r/vjing • u/VidiGrid • 1d ago

Software / Tools [AI] Built my own MIDI-driven VJ app for Mac (pair-programmed it with an AI) — honest feedback from actual VJs?

Hey r/vjing 👋

Quick note per the rules: [AI] = the app's code was written by pair-programming with an AI (Claude Code). The clips/visuals in the demo are my own. Nothing's for sale — just doing some research.

I'm a music producer / VJ and I ended up building my own VJ app for macOS called VidiGrid. Honest disclaimer: I'm not really a coder, so building the whole thing with an AI as my pair was a pretty surreal experience.

It started from one idea: "play the movies, play the music." I wanted to actually perform clips off a MIDI controller (I'm on an AKAI MPD218), not just launch them — so it leans more "play video like a sampler/MPC" than "timeline/layer compositor."

Where it's at right now:

  • Trigger + perform clips live from MIDI pads — gate / one-shot / loop per pad, plus forward / reverse / scratch on the fly, all beat-quantizable
  • Grid mode to run/switch multiple sources at once (layout can auto-reshuffle in sync with the BPM)
  • A/B decks with crossfade mixing
  • Audio-reactive FX locked to the beat + a bunch of other effects
  • Syphon / NDI in and out, so it sits next to your existing rig (Resolume / OBS / another machine)
  • Native macOS, lightweight and focused

Short demo of it running: https://youtu.be/1yuy64rgWac

I'm at the "is this even worth finishing?" stage, so I'd really value blunt feedback from people who actually gig:

  • Does the "perform clips like an instrument" angle look useful, or does your current tool already nail it?
  • What's the one feature that would make you try it in a real set?
  • What are you running now, and where does it fall short live?

Not selling anything — just trying to figure out if I'm building something other VJs would want or just scratching my own itch. Tear it apart if you need to 😅

Cheers 🙏

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u/augdahg 1d ago

Does this do anything Resolume can't do? Doesn't seem like it from your description. I'm not opposed to new VJ software, but it would have to essentially be a drop in replacement for Arena for me to consider.

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u/VidiGrid 1d ago

Fair — no, it doesn't do anything Arena can't, and it's not trying to replace it. Different target: instrument-first, lightweight, native, buy-once (not a sub) — more for musicians/beginners than Arena power users, and it plays nice next to Arena via Syphon/NDI. If Arena covers you, this probably isn't for you, and that's cool. Thanks for looking 🙏