Multi-DAW workflows

Multi-DAW workflows let one controller drive two hosts at once. The bridge is a fan-out: a single physical event becomes any number of MIDI/OSC packets across any number of receivers. Ableton on the music side, Resolume on the visuals side, both armed against the same DualSense.

The two patterns

Two ways to split a controller across hosts:

1. Broadcast. Every binding fires to every active virtual port. Both DAWs see every event; each one filters by channel or CC. Simple, slightly noisy.
2. Per-binding routing. Each binding declares its target port. Trigger pull goes only to Ableton; touchpad XY goes only to Resolume. Clean, but you maintain a routing table.

Both patterns are first-class in the mapping editor. Add a second virtual port in Settings → MIDI → Ports, then assign bindings to either or both.

Setting up two ports

Default port is Universal Controller. Adding a second creates Universal Controller 2. Each is an independent CoreMIDI/WinMM endpoint — your DAW sees them as separate devices.

{
  "ports": [
    { "name": "Universal Controller", "type": "midi" },
    { "name": "Universal Controller VJ", "type": "midi" },
    { "name": "VJ Net", "type": "osc", "target": "127.0.0.1:7000" }
  ]
}

Arm Ableton against Universal Controller, Resolume against Universal Controller VJ. Per-binding, pick the port from the dropdown. Done.

Routing matrix at a glance

A common live setup wires up like this — face buttons trigger clips, sticks shape visuals, triggers do both. Use as a starter routing table:

Real workflow: Ableton + Resolume

The classic A/V live setup. Face buttons fire clips in Ableton; sticks drive Resolume composition opacity. LT becomes a master crossfader sent to both: in Ableton it's the master volume CC; in Resolume it's /composition/master. One squeeze, both worlds dim together.

{
  "input": "LT",
  "outputs": [
    { "type": "midi", "port": "Universal Controller", "channel": 1, "cc": 7,
      "curve": "exponential" },
    { "type": "osc",  "target": "127.0.0.1:7000", "address": "/composition/master",
      "curve": "linear" }
  ]
}

Multiple controllers, multiple DAWs

Multi-controller mode adds a second axis: each controller can be routed to its own DAW. Player 1's DualSense → Ableton; player 2's controller → Bitwig; both share a sync clock. Setup is in multi-controller mode, with a real-world session writeup in the two-player jams post.

Real-world scenarios

1. A/V live set (solo). One DualSense, two ports. Ableton drives music, Resolume drives video, the LT crossfader unifies them. Show ends with one trigger pull to zero — both fade together.
2. Studio + monitoring DAW. Ableton for tracking, a second DAW (Reaper, Bitwig) running reamping plugins on the same bridge. Same controller transports both without needing two physical surfaces.
3. Producer + VJ split. Producer's DualSense → Ableton on machine A. VJ's DualSense → Resolume on machine B. Bridge runs on machine A but broadcasts OSC across the LAN to B.
4. Practice rig. One bridge, three DAWs (Logic, Live, Bitwig) for cross-DAW workflow testing without re-pairing the controller. Bindings stay identical, only the port changes.
5. Game audio middleware. Bridge → DAW for live recording AND Bridge → Wwise / FMOD over OSC for real-time parameter authoring. Mix and design at the same time.

Multiple ports + multi-controller are Pro features. Free runs one port, one controller.