MIDI Controllers
Silverdaw can use supported MIDI DJ controllers to control playback, navigate the timeline, change the selected track's mixer settings, and perform scratches in the Scratch Editor.
Connect and enable a controller
- Connect and turn on the controller.
- Open Edit ▸ Preferences… ▸ MIDI.
- Choose Rescan devices if it is not listed.
- Tick a recognised controller, then choose Save.
Recognised devices are labelled MIDI deck controls. Other MIDI inputs can appear as Not supported yet, but cannot be enabled. You can enable more than one supported controller.
Each enabled controller keeps its own settings:
- Play audio while moving the main timeline makes platter movement audition audio while you move through the timeline. It is off by default.
- Crossfader direction chooses Left to right or Right to left.
- Default deck chooses None, Deck 1 (Left), or Deck 2 (Right). This applies only when the controller has no saved Headphone Cue / PFL setting. A setting made with that control takes priority and is retained for the controller.
The crossfader is used when recording in the Scratch Editor. It does not change the ordinary project mix.
Using a controller
Available controls depend on the controller profile. On supported hardware, Silverdaw can use controls such as:
- Play to start or pause playback.
- Cue to move to the previous marker, and Shift + Cue to move to the next marker where the controller supports it. The start of an active timeline range counts as a marker for these.
- Sync as a jog modifier that snaps jog movement to timeline grid lines. It does not synchronise tempo.
- Headphone Cue / PFL to turn a physical deck's controls on or off in Silverdaw, where the controller supports it. Each deck is independent, so both can be active. In the Scratch Editor, use it to choose the deck for the scratch session.
- A platter or jog wheel to move the playhead. With Play audio while moving the main timeline enabled, touching and moving a compatible platter can audition audio.
- A Browse control to navigate tracks and clips:
- Turn Browse to select timeline tracks.
- Press Browse to enter clip-browse mode for the selected track, then turn it to select clips. Hold Shift while turning to extend the clip selection.
- Press Browse again to leave clip-browse mode. A selected track with no clips cannot enter this mode.
- Hold Shift while turning Browse to zoom the timeline when clip-browse mode is off. This works only on controllers with a mapped Shift control.
- Hot-cue pads to jump to numbered timeline markers. Where supported, a shifted or dedicated clear pad toggles a marker at the playhead — removing the marker the playhead sits on, or adding one there when it isn't on one. This is the same action as the M key.
- Channel faders, EQ, filters, and master level controls to adjust the selected track or project when the profile provides them.
While the Scratch Editor is open, its controls take over the controller's platter, crossfader, and playback controls for the scratch session.
Matching physical controls to Silverdaw
When a controller first connects or is enabled, Silverdaw cannot read the current position of every physical dial and slider. This is a technical limitation of those MIDI controls, which report movement rather than their saved position.
When you first move a supported absolute control, such as a channel fader, EQ, filter, or master level, Silverdaw softly catches up the on-screen value to the physical control instead of making an abrupt jump. Move the control until its position is synchronised before making a precise adjustment.
The crossfader does not use this soft catch-up. Before recording in the Scratch Editor, move the physical crossfader once to send its current position to Silverdaw.
Supported MIDI decks
Silverdaw recognises these supported MIDI deck controllers. The exact controls vary by model: not every deck has Browse, Shift, jog, pad, mixer, or feedback mappings.
| Manufacturer | Supported decks |
|---|---|
| Denon DJ | MC7000 |
| Hercules | DJControl Inpulse 200, DJControl Inpulse 300, DJControl Inpulse 500, DJControl Starlight, DJControl MIX |
| Numark | DJ2GO2 Touch, Mixtrack 3, Mixtrack Pro 3 |
| Pioneer DJ | DDJ-200, DDJ-400, DDJ-800, DDJ-1000, DDJ-ERGO, DDJ-FLX4, DDJ-FLX6, DDJ-FLX10, DDJ-RB, DDJ-RR, DDJ-REV5, DDJ-REV7, DDJ-RX, DDJ-RZ, DDJ-RZX, DDJ-SB, DDJ-SB2, DDJ-SB3, DDJ-SR, DDJ-SR2, DDJ-SX, DDJ-SX2, DDJ-SX3, DDJ-SZ, DDJ-WeGO, DDJ-WeGO2, DDJ-WeGO3, DDJ-WeGO4, OMNIS-DUO, XDJ-AERO, XDJ-R1, XDJ-RR, XDJ-RX, XDJ-RX2, XDJ-RX3, XDJ-XZ |
| Reloop | Beatmix 2 MK2, Beatmix 4 MK2 |
If a controller does not appear, reconnect it and choose Rescan devices. Controllers labelled Not supported yet cannot be used by Silverdaw.
The Hercules DJControl Inpulse 200 MK2 and DJControl Inpulse 300 MK2 are not supported. Similar model names do not guarantee compatibility.
Only the Pioneer DJ DDJ-RB has been tested on physical hardware. Other listed decks have profile coverage but may need refinement.
Troubleshooting
- Make sure the controller is powered on before opening Silverdaw, then choose Rescan devices after connecting it.
- If a control does not respond, confirm the device is ticked in MIDI and click Save.
- When a controller's physical fader or knob does not match the on-screen value, move it gradually. Silverdaw catches up rather than making an abrupt jump.