HID Mode (Keyboard & Mouse)
In HID Mode the FrenschPress enumerates on the computer as a USB keyboard and mouse instead of a MIDI device. Every button and every encoder movement then sends a keystroke or a mouse action.
Typical use: a redundant PowerPoint or Keynote control that needs no extra software and no MIDI routing.
Enabling
The switch is in Settings under HID Mode.
- Turn on Enable HID Mode.
- Press Save & Reboot. The FrenschPress restarts and enumerates in the new USB role.
To switch it off, turn off Enable HID Mode in the same place and press Save & Reboot again.
While HID Mode is active, the FrenschPress sends no USB MIDI and runs no macros. The buttons trigger only the keyboard and mouse actions set up below. Companion Mode is inactive during that time as well.
Mappings
With HID Mode active, the HID Key / Mouse Mappings table appears on the Device Mode page.
| Control | Type | LED |
|---|---|---|
| GO | Keyboard / Mouse Click | ✔ (default blue) |
| STOP | Keyboard / Mouse Click | ✔ (default yellow) |
| PAUSE | Keyboard / Mouse Click | ✔ (default yellow) |
| Encoder Push | Keyboard / Mouse Click | – |
| Encoder CW | Keyboard / Mouse Scroll | – |
| Encoder CCW | Keyboard / Mouse Scroll | – |
| Push + CW | Keyboard / Mouse Scroll | – |
| Push + CCW | Keyboard / Mouse Scroll | – |
The FrenschPress saves changes to type, key, modifiers, mouse action and LED colour immediately. There is no separate save step.
Keyboard
For each control, choose modifiers and a key:
- Modifiers:
Ctrl,Shift,Alt,Cmd, in any combination - Key: a list with letters, digits,
Enter,Escape,Backspace,Tab,Space,F1–F12,Insert,Home,PageUp,Delete,End,PageDownand the arrow keys
On a computer there is also Capture: the button takes the next key you press. On a phone, use the list.
Capture records the physical key code, so it is layout independent. A key captured on a German keyboard sits in the same physical position on the target computer.
Mouse
| Type | Options |
|---|---|
| Mouse Click (buttons and encoder push) | Left Click, Right Click, Middle Click |
| Mouse Scroll (encoder turns) | Scroll Up, Scroll Down, Scroll Left, Scroll Right |
LED
STOP, GO and PAUSE each take their own LED colour. The defaults are blue for GO and yellow for STOP and PAUSE.
Relationship to the other USB roles
The USB 2 port has three roles that exclude each other:
| Role | Meaning |
|---|---|
| USB MIDI device | Default: class-compliant MIDI in both directions |
| USB HID device | HID Mode, see above |
| USB host | Stream Deck or LTC dongle |
Every change requires a restart of the USB 2 part.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| QLab or other software no longer receives MIDI | HID Mode is active | Disable HID Mode in Settings |
| Macros and Companion do not respond | HID Mode is active | As above |
| Stream Deck or LTC dongle is not detected | USB 2 runs as HID device instead of USB host | Disable HID Mode and turn on USB Host Support in Settings |
| Capture is missing | The web interface is open on a phone | Pick the key from the list |