TouchDAW Demo - MIDI controller & custom tools

TouchDAW is a comprehensive DAW controller that includes various general-purpose MIDI tools and features to develop your own custom controllers.

This application serves as a MIDI controller! It does not have the capability to play or record audio directly!

It supports a range of workstations including Cubase, Nuendo, Live, Logic, Pro Tools, Sonar, FL Studio, REAPER, Reason, Studio One, Samplitude, SAWStudio Digital Performer (7.2+), Vegas, Acid, Tracktion, Bitwig, Ardour, and Mixbus. Standard functions such as mixer and transport control will also be available in other applications that support basic control surfaces. Starting with version 1.1, the app can transmit MIDI Machine Control (MMC) alongside traditional DAW controls.

In addition to emulating control surfaces, the application provides several general-purpose MIDI controllers like a multitouch MIDI keyboard, multitouch launchpads, a MIDI mixer, customizable xy-controller pads, and the ability to connect a phone's sensors to MIDI controllers.

TouchDAW operates with RTP or multicast MIDI over WiFi and is fully compatible with Apple's Network MIDI used in Mac OS X, as well as Tobias Erichsen's rtpMIDI driver for Windows and ipMIDI (also known as multimidicast or qmidinet on Linux). There’s no need for any server or protocol conversion software on the computer side aside from the necessary drivers.

Devices featuring USB host mode can utilize class-compliant MIDI interfaces. Direct USB connectivity between device and PC is offered through both the Android 6 MIDI API and tethered USB connections or ADB. A specific driver, obtainable from our platform, might be required for certain proprietary options.

The APK includes versions for both tablets and phones, with recent smartphones allowing users to adopt the tablet interface layout.

Initial configuration on the PC side is needed for the app. Please refer to the platform for guidance.

This is a limited-feature free version. Here are the distinctions compared to the paid version:

DAW controller:

- randomly deactivates 3 channels on the tablet interface

Time-limited features:

- limitations on recording, automation, saving, and marker setting

- restrictions on plugin, instrument, and routing editors

- channel flipping in the mixer

MIDI controllers:

- time-restricted multitouch functionality

- absence of floating transport controls

- sensors, MIDI mode, and MMC are time-limited

- restricted octave range on the keyboard

- only one note can be held on launchpads

Despite these restrictions, the full version remains identical otherwise. If you experience issues with the demo, purchasing the full version will not resolve them! (Consulting the manual or seeking assistance via the provided developer contact can help!)

Why is there no unlockable freemium model? When the app was initially launched, Android lacked support for in-app purchases. Unfortunately, changing this retrospectively isn't possible, so the existing demo/full version separation must remain.

If you encounter problems, have questions, or seek suggestions, please consult the platform for assistance. The comments section on the Play Store is not designated for support, and inquiries left there will not receive responses.

FAQs

1. Q: Will TouchDAW work with DAW X or DAW Y?

A: Yes if X and Y support Mackie controllers, at least not out of the box if they don't. Check your DAW's manual for MCU support.

2. Q: Do I need a WiFi router for this?

A: To run RTP or multicast over WiFi it is recommended, yes. There are other ways to create a network, though. See networking alternatives.

3. Q: Ok, but can I use the app without WiFi at all?

A: Yes, various forms of USB connectivity may be available depending on your device's system version etc. See the USB MIDI page.

4. Q: I got the DAW Controller working, but don't seem to receive any data from Keyboard and XY-controllers..?

A: The MIDI controllers use a separate connection that needs to be separately set up and routed in the DAW.

The DAW controller is a remote control device to the DAW and communicates bidirectionally on a MIDI port exclusively used for that purpose. Controllers on the other hand should feed MIDI to the DAW via regular track inputs

5. Q: I hear a piano playing / some noise being generated when I touch buttons or faders in TouchDAW. Thought this was a controller...?

A: You have a computer-side routing problem. Most likely the system's GM synth (or some VSTi or external soundmodule) receives MIDI on the port that the DAW controller part of the app sends to. The remote control protocols use of all kinds of MIDI messages, not just control changes. Make sure that the DAW control MIDI ports are exclusively used by the app and the DAW's remote control implementation.

6. Q: When I touch the keyboard or launchpads it activates the metronome, saves files, creates locators etc. WTF?

A: Looks like you too have a fault in your computer-side MIDI routing. MIDI notes sent to the input that the DAW uses for remote control may call Mackie Control functions. Make sure the app's second MIDI connection is only used for normal track input. Do not connect the app's second session to the RTP session used for the DAW controller.

7. Q: When I press stop, all faders jump to 50%. How buggy is this?

A: Another routing error. The remote control output port will also be in use in some place that the DAW sends controller resets to (like a MIDI or instrument track). Make sure the remote control ports are exclusively used for remote control.

8. Q: I usually start my DAW first, then when I launch and connect the app it starts playing on its own?

A: TouchDAW may start sending some commands on startup, but it's not exactly 'playing' anything here: When the app does not receive a parameter dump from the DAW right away, it will send some Mackie control commands to trigger a parameter update. A USB connected hardware control surface will usually be up and running when the DAW starts. This is not necessarily the case with an app and the DAW will eventually send its initial parameter dump into nowhere via the present virtual MIDI ports. So if TouchDAW comes online after the DAW is already running, it needs to somehow provoke a parameter dump. If you "hear" these notes, then you have a routing error, because they will only be sent via the DAW controller connection, which should be exclusively used for DAW control (see previous questions).

9. Q: I always get three channels grayed out on the mixer allthough all tracks are enabled in my DAW. Which ones are disabled seems to change randomly...?

A: That's the demo asking you to buy the full version. See the description for TouchDAW Demo on Google Play for a full listing of demo limitations.

10. Q: I also want to run the app on my tablet / changed phones / had to reset my device. How can I install TouchDAW without purchasing again?

A: Make sure you run under the account that made the purchase, open the Google Play app and select "My Apps" from the menu. You should then be able to download TouchDAW again, resp. download it to other devices. Note that if you just recently made a purchase, it may take a bit of time until things sync across devices. If you experience problems with downloads, installs, refunds, payments or Google Play access, please contact Google Play help through the Google Play help center. Developers have zero influence on how the Play Store works and how it manages your account and its purchases.

11. Q: I have a huge tablet / touchscreen. Can I get controls for more than 8 channels?

A: No, not for the DAW controller. The MCU and HUI protocols only support 8 channels per MIDI port. If you need more you will have to use another

device and set it up as an Extender in your DAW just like with hardware control surfaces. See your DAW's Mackie Control documentation for details. You can create custom controllers with as many channels as you like, but the same DAW-side protocol limitations will apply if you want your controller to do Mackie Control stuff (the app's two MIDI ports allow for 16 channel DAW controllers, but that will render the keyboard, xy-pads etc. useless).

12. Q: I'm using RTP. Works fine, but I wonder if I really have to manually connect every time I start working?

A: Once you have the sessions in place and are familiar with the whole proceeding you can set TouchDAW to autoconnect to 'remote sessions'.

13. Q: The app won't cover all the tracks in my project. None of the banking controls seem to work...?

A: You probably have multiple (Mackie) control surfaces in your DAW-side configuration. The DAW will spread the mixer accross all of them and thinks that all of your channels are already accessible on a controller. Remove unneeded and potentially unconnected control surfaces from your configuration or see the next question.

14. Q: Is there a way to run TouchDAW in parallel with hardware MCU units without the mixer beeing spread accross the phone and the control surface?

A: That depends on the DAW's controller support. If it can work with HUI and MCU units in parallel you can either use the hardware controller in HUI mode or set TouchDAW to Pro Tools (HUI) mode. Alternatively: the mnet driver supports controller merging. Please have a look at the mnet manual.

15. Q: When I confirm or cancel a Pro Tools dialog notification after I have closed the dialog in the DAW, Pro Tools creates a new memory location. Can this be avoided?

A: Unfortunately Pro Tools does not send any MIDI in response to its dialogs being closed so TouchDAW has no way to know if the dialog is still up. You can use the phone's back button or click somewhere outside of the dialog to close the notification in TouchDAW without sending anything. TouchDAW 1.5 also has an option to suppress those notifications alltogether, but you will then not be able to confirm or cancel anything when away from the desk.

16. Q: How do I get the meters to work?

A: That depends on the DAW. With most of them metering should 'just work'. With Cakewalk you will need to enable it in the DAW's control surface settings. In Pro Tools 12 and larger metering on HUI controllers will only work if Eucon is disabled in the DAW. Please see the DAW setup page for details.

17. Q: I have some weird, hard to describe problem, is there a way to make the app provide some debugging info?

A: Go to Setup / About, touch the dialog's header and follow the instructions given. Restart the app and try to reproduce the problem. Then go back to the logging option to disable it. TouchDAW should then ask for permission to email the log file. Please do not strip any attachments from the mail and if possible provide some extra info on the misbehavior you want to report.

18. Q: I can't get any sound out of this, also can't find anything like an import option...?

A: TouchDAW does not play or record audio. It's a remote control app for common sequencer software. Do not forget to leave a 1 star "No sound" comment in the Play Store before uninstalling.