MidiPilot in FFXIV Bard Mode

With the FFXIV checkbox on, MidiPilot works under Final Fantasy XIV Bard Performance rules and gains five FFXIV-specific tools. This page collects what that mode enforces, the arrangement guidance behind it, and the one-click channel fixer that needs no AI call at all.

FFXIV Bard Mode

When the FFXIV checkbox is enabled, MidiPilot appends additional constraints to the system prompt that enforce Final Fantasy XIV Bard Performance rules. This works with both Simple and Agent mode.

Agent + FFXIV - the full FFXIV context with detailed guidance, plus 5 FFXIV-specific tools (validate_ffxiv, convert_drums_ffxiv, setup_channel_pattern, analyze_voice_load, auto_fit_voice_load)
Simple + FFXIV - a compact FFXIV context that leaves more of the token budget for the answer itself. Includes a warning that large compositions may exceed limits

You do not have to reach for the checkbox yourself. MidiPilot can switch the mode through the set_ffxiv_mode tool, so “prepare this for an FFXIV octet” is enough to bring the FFXIV tools and the FFXIV rules into play - both are in effect from the next step of the same request - and get_editor_state reports the current mode back to it as ffxivMode. The checkbox and the tool are the same switch: whichever one is used, the panel, the tool list and any connected MCP client follow along.

Arrangement Guidance

In FFXIV mode MidiPilot works from more than the hard rules. It also carries the craft that separates a merely playable file from an arrangement that sounds like a band, and you will notice it in what it proposes:

Guitar variants as a musical device - one guitar performer switching from Clean in the verse to Overdriven in the chorus, instead of one sound for the whole song.
Register is a choice - when a part has to be folded into C3-C6, bringing it down is usually the better answer than pushing it up, and the octave is picked deliberately rather than taken as the nearest legal one.
Density is tone - thinning a dense tremolo or 32nd run often sounds better in game, so a reduction may be suggested as a musical decision and not only as a fix for an overflow.
Channel sharing is allowed - the game picks instruments by track name, so two performers may share one MIDI channel.
The order of work - arrange first, name every performer track exactly, run setup_channel_pattern last, then validate. Expect the channel setup near the end of a run rather than at the start.

External clients get the same guidance from the midi://ffxiv-guide MCP resource.

Enforced Rules Overview

✅ Note range C3-C6 (MIDI 48-84) - strict boundaries, no notes outside
✅ Monophonic tracks - one note at a time (Lute/Harp/Piano allow limited chords)
✅ Track name = instrument - the track name determines which instrument the bard equips in-game (28 valid names)
✅ Instrument → GM program mapping - correct program_change at tick 0 per channel
✅ Channels are cosmetic - the channel number does not affect the instrument. Unique channels per track are recommended for clean editing, but not required
✅ Drums can stay on channel 9 - the track name (Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Cymbal, etc.) determines the percussion instrument, not the channel
✅ GM drum conversion - kick → Bass Drum C4, snare → Snare C5, hi-hat → Cymbal C6, crash → Cymbal C5, toms → Timpani
✅ Guitar switches - the only case where channels matter functionally. Each of the 5 variants (Clean, Muted, Overdriven, PowerChords, Special) needs its own channel with program_change at tick 0. Switch sound mid-track by changing the note’s channel
✅ No pitch bend / no velocity editing - velocity fixed at 100
✅ Instrument transposition - native ranges mapped per instrument (e.g., Piano C4-C7 = −1 octave, Tuba C1-C4 = +2 octaves)
✅ Track ordering - melodic instruments first, drums at end (highest track indices)

See FFXIV Prompt Examples for tested prompts.

Fix X|V Channels

The Fix X|V Channels tool provides a one-click, deterministic channel fixer that sets up the complete MidiBard2 channel mapping - no AI calls needed. Find it in the toolbar or via Tools → Fix X|V Channels.

👉 Full documentation: Fix X|V Channels - the 5-step algorithm, Rebuild vs Preserve modes, supported instruments, guitar variant switching, before/after screenshots, and tips.

MidiPilot in FFXIV Bard Mode

FFXIV Bard Mode

Arrangement Guidance

Enforced Rules Overview

Fix X|V Channels

See also