This is the user manual for the MIDI controller app 7III Tap for iPhone and iPad.

Quick Start

Below is a video to help you get started. It follows the Mac version of this manual, but most steps are similar for other systems. You can start by following along with the Set Up section.

Set Up

Note: If you are only going to use the Encoders, then you can directly jump to 2. Connect your iPhone or iPad.

1. Add the Tap MIDI Remote Script

1. On your computer, download the MIDI Remote Script at project7iii.com/tap/Tap.zip.
2. Manually create a folder called Remote Scripts within your User Library if it does not already exist. The default User Library locations are:

   Windows
   \Users\[username]\Documents\Ableton\User Library
   
   Mac
   Macintosh HD/Users/[username]/Music/Ableton/User Library

3. Place the unzipped remote script folder called Tap into the Remote Scripts folder you just created.

2. Connect your iPhone or iPad

Note: If you have a Mac, MIDI over USB is the best way to connect your iPhone or iPad to Live. If you are never using MIDI over WiFi, you can disable MIDI over WiFi enabled in options.

Over USB (Mac Only)

1. Connect your device to your Mac using a USB cable.
2. Open the app Audio MIDI Setup.
3. Open the Audio Devices window.
   → If it is not already visible, select the Window → Audio Devices menu to display it.
4. Find your iOS device in the sidebar and click the Enable button.

Over WiFi

1. Connect your device to the same WiFi as your computer (best would be an ad hoc WiFi network).
2. Configure RTP-MIDI:

Windows

1. Download rtpMIDI.
2. Follow this guide to install rtpMIDI and connect your device (no Advanced Configuration necessary).


Mac

1. Simply follow this guide (no need to do Step 9).

3. Set Up Live

1. Launch Live.
2. Open Live's Preferences and navigate to the MIDI tab.
3. Select the script Tap using the dropdown menu in the Control Surface column.
4. Assign your device or Network Session as input and output ports.
5. Activate Track and Remote for your active MIDI Ports.

User Interface

There are 5 views in Tap.
The main Tap interfaces are the known views of Ableton Live: Device View, Clips View and Mixer View.
Tap also has one extra view which are customizable encoder pages to control about anything that accepts MIDI CC: Encoders.

Home

Select Try to connect to Ableton Live and then Play Tap to play Tap.
Tap Test Tap without Connection to explore Tap without connection.
Tap Start Encoders to get to the stand-alone encoders interface.
Get Help and dive into Settings.

Main Views

The main Ableton Live controller views share some common elements, described below.

Tracks Bar

The top bar showing the tracks of your Live project.
Navigate between tracks by swiping left or right. To select a track, tap on it. A long-press opens the track’s context menu where you can delete tracks, add tracks, configure the standard note length for the step sequencers, go to Home or Encoders.

Footer Bar

Here's a detailed look at the buttons in the footer bar, from left to right:

Side Panel/Encoders Button

The side panel opens the options for the MIDI grid (layout, velocity, pitch-bend/modwheel, scale, root, octave/drums page). Long-press opens the Encoders View.
In the mixer view, the button shows up as the encoders button. You get to the Encoders View by pressing it.

Navigation Buttons

Navigate the three main views via the arrow buttons. In the Encoders View this will move forward and backward in the encoder pages if you have more than one page.
Long-press on the left pointing arrow to undo, long-press on the other to redo.

Duplicate/Stop

In device view: Duplicates the selected clip. Long press shows a context menu where you can duplicate the selected scene.
In the other views: Stops all the clips.

Quantize

Quantizes the notes of the clip selected.
Long-press will show detailed quantize options.

Capture/Double Loop/Home

In Device View with a keyboard or pads active, this captures the MIDI just played in the grid. If you are in the step sequencer layout, this will double the selected loop. In all other views this will get you back to the Home view.

Record

Activates or deactivates the session record button.

Play/Stop

Starts or stops the playback. Long press shows a context menu for stopping and starting clips.

Device View

Devices Bar

The devices are shown here, you can navigate by swiping left or right. Select a device by tapping on it.
Tap on the + to add a new random device. You can choose between adding a random sound, synth, drums (if you are in a MIDI track) or effect.

Banks Bar

Navigate and select banks of the chosen device here.

Encoders Section

The 8 encoders of the current bank.
You can swipe from in between the encoders to get to adjacent banks directly.

Double tap an encoder to reset to 0 (or center for Panning), triple tap to reset to center (63).

MIDI Grid

Play notes with the MIDI grid. You have the option of choosing from different scales, velocity modes, mod wheel, layouts, and more via the side panel button in the Footer Bar.

Step Sequencer

Add notes by tapping and move them by dragging. Dragging slowly enables non-quantized fine movement.
Use the green rectangle at the top of the step sequencer to move the loop and perform other useful actions like changing the drums page or octave. You can also change octaves/pages by using the side panel.
Drag horizontally to navigate through the pages of the step sequencer.
Drag the small rectangle at the end of a note to adjust its length. On iPhone this might be a bit tricky to do, that is why we have added a context menu to the Tracks Bar, where you can adjust the note length via buttons.

Clips View

Shows the clips. Use the Tracks Bar to navigate horizontally, drag in the Clips View for navigating vertically. Start and stop clips by tapping on a clip. If you tap on an empty clip slot Tap will take you to the Device View. Long-press on any clip slot to bring up a context menu.
The selected device's Banks Bar and Encoders Section are displayed above the clip view exactly like in the Device View.

Mixer View

Shows the mixer section. Use the Tracks Bar to navigate. Double tap on the volume fader to set the volume to zero. User sends, panning, mute and solo at your discretion.
Below the mixer section, there is a compact Clips View that allows you to interact with clips.

Encoders View

Shows custom encoder layouts. You can create a custom encoder layout, or load a previously created layout by tapping the button in the top right-hand corner and choose your adventure. Encoder layouts can include multiple pages. You can adjust the MIDI channel and CC for each encoder. The navigation of the pages is done through the Footer Bar arrows.
For encoder functionality check the Encoders Section.