Use a built-in template

Universal Controller MIDI ships with 48 built-in templates covering DAWs, VJ tools, soundboards, MPE, OSC drone control, and DAW-specific mappings like FL Studio Channel Rack and Pro Tools HUI. You do not need to write JSON to make sound — somebody already did, and it's baked into the binary.

Built-ins are the recommended starting point for everyone. Even if you eventually fork one, you'll save yourself an hour of guessing at the right deadzone, the right corner count, and the right MIDI channel.

Load one in 30 seconds

Open the app, plug in your controller, and pick a template from the dropdown in the Templates tab. The mapping applies instantly — no restart, no IAC bus reset.

1. Plug controller in (USB or Bluetooth).
2. Confirm it appears in the top status strip.
3. Templates tab → pick from the list.
4. Hit a button. You should see a green flash and hear MIDI in your DAW.

What's in the pack

The full list covers four broad categories. Here are the standouts with their primary surfaces:

Template	Category	Default midi_channel	Uses
Beat Making — Finger Drumming	Music	0	buttons, left_stick_corners
MPE Polyphonic	Music	1	axes, touchpad
FL Studio — Channel Rack	DAW	0	buttons, hats
Pro Tools HUI	DAW	0	buttons, axes
Resolume Arena — VJ	Visuals	0	axes, touchpad
TouchDesigner default	Visuals	2	axes, osc
PS5 Adaptive Triggers Feedback	Live	0	l2_haptic_effect, r2_haptic_effect
Drone OSC Flight Control	OSC	—	osc only

• Music production — Beat Making, MPE Polyphonic, DJ Scratch, Studio One Impact XT, FL Studio, Pro Tools HUI, GarageBand bridge.
• VJ / visuals — Resolume Arena, Modul8, Isadora, Magic Music Visuals, TouchDesigner default.
• Live performance — Sound Design Sticks-as-LFOs, Podcast Soundboard, PS5 Adaptive Triggers MIDI Feedback, Bidirectional Haptics.
• Hardware-specific — 8BitDo Pro 2 Paddles, GameCube USB Adapter, Valve Steam Controller, Drone OSC Flight Control.

Inspect the JSON

Curious what a built-in is doing? Use Templates → Export current. The app writes a JSON copy to your user library, fully editable. The original built-in is untouched — even if you delete the export, the original is still in the binary on next launch.

{
  "name": "Resolume Arena — VJ",
  "schema_version": 2,
  "midi_channel": 0,
  "poll_hz": 120,
  "deadzone": 0.05,
  "axes": { "0": 1, "1": 2, "2": 11, "3": 7 },
  "touchpad": { "enabled": true, "x_cc": 12, "y_cc": 13 }
}

Real-world template patterns

The built-ins map onto these archetypes. If your use case matches one, the right starting point is obvious:

• Studio finger drummer — start with Beat Making — Finger Drumming, override midi_channel to match your drum track.
• Live VJ — start with Resolume Arena — VJ, enable right_stick_corners for clip-bank switching.
• DAW transport pilot — start with Pro Tools HUI, remap the face buttons to your DAW's transport keys.
• Expression keyboard — start with MPE Polyphonic, bump poll_hz to 200 for tight aftertouch.
• Soundboard host — start with Podcast Soundboard, then duplicate per show so each guest gets their own.

Need something the 48 don't cover? Try the marketplace or build your own. To understand each mapping surface in depth, see button-to-note, stick-to-CC, and touchpad XY.