Support

Last updated 16 September 2026

Getting started

Do I need hardware to use Speedbag?

No. Speedbag includes an on-screen pad instrument, and every lesson, exam and practice session works with it. You can complete the whole grade 1–8 syllabus without plugging anything in.

What is actually in the app?

57 lessons arranged as a graded syllabus across eight grades, each grade ending in a capstone exam you pass to move up. Nine techniques are tracked separately — timing, independence, dynamics, speed, feel, fills, switching, arrangement and sticking — so you can see which ones are lagging rather than getting one blended score.

Runs are scored with star ratings, accuracy, combo and perfect-streak tracking. Over time the app keeps day streaks, a daily practice goal, personal bests and trophies, and guided sessions use all of that to pick what you should work on today at your level.

What are the system requirements?

The current requirements for each platform are listed on Speedbag's App Store product page, which is always accurate for the version being shipped.

Using a hardware pad controller

Which controllers work?

Speedbag works with USB MIDI pad controllers. It has a ready-made profile for the Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II, and other MIDI pad devices are supported through a mapping flow that asks you to hit each pad in turn so it can learn your layout.

Speedbag is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any hardware manufacturer. Compatibility is stated as a matter of fact, not as a partnership.

My controller is not being detected

• Check the cable carries data. Some USB-C cables are power-only and will charge a device without ever presenting it as a MIDI port.
• If you are using a hub or adapter, try connecting the device directly.
• Unplug and replug while Speedbag is open. Speedbag watches for devices appearing and disappearing, so it should pick the device up without a restart.
• Confirm the device is in a mode that sends MIDI. Some controllers have a separate USB mode for file transfer that does not send MIDI at all.
• If it still does not appear, email us with the exact model name.

The pads are mapped to the wrong sounds

Run the pad-learning flow again and hit the pads in the order it asks for. That rewrites the mapping for your device. A mapping is stored per device, so correcting one controller does not disturb another.

Audio and the microphone

Why is Speedbag asking for microphone access?

For three things: finding the tempo of music you play to it, capturing a rhythm you play so it can build a lesson from it, and recording your connected instrument's own sounds over USB. iOS and macOS both label audio input as microphone access, which is why sampling a USB-connected instrument asks for the same permission as listening to the room.

Captured audio is written to Speedbag's own storage on your device and is never uploaded anywhere. The full detail is in the privacy policy.

I declined the microphone permission and now tempo detection will not work

Those features need audio input to function. You can grant it later in Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone on iOS and iPadOS, or System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone on macOS. Everything else in the app, including all 57 lessons and every exam, works without it.

Your data

Where is my practice history stored?

In a local database on your own device. Speedbag has no accounts and makes no network connections, so your history is not synced or backed up to any service we run. Deleting the app deletes that history with it.

How do I report a bug?

Email hello@speedbag.app. The most useful reports say what you expected to happen, what happened instead, and whether it happens every time or only sometimes. If it involves hardware, the exact model name matters.