Programming MIDI Cues for External Gear

Fire MIDI at external gear at exact timecodes — add cues with C, set channel and command, route to a WebMIDI output, or record them live.

What MIDI cues are for

A MIDI cue is a MIDI event that fires at a precise moment in your song. Use them to trigger the gear around you without touching it mid-performance: change a patch on a synth, kick a scene on a lighting console, punch an effects pedal, or start a click. You program the moment once, and during playback the cue fires on time, every time.

Cues live inside an arrangement, right alongside its stems, sections, and lyrics. Program them where the music already is.

Add your first cue

  1. Open an arrangement.
  2. Go to the MIDI Cues section — or just press C to drop a new cue instantly.
  3. Click Add Cue to create a new event.
  4. Set the timecode where it should fire.
  5. Pick the MIDI channel (1–16).
  6. Choose the command: Note On, CC (Control Change), or Program Change.

That's a complete cue — a moment, a channel, and a message. Playback does the rest.

Picking the right command

  • Program Change — switch a patch or preset on a synth, module, or multi-effects unit.
  • CC (Control Change) — move a continuous parameter: a fader, an expression value, a mod amount, or a mapped console control.
  • Note On — trigger anything that responds to notes — a sampler, a scene mapped to a note, a drum machine.

Route cues to a WebMIDI output

A cue has to go somewhere. Pliris™ sends MIDI through WebMIDI, your browser's connection to the MIDI devices on your machine.

  1. Connect your MIDI interface or device before you open the arrangement.
  2. When the browser asks permission to use MIDI devices, allow it.
  3. Assign your cue to a MIDI output — that's the interface or virtual port your gear is listening on.

If nothing fires, the output assignment or the browser permission is almost always the culprit. Confirm the device is connected, the browser has MIDI access, and the cue points at the right output.

Pro tip: Use a browser that supports WebMIDI (Chrome and Edge are the safe bets) and plug your interface in before loading the page, so it shows up in the output list.

Record cues live

Programming every event by hand is slow. If you'd rather play them in, capture them live instead.

  1. Arm the Record button in the MIDI Cues section.
  2. Start playback.
  3. Perform your MIDI moves — program changes, notes, controller moves — on your controller in real time.
  4. Pliris captures each incoming message as a cue at the timecode it landed.

Record a rough pass, then clean up the timing afterward. It's the fastest way to build a dense cue list.

Fine-tune in Pro view

Switch the arrangement to Pro view to see your cues as diamond markers inline on the waveform. Drag a marker to nudge its timing visually against the audio — no retyping timecodes. Pro view is built for exactly this kind of programming pass, with section lanes and cue markers on one DAW-style layout.

Cues are yours

MIDI cues are per user. Everyone on the band can see every cue, but you can only edit your own. So the MD's program changes and the lighting tech's scene triggers live side by side in the same arrangement without stepping on each other — each person owns their layer.

Test before the show

Never trust a cue you haven't heard fire. Play the arrangement start to finish with your gear connected and watch each cue land at its timecode. Fix any that are early, late, or pointed at the wrong output — then run it again clean.

Frequently asked questions

Can I trigger lighting cues with MIDI from Pliris?

Yes — a MIDI cue in Pliris fires a MIDI event (Note On, CC, or Program Change) at an exact timecode in your arrangement, so you can kick a scene on a lighting console, change a synth patch, or punch an effects pedal without touching the gear mid-performance.

Why aren't my MIDI cues firing?

The output assignment or the browser permission is almost always the culprit. Confirm your MIDI interface was connected before you opened the arrangement, that the browser has permission to use MIDI devices, and that the cue is assigned to the right MIDI output.

Which browsers work with Pliris MIDI cues?

Pliris sends MIDI through WebMIDI, so you need a browser that supports it — Chrome and Edge are the safe bets. Plug your interface in before loading the page so it shows up in the output list.

Can I record MIDI cues in real time instead of typing them in?

Yes — arm the Record button in the MIDI Cues section, start playback, and perform your program changes, notes, and controller moves on your controller. Pliris captures each incoming message as a cue at the timecode it landed, and you can clean up the timing afterward (Pro view lets you drag cue markers on the waveform).

Can my bandmates edit my MIDI cues?

No — MIDI cues are per user. Everyone in the band can see every cue, but each person can only edit their own, so the MD's program changes and the lighting tech's scene triggers can live side by side in the same arrangement.

Where to go next

Cues not firing and you've checked the output? Click the support bubble in the bottom-right corner of any page, or email support@fromstudiotostage.com.