Fix Stuck Notes

When you press a key on a MIDI keyboard, your device receives a note-on message. When you release it, a note-off message follows. If the note-off is lost — due to a USB hiccup, a loose cable, or a wireless dropout — the note keeps sounding indefinitely. This is a stuck (or hung) note.

Stuck notes are most common with wireless MIDI adapters and long USB cables, but they can happen with any setup.

After a note has been sounding for 8 seconds without a note-off, Tiny Instrument shows a warning banner at the top of the screen. Tap Clear on the banner to silence all active notes immediately.

If you need to dismiss the banner without clearing notes — for example, during freeplay when you're intentionally holding keys — tap Dismiss.

Tip You can also clear all active notes at any time by pressing the Panic button in the Play mode toolbar.

In addition to the warning banner, Tiny Instrument can automatically silence notes that have been sounding past a configurable threshold. Auto-clear is on by default at 30 seconds.

Open Settings → General → Stuck Notes to adjust it. The toggle turns auto-clear on or off. When enabled, a stepper below it sets the threshold — between 10 and 60 seconds.

The threshold controls how long a note must be sounding before it is silenced automatically. The default is 30 seconds — long enough that a deliberately-held note won't be cut off, but short enough to catch most MIDI dropouts before they become disruptive.

If you regularly hold notes for longer than 30 seconds — for example, while adjusting settings mid-performance — raise the threshold. If dropouts tend to bother you quickly, lower it toward 10 seconds.

Drone notes in Play & Explore freeplay are intentionally sustained and are exempt from auto-clear. If you have a drone active, it will keep sounding even past the threshold — and the warning banner will not appear for it either. Auto-clear only targets notes that are genuinely stuck.