GoKawiilOpen-source fcbnerd tool turns Behringer FCB1010 pedalboard into a Mac macro trigger
A developer released fcbnerd, a free command-line utility for macOS that reads MIDI signals from devices like the Behringer FCB1010 foot controller and either runs shell commands bound to specific pedal presses or outputs each MIDI event as JSON for other software to interpret. It works with any CoreMIDI-compatible source, not just the FCB1010, and is installable via Homebrew or built from source using Swift.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
By staying strictly a permissions-free MIDI reader and delegating actual system actions to the shell or tools like Hammerspoon and Keyboard Maestro, the tool avoids the sandboxing restrictions that limit what packaged Mac apps can do. This approach gives musicians, streamers and power users a lightweight way to repurpose cheap foot pedals as programmable macro pads without needing a dedicated GUI app or elevated permissions.
- fcbnerd is a free, open-source command-line tool for macOS 13+ that binds MIDI pedal events to shell commands.
- It works with any CoreMIDI device, though it was built with the Behringer FCB1010 in mind, and supports hotplug reconnection.
- The tool deliberately avoids being a full app to sidestep macOS sandboxing limits, leaving automation to external tools with proper permissions.
Source: github.com, 2026-09-14
Published there as: “Show HN: Macros with a Behringer FCB1010 MIDI Pedalboard in macOS”
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