Live performance with hardware MIDI

Use skulpton as a live sequencer to drive hardware synths and tone modules. This guide focuses on a robust setup that avoids “stuck notes” and dropped MIDI on stage.

Assumed setup

skulpton  --USB-MIDI-->  External synths (one or more)
        \-- IAC ---------> Soft synth (audio routed to monitors)

Laptop + hardware synth(s) + (optionally) a soft synth
During the show, drive everything from the keyboard — no mouse / trackpad

1. Verify MIDI routing

Assign each track to a different channel for hardware vs. soft synths.

Track	OUT	Channel	Role
Pad	(Soft synth via IAC bus)	1	Pad
Bass	USB MIDI Device	2	Bass (hardware)
Lead	USB MIDI Device	3	Lead (hardware)
Drums	USB MIDI Device	10	Drums (GM-compatible ch10)

For setup details, see Set up MIDI I/O.

2. How to lay out clips

Make one clip per section of the set and lay them out left to right. Lengths of 4 to 16 bars are easy to read.

Intro -> A -> B -> Chorus -> Break -> Outro
Build each clip by duplicating (Cmd/Ctrl+D) and editing the differences

3. Use loop ranges

Set a loop range per section to create jam-friendly parts.

Shift + drag on the ruler to set the range (snaps to bars)
Click Loop ON to start looping
When moving to the next section, double-click Loop to clear the range, then seek to the next section

See Transport & playback for details.

4. Stuck-note safety

The worst thing on stage is a note that won’t stop. skulpton automatically sends CC123/CC120 to all 16 channels at:

Stop / Pause / Seek
Loop wrap
MIDI output port change

If something does ring on, just press Stop again. See Troubleshooting for recovery details.

5. Pre-show checklist

Each track’s OUT port and channel are correct
Each synth’s receive channel matches
BPM and meter are as intended
Loop ranges are set (only for sections that need them)
Keyboard shortcuts rehearsed — Space, Cmd+D, number keys (shortcuts)
One full play-through to confirm every synth makes sound
Theme set to a darker palette (try mono)
OS sleep / auto-update disabled
Plugged into power, with a spare USB-MIDI cable

6. Coding notes that shine in jams

When you want phrase variety on the fly, the coding Note Effect helps.

Different seed -> different phrase — change seed("set-A") to something else
Density that varies over time — make the second half of a clip busier (recipes)
Wobble with Euclidean rhythms — try euclid(5, 16) -> euclid(7, 16)

Troubleshooting

If something goes wrong on stage:

Note won’t stop -> press Stop again
Synth not responding -> change the track’s OUT to something else and back (port reopen fires panic)
Code not applying -> edit the clip’s Code by one character, or toggle the lib OFF -> ON (Troubleshooting)