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Show HN: Macros with a Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Pedalboard in macOS

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Why This Matters

This new command-line tool, fcbnerd, enables Mac users to utilize a MIDI pedalboard like the Behringer FCB1010 as a customizable input device. Its design emphasizes flexibility and security by avoiding app permissions, making it a powerful option for musicians and developers seeking tailored MIDI integrations. This development highlights ongoing efforts to make MIDI hardware more adaptable and accessible on macOS.

Key Takeaways

fcbnerd

Use a MIDI foot controller as an extra keyboard for your Mac. fcbnerd connects to your MIDI sources and either runs a shell command when a footswitch or pedal sends a message you've bound, or prints one JSON object per line for every message so another program can decide what a stomp means.

$ fcbnerd -q --bind ' 1:20:127=open ~/Downloads ' --bind ' pc:1:0=say hello '

Or stream everything for another program to handle:

$ fcbnerd {"type":"connected","source":"UM-ONE","time":"2026-09-14T20:01:00.120Z"} {"type":"pc","channel":1,"program":0,"source":"UM-ONE","time":"2026-09-14T20:01:02.345Z"} {"type":"cc","channel":1,"controller":30,"value":84,"source":"UM-ONE","time":"2026-09-14T20:01:03.910Z"}

Built for the Behringer FCB1010, but nothing in it is FCB1010-specific: any CoreMIDI source works.

Why a command-line tool instead of an app

Anything that acts on your Mac, like pressing keys or running scripts, needs permissions that sandboxed apps can't get, and every user wants a different set of actions anyway. fcbnerd only reads MIDI, which needs no permissions. The actions belong to your shell, or to a tool that already has the access, such as Hammerspoon or Keyboard Maestro.

Install

brew trust --tap jamesryanatx/tap # Homebrew 7+ won't load third-party taps until you trust them brew install JamesRyanATX/tap/fcbnerd

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