Android MIDI input and output?

Hi, I’m currently testing out some platforms and engines for a project idea. I’m very new to Unreal Engine, but have always been curious about it and all that it offers.

I want to know if anyone here has experience with creating Unreal apps for Android that use MIDI input and output. I have been able to get input and output going on a desktop build, which is great for my purposes. When trying to launch for Android, the app crashes immediately. When I remove MIDI functionality, it runs fine.

I didn’t see any immediate resources for my problems, but more than that- I haven’t really come across any examples of this happening at all. So I wanted to come here and confirm: can Unreal Android builds use the MIDI plugin? Have you used it successfully?

Any wisdom on Android MIDI (or iOS MIDI as well for that matter) is greatly appreciated.

Hey dombarrett,

There used to be a plugin called, Procedural Midi by Scott Bishel, I don’t know though if this was for Windows only though.
It doesn’t appear on the marketplace anymore, however, I have the plugin if you can’t find it.

All the best,

Smudgy

1 Like

Thanks Smudgy- I managed to find it. I was able to get the plugin from the Github repo and download the example project from the plugin page.

It works on Windows, however, I wasn’t able to get it to work on Android. It did manage to compile and run on my android device, though. So thats progress. However, it didn’t seem to see any valid MIDI destinations- ones that multiple other apps were able to see.

I’ll try trouble shooting a few different options here but I’m not optimistic. Thanks for the lead though. If anyone manages to get this, or any type of MIDI Out, to work on Android- any help is greatly appreciated.

No worries, dombarret.

I’m glad you got one step further anyway.
I once created an Unreal Project (Win10), that educates the user about the harmonica and piano keyboard, using this plugin (FURIOOS, Stream any 3D project anywhere, anytime, on any device). I managed to get the midi output from MuseScore3 as an input to it. And the midi output from the project to Akkordica (MIDI VST plugin), which was encapsulated in Minihost modular, to sound the harmonica.
I did need LoopMidi to direct the channels.
Again, it was never designed for the android OS, so in that arena I can’t really help much.

What are you trying to achieve, if you don’t mind me asking.

Nice! That sounds like a great project.

Generally, I’d like to be able to make audio/visual art type applications. My vision is to make interactive visual art pieces in Unreal Engine, but then have them be able to output MIDI messages so that musicians can use a spare smartphone as a MIDI controller in their performances. A kind of instrument that is interesting to look at for performance purposes.

Thank you for nice comment, it was fun to do.

Now that sounds really cool, wish you luck with it. Would like to assist, I have a few hours spare a week.
Currently trying to get UE’s audio capture to produce visuals, lol, sound and vision, good old bowie.

Getting a makeshift midi keyboard in UE is fine, though it’d appear small on the android screen, all depends how many octaves you’d need. Though would be simple input flow, unless you want to design your own UI c/w buttons/sliders, etc.

Would be good to chat about it anyway.

Oh wow, thanks. Honestly, any knowledge about MIDI i/o in regards to mobile platforms would be the most useful to me right now.

Just to elaborate on what I’m thinking- I’m more imagining an abstract visual, not any specific instrument. I make electronic music, and have seen many people doing this kind of thing:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVIwOl9FQkp/

In this setup, a modular synthesizer is the sound source and also is sending information into a TouchDesigner program. I’m not sure if this is MIDI or something else, but we can certainly imaging how an Unreal program would receive MIDI messages to do something similar to this approach.

However, my general thought is to make something that looks like this- but it sends MIDI notes instead of receives them. It could be something a bit more of a utility, where the user decides what the visuals look like and what MIDI messages are sent out. Or, perhaps these things could be more of a ‘one off’ type scenario- each program/app having a specific look and midi output with minimal-to-no control over those parameters.

I can achieve something like this right now with desktop targets. This might be good for a good amount of scenarios- but it would be great to have these things available for phones, tablets, or spare smart devices that you kept in the sock drawer.

The other approach would be audio analysis and playback, so I’m curious about what your work with that has been like as well.

Can you ping me on, smudgy67@msn.com, to discuss further, please, dombarret?

Hi! I tries make app for android too. Smartphone as a midi controller. Do you found a solution?