How to Connect a MIDI Controller to Your Browser
Plug in your pads, open a browser, play. Web MIDI makes it that simple.
What Is Web MIDI?
Web MIDI is a browser API that lets websites communicate with MIDI devices — pad controllers, keyboards, drum machines, and more. No drivers, no plugins, no special software. Padwolf uses Web MIDI to detect MIDI controllers automatically. When you connect a controller and open Padwolf, it appears in the MIDI device selector.
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Connect your MIDI controller via USB 2. Open Padwolf in Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave, or Firefox 108+ (Safari is not supported) 3. In the MIDI bar above the pads, click "Connect MIDI" — the browser asks for permission once, click Allow 4. Your controller appears in the device dropdown 5. Select your device if you have more than one 6. Hit a pad on your controller — you should see the last-note indicator update with note name and velocity 7. Play! That's it. No configuration files, no MIDI routing, no intermediate software. Note: Padwolf only requests MIDI access when you click the button — there is no surprise permission popup when you first load the page.
Test Your Controller First
Before you commit to making a beat, it's useful to verify the controller is sending data correctly. Padwolf has a dedicated MIDI tester page that shows note names, velocity bars, channels, and a live history log — without the beat maker around it. Useful when: • A pad isn't triggering and you need to know if it's the device, the OS, or the browser • You want to see exactly which MIDI note a particular pad sends so you can set the base note correctly • Your controller has CCs (knobs, faders, sustain) and you want to confirm they work
Open the MIDI testerDedicated Setup Pages by Controller
If you have one of the popular controllers below, the dedicated page covers model-specific notes — bank switching, pad ranges, velocity curves, and tested combos.
Setting the Base Note
MIDI controllers send note numbers (0-127) when you hit a pad. Padwolf maps 16 consecutive notes to its 16 pads. The base note determines where the mapping starts. Default is 36 (MIDI note C2), which matches the standard MPC pad layout. If your controller uses a different starting note: 1. Hit a pad on your controller 2. Look at the last-note indicator (or the MIDI tester) — it shows the note number received 3. Set the base note to that number 4. Now pad 1 on your controller triggers pad 1 in Padwolf
Browser Compatibility
Web MIDI is supported in: • Chrome (full support, all platforms) • Edge (full support) • Opera (full support) • Brave (full support) • Firefox 108+ (full support — older Firefox versions did not have Web MIDI) • Chrome on Android (full support) Not supported in: • Safari on macOS • Safari on iOS / iPadOS If you're on Safari, switch to Chrome or Firefox. Everything else in Padwolf works on every browser.
Velocity Sensitivity
MIDI velocity (how hard you hit) is fully supported. Hit a pad hard for a loud sound, soft for a quiet one. The velocity value (0-127) is converted to a volume adjustment using the formula: 20 * log10(velocity/127) dB. This gives you expressive, dynamic playing — the same way a real MPC responds to your touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any class-compliant USB MIDI controller that sends note messages. Popular options: Akai MPK Mini, Akai MPD218 / MPD226 / MPD232, Akai LPD8, Arturia MiniLab MK2 / MK3, Novation Launchkey (Mini, 25, 37, 49, 61), Novation Launchpad, Korg nanoPAD2, Worlde EasyPad. Even MIDI keyboards work — the keys trigger pads in sequence. We have dedicated setup pages for the most popular models.
Padwolf only asks for MIDI permission when you click the "Connect MIDI" button — never on page load. This is intentional: most browsers (Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave) silently hang the permission request when it isn't triggered by a click, and a surprise permission popup is annoying for users who don't have a controller. Click the button when you're ready and the prompt appears immediately.
1) Make sure you're using Chrome, Edge, Opera, Brave, or Firefox 108 or newer (Safari does not support Web MIDI). 2) Click "Connect MIDI" in Padwolf and click Allow when the browser asks. 3) Try unplugging and replugging the controller. 4) Open padwolf.app/midi-tester to confirm the OS sees the device at all. 5) Some older controllers need a manufacturer driver installed before they show up as a MIDI device — check the manufacturer's website.
Sometimes. Bluetooth MIDI on Chrome/macOS is the most reliable; Windows requires extra setup. For testing and live use, USB is faster to configure and more reliable across all browsers.
Safari on iOS and iPadOS does not implement Web MIDI. There is no workaround inside Safari itself. Use Chrome on macOS, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, or Android — all of those support Web MIDI fully.
Firefox added Web MIDI support in version 108 (December 2022). Before that, Firefox left it disabled by default for privacy reasons. If you're on a recent Firefox you should be fine; older versions will need a Chromium-based browser.