Never Miss a Beat

On the 8 is a MIDI clock display designed to help musicians stay together during live performance and studio sessions.

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Features

  • Displays current bar in the context of an adjustable bar interval
  • Displays elapsed playback time & BPM
  • Set bar interval from 4 bars up to 64 bars
  • Display song name & key
  • Display MIDI notes
  • Add as many songs as you want
  • Change songs with MIDI CC 1 messages
  • Supports MIDI over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & USB
  • Designed for iPhones & iPads

Gallery

  • Connect via Wi-Fi

    Playback in progress via a Wi-Fi MIDI connection.

  • Connect via Hardware

    MIDI connected via a USB Camera Connection Kit to USB MIDI interface to 5 pin DIN hardware MIDI.

  • Connect via Bluetooth

    End of bar count reached during playback via Bluetooth MIDI.

How To Topics

  • Connect MIDI via Wi-Fi
    1. Make sure your iOS device and your Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network.
    2. Open the Audio MIDI Setup app on your Mac.
    3. Select Show MIDI Studio from the Window menu.
    4. Double click the Network icon to open MIDI Network Setup.
    5. If there's no session, add and enable a MIDI Network Session.
    6. Select your device from the Directory.
    7. Wait for On the 8 to connect. If it fails the first time, try again.
    8. Once connected, open your DAW of choice, like Ableton Live.
    9. Open your DAW's MIDI preferences settings and enable Sync on the Network Session Output.
    10. Hit Stop then Play on your DAW. On the 8 should begin playing.
  • Connect MIDI via Bluetooth
    1. Open on the 8, tap on a song to get to the Songs view, tap on the Bluetooth icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
    2. Turn on Advertise MIDI service.
    3. On your Mac, open the Audio MIDI Setup app.
    4. Select Show MIDI Studio from the Window menu.
    5. Double click the Bluetooth icon in the MIDI Studio window.
    6. Your iOS device should appear in the device list, click its Connect button.
    7. Once connected, open your DAW of choice, like Ableton Live.
    8. Open your DAW's MIDI preferences settings and enable Sync on your device's Bluetooth Output.
    9. Select a song in On the 8.
    10. Hit Stop then Play on your DAW. On the 8 should begin playing.
  • Connect MIDI via Hardware
    1. Use the USB Camera Adapter to plug a USB MIDI interface into your iOS device.
    2. On the 8 should connect.
    3. Connect your iOS device's MIDI in to a MIDI clock source.
    4. Hit Play on your MIDI clock source. On the 8 should begin playing.
  • Display Notes in Place of Key
    1. Create a new MIDI track in your DAW.
    2. Set the MIDI output of the track to the MIDI interface that's connected to your iOS device.
    3. Any MIDI notes played on this track will be displayed in the upper right corner of On the 8.
  • Change Songs with MIDI CC 1
    1. Create a new MIDI track in your DAW.
    2. Set the MIDI output of the track to the MIDI interface that's connected to your iOS device.
    3. If using Ableton Live, create a new MIDI clip in that MIDI track.
    4. Draw in some automation for MIDI CC 1 - (Modulation). On the 8 songs' CC value maps to the current incoming MIDI CC 1 value. Changing MIDI CC 1 selects and shows the corresponding song in On the 8. If no match exists, the CC 1 messages are ignored.

Origin Story

On the 8 was made for the Portland, OR band NOJESUS. They wanted something for shows and recording sessions that displayed which song was playing, what key it was in and when the next 8-bar cycle was going to start. It was designed to integrate into their setup without being a distraction but also be noticeable enough when it came time for song changes and break downs.

NOJESUS performing with an early version of On the 8.

Feedback

justin.rhoades@gmail.com.