diff --git a/src/buffers.hxx b/src/buffers.hxx
index c59c603..87b5e35 100644
--- a/src/buffers.hxx
+++ b/src/buffers.hxx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class Buffers
       memset( audio, 0, sizeof(float*)*2);
     }
     float* audio[32];
-    unsigned char* midi [32];
+    void* midi [32];
     
     enum BUFFER {
       MASTER_OUTPUT = 0,
diff --git a/src/jack.cxx b/src/jack.cxx
index 5d69d4f..7ddaae7 100644
--- a/src/jack.cxx
+++ b/src/jack.cxx
@@ -85,23 +85,25 @@ void Jack::activate()
 
 int Jack::process (jack_nframes_t nframes)
 {
-  // do events from the ringbuffer
-  handleDspEvents();
-  
   // get buffers
   buffers.audio[Buffers::MASTER_INPUT]    = (float*)jack_port_get_buffer( masterInput , nframes);
   buffers.audio[Buffers::MASTER_OUTPUT]   = (float*)jack_port_get_buffer( masterOutput, nframes);
-  buffers.midi[Buffers::MASTER_MIDI_INPUT]= (unsigned char*) jack_port_get_buffer( masterMidiInput, nframes );
-  buffers.midi[Buffers::APC_INPUT]        = (unsigned char*) jack_port_get_buffer( apcMidiInput   , nframes );
-  buffers.midi[Buffers::APC_OUTPUT]       = (unsigned char*) jack_port_get_buffer( apcMidiOutput  , nframes );
+  buffers.midi[Buffers::MASTER_MIDI_INPUT]= (void*) jack_port_get_buffer( masterMidiInput, nframes );
+  buffers.midi[Buffers::APC_INPUT]        = (void*) jack_port_get_buffer( apcMidiInput   , nframes );
+  buffers.midi[Buffers::APC_OUTPUT]       = (void*) jack_port_get_buffer( apcMidiOutput  , nframes );
   
   // pre-zero output buffers
   memset( buffers.audio[Buffers::MASTER_OUTPUT], 0, sizeof(float) * nframes );
   jack_midi_clear_buffer( buffers.midi[Buffers::APC_OUTPUT] );
   
+  
+  // do events from the ringbuffer
+  handleDspEvents();
+  
   // process incoming MIDI
   jack_midi_event_t in_event;
   
+  
   int masterMidiInputIndex = 0;
   int event_count = (int) jack_midi_get_event_count( buffers.midi[Buffers::MASTER_MIDI_INPUT] );
   
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ int Jack::process (jack_nframes_t nframes)
   {
     jack_midi_event_get(&in_event, buffers.midi[Buffers::MASTER_MIDI_INPUT], masterMidiInputIndex);
     
-    cout << int(in_event.buffer[0]) << int(in_event.buffer[1]) << int(in_event.buffer[2]) << endl;
+    cout  << "Frame: "  << in_event.time << " " << int(in_event.buffer[0])  << " " << int(in_event.buffer[1])  << " " << int(in_event.buffer[2]) << endl;
     
     // check each looper for MIDI match
     for(int i = 0; i < loopers.size(); i++)
@@ -121,18 +123,7 @@ int Jack::process (jack_nframes_t nframes)
   for(uint i = 0; i < loopers.size(); i++)
     loopers.at(i)->process( nframes, &buffers );
   
-  if (true)
-    metronome.process( nframes, &buffers );
-  
-  /*
-  float* input = buffers.audio[Buffers::MASTER_INPUT];
-  float* output = buffers.audio[Buffers::MASTER_OUTPUT];
-  
-  for(uint i = 0; i < nframes; i++)
-  {
-    *output++ = *input++;
-  }
-  */
+  metronome.process( nframes, &buffers );
   
   return false;
 }
@@ -152,9 +143,10 @@ void Jack::writeApcOutput( unsigned char* data )
   void* apcOutput   = buffers.midi[Buffers::APC_OUTPUT];
   
   unsigned char* buf = jack_midi_event_reserve( apcOutput, 0, 3);
-  if( buf )
+  if( buf != 0 )
   {
     memcpy( buf, data, sizeof( unsigned char ) * 3);
+    cout << "writeApcOutput " << int(buf[0]) << ", " << int(buf[1]) << ", " << int(buf[2]) << endl; 
   }
   else
   {
diff --git a/src/looper.cxx b/src/looper.cxx
index 99029eb..4d86702 100644
--- a/src/looper.cxx
+++ b/src/looper.cxx
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ extern Jack* jack;
 Looper::Looper(int t) :
       track(t),
       state(STATE_STOPPED),
+      fpb(120),
+      gain(1.f),
       numBeats   (4),
       playedBeats(0),
       stopRecordOnBar(false),
@@ -55,6 +57,13 @@ void Looper::midi(unsigned char* data)
       case 48: setState( STATE_STOP_QUEUED );
     }
   }
+  else if ( data[0] - 176 == track )
+  {
+    switch ( data[1] )
+    {
+      case 7: gain = int(data[2])/127.f; break;
+    }
+  }
   
   
 }
@@ -72,11 +81,10 @@ void Looper::setState(State s)
   {
     numBeats = 0;
     unsigned char data[3];
-    data[0] == 144 + track;
-    data[1] == 48; // record LED
-    data[2] == 127;
+    data[0] = 144 + track;
+    data[1] = 48; // record LED
+    data[2] = 127;
     jack->writeApcOutput( &data[0] );
-    cout << "wrote to APC" << endl;
   }
 }
 
@@ -107,15 +115,14 @@ void Looper::process(int nframes, Buffers* buffers)
     {
       if ( playPoint < endPoint )
       {
-        tmpBuffer[i] = sample[playPoint];
+        tmpBuffer[i] = sample[playPoint] * gain;
       }
       // always update playPoint, even when not playing sound.
       // it updates the UI of progress
       playPoint++;
     }
     
-    
-    // not pitch-shift the audio in the buffer
+    // now pitch-shift the audio in the buffer
     pitchShift( nframes, &tmpBuffer[0], out);
     
     float prog = (float(playPoint) / (fpb*numBeats));
@@ -228,12 +235,14 @@ void Looper::pitchShift(int count, float* input, float* output)
     float fTemp3 = min((fSlow2 * fRec0[0]), 1.f );
     float fTemp4 = (fSlow0 + fRec0[0]);
     int iTemp5 = int(fTemp4);
+    
     output0[i] += (float)(((1 - fTemp3) * (((fTemp4 - iTemp5) * 
     fVec0[(IOTA-int((int((1 + iTemp5)) & 65535)))&65535]) + ((0 - ((
     fRec0[0] + fSlow3) - iTemp5)) * fVec0[(IOTA-int((iTemp5 & 65535)))
     &65535]))) + (fTemp3 * (((fRec0[0] - iTemp1) * fVec0[(IOTA-int((int(
     iTemp2) & 65535)))&65535]) + ((iTemp2 - fRec0[0]) * fVec0[(IOTA-int((
     iTemp1 & 65535)))&65535]))));
+    
     fRec0[1] = fRec0[0];
     IOTA = IOTA+1;
   }
diff --git a/src/looper.hxx b/src/looper.hxx
index 34f9b98..5cb2c0b 100644
--- a/src/looper.hxx
+++ b/src/looper.hxx
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class Looper : public Observer // for notifications
     State state;
     
     int fpb;
+    float gain;
     int numBeats;
     int playedBeats;
     bool stopRecordOnBar;