binding is active.
Grey	Profile binding exists but is shadowed by an explicit Learn override on the same CC.

A device header can show two dots side-by-side (green for profile coverage, orange for any Learn'd binding inside the device).

Above: a 4OSC Synth focused with an automap-mapped controller. Each macro knob carries a green dot — the automap profile is driving them, and the device-header dot mirrors the same green.

Above: the FREQ slider has an orange dot — a user MIDI Learn binding is in effect. The device-header dot turns orange to mirror it.

Generating a Profile from Description

If MAGDA doesn't ship a profile for your controller, the AI Assistant can write one for you. In the AI panel, type /co to autocomplete /controller, then describe the controller after the command:

/controller Akai MPK Mini Mk3, 8 knobs on CC 70-77, channel 1

The AI generates a profile JSON, drops it in your controllers directory, and prompts you to enable it. Describe the controller in plain language — manufacturer, model, which CCs the knobs send, MIDI channel — the more specific you are, the better the profile.

To tweak the generated JSON by hand — fix a CC number, switch a knob to drive selected.pan instead of a focused-device macro — the Controller Profile Format reference explains every field.

See AI Assistant — Slash Commands.

Tips

Tip

A Learn'd binding routes through the port name, so it survives renaming the controller in the dialog or even removing it from the registry. The binding still fires whenever the named port is connected.