We distinguish between pairing OffGrid to Apps that support:

• Native MIDI-over-Bluetooth LE
• Standard MIDI

Pairing OffGrid with Apps that support native MIDI-over-Bluetooth LE

The majority of Apps on Android we've tried so far do not yet support Native MIDI-over-Bluetooth LE.

the current exception being:

• G-Stomper VA-Beast Synthesizer

Pairing OffGrid with Apps that do not support native MIDI-over-Bluetooth

Many wonderful Apps in the Play store are already MIDI enabled, however they might lack a native MIDI-over-Bluetooth implementation. This is easily solvable using a free, helper utility App that routes MIDI-over-Bluetooth to iOS' virtual MIDI port.

We will show you how to pair OffGrid to Koala Sampler, a very popular App for Beatmakers and Samplists. 

First off, let's make sure MIDI-over-Bluetooth LE is activated on your host.

1. Please download MIDI BLE Connect for your Android host device.
   
   
   
   
2. Launch MIDI BLE Connect and tap "Bluetooth Scan".
   
   
   
   A scan of nearby available Bluetooth LE MIDI devices will appear.
   
   
3. Turn your OffGrid on by holding the Shifter 1 button for two seconds. 
   
   
   
   After a short startup animation, your OffGrid will enter the Wait-to-Pair mode signified by Pad A (upper left PAD) on the 2x2 Transport Matrix blinking blue.
   
   
   
   Your OffGrid is now discoverable over Bluetooth LE.
   
   
4. Your OffGrid should now appear in MIDI BLE Connect devices scan. 
   
   
   
   Tap the device name to pair OffGrid to your host.
   
   
   
   After a few moments, OffGrid should connect and MIDI BLE Connect will confirm the pairing as "in use".
   
   
5. Your OffGrid is now paired to MIDI BLE Connect on your Android host device.
   
   It will confirm successful pairing with the following animation where it goes from a Wait-to-Pair state to paired and loads the default Preset.
   
   
   
   
   We recommend switching to PRESET DRM-Default (Pad 2) as it is finetuned to the Koala Sampler App.
   
   This is done by holding the Shifter 1 button to see the currently active preset.
   
   
   
   and hitting Pad 2 to confirm the selection -
   
   
   
   a preset switch is always confirmed with a brief LED jingle.
   
   
   
   
6. We're now ready to launch Koala Sampler.
   
   
   
   Depending on how you've previously mapped the pads in the App, you should be able to play the pads on OffGrid and see/hear the impact in the App already.
   
   
7. Whenever you want to check Koala Sampler's current MIDI mapping of the pads, tap the "hamburger menu" icon.
   
   
   
   Tap on "SETTINGS".
   
   
   
   Select the "MIDI" tab.
   
   
   
   Tap "Map MIDI".
   
   
   
   You'll see the current MIDI mapping of the pads in Koala Sampler.
   
   You can change that at any point by tapping a pad in the App and then hitting a pad on your OffGrid to see the change take effect immediately.
   
   
   
   If you're not sure how the current preset on your OffGrid is mapped, reference the Preset Definitions here.
   
   
   
8. Of course, you can also explore other mapping options and for example map OffGrid's Transport Matrix pads PAD A (lit Green) and PAD B (lit Red) to Koala Sampler's transport controls.
   
   
   
   When you're done mapping OffGrid to your Koala Sampler controls, simply tap the "STOP MAPPING" button on the bottom right.

Here's a video displaying Koala Sampler on an iPad being controlled by OffGrid utilizing the pad's velocity sensitivity as well as OffGrid's Motion Controller to modulate the Highpass/Lowpass Filter in Koala Sampler's effect section.

How do I know if OffGrid will play nice with my App?

The question should always be whether an App is MIDI compatible, not whether OffGrid is compatible with your app as OffGrid is simply an advanced, class-compliant MIDI Controller.
Hence the compatibility pre-requirement with MIDI should always be answered on the App's side first.

The two possibilities to connect OffGrid to Apps in Android shown above are applicable to any other MIDI-enabled App by principle. We encourage you to research the release notes of music-making apps for references to MIDI connectivity.

If your App can see incoming MIDI, it will be compatible with a class-compliant MIDI controller and conversely compatible with OffGrid. 

We encourage you to contact the App developers or reach out to the App community before making assumptions about an App's compatibility with MIDI controllers.

Further notes:

• Don't forget to disconnect your OffGrid in the last used App if you want to pair it with a different host device or application.
• Some Apps have more advanced features that can include MPE, Audio Buffer Settings etc.
  We encourage you really spend time and learn the ins/outs of your App to get the most out of OffGrid's extensive possibilities, as well as consult the Factory Preset Definitions.