Sketchatone

Sketchatone

Turn your drawing tablet into a MIDI strumming controller

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Install and run Sketchatone for the first time

Getting Started

This guide will help you get Sketchatone running with your graphics tablet.

Prerequisites

  • A graphics tablet (XP-Pen Deco 640, Huion Inspiroy 2M, ideally others but no promises )
  • A MIDI-capable application (DAW, synthesizer, virtual instrument)

Installation

Choose the installer for your platform:

macOS

Download from GitHub Releases

Download Sketchatone-macOS.zip, unzip, drag to Applications, and run.

See macOS Installation Guide for details.

Raspberry Pi / Zynthian

Download from GitHub Releases

Download sketchatone-debian-installer.tar.gz for simple installation with automatic USB auto-start configuration.

Quick install:

# Download and extract
tar xzf sketchatone-debian-installer.tar.gz

# Run installer
sudo ./install-sketchatone.sh

See Raspberry Pi Installation Guide for details.

From Source

For developers or other platforms, see Building from Source.

Quick Start

1. Connect Your Tablet

Plug in your graphics tablet. Sketchatone will auto-detect supported tablets based on USB vendor/product IDs.

Supported tablets include:

  • Wacom (Intuos, Cintiq, etc.)
  • XP-Pen (Deco, Artist, etc.)
  • Huion (Inspiroy, Kamvas, etc.)
  • And many others

If your tablet isn't recognized, you may need to create a device configuration file. See Configuration.

2. Set Up MIDI Output

Make sure you have a MIDI destination ready:

  • macOS: Enable IAC Driver in Audio MIDI Setup (built-in virtual MIDI)
  • Linux/Raspberry Pi: Connect a USB MIDI device or use ALSA virtual ports
  • Zynthian: JACK MIDI is configured automatically

3. Start Sketchatone

macOS: Launch the Sketchatone app - the dashboard opens automatically in your browser

Raspberry Pi/Zynthian: Plug in your tablet (auto-starts by default, no dashboard)

From source:

# With dashboard (recommended for configuration)
npm run server
# or
python -m sketchatone.cli.server

# Without dashboard (MIDI only)
npm run midi-strummer
# or
python -m sketchatone.cli.midi_strummer

4. Configure with the Dashboard

macOS/Development: The web dashboard opens automatically at http://localhost:8080

The dashboard lets you:

  • ✅ Configure settings visually - No JSON editing required
  • ✅ See live tablet input - Watch pressure, tilt, and position in real-time
  • ✅ Adjust parameters instantly - Changes apply immediately without restart
  • ✅ Load/save presets - Switch between configurations for different songs

See Web Dashboard for complete documentation.

Raspberry Pi/Zynthian: Dashboard is typically disabled for performance. Configure via JSON files (see Configuration).

5. Start Strumming!

Draw across your tablet surface to strum notes. By default, you'll hear a C major chord (C, E, G).

Try adjusting settings in the dashboard:

  • Change the chord
  • Adjust pressure sensitivity
  • Enable pitch bend with pen tilt
  • Map stylus buttons to transpose or note repeater

6. Optional: Configure MIDI Input

If you want to use an external MIDI keyboard to change the notes being strummed, see Post-Installation Configuration.

What's Next?

Learn the Basics

Customize Your Setup

Troubleshooting

Advanced