I built a WebMIDI sequencer to control my hardware synths
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Hey HN,I’m an ex-Google engineer trying to get back into music production.I needed a way to sequence my hardware synths using AI contexts without constantly switching windows, so I built this.It runs entirely in the browser using WebMIDI. No login required. It connects to your local MIDI devices (if you're on Chrome/Edge) and lets you generate patterns.Tech stack: [React / WebMIDI API / etc].Link: www.simplychris.ai/dropletsCode is a bit messy, but it works. Feedback welcome.
HN · launched Dec 11, 2025 · 43 upvotes (top 20%) · 1 view
Niche: software synthesizers and midi tools · 119 launches, 5 in the last 7 days ▼ -64% · Explore this niche →
Category and tags
- Media & entertainment
- Hardware & robotics
- Prosumer
- Not AI
- Hobby / open-source project
Visit website ↗ Source listing ↗
More like this: all 119 launches in software synthesizers and midi tools →
Could you build this?
Yes The Web MIDI API and Web Audio/Clock scheduling are well-supported in modern browsers and easily implemented with standard JavaScript.
Discussion
20 comments analyzed.
Competitors mentioned: Bitwig (DAW/sequencer), Mixxx (DJ software), Ableton (DAW), Akai Fire (hardware controller), Atari ST/STe (hardware sequencer)
Concerns raised: JavaScript too slow and non-threaded for reliable MIDI timing, Browser-based MIDI suffers from unpredictable jitter and latency issues, USB MIDI buffering causes non-real-time-safe behavior vs. original DIN cables, Modern OS abstraction layers prevent tight MIDI clock synchronization compared to 1980s hardware, Requires wakelock and workarounds; not suitable for serious sequencing work
Feature requests: Support for USB MIDI over OTG on Android/mobile devices, Better compatibility with older hardware controllers like Axiom 49, Sample-accurate MIDI timing without loop-point pauses, Integration with multiple tools (Bitwig, Electribe, VJ tools, tracker apps)
Competitors
Other products that read as similar to this one : 331 launches clear the similarity bar, closest 8 shown.
Attention rank: #69 of 332 (itself plus its competitors, highest first, normalized so YC and Product Hunt are compared fairly).
Launched 43 days after the earliest competitor.
- Learn to program a modular synthesizer in the browser · hn · 2026-10-05 · 5 upvotes · similarity 0.57
- audio2midi · github · 2026-11-09 · 12 upvotes · similarity 0.53
- Browser based sythesizer, drum machine and squencer · hn · 2026-05-15 · 22 upvotes · similarity 0.52
- A 16-control subtractive synth for microcontrollers (39k ELF, web demo) · hn · 2026-07-20 · 6 upvotes · similarity 0.52
- AwsmAudio · hn · 2026-06-15 · 7 upvotes · similarity 0.51
- Sound2MIDI · ph · 2026-09-19 · 1 upvotes · similarity 0.51
- What if your synthesizer was powered by APL (or a dumb K clone)? · hn · 2026-03-15 · 92 upvotes · similarity 0.51
- jevthoven · github · 2026-09-17 · 10 upvotes · similarity 0.50
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