midi-recorder.web.app

Yes — MIDI Recorder has a Recover Recordings option, so clearing or undoing your take doesn't necessarily mean it's gone for good. The important condition is that recovery is a browser-session feature: it restores recordings the app still holds, and you should export the one you want as a MIDI file right after recovering it. If you close the tab, reload the page, or clear browser data, that safety net is not something you can count on.

What "Recover Recordings" does

MIDI Recorder is a browser-based tool that records what you play on a connected MIDI keyboard. Alongside the recording controls, the interface includes a Recover Recordings action. When you open it, it either shows recordings you can bring back or tells you "No more recordings to recover."

That message is the key signal: recovery works from a limited store of previous takes, not from an unlimited history. Once that store is exhausted, there is nothing left to restore.

When a recording becomes recoverable

A take ends up in the recoverable pool when it is removed from the current session without being exported. In practice that means:

• You pressed Clear and wiped the notes you had just recorded.
• You used Undo to step back past a recording.
• You recorded a new take over a previous one instead of saving it first.

If you exported the take with Save MIDI File before clearing it, you already have the file on your computer and don't need recovery at all.

Clear vs. Undo: what each one affects

The distinction that matters: Clear and Undo change what's in front of you, while Recover Recordings reaches back for it. Save MIDI File is the only step that moves your performance out of the browser entirely.

How to recover a recording

1. Connect your MIDI keyboard and confirm it appears in the MIDI devices list.
2. Open Recover Recordings.
3. If a take is listed, select it to restore it into the session.
4. Play it back or check the note display to confirm it's the take you wanted.
5. Immediately use Save MIDI File to export it.

Step 5 is not optional if the recording matters to you. Recovery puts the notes back in the app; only the export puts them on your disk.

Common snags

"No more recordings to recover." The recoverable store is empty — either you already restored everything, or the take was never in a state the app could hold onto. Nothing further can be done in that session.

You reloaded the page first. Recovery depends on the app's current state. Refreshing or closing the tab before recovering is the most common way to lose a take for good.

The MIDI device isn't detected. Recovery and recording both need MIDI access. If the device list shows "No MIDI devices detected," check that the keyboard is plugged in and powered on, then refresh the page. If you see "This browser doesn't support MIDI access," switch to Chrome or install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension for your browser.

You cleared, then recorded something new. The newer take occupies the session. Recover the older one first, export it, then return to what you were working on.

The habit that makes recovery unnecessary

Treat Save MIDI File as the end of every good take, not as something to do at the end of a session. Recovery is a convenience for the take you just cleared by accident — it is not a project file, and it does not follow you across browser sessions. Export first, then clear freely.

MIDI Recorder (midi-recorder.web.app) is a free browser tool that records MIDI input from a connected MIDI keyboard and lets you export the performance as a MIDI file. It requires no installation and no account — you open the page, plug in a MIDI keyboard, and play. It works only if JavaScript is enabled and your browser supports MIDI access (Chrome is recommended; other browsers may need the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension).

What MIDI Recorder does

The tool covers a deliberately narrow job: capturing live MIDI performance and saving it as a file.

• Records MIDI input from a connected device in real time.
• Exports a MIDI file via a "Save MIDI File" action.
• Handles multiple takes with Clear, Undo, and a "Recover Recordings" option, so an accidental clear isn't necessarily final.
• Includes a Demo mode, useful for checking that the interface works before your hardware does.

What it does not do, based on the page: there's no mention of audio recording, notation, editing, or multi-track arrangement. It is a recorder, not a DAW.

Requirements and setup

How to record and export

1. Open the page in a MIDI-capable browser. The Input section shows a "MIDI devices" list that loads your connected hardware.
2. Confirm your device appears in that list. If it doesn't, the page itself suggests: check the keyboard is plugged in and switched on, refresh the page, unplug and replug the device, or restart your computer.
3. Play your keyboard. Notes are captured as you perform.
4. Export when finished using "Save MIDI File." If nothing was captured, the app reports "No notes recorded" rather than producing an empty file.
5. Correct mistakes with Undo, or Clear followed by Recover Recordings if you cleared by accident.

Common problems and what to try

• "No MIDI devices detected" — the device isn't reaching the browser. Work through the page's own checklist: power, cable, refresh, replug, restart.
• "This browser doesn't support MIDI access" — switch to Chrome, or install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension for your current browser.
• "Failed to get MIDI access" — the browser blocked or couldn't complete the MIDI permission handshake. Retrying after a refresh, or in Chrome, is the first thing to test.
• Nothing exports — check for the "No notes recorded" message; the export is empty because no input was captured, not because saving failed.

Who it's for

MIDI Recorder suits a quick capture: sketching an idea on a keyboard and getting a .mid file without opening a DAW or installing software. If you need editing, quantization, virtual instruments, or audio, this tool stops short of that — treat it as a fast input-to-file step, not a production environment.

MIDI Recorder shows "No MIDI devices detected" when the browser can reach the Web MIDI API but finds no connected device, and "This browser doesn't support MIDI access" when the browser can't reach the API at all. The first is usually a hardware or connection problem; the second is almost always a browser problem. Fix the browser case by switching to Chrome or installing the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension, and fix the device case by checking the physical connection before anything else.

What each message actually means

The two errors come from different points in the startup sequence, so they point to different causes.

If you see the "MIDI devices: Loading..." line stuck before either message, the app is still waiting on the browser's device list — the same fixes below apply.

Fixing "This browser doesn't support MIDI access"

This message means the browser itself can't provide MIDI access. The page's own guidance is to try Chrome, or for other browsers, install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension.

1. Open the page in Chrome first. This is the shortest path, since Chrome exposes the Web MIDI API natively.
2. If you want to stay in another browser, install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension, then reload the page.
3. After either change, reload MIDI Recorder and check whether the "MIDI devices" line resolves to a device name instead of the error.

Note that the app requires JavaScript to run at all. If JavaScript is disabled or blocked, you'll see the "This app requires JavaScript" notice rather than a MIDI-specific error — enable JavaScript before troubleshooting MIDI.

Fixing "No MIDI devices detected"

Here the browser is working; it just can't see a keyboard. Work through these in order, since each step is cheaper than the next.

1. Check the physical connection. Make sure the keyboard is plugged into your computer and turned on. A keyboard that is connected but powered off will not appear.
2. Refresh the page. The device list is read when the page loads, so a device connected afterward may not show up until you reload.
3. Unplug and plug the device back in. This forces the operating system to re-enumerate the device, which often makes it visible to the browser again.
4. Restart your computer. This is the last resort in the app's own guidance, and it clears cases where the device is stuck at the system level.

If the device still doesn't appear after all four steps, the problem is likely outside the browser — for example, a driver or cable issue — rather than something MIDI Recorder can fix.

Verifying it worked

Once a device is recognized, the "MIDI devices" line stops showing "Loading..." and "No MIDI devices detected" and instead lists your connected device. From there:

• Play a few notes on the keyboard. The app's demo function lets you confirm input is arriving without recording anything permanent.
• Use Record to capture notes, then Stop when finished.
• Use Export → Save MIDI File to download the result. If no notes were captured, the export shows "No notes recorded" — a quick signal that input never reached the app.

If you recorded something by mistake, Clear removes it, and Undo reverses the last action. Recover Recordings restores earlier takes; when there's nothing left to restore it reports "No more recordings to recover."

Common sticking points

• Assuming the browser is fine because it's modern. Support for the Web MIDI API varies by browser, so a current browser can still show the "doesn't support MIDI access" message. The app's own recommendation is Chrome or the Jazz-Soft extension.
• Skipping the power check. "Plugged in" and "turned on" are separate conditions, and a powered-off keyboard produces the same "No MIDI devices detected" message as an unplugged one.
• Not refreshing after connecting. Connecting a keyboard while the page is already open often requires a reload before it appears.
• Confusing the two errors. If you see the support message, no amount of replugging will help — change the browser or add the extension first.

MIDI Recorder needs three things to work: JavaScript enabled, a browser with Web MIDI access, and a MIDI input device that your computer recognizes. Chrome is the safest choice. If you use another browser, you may need the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension before the app can see your keyboard.

The three requirements

All three must be satisfied at the same time. A supported browser with no keyboard plugged in still won't record anything.

Which browsers work

Chrome is the browser the app points to directly. If you're on a different browser and the app reports no MIDI support, the suggested fix is the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension, which adds MIDI access to browsers that don't expose it natively.

So your practical options are:

• Chrome — use it as-is, no extension needed.
• Other browsers — install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension, then reload the page.

If you'd rather not install an extension, switching to Chrome is the simpler path.

What counts as a MIDI device

The app lists whatever MIDI inputs your system reports under "MIDI devices." That's typically a USB MIDI keyboard, but any device that presents itself as a MIDI input to your computer can appear there. The page loads this list dynamically, so it briefly shows "Loading..." before the devices appear.

The app's own guidance for a device that isn't showing up:

1. Make sure it's plugged into your computer and turned on.
2. Refresh the page.
3. Unplug it and plug it back in.
4. Restart your computer.

These steps address the common case where the device is physically connected but the browser hasn't picked it up.

Quick check before you start

Open the page and look at the MIDI devices list:

• Your device is listed — you're ready to record.
• "No MIDI devices detected" — the browser has MIDI access but sees no input; work through the plug-in/turn-on/refresh steps above.
• "This browser doesn't support MIDI access" — the problem is the browser, not the device; switch to Chrome or add the extension.

Once a device appears, plug in your keyboard and play — the app records the notes as you go, and you can export them with "Save MIDI File."

MIDI Recorder (midi-recorder.web.app) records what you play on a connected MIDI keyboard and lets you export it as a MIDI file. You need three things: a MIDI keyboard or controller, a browser with Web MIDI access (the page points to Chrome, or the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension for other browsers), and JavaScript enabled. If any of those are missing, the app can't capture notes.

Before You Start

Step-by-Step: Record and Save

1. Connect your MIDI keyboard

Plug the keyboard into your computer and turn it on. The app's Input section shows a MIDI devices list; when the device is recognized, it appears there instead of the "No MIDI devices detected" message.

2. Confirm the device is detected

Look at the MIDI devices list. If your keyboard shows up, you're ready. If it doesn't, see the troubleshooting section below before playing.

3. Play to record

The page's instruction is simply: "Plug in a MIDI keyboard and play away!" Notes you play are captured as you perform. There is a Stop control to end capture, and a Demo option if you want to see the app in action first.

4. Export your recording

Use Export → Save MIDI File to download what you recorded as a MIDI file. If nothing was captured, the export area shows "No notes recorded," which means there is nothing to save yet.

5. Manage takes if needed

• Clear removes the current recording.
• Undo steps back.
• Recover Recordings restores earlier takes; if there is nothing to restore, it reports "No more recordings to recover."

If Nothing Gets Recorded

Work through these checks in order — they match the guidance shown in the app:

1. Device not showing up? Make sure it's plugged into your computer and turned on.
2. Refresh the page. A fresh load often re-detects the device.
3. Unplug and plug it back in. This re-establishes the MIDI connection.
4. Restart your computer if the device still doesn't appear.
5. Check browser support. If you see "This browser doesn't support MIDI access," switch to Chrome or install the Jazz-Soft Web MIDI API extension for your browser.
6. Check for a MIDI access error. A "Failed to get MIDI access" message means the browser blocked or couldn't grant MIDI permission — revisit the browser/extension step.

If the device is detected and you play, but Export still says "No notes recorded," confirm you actually entered recording (not just monitoring) and that you pressed Stop before exporting.

Quick Reference

The whole workflow is: connect → confirm detection → play → stop → export. Most failures trace back to the device not being detected or the browser lacking MIDI access, so resolve those two first.