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PXR MIDI PlayerVersion 1.2.9
Simple enough to just press play. Powerful enough to explore every note and effect.
PXR MIDI Player is a powerful, free, native macOS player for Standard MIDI Files, playing your .mid, .midi and .kar files through connected synthesisers and sound modules, or its own built-in synth, and showing you everything as it happens: a real-time 16-channel visualiser, an LCD display, lyrics, and a full suite of monitoring tools.
When QuickTime X replaced the original QuickTime, Apple quietly dropped built-in MIDI file playback, so modern macOS has no MIDI player of its own. PXR brings that back, and then goes a good deal further. It is a free download with no ads, trials, or restrictions; there is an optional pay-what-you-like contribution if you would like to support development. The app is made by James Woodcock of Pixel Refresh: a labour of love, built in spare time for the joy of MIDI.
Press play and it just works. Underneath, though, is a genuinely deep toolset for when you want it: a custom-built SoundFont engine with per-channel SoundFonts, up to 64 channels across four ports, live GS and XG effect monitors you can edit as the music plays, a SysEx console that decodes messages into plain English, Yamaha PLG daughterboard and Roland MT-32 support, and a Part Inspector that breaks a single channel down to its individual controllers. It stays approachable whether you just want to listen or dig right in.
This wiki is the official user guide, so make yourself at home. Use the navigation on the left, or the search box at the top, to find what you need. The official home of the app is www.pxrmidiplayer.com.
Get the app#
PXR MIDI Player is a free download for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon). Get the latest version from the official product page:
Then follow Installing & First Launch to open it and choose where the sound comes out.
Note
PXR MIDI Player runs on macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.
New here? Start with these#
- Installing & First Launch - get the app open and pick where the sound comes out.
- Quick Start - play your first file in a few clicks.
- Playback & Transport - the everyday controls.
- MIDI & Sound Standards - new to MIDI? Start here for the plain-English basics.
What PXR can do#
Play MIDI your way Open single files or build a playlist, with shuffle, repeat, auto-advance, and a play queue. Send the music to a connected synth or use the built-in synth with optional SoundFonts.
Its own SoundFont engine No hardware synth? No problem. PXR's built-in synth includes a custom-built SoundFont (SF2) engine, rather than leaning on the system synthesiser. It plays melodic variation banks that Apple's own SoundFont synth cannot, supports per-channel SoundFonts, and drives every channel across all four ports. Reverb and chorus are applied per channel rather than globally, so each part keeps its own effect levels just as it would on real hardware. It is also checked against the SoundFont Spec Implementation Test and its two companion suites, thirty-two tests in all covering the parts of the format you actually hear, and passes every one.
Up to 64 channels across four ports Standard MIDI gives you 16 channels, but many files spread their parts across multiple MIDI ports. The good news is PXR handles up to 64 channels over four ports (A, B, C, D), so even big multi-port arrangements play in full. You can switch which port the visualiser shows, route ports to different devices with multi-port presets, and see all 64 channels in the Mixer.
See the music A 16-channel visualiser shows note activity, levels, pan, controllers, and instrument names. A retro LCD bar shows time, tempo, and format. Optional speaker cabinets and LED meters bounce along with the audio. Files with embedded words get a synced karaoke lyrics display.
Play along live Performance Mode gives you an on-screen keyboard and instrument browser, and you can route a connected MIDI keyboard through PXR to your synth.
Tweak and inspect A live Mixer gives you per-channel volume, pan, effect sends, mute and solo. The SysEx Console decodes messages in plain English. Deep GS and XG effect monitors, PLG daughterboard tools, and MT-32 support are there when you need them.
Keep a record Listening Stats quietly tracks what you play (entirely on your own Mac) and turns it into charts and a year-end Wrapped. You can also bounce a file to audio.
Finding your way around#
| If you want to... | Go to |
|---|---|
| Get a quick answer to a common question | FAQ |
| Get sound out of the app | MIDI Output & Devices |
| Learn the buttons and shortcuts | Playback, Keyboard Shortcuts |
| Understand a setting | Settings Reference |
| Look up a term | Glossary |
| Fix a problem | Troubleshooting |
| See what changed recently | What's New |
Support the project#
PXR MIDI Player is free and developed in spare time. If you enjoy using it, you can support its development with a pay-what-you-like contribution on Ko-fi or via PayPal:
Support PXR MIDI Player on Ko-fi
Other ways to help cost nothing: tell a friend, leave a review, and follow for updates on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
What users are saying...
A really cool player especially if you have a whole stack of vintage MIDI synths hooked up to your mac! The interface is modern and responsive and the player is already very feature rich for such a fresh project.
It recognizes the modules I have plugged in, identifies what standard the MIDI files I have conform to (MIDI, MIDI 2, GS, or XG), and offers a lot of neat options like displaying the PXR logo on my synth when it's not playing things back.
It passes with flying colors, and I'm certain it will become the best MIDI/Karaoke app in the Apple ecosystem.