Once the Free trial Expires, you can Unlock the Trial Limitations of this Macro Recorder for Mac Software on 1 Mac by paying in USD 7.89 only and use it for upto 6 Months on 1 Mac from the Date of Payment.
Record and Playback your Keyboard Actions (like Key Press, Key Down, Key Up and even Long Key Press) with Keyboard Recorder Software for Mac. This Keyboard Macro Software is fully fully functional and is now available for download on Mac OS X 10.6 and later versions. You do not need admin access to install this Keyboard Macro Software, however you would need to enable access for Assistive Devices in order to actually record Keystrokes.
- Macro Recorder is not only a mouse recorder, keyboard recorder and player.It is also a very powerful automation software and even an EXE-compiler. All recorded keystrokes and mouse activity can be saved to disk as a macro (script) for later use, bound to a hotkey, extended with custom commands or even compiled to an EXE file (a standalone Windows application).
- Record and repeat all mouse and keyboard actions. This Macro Recorder for Apple's Macintosh Operating Systems is Free to Download and is the best Macro Recorder for Mac which you can get for $8.00 only. You can Record all types of Mouse and Keyboard Actions with this Macintosh Macro Recorder.
The software works like a Network KVM but without the monitor sharing. Two Computers and one Keyboard. ShareMouse allows you to operate two computers with one keyboard and saves you from buying a USB switch or keyboard switch. Any keyboard input on any computer is processed by the computer with mouse focus. Two Computers and one Mouse. A mechanical keyboard is a high-performance keyboard with tactile and audio feedback so accurate it allows you to execute every keystroke with lightning-fast precision. Because of the durability and construction of the switches, mechanical keyboards are built to last far longer than standard keyboards.
Download this Macro Software or read on to know how this Mac Software can help you in playing Games, Displaying a Presentation or help you Browsing Web. Note that this Mac Software is not a KeyLogger, although the underlying principle behind KeyLogger and Keyboard Macro is almost the same. Unlike KeyLoggers, this Keyboard Recorder Application does not stores your Keystrokes onto Hard Disk and instead this Application is basically a Mac Automation Utility which works in a controlled way to assist you in repetitive tasks like automatically press keystrokes in an online Game, automate a presentation prepared in Powerpoint or any other software, automate Web Browsing on your Mac using any browser like Safari, Chrome, etc.
Macro Recorder for Mac in Downloads Folder as visible in Finder
Watch a Video Tutorial displaying this Macro Recorder for Mac being used as Keyboard Recorder on Mac 10.9 actually record and playback Keystrokes to fully understand how you can record and playback recorded Keystrokes and other Actions. When you download this Macro Recorder, it gets downloaded to the Downloads Folder from where you can copy or move it to Desktop or any other Folder with the help of Finder on your Mac. This Video Tutorial starts with the main screen of the software, displays how to assign keyboard shortcuts and then uses the Start Recording and Play Recording Buttons to record and playback Keystrokes pressed on a TextEdit Application.
This Macro Application for Mac is capable of recording all types of Keyboard Actions and it can also record Mouse Actions. In case you want to record only Keystrokes, simply do not move mouse and do actions with Mouse Cursor and this Macro Software will record only Keyboard Actions. On the other hand, if you would like to know more about Mouse Actions Recording features of this Mac OS X Automation Application, do read the Mouse Recorder for Mac post written on this blog.
This Keyboard Recorder requires some settings to be done on System Preferences and apart from that other settings are self explanatory. This Macro Recorder Application can record Keystrokes along with the time delay. Recording a Macro with this Keyboard Recorder is as simple as doing the Keyboard Actions as you would normally do. All you need to do is start the recording in the Macro Software and do press the Keystrokes on your Mac and when you are done , just stop the recording in the software. Use the Download link provided in the post above or navigate to the software page to know how you can configure your System Preferences so as to allow this Macro Recorder to record Keystrokes.
There is another related Mac OS X Automation Application available for download which allows you to store Text to be typed. The Mac Auto Mouse Click Application allows you to create and edit scripts with various actions like Keyboard Typing, Mouse Clicking, etc. It can be handy when you are comfortable with the idea of Mac Automation and can plan your screen and the task to automate. It works on 10.6 and other Mac Versions and requires little bit of more planning as compared to this simple and easy keyboard Recorder for Mac.
I received an email from a blog reader who had recently bought a MIDI keyboard so they could start practicing a bit of piano at home.
My previous blog posts on MIDI keyboards had all said something along the lines of “plug in your MIDI device and open up you DAW software to play”. But what if you don’t want to purchase any expensive software for writing and producing whole musical tracks? What if you just want some free software for practicing piano or messing around?
So following that I set out to find the best FREE MIDI keyboard software out there on each of the most common platforms Windows, Mac/ Apple and Android so you can plug in your MIDI keyboard and start playing straight away. This article summarises what I found.
But first, some context:
How does MIDI Work?
First things first, I always find it useful to briefly explain how MIDI works. If you, like me, came from playing a traditional acoustic instrument such as a piano or guitar, the world of MIDI and digital music production may be a little confusing. If you already know how it works feel free to skip this section!
MIDI is a digital signal, basically a series of 1s and 0s that allows different electronic devices to communicate with one another (I know, it sounds very dystopian!). This code communicates all manner of things from the note pressed, to how hard it is pressed and when it is released.
This is different to traditional instruments that produce an audio signal you can hear either straight away for acoustic instruments or through an amplifier for electric ones.
With a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device not producing an audio signal, it needs to be plugged into another device which can convert the code into something we can hear. In the modern era this is usually a laptop or computer.
Modern MIDI devices pretty much always plug in and communicate via a USB connection. But simply connecting the device isn’t enough. The computer will receive the code but to produce a sound it will need software of some sort.
That is where I hope this article will help.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Options – Windows
1) Piano Time for Windows 10
Piano time is a nice option if you simply want to plug in and play the piano.
It is an “app” but that doesn’t mean you need a tablet or phone to use it. Windows is changing to become more similar to Apple in the way they present software creating less of a disconnect between computers, tablets and phones. This means if you have Windows 10, you can now head to the Microsoft store and download apps to your computer.
There are paid apps in the windows store but as with the Apple and Android “stores” that you may be more familiar with on your phones and tablets, many of the apps are free to download and use.
Ease of Use
Piano time is really easy to plug in and get going. I plugged in my Novation Impulse MIDI keyboard and it instantly recognized it without me having to go into the settings.
Features
Piano time is meant to be simple and for mimicking the sound of a piano. For this reason, you can’t really adjust the sound. You won’t find different instrument sounds, reverb or delay for example. But this might be a good thing if all you want to do is play the piano.
You can record and save clips of what you are playing which is a nice feature, and this allows you to record one part, play it back and then play something else over the top. Handy if you are doing a bit of songwriting. However, be warned, on the free version these clips will only remain in place whilst the program is open, to save or export the tracks you record as MP3 files you will have to pay a small fee to upgrade.
It comes pre-loaded with a few very basic tracks for you to play along with, think Amazing Grace or Mary Had a Little Lamb. The keys will light up and show you how to play along and you can slow it down or speed it up to suit. Perhaps this is most suitable for the absolute beginner or for a child learning the piano. Also useful for anyone using this to learn the piano are a few basic scale exercises you can play along with.
Other features include a metronome that can be adjusted. I did find the clicking a bit annoying but it does the job.
As with most pieces of MIDI software, you can use your computer keyboard to play if you don’t own a MIDI keyboard. I would not recommend this as it is very hard to do, but Piano Time does have a feature called “key mapping” which will show the corresponding keyboard letters above the relevant keys to help you play.
Sound and Performance
I found the sound to be ok. A nice bit of sustain and reverb make it sound quite realistic. However, the lower notes can sound a bit quiet compared to the higher notes and chords don’t sound that great. This is annoying if you are trying to play notes with the left and right hand, as the right hand notes tend to drown out those of the left.
This can be frustrating as a quick ‘stacatto’ press of a key isn’t any different from when you hold it down. This makes notes merge together when you don’t want them to or not ring out for as long as you might have hoped.
For me, the app had virtually no latency (time between pressing a key and hearing the sound). This is partly due to the app, but will also be due to your computer. If you are trying to use it with a computer or laptop that doesn’t have much RAM or has a slow processor then this may not be the case. If you are experiencing MIDI delay check out this article.
Other people have noted that when adverts load it can cause the app to crash. This did happen to me once which was a pain. You can get rid of the ads by paying just a small fee so this might be worth doing if you are having this issue.
2) Piano 10 for Windows 10
Piano 10 is very similar in many ways to Piano Time. It is available for download from the Windows app store on any windows device.
Ease of Use
I plugged my keyboard in and it didn’t work straight away this time. The menus in the app are also not the easiest to find with a series of symbol buttons to press, so I had to do a bit of random clicking to find out how to do it.
A button saying “general MIDI” brings up a menu when clicked where you should be able to turn MIDI support on and then select your MIDI keyboard from the list.
So once you figure out what each button symbol means it isn’t too hard to use.
Features
Different to Piano Time, Piano 10 has a few different effects and amazingly 126 different sounds for you to chose from. Including reverb, sustain and echo but unfortunately only one of these can be turned on at once.
An auto-chords function is pretty cool and is a great way to help learn different chords and chord types as the keys of the chords light up whilst you play.
Software For Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
As with piano time you can record short clips of yourself playing. You can save these clips but only as .xscore files to re-open in Piano 10 another time.
A metronome is also included with adjustable bpm.
Sound and performance
When testing the default piano sound it was ok, but pressing the keys too lightly meant no sound was played. So if you are trying to practice playing softly you may find this frustrating.
However, when the sustain effect is turned on I thought it sounded much more realistic and it felt nice to play.
Although it is cool having 126 different sounds to choose from, be warned, most of them sound pretty terrible. Fun to mess around with but you would never want to use them in a performance.
Probably the most annoying thing about Piano 10 is the fact you can’t change the key size or get more keys to show on the screen. The whole keyboard will still play but you won’t see all the keys light up on screen.
Being a free app it also has a banner with ads at the top but these are fairly standard and don’t really interfere with the usability.
3) MidiEditor
If you want something a bit more advanced which will allow you to edit and export your MIDI tracks then MIDI Editor is free software that is a great introduction to some more advanced techniques.
Ease of Use
In terms of downloading and installing things are fairly simple. However, unlike the previous two options, this is a more traditional piece of software that you download from a website rather than the Windows App Store.
Once downloaded the settings are easy to find and here you can select your MIDI device and connect.
You should then hear a basic piano sound.
So in terms of getting a sound, it is fairly simple. However, if you are not familiar with MIDI you may find the software slightly confusing due to the more advanced features it has….
Features
The screen shows what is known as a ‘piano roll’. This is something to get familiar with if you plan on using MIDI in production.
As you play on your MIDI keyboard and press record you will see lines appear on the screen. This is a visualization of the digital code for each note. You can see it shows which note was played, how long for and other parameters such as velocity (how hard you played that note).
This is what separates digital MIDI data from a traditional audio recording. It is stored as a series of numbers (note, note length, etc) and then a sound is ‘overlayed’ on top of that. So you could play the original notes with a piano sound but then change that to strings or a flute for example.
Features such as quantize, which automatically moves mistimed notes onto the correct beat are cool to mess around with.
Sound and performance
As a basic free introduction to MIDI editing software, MidiEditor does a pretty good job.
There are a couple of things that frustrated me though.
For example, when you record a track you can’t see the notes appearing on the screen, you have to wait till you have finished recording and then they will appear. This just felt weird compared to the MIDI input I’m used to in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
There are also no other built-in sounds to test apart from the piano and I couldn’t find a way to import my own sounds either. Perhaps I’m expecting too much from free software.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Software on Mac (and Apple devices)
1) Garageband
Software For Mac Keyboard Software
Garageband has to be my favorite of all the free music making software available. I’ve written entire songs on the bus using this software on my iPad and have been happier with the sound than some tracks I spent weeks on in the studio!
It comes pre-installed on most Apple products but if not it can be downloaded from the app store for free.
Ease of Use
Garageband is quite a bit more advanced than some of the simple piano apps already mentioned in this article.
It is the closest you are going to get to proper a DAW without having to pay. A DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation. It is where all song artists create songs by piecing together tracks. There are many different ones with different people having different preferences. But if you are new to the music recording world then Garageband is a great place to start.
Macro Recorder
For this reason, it has massive potential but it does make it a bit confusing for the beginner. For example, when I connected my keyboard, it didn’t work straight away. I had to navigate to preferences and select my device and I also had to change the output so I could hear the sound.
It is a similar process when connecting to an iPad, however, you will have to buy a USB to lightning adapter (such as this one).
All that said it is still very easy to get started in comparison to most DAWs which can be very overwhelming. There are plenty of great videos on Youtube to help you if you get lost.
Features
This is where Garageband excels over the other simpler apps. The possibilities are almost limitless.
You can choose from hundreds of pre-loaded MIDI sounds. There are pre-made drum loops to add in and play along to. Then when you want to add even more sounds or effects you can download free ‘plug-ins.
Because it is a DAW you can layer up multiple tracks, MIDI or Audio to create full songs and there are great built-in features such as EQ and compression so you can even try your hand at mixing!
Sound and Performance
The pre-loaded sounds do sound quite robotic and it is hard to compose a full song that will sound professional using just the MIDI samples. That does, of course, depend on your genre, for some electronic music you can do a pretty good job.
This may not bother you if you just want to practice the piano.
The performance is pretty good, I rarely ever experience any latency when playing. This is dependent on your laptop age and spec.
2) Pianu.com
This option technically applies to Windows too but I couldn’t find another free app on the Apple app store that wasn’t either terrible or tried to give me a virus.
So Pianu.com is actually a web-based MIDI keyboard and is a great option if you don’t want to mess around downloading software and just want to get playing right away.
Ease of Use
This software is so simple to use (at least it was for me anyway!) Just head to pianu.com/keyboard-page and there you will see a big yellow button that says “Detect My Keyboard”. Press this and you will see the following screen.
You are then ready to start playing
Features
Pianu is not very complex and won’t give you all the features of Garageband. But many people have written to me to say they don’t want something as complicated as that and just want to play some piano. For this it is perfect.
What Pianu is really meant for though is learning the piano. For this it has lots of built-in lessons, starting with the absolute basics and building you up from there. What I like most is you can play along with a lot of contemporary songs (Coldplay, Taylor Swift etc.) rather than the usual Ode to Joy or Amazing Grace which you get on most apps.
Sound and Performance
You would never want to use this piano for recordings or live performances, but it sounds fine for learning. The one annoying thing is the notes don’t fully ring out and eventually just stop suddenly. But this is a minor issue when you are just practicing.
For a web-based application I expected performance to be dodgy, but it really wasn’t. In fact I would say I noticed less latency than many other apps and my laptop fan was whirring away.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Software on Android
Yes, that’s right, these days you don’t even need a computer to use a MIDI device. You can now plug your MIDI keyboard directly into your phone or tablet and use that to create music.
I bought this simple USB C to USB adapter for under $10 and it allows me to play my 49 key MIDI keyboard through my phone.
Keyboard Software Download
As with the other devices mentioned above, you will need to download some software (an app) to do this and there are plenty of great free options to choose from.
1) Perfect Piano
Ease of Use
You may already know how to connect your android device to a MIDI keyboard, but if you don’t it is very simple (you can find out in this step by step guide).
Microsoft Keyboard Software Mac
Once plugged in the Perfect Piano app should automatically detect that a MIDI keyboard is connected and it should work straight away without you having to mess around with any setup! A real bonus for those who just want to plug in and play.
Features
The app has a keyboard that is set as default to a piano sound. But additionally, you get the choice of many more from strings to synths and loads of additional free sounds to download.
There is a sustain button to create the effect of using a piano pedal and you can record your efforts either in MIDI format or in audio format.
The app has some nice additional features such as ‘learn to play’. Where you can play along as notes descend on the screen, very similar to guitar hero (if you remember that game) except you are actually learning a real instrument.
Sound and Performance
Free Keyboard Macro Program
With my android phone (which is a few years old now) I had no noticeable lag which amazed me. I’ve experienced many issues with MIDI latency using computers and laptops over the years. I can’t guarantee you won’t have issues but if your phone is newer than mine I’m sure it will be fine!
The sounds are really quite impressive. The piano does have that programmed sound but no more so than most other MIDI pianos out there. The synths and strings are great fun to mess around too.
I like how you can adjust the number of keys on the screen. A feature often lacking from many mobile MIDI apps.
Concluding Remarks
Nowadays there are plenty of free MIDI apps and software programs to choose from. The key thing is to ask yourself, what do I need the software to do? If it is to simply practice piano or mess about then stick to something simple. But if you think you might want to create full tracks or use more advanced techniques there is probably something out there for you too.
Once you are ready to progress the best option is to move to a DAW of your choice. I personally use Ableton Live which is particularly good for MIDI. But there are loads of others to choose from. My suggestion would be to download a free trial, watch a few ‘how-to’ videos and see which one you find best.
The possibilities of music production using MIDI are pretty endless!
It often irks to do a single set of steps again and again. It creates unavoidable delays in delivery of work and is a quite tiresome job. Though not for all, some of these tasks can be turned into a 5-min job with the help of a macro recorder. We have enlisted some of the best free macro recorders for Windows right here, but before that, you should know what a macro recorder is.
What does a Macro Recorder do?
Contents
- Check out Best Free Macro recorders for Windows:
- Now you can check out some Free Macro recorders for Mac
A macro recorder is a software that is used to replicated certain set of steps again and again as per the requirement. The software basically records the user’s steps or actions and stores them for playback at a later time. It is one of the basic tools required to automate tasks in your system.
The macro software records a series of steps (keyboard and mouse actions) and plays it back when you need it. In advanced macro softwares, you can also add your own macro script as per your requirement. You can find two different types of macro programs/softwares for Windows, free and paid type.
Free macro recorders for Windows may have limited features but they will be much easier to use than the paid ones. Complexity increases with the paid ones but they are much more feature-rich than the free ones.
Check out Best Free Macro recorders for Windows:
1. Pulover’s Macro Creator:
This free macro software for Windows works on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10 systems. It is a very advanced macro software that records continuous keystrokes, mouse movements, looks up for images and files, creates If/Else codes etc. to enable a smooth automation. Macros can be carried out either from the application or through Auto Hot Key Script.
2. Auto Click Typer 2.0 – Fastautoclicker.com
This is a lightweight application that can be easily installed from here Fastautoclicker.com. In order to execute the list of actions, Hotkeys are used. These hotkeys can be changed by the user and can work even when the application is running in the background.
Auto Clicker 2.0 lets its user choose whether they want the clicker to follow the cursor or click at a fixed spot. It also lets its users choose the total duration for which the clicker has to continue clicking, the time gap between two consecutive clicks and the total number of times the clicker has to click. The settings that are fed to the clicker in one session can be saved (including the last fixed location of the clicker). The list of the actions created by the user can also be saved and stored (AUTOCT file), that can be reused later.
3. AceThinker Screen Grabber Premium
AceThinker Screen Grabber Premium is another tool that can help you record your screen automatically, thanks to its “Task” Scheduler” feature. You don’t have to hit your keyboard and mouse multiple times. All you have to do is set a specific date and time on Task Scheduler, and the tool will do the recording for you in HD quality like 720p and 1080p.
Besides, this tool can record in full-screen, region mode, around the mouse, including your external webcam. Of course, this tool can also capture the audio from your system sound, microphone, or both. It is best for recording webinars, online class, live stream videos, game videos, and more.
4. Macro Dollar:
There is a saying that ‘Old is gold’…Well, this macro software is a good example of the proverb. This is one of the simplest and easy to use macro softwares that you can find. It is over 10 years old and just like others this automation software also records mouse movements and keystrokes.
5. Easy Clicks Macros:
Easy Clicks Macros may be an old macro software but it is a very efficient one. It is compatible with Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 7 but till date, its Windows 10 version has not been released. It allows multiple macros on a single key and you can fix the frequency of repetition of any step. Its ease of access to different macros and shortcut availability makes it a popular choice among users.
6. WinMacro:
With one of the easiest recording and automation tool, the WinMacro macro software is used to automate various simple everyday tasks. Its simple GUI has just three buttons- Record, Play and About. You also have the option of ignoring mouse actions during recording. You can opt for repeated playback and modify the payback rate. User configurable hotkeys make your automation job way easier.
7. TinyTask:
Free Macro recorders for Windows
Don’t judge an application by its name or size. TinyTask is merely 33KB and it is the smallest macrorecorder for Windows. Simplicity at its best, TinyTask has just six buttons and a very small GUI for all automation operations. It supports almost all versions of Windows OS; Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10. You can adjust the playback speed, alter the hotkeys and playback speed, record and play buttons, etc.
8. GhostMouse:
The GhostMouse macro recorder software will give one hell of a competition to TinyTask as it has got just 2 buttons to carry out automation operations. On the main GUI, it has buttons for play and record options. Though it cannot be used for complicated automation, if you are looking for small applications of recorder, then go for GhostMouse.
9. Mouse Recorder Premium:
Free Macro recorders for Windows
This is yet another free macro recorder for Windows that allows you to record and playback various actions on your system. It records and replicates individual mouse movements, optimizes timings to capture macro recordings step-by-step, restore the position of the windows, sort macros in folder for a more organized working etc. It is one of the best Windows 10 macro recorders and is compatible with Windows Vista/Server 2008/7/8/10.
10. Do it Again:
Just as the name suggests, this macro software has a list of macro recordings displayed in its main GUI for faster and easier access. If you are interested in advanced automation in which you can edit your own scripts, then Do It Again will help you out in the simplest way possible. This macro software stores all the recordings in files with .dia extension, i.e. text files. So, you can easily edit the scripts as per your requirements.
Safe Macro For Mac
11. Mini Mouse Macro:
Highly portable and easy to use interface, the Mini Mouse Macro is capable of tracking mouse clicks, changing the speed of script, editing the script as per requirement, and many other general automation software features. It is a very small application and it never lags during operation it is compatible with systems running on Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8 64 bit/10.
12. Macro Toolworks Free:
This application comes with three versions; free, standard and professional. It is one of the few free advanced level macros available and supports tons of automation techniques. Macro commands such as tracking variables, finding an image on the screen, FTP, sending emails, recording keystrokes and mouse events, manipulating windows, etc. are all supported by the Windows macro software.
13. Perfect Automation:
Just as the name suggests, the Perfect Automation macro recorder makes complex automation a cake walk for users. It records mouse movements on an active window even if it has been shifted to a different position on the monitor screen. Though it consists of four different parts; launcher, a recorder for mouse and keyboard, a solid script editor and as a scheduler, you don’t have to install each of them separately. All of them are combined into a single unit.
Now you can check out some Free Macro recorders for Mac
1. A Simple and Easy to use Mac Automation Tool
A Simple and Easy to use Mac Automation Tool is presented here which can Record and Playback Mouse and Keyboard Actions. This Macintosh Automation Tool works on all latest version of Mac OS X Operating Systems running with 10.6 onward versions. This Macro Recorder can be used as a combination of Mouse Click Recorder for Mac and a Keystroke Recorder for Mac.
Free Macro Recorder Open Source
2. MadRuby Macro recorder for Mac:
Free Macro Recorder For Windows 7
MadRuby is an on-the-fly keyboard macro recorder. You simply start recording while using any application, perform a task using the keyboard, stop recording and play it back as many times as you want, anywhere you want.
3. Mac Mouse Recorder
A simple mouse recorder for Mac OS X. Sits in the menu-bar and records your mouse & keyboard actions.
4. Easy Macro Recorder for Mac
Easy Macro Recorder by GoldSolution Software, Inc is a piece of software that will help you record mouse and keyboard actions so that you can automatically reproduce them at any desired time. Even though Easy Macro Recorder for Mac is not available for download, there are several other tools that can help you crate macros on Mac. Here is a list of apps that can serve as replacements for Easy Macro Recorder for Mac.
We hope you liked our collection of free macro recorders for Windows. You can also check out our articles on best free animation software for beginners and best free password apps for iPhone.