Maschine Code
A room full of Claude Code sessions, readable at a glance and steered without the keyboard.
Hardware I already owned
When OpenAI released the Codex Micro with Work Louder, it got me thinking about whether I could do something similar with hardware I already owned. I had a Native Instruments Maschine, a piece of hardware I love, and wanted to see if it could become a partner in my AI workflows.
I built Maschine Code as an open-source project that maps the controller's pads, screens and physical controls to Claude Code sessions. Working out those mappings meant thinking about what the hardware offered and how I would actually use it day to day.
Seeing the agents on the pads
The coloured pads were an obvious place to start. Each of the Maschine's 16 pads represents a session and changes colour depending on whether the agent is working, needs input or has finished. That gives me a visual overview of what's running and which agents need me to move their work forward.
Reading, approving and talking
Hitting a pad takes me to that terminal instance. When an agent asks permission to run a command, the pad pulses and the command appears across the Maschine's two screens, so I can read it before approving or denying it from the hardware. I also mapped voice input to the PLAY button: hold it down and talk to Claude. Together, those controls let me move between sessions, respond to requests and give further instructions without reaching for the keyboard.
A different use for familiar controls
The project helped me learn more about agent harnesses, but it also made me think about the physical experience of working with agents. What should be visible at a glance? Which actions deserve a button? How could controls I already enjoyed using for music fit into a different part of my day?
It was a really fun project. Maschine Code talks directly to the controller without needing Native Instruments' software, and gave me a way to make hardware I already owned useful in my daily AI workflow.
Built with: TypeScript, node-hid (raw USB HID), Claude Code, macOS, a Native Instruments Maschine MK2
Part of the Rolling Waves work archive.