How to use a MIDI keyboard as a game controller on a Mac
Map each note or pad to a keyboard key with InputConfig, a free Mac app, and the game reads the MIDI keyboard as if it were the computer keyboard. A held note is a held key, so W on one pad walks for as long as the pad is down. The pitch wheel can steer or move the pointer, and a sustain pedal makes a good jump button.
I make InputConfig. One limit comes first: it sends keyboard and mouse input, not a virtual gamepad, so this works in games that can be played from a keyboard.
On this page: 9 sections
Steps
- Connect the MIDI keyboard and open InputConfig.
- Add a row, press Scan, and play the key or pad.
- Choose the keyboard key the game uses, such as W.
- Repeat for each control, then activate the preset and start the game.
Set it up
- You: Add a row, press Scan, and play a key or a pad. Choose the key the game expects, such as W.
- InputConfig: Works out what kind of control you played and binds the row to it. The output key stays down for as long as the note does.
- Check: With the preset active, the note moves your character.
One note, one key: the game cannot tell the difference. MIDI to keystroke on a Mac covers every kind of MIDI control a row can listen to.
InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.
Lay out the controls
| On the MIDI device | In the game | Why it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Four pads, or four keys under one hand | W, A, S, D | Notes hold for as long as they are down |
| More pads or keys | Jump, reload, interact, inventory | One key each |
| Sustain pedal | Space, or crouch | It is a foot switch, read as on or off |
| Pitch wheel | Steer left and right, or move the pointer | It rests at the center and reads in both directions, like a stick axis |
| A knob | Scroll, for switching weapons or zooming | Dial and Turn modes turn rotation into scrolling or steps |
Pads for actions, the wheel for direction, the pedal for the thing you do most.
Steer or aim with the pitch wheel
The pitch wheel binds in two directions, plus and minus. Give each direction its own row: A on minus and D on plus for steering with keys, or mouse motion left and right for turning a camera. Turn on Variable Sensitivity in a mouse row and the speed follows how far the wheel is pushed. The pitch wheel is the closest thing on a keyboard to a joystick axis. MIDI to mouse on a Mac goes further.
Know what the game sees
- Keyboard and mouse input. The game sees keys and clicks, as if you had typed them.
- Not a gamepad. InputConfig does not create a virtual controller, so a game that accepts only a gamepad will not respond.
- One press for one key. A note presses a key and releasing it lets go. Macros and turbo are separate options you turn on in a row.
If the game can be played from the keyboard, it can be played from a MIDI keyboard.
Keep the music app quiet
InputConfig reads a copy of what the MIDI device sends, so a music app that is open still hears every note you play. Quit the music app while you play the game, or disarm its tracks, so it does not record or sound the game presses. The notes still go everywhere they went before.
Go the other way
The reverse works too: a game controller can be the MIDI instrument. Buttons play notes, and sticks and triggers send Control Change and pitch bend into a music app. The same app maps in both directions, and one preset can hold both. Gamepad to MIDI on a Mac has the setup.
The short version
- Scan. Play the key or pad.
- Pick the key. W, A, S, D, Space, or a mouse button.
- Play. In any game that takes a keyboard.
A drum pad controller is eight or sixteen big buttons, which is all many games need.
Questions
Can you use a MIDI keyboard as a game controller?
Yes, in games that can be played from a keyboard. On a Mac, InputConfig maps each note or pad to a keyboard key or mouse button, and a held note holds the key.
Does the game see a gamepad?
No. It sees keyboard keys and mouse input. A game that accepts only a gamepad needs a real gamepad.
Can I play games with a drum pad controller?
Yes. Each pad is a note, and each note can be a key. Any pad controller that shows up in Audio MIDI Setup can be scanned.
Can a MIDI pitch wheel steer or aim?
Yes. It binds in two directions like a stick axis, to keys such as A and D or to mouse motion left and right.
Can a sustain pedal be a game button?
Yes. It sends CC 64, which InputConfig reads as a switch that is on past the halfway point. Bind it to Space or any other key.
Will my DAW record the notes while I play a game?
If it is open with a track armed, yes. InputConfig reads a copy of the MIDI, so the DAW still receives it. Quit the DAW or disarm the track.
Related
Free. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.
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