Are there any "just start recording MIDI the moment you start it" applications?

[Pomax]

While I have several DAWs as well as several dedicated MIDI recording applications, I often find myself annoyed at the fact that I need to fire up a full-blown application where it takes quite a lot of clicks and keypresses before there's a project, with a MIDI track, set to record all MIDI input, primed to record, with recording started when all I want to do is turn on my RD800 and mindlessly let my fingers wander with proper MIDI capture running on my workstation in the background.

So, in the hopes that there are any (rather than having to write my own): are there any simple applications that just start recording MIDI from all MIDI inputs known the system the moment you fire it up, with save-on-exit, so you can just start it, never look at the screen again while you just noodle on your MIDI-enabled devices, with a simple "save to file on exit" functionality that writes a .mid file that you can then either delete because there wasn't anything worth keeping, or load up in a real DAW or score editor to extract the bits that were interesting?

[JerGoertz]

I know this isn't exactly what you're looking for, and you may already know this, BUT:

Cubase's retrospective-record function allows you to noodle with MIDI without pressing record, etc, then record the take if you like something you did. I find it invaluable since I have a little bit of "performance anxiety" when "record" is active, and it often disrupts my flow to need to press record when I start mucking around.

[jancivil]

In Cubase, make a template (or more simply a project with no MIDI content but blank tracks/events) that has the number of tracks you want record-enabled all set on omni, I suppose and you only need to hit asterisk or however you like the record shortcut to be.

short of this, sounds like you want magic. I imagine there's ways of having the application start up on login but I never felt that kind of hurry.

[lfm]

I'm thinking hardware sequencer that is not only step sequencer - power on and record, and what I like about external gear as well:

As I understand RD800 is audio only recording, but maybe I misssed something. so check out what might be there as midi built in.

My Yamaha pianos have internal midi sequencer to capture 500kB midi data, which is a lot of free playtime.
Over usb you transfer SMF files from what you recorded - and 250 such songs can be kept internally.

So standalone sequencers like Pyramid mk2:
http://squarp.net/


Here a link to some alternatives - but remember most are step sequencers:
https://ask.audio/articles/11-hardware- ... id#article

[inkwarp]

FL Studio has this. You can record into it's editor or you can 'Dump Score to Piano Roll' and it will fill the stuff retroactively whatever vst you play. very handy on occassion although you have to edit it manually : )

[Bombadil]

In Logic, make a template and enable 'capture recording.' Hit play, noodle around, stop, hit the 'capture recording' button and whatever I've done is there. Gotten a few quite good takes when my mind wasn't focusing on the 'red recording light.'

[camsr]

What about tempo? Surely even a program designed to start recording the moment it's launched would need a default tempo setting, or some kind of smart detection?

[jancivil]

very apt point

[Mutant]

Why not just set up a default "quick opening recording" project in any DAW and send a link to that project to your desktop ?
Then it will be just 1 click to fire up the DAW, less than 1 second for the PC to open the DAW and 1 click on the record button.

Works for me in REAPER.