MIDIRegs - Uilleann Regulators 3.2

MIDIRegs is a MIDI control surface designed to emulate the drones and regulators of Uilleann bagpipes, fully compliant with CoreMIDI standards, for use on the iPhone. It does not produce sound independently but facilitates performance by sending MIDI messages to hardware or software synthesizers.

Primarily, MIDIRegs interfaces with hardware or virtual MIDI instruments such as IK Multimedia SampleTank or Sonosaurus ThumbJam, which are executed on the device. Its design draws inspiration from the three regulators—Tenor, Baritone, and Bass—complementing the drone controls based on a full set of Uilleann pipes.

This app enables users to trigger various instrument patches available through CoreMIDI virtual synths, effectively allowing customizable sounds for both drones and regulators. Additionally, MIDIRegs can connect to external MIDI hardware via a CoreMIDI interface connected through the device’s dock connector, offering versatility in live and studio environments.

Since drone and regulator messages can be transmitted on different MIDI channels, the app allows independent patch assignment for each, facilitating complex configurations.

To switch between regulator auto-chord mode and single play mode, simply tap the regulator play mode icon located below the drone switch. Access to settings is available via the MIDI icon, where users can configure their preferred MIDI output mode—either "Omni" (sending data to all connected apps) or "Virtual Port" (sending data through a named CoreMIDI port). When utilizing a virtual port, MIDIRegs appears as an input labeled "MIDIRegs" within compatible apps such as ThumbJam and MIDIBridge. The default setting is "Omni."

Transposition of the entire instrument can be adjusted using the Transpose (Semitones) slider, with a range from -12 to +12 semitones; the default is zero, corresponding to concert D tuning.

The MIDI transmit channels for drones and regulators are configurable via dedicated sliders, allowing selection from channels 1 through 16. Default settings assign channel 1 to drones and channel 2 to regulators; multiple devices can operate simultaneously by assigning distinct channel sets.

Velocity for note-on events is fixed in transmission but adjustable through Drones Velocity and Regulators Velocity sliders, with values ranging from 0 to 127—defaulting to 100.

If any notes become stuck during operation, a quick solution is available by tapping the "!" icon on the main screen to send an "All Notes Off" message, ceasing all active sounds.

All user-configured settings are automatically saved upon exiting the app and restored at launch for continued seamless usage.

For compatible synth applications, certain configuration steps are recommended:

• IK Multimedia SampleTank: Enable "Background Audio" within Settings (gear icon).
• Sonosaurus ThumbJam: Under "Prefs", navigate to "MIDI Control" > "MIDI General Options" and activate "Use CoreMIDI" and "Active in Background".

Other CoreMIDI-compatible synth applications generally require similar configuration adjustments to ensure proper operation within MIDIRegs.