POUNDING
← Gamepad MIDI
Pounding Systems
Documentation

Installation Guide

This guide will walk you through installing Gamepad MIDI on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Windows Installation

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit)
  • Administrator privileges
  • ~50 MB free disk space

Installation Steps

  1. Download the Installer

    • Download Gamepad MIDI-{Version}-Windows.exe from the releases page

  2. Run the Installer

    • Right-click the installer and select "Run as Administrator"
    • If Windows SmartScreen appears, click "More info" then "Run anyway"

  3. Follow the Installation Wizard

    • Accept the license agreement
    • Choose your installation location (default is recommended)
    • Click "Install"

  4. Automatic Components The installer will automatically install:

    • Gamepad MIDI application
    • SDL3 library (for gamepad support)
    • Bome MIDI driver (for virtual MIDI devices)

  5. Restart Your Computer

    • This is required for the virtual MIDI device to work
    • You will be prompted to restart after installation
    • You can postpone the restart, but virtual MIDI features will not work until you do

  6. Launch the Application

    • After restarting, launch Gamepad MIDI from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut

Verification

After installation and restart:

  1. Launch Gamepad MIDI
  2. The status bar should show "Gamepad MIDI" in the MIDI device list
  3. Open your DAW and check for "Gamepad MIDI" in available MIDI devices

Without Restart

If you choose not to restart immediately:

  • The application will still work
  • You can use existing hardware MIDI devices
  • Virtual MIDI device creation will not work until you restart
  • The app will display a message explaining this

Troubleshooting

Virtual MIDI Device Not Appearing

Solution: Restart your computer. The Bome MIDI driver requires a restart to function properly.

Permission Errors During Installation

Solution:

  • Right-click the installer and select "Run as Administrator"
  • Ensure your user account has administrator privileges
  • Temporarily disable antivirus software if it's blocking installation

Device Doesn't Appear in Other Programs

Solution:

  1. Confirm you restarted your computer after installation
  2. Check Windows Device Manager for "Bome MIDI" under "Software devices"
  3. Restart your DAW to refresh its MIDI device list
  4. Try restarting Gamepad MIDI

Uninstallation

To remove Gamepad MIDI:

  1. Open Windows Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
  2. Find "Gamepad MIDI" and click Uninstall
  3. The Bome MIDI driver will remain (other applications may use it)
  4. To remove Bome MIDI: Settings → Apps → Uninstall "Bome MIDI"

macOS Installation

Prerequisites

  • macOS 10.13 or later
  • ~50 MB free disk space

Installation Steps

  1. Download the Application

    • Download Gamepad MIDI-{Version}-macOS.dmg from the releases page

  2. Open the DMG File

    • Double-click the downloaded DMG file
    • A window will open showing the application

  3. Install the Application

    • Drag the Gamepad MIDI application to your Applications folder
    • Wait for the copy to complete

  4. First Launch

    • Open the Applications folder
    • Right-click (or Control+click) on Gamepad MIDI
    • Select "Open" from the context menu
    • Click "Open" in the security dialog
    • This is only required for the first launch

Security & Permissions

macOS may ask for additional permissions:

MIDI Access

  • macOS will ask for permission to access MIDI devices
  • Click "OK" to allow

Input Monitoring (if prompted)

  • Go to System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy
  • Select "Input Monitoring"
  • Check the box next to Gamepad MIDI

Virtual MIDI Device

macOS includes built-in virtual MIDI support. Gamepad MIDI will automatically create a virtual MIDI port called "Gamepad MIDI" that appears in all MIDI-compatible applications.

Verification

  1. Launch Gamepad MIDI
  2. Open Audio MIDI Setup (Applications → Utilities)
  3. Click "Window" → "Show MIDI Studio"
  4. You should see "Gamepad MIDI" in the MIDI devices list

Troubleshooting

"App is Damaged" Message

Solution: This is a Gatekeeper issue

  • Open Terminal
  • Run: xattr -cr /Applications/Gamepad\ MIDI.app
  • Try launching again

Virtual MIDI Port Not Appearing

Solution:

  • Restart Gamepad MIDI
  • Check Audio MIDI Setup for any conflicting MIDI devices
  • Restart your computer

Uninstallation

To remove Gamepad MIDI:

  1. Quit the application
  2. Drag Gamepad MIDI from Applications to Trash
  3. Remove settings (optional):
    • ~/Library/Application Support/PoundingSystems/Gamepad/

Linux Installation

Prerequisites

  • Modern Linux distribution (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 35+, Debian 11+, or equivalent)
  • ALSA or JACK audio system
  • ~50 MB free disk space

Installation Steps

Option 1: Using the .deb Package (Debian/Ubuntu)

  1. Download the Package

    • Download gamepad-midi_{version}_amd64.deb

  2. Install

    sudo dpkg -i gamepad-midi_{version}_amd64.deb
sudo apt-get install -f  # Install dependencies if needed

  3. Launch

    gamepad-midi

    Or find it in your application menu

Option 2: Using the AppImage (Universal)

  1. Download the AppImage

    • Download Gamepad-MIDI-{version}-x86_64.AppImage

  2. Make it Executable

    chmod +x Gamepad-MIDI-{version}-x86_64.AppImage

  3. Run

    ./Gamepad-MIDI-{version}-x86_64.AppImage

Option 3: Using the .tar.gz Archive

  1. Download and Extract

    tar -xzf gamepad-midi-{version}-linux-x64.tar.gz
cd gamepad-midi

  2. Run

    ./gamepad-midi

Dependencies

Most dependencies are bundled, but you may need:

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install libasound2 libjack0

Fedora:

sudo dnf install alsa-lib jack-audio-connection-kit

Arch:

sudo pacman -S alsa-lib jack2

Virtual MIDI Device

Linux virtual MIDI setup varies by audio system:

ALSA (most common): Gamepad MIDI will attempt to create a virtual MIDI port automatically.

JACK: If using JACK, use a2jmidid to bridge ALSA MIDI to JACK:

a2jmidid -e &

Permissions

For gamepad access, you may need to add your user to the input group:

sudo usermod -a -G input $USER

Then log out and log back in.

Verification

  1. Launch Gamepad MIDI
  2. Check available MIDI ports: 
    aconnect -l  # For ALSA
# or
jack_lsp     # For JACK
  3. You should see "Gamepad MIDI" in the list

Troubleshooting

Gamepad Not Detected

Solution:

  • Check gamepad connection: ls /dev/input/js*
  • Ensure you're in the input group
  • Try reconnecting the gamepad

No MIDI Devices Available

Solution:

  • Install ALSA utilities: sudo apt-get install alsa-utils
  • Check ALSA status: aplay -l
  • Restart ALSA: sudo alsa force-reload

Permission Denied Errors

Solution:

  • Add user to input group: sudo usermod -a -G input $USER
  • Add user to audio group: sudo usermod -a -G audio $USER
  • Log out and back in

Uninstallation

For .deb package:

sudo apt-get remove gamepad-midi

For AppImage: Simply delete the AppImage file

For .tar.gz: Delete the extracted directory

Remove settings (optional):

rm -rf ~/.config/PoundingSystems/Gamepad/

Post-Installation

After installing on any platform:

  1. Connect Your Gamepad

    • Connect via USB or pair via Bluetooth
    • The application will detect it automatically

  2. Configure Your DAW

    • Open your DAW's MIDI preferences
    • Enable "Gamepad MIDI" as a MIDI input device
    • Configure MIDI learn or manual CC assignments

  3. Start Creating

Next Steps

Now that Gamepad MIDI is installed, continue to: