The Concept

Imagine creating your own keyboard but instead of regular keys, it triggers smart shortcuts that help you operate your life. Press a button to check your bank balance, turn a knob to control system volume, launch project workspaces, control media playback, or trigger custom workflows with a single touch.

How It Works

Connect any MIDI controller to your computer. re:Button listens for MIDI events and executes configured actions—from simple keystrokes to complex shell commands, API calls, or AI-powered workflows. The Presonus ATOM (US$ 136) offers 16 pads, 8 knobs, and 20 buttons, but any MIDI device works.

Markdown-Based Mapping

Define your shortcuts in a simple markdown file (rebutton-config.md). Each line maps a MIDI note or control to an action:

# Quick Responses
- 109[control_change]=osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to keystroke "y"'
- 107[control_change]=osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to keystroke "n"'

# Launch Apps
- 96[note_on]=/Applications/Kiro.app/Contents/MacOS/Electron ~/code/project
- 92[note_on]=open -a "Microsoft PowerPoint"

# Media Control
- 86[note_on]=open -a Spotify && osascript -e 'tell application "Spotify" to play'
- 14[control_change]=osascript -e "set volume output volume $value"

# Smart Shortcuts
- 112[note_on]=balance=$(curl -s http://localhost:8080/api/balance | jq -r '.balance'); python3 text_to_speech.py "Your balance is $balance"

The format is simple: note_number[event_type]=command. Variables like $value and $velocity get replaced with actual MIDI values.

Using Kiro CLI for Mapping

Leverage Kiro's AI capabilities to help you create and manage your button mappings:

• Discover MIDI events: Run rebutton-mqtt.py to see which notes/controls your device sends
• Generate commands: Ask Kiro to create shell commands for your desired actions
• Build workflows: Use Kiro to chain multiple commands or integrate with APIs
• Optimize mappings: Let Kiro suggest ergonomic button layouts based on usage patterns

# Ask Kiro to help
kiro-cli chat

> "Help me create a rebutton config that opens my project folders 
   on buttons 96-99 and controls Spotify on buttons 86-87"

> "Generate a command to check my bank balance via API and 
   speak it using text-to-speech"

> "I have 16 pads. Suggest an ergonomic layout for: 
   4 project launchers, 4 media controls, 4 quick responses"

Most-Used Shortcuts

• Project launchers: 4 different workspaces with dedicated buttons
• Volume control knob: Much better than keyboard shortcuts
• Quick responses: "Yes/No/Thanks" saves typing in meetings
• Photo capture: Quick photos with Photo Booth for video calls
• Smart home control: Send MQTT messages to control lights and devices

What You Need

• Any MIDI controller (Presonus ATOM recommended, US$ 136)
• Python 3 with mido, python-rtmidi, and paho-mqtt libraries
• Optional: MQTT broker for IoT integration and debugging

Installation

pip install mido python-rtmidi paho-mqtt

# On macOS, you might also need:
brew install portmidi

Quick Start

1. Connect your MIDI controller via USB
2. Run python3 rebutton-mqtt.py to discover button numbers
3. Create your rebutton-config.md file with mappings
4. Run python3 rebutton.py and start pressing buttons

The Code (Less Than 30 Lines)

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import mido, re, subprocess

def parse_config(filename):
    config = {}
    with open(filename) as f:
        for line in f:
            match = re.match(r'^-\s*(\d+)\[(\w+)\]=(.+)$', line.strip())
            if match:
                note, event_type, command = match.groups()
                config[(int(note), event_type)] = command.strip()
    return config

config = parse_config("rebutton-config.md")
midi_port = mido.open_input(mido.get_input_names()[0])

for msg in midi_port:
    key = (getattr(msg, 'note', None) or getattr(msg, 'control', None), msg.type)
    if key in config:
        command = config[key].replace('$value', str(getattr(msg, 'value', '')))
        subprocess.Popen(command, shell=True)

Tangible Interface

Physical buttons create a tangible interface to your digital life. Instead of context-switching between apps and memorizing shortcuts, you have dedicated controls for what matters most.

AI-Powered Evolution

Combined with AI (via Kiro), you can rapidly prototype and evolve your interface. The barrier between "I wish I could..." and "Done!" shrinks to minutes.

Infinitely Customizable

Your button layout will be completely different from anyone else's because your life and workflows are unique. What will you put on your buttons?