Free MIDI Piano Roll & Composition Tool
XenRoll is a free and open-source MIDI piano roll editor focused on advanced composition, microtonality, and experimental music creation.
Unlike a traditional DAW piano roll, XenRoll is designed as a dedicated MIDI composition environment, especially useful for composers working with alternative tunings, unusual scales, algorithmic composition, and complex MIDI workflows.
What Makes XenRoll Different?
Most piano rolls are tied to a DAW and assume:
- 12-tone equal temperament
- Standard Western scales
- Conventional MIDI workflows
XenRoll is built for composers who want more flexibility.
Main Features
Advanced Piano Roll Editing
- Detailed MIDI editing
- Velocity editing
- Note length control
- Pitch manipulation
- Multi-track composition
Microtonal Support
One of XenRoll’s biggest strengths.
Supports:
- Microtonal scales
- Alternative tuning systems
- Non-Western scales
- Experimental tuning structures
Very useful for:
- Ambient music
- Contemporary composition
- Sound design
- Academic music research
MIDI Export
You can:
- Compose in XenRoll
- Export MIDI
- Import into your DAW
Compatible with:
- Ableton Live
- Logic Pro
- Reaper
- Cubase
- Bitwig
- Studio One
MPE and Modern MIDI Workflows
Useful for:
- Expressive controllers
- Per-note pitch control
- Alternative tuning experiments
Instead of:
- standard EDM sequencing
- repetitive piano roll work
you can explore:
- generative structures
- unusual scales
- evolving melodic systems
- cinematic compositions
Strengths
✅ Completely free and open source
✅ Excellent for microtonal music
✅ Lightweight
✅ DAW-independent workflow
✅ Great for experimental composers
✅ Useful with MPE controllers
Weaknesses
❌ Doesn’t replace a DAW
❌ Steep learning curve if you only use standard MIDI
❌ Less useful for conventional EDM workflows
❌ More functional than aesthetically pleasing interface
For your studio
If your goal is:
creating standard house tracks
simple MIDI editing
then a classic DAW like Logic Pro or Ableton already fulfills your needs.
If your goal is:
ambient music
experimental electronic music
evolving sequences
alternative scales
discovering new harmonic ideas
then XenRoll is one of the most interesting free tools available recently.
Source : github.com
