PS4 Controller to MIDI Bridge for Korg Wavestation

This package lets you use a PS4 controller to control the vector joystick in Korg Wavestation (or any synth supporting MIDI CC16/17) via macOS and Python.

Features

• Live vector joystick control with PS4 controller
• Toggle freeze/unfreeze with the X button
• Easy setup for any user
• Enable L Joystick or R Joystick independently or together with summing, using L3 and R3 to enable and disable the joysticks

Bugs/Improvements to make

• Moving the joystick while a project is playing results in a variable sample rate error code in Logic Pro
• To use Korg Wavestation with a mouse after using a controller, Logic Pro's preference settings must be reset to reflect the changes
• Unable to use the mouse and controller functionality at the same time
• Untested on DAWs other than Logic Pro
• Untested on Synths other than Korg Wavestation
• Untested on OS other than Mac Sequoia 15.7.2
• Untested on controllers other than PS4 controllers

Setup Instructions

1. Install Python 3

   • macOS usually includes Python 3. If not, download from https://www.python.org or use Homebrew: brew install python

2. Create and activate a virtual environment

   python3 -m venv ps4env
   source ps4env/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Enable IAC Driver (Virtual MIDI Port)

   • Open Audio MIDI Setup (Applications > Utilities)
   • Show MIDI Studio (Window > Show MIDI Studio)
   • Double-click IAC Driver, check "Device is online"
   • Optionally rename to "Virtual Midi Port"

5. Connect PS4 Controller via USB or Bluetooth

   • Hold PS + Share to pair via Bluetooth
   • Or plug in via USB

6. Run the script (source version)

   python3 ps4midi.py

7. Run the standalone app (frozen version)

   • After building with PyInstaller, run:

     ./dist/ps4midi

   • You should see output about available MIDI ports and MIDI CC messages in the terminal.

8. Open your DAW and load Korg Wavestation

   • Make sure "Virtual Midi Port" is enabled as a MIDI input
   • Move the PS4 stick to control the vector joystick
   • Press X to freeze/unfreeze position

Building the Standalone App (PyInstaller)

If you want to distribute a standalone app:

1. Make sure your ps4midi.spec file points to the correct script and includes the rtmidi binary:
   • The Analysis section should look like:

     a = Analysis([
         '/Users/YOURUSERNAME/ps4midi_package/ps4midi.py'],
         ...
         binaries=[('/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.14/lib/python3.14/site-packages/rtmidi/_rtmidi.cpython-314-darwin.so', 'rtmidi')],
         ...
     )

2. Build with:

   pyinstaller ps4midi.spec

3. Share the resulting dist/ps4midi binary with other macOS users.
   • Note: The binary is only guaranteed to work on similar macOS versions and architectures.

Distribution Notes

• For GitHub, upload only the source code (not the dist or build folders).
• Add a Release if you want to share the pre-built binary.
• Other users can build their own binary by following the instructions above.

Troubleshooting

• If the controller is not detected, check connection and try both USB/Bluetooth.
• If MIDI is not received, check IAC Driver and DAW MIDI input settings.

License

MIT