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Comments
Thank you.
@Blue_Mangoo I am wondering if there is a reason you don't have a more traditional keyboard layout (i.e. with vertically longer keys) - this would allow much more space to control Slides.
I was thinking a keyboard like this would be cool for mapping CCs to the Y axis. This is from PPG Wavemapper. I would still use the current grid layout more often than the traditional keyboard, but I do like the vertical aspect to PPG's keys.
Could someone tell me, does this app allow you to control how many channels the MPE midi data cycles around?
I.e instead of it cycling around all 16 channels (15 + 1 global channel actually) as is standard, can you make it just cycle around channels 2-7 (with channel 1 for global cc’s)?
I believe the piano keys are long and thin because mechanical hammers required extra length to get leverage, not because that shape is conducive to playing music. It also makes sense because the keys have to move down so far when you press them; if they were square you would be pushing your finger down into a hole, which would be uncomfortable. Of course we have adapted our playing style and now we can’t imagine playing the piano with square keys. But when screen space is limited there is a big advantage to making them square.
Fitts’s law says that the speed with which a person can press a button is proportional to the area of the button and the distance his finger has to move to reach it.
In other words, the bigger the area of the keys, the faster you can play.
Mathematically, the square shape is optimal in the sense that the ratio of
AREA / (LENGTH + WIDTH)
Has its maximum value when the shape is a square. Any other rectangular shape would decrease the number of keys we can put on the screen without proportionally increasing playing speed.
And if that made sense, that’s why VKB has only square keys.
It does the 1+15 MPE only
We will consider it for a future app design.
Any chance of being able to have a setting to modify that?
The reason being is that you can create ‘fake MPE’ set ups with multiple instances of the same synth playing the same (or similar) patches in apps like Gadget and NanoStudio2 or even AUM. Making any AU or Gadget synth become MPE-like. 6 is generally enough though. Whereas 15 is a pain to set up and manage!
Seconded; I would use that feature, every time.
Dear Blue Mangoo - I understand your ideas behind the square keys - and yes, in some cases - the advantage of saving space is a useful thing - but in reality and in many other occasions - I face two problems with them - the first one is in my brain - my mind is so used to the classical (long/thin) layout that I loose the ability to almost grab the keys „blindly“ - I tried for some days now - and as much as I do enjoy the velocity capabilities of your app - the square keys hold me back from loving it all over - for example when I play NeoSoulKeysStudio2 - the quality of the velocity makes me dive into the flow - but the artificial feeling of the square keys gets me back to reality again ,,,
Another effect might be that our fingers have different lengths ... which means: pressing chords with 3 or 4 fingers is much more complicated on square keys then on the classical key layout - because with the square ones my fingers must be on a straight line in order to fit the chord - whereas on rectangular keys the line of my fingertips can be bowed (as the natural bow of our varying finger lengths) and still play the chord correctly ...
Don’t know if it’s possible - but giving the user the ability to choose between square keys for a spatial maximum of keys vs space - and rectangular keys for an intuitive maximum of playability - this would be a great option ,,,
Intuitively, the average distance between hexakeys is less than squares, surely...
This app is next on my wishlist. Can’t believe I missed this. I always thought if I already had GeoShred that was enough but i guess not.
Hello @Blue_Mangoo, I’m trying to get the standalone VKB app to be seen as a midi input source in a daw. It is not showing up in the midi input source list in daws like Cubasis 2 and 3 and in Beatmaker 3. My aim is to arm two midi tracks in cubasis and record the midi on both tracks simultaneously, therefore I am using the standalone app and not the AU. Thanks for any help you can provide.
For Cubasis: From the velocity kbd app, choose Cubasis as the destination. In Cubasis, set the input source to all inputs or virtual midi.
Thanks @espiegel123 - however, it is still not working as I expect. Actually I just made a test in Cubasis 3 to explain in more detail, using midi controller apps KB-1, ChordPolyPad and Velocity Keyboard in standalone mode. In Cubasis I have one midi track armed with the built in piano.
For all apps I changed the midi output options and in Cubasis in the track's midi routing I tested "All inputs" or the midi controller app's own output, if there was one available. Then I triggered the midi controller while recording into Cubasis. (in this case I was using an iPhone and not my iPad but I guess it shouldn't make a difference?)
ChorPolyPad:
1 CPP out: "CPP Midi Out" / Cubasis 3 in: "All inputs" --> piano sound is triggered and midi recorded
2 CPP out: "CPP Midi Out" / Cubasis 3 in: "CPP" --> piano sound is triggered and midi recorded
3 CPP out: "Cubasis 3" / Cubasis 3 in: "All inputs" --> piano sound is triggered and midi recorded
4 CPP out: "Cubasis 3" / Cubasis 3 in: "CPP" --> piano sound NOT triggered and NO midi recorded
KB-1:
1KB-1 out: "Virtual output" / Cubasis 3 in: "All inputs" --> piano sound is triggered and midi recorded
2 KB-1 out: " Virtual output" / Cubasis 3 in: "KB-1#1" --> piano sound is triggered and midi recorded
3 KB-1 out: " Cubasis 3" / Cubasis 3 in: "All inputs" --> piano sound is triggered and NO midi recorded
4 KB-1 out: " Cubasis 3" / Cubasis 3 in: "KB-1#1" --> piano sound NOT triggered and NO midi recorded
Velocity Keyboard:
1 VKB out: "All" / Cubasis 3 in: "All inputs" --> piano sound NOT triggered and NO midi recorded
2 (Cubasis 3 in: no "VKB" input available)
3 VKB out: "Cubasis 3" / Cubasis 3 in: "All inputs" --> piano sound is triggered and NO midi recorded
4 (Cubasis 3 in: no "VKB" input available)
In summary, for CPP and KB-1, there are midi output/input settings that work for triggering instruments and recording midi into Cubasis (e.g. using the "Virtual midi port" created by the apps - test 1 and 2). Test 3 ("Cubase 3" midi out --> "All inputs" midi in) only works for CPP. For KB-1 and VKB the sound is triggered but no midi is recorded.
Can @Blue_Mangoo perhaps offer any insights or is this a Cubasis 3 issue? I did observe the same behavior in Beatmaker 3. Thanks!
@gosnote : it works fine for me in BeatMaker 3. Remember that in BeatMaker you have to enable the MIDI in and choose the device for the bank are controlling as well as in the main setup. I enabled BeatMaker 3 in BeatMaker 3’s setup. In MIDI Setup for the bank, I set ALL for the device. And it worked fine.
In short, direct output from velocity kbd to the app’s virtual input. And in the app, accept either from virtual midi or all since Velocity KBD won’t show up as a source in the apps.
Such a nice idea but the blurry UI is such a shame.
@espiegel123 you’re right - it works in BM3! So it is a Cubasis issue. I wonder how are KB-1 and CPP sending midi so they work in Cubasis?
Sounds like a Cubasis 3 bug as it works fine with Cubasis 2.8
Really? I thought I just tested it yesterday on 2.8 as well 😁. Let’s have another try...
Yup, I tested it yesterday before I posted. In Velocity Keyboard, set the output to Cubasis. In Cubasis, set the MIDI input to either all or virtual midi. (This is for Cubasis 2.8.1. I don't have Cubasis 3).
You’re right - as always
- it does work in cubasis 2.8.3 but not in 3.0.1. So it’s maybe a bug in cubasis 3 then...
Recording midi from the standalone VKB app works as expected in Cubasis 2. In Cubasis 3, if something is recorded to the midi track, it doesn’t resemble the performance at all. In C3 the input is set to “all inputs” because there is no “virtual midi”.
I need to report this on the cubasis forum, but just in case @LFS is around, have you observed this behavior when trying to record midi in Cubasis 3 from the standalone Velocity Keyboard app from @Blue_Mangoo ?
Btw, if you have Audiobus, you might be able to use it to workaround the Cubasis 3 behavior
Hi @gosnote,
Are you or somebody else to have me equipped with the steps to reproduce the problem (see our bug report form below)?
Once available, I will discuss the topic with our team, and we might exchange with @Blue_Mangoo.
Thanks,
Lars
Bug Reporting Form
Summary/Title
(Provide a short but descriptive sentence that summaries the issue or feature request)
Description
(Provide a detailed description and list the step by step process to reproduce the issue to help the team to understand and reproduce the problem)
Expected Results
(Describe what you expected to see)
Actual Results
(Describe what you actually saw)
Environment
(Count the hardware and software including version numbers being used)
Hi @gosnote, Hi all,
It looks like somebody of you filed a full detailed bug report at our forum, correct?
Problem recording midi from standalone controller app (Velocity Keyboard & others)
https://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=300&t=182894
Will share and discuss the topic with the team.
Best,
Lars
Hi @LFS! Yes, I created a topic in the Cubasis forum
- I hope it helps you to identify the issue.
Thanks for your continued support!
Cheers, Kim
I have sometimes huge jumps in velocity. At least it feels so. Could also be because my screen is slightly damaged.
What would be great if there would be a indicator for the velocity value output while i use the keyboard.
Is there a fixed limit in how many layers it can have or does it really do 128 steps (not that i need so much, just for interest).
Otherwise best midi keyboard on iOS (together with Aftertouch which has a better visual feedback).
You can run your input into 'midi curve' from the midi tools suite to both tweak your velocity settings and see the actual velocities you are playing represented on the curve on screen. Very useful app. @Clueless
If your screen is damaged that would have an impact. The surface your iPad or phone is resting on makes a difference. I think being on a surface with a little give helps.
It seems at least as responsive as inexpensive midi keyboards I've played and actually more responsive thanks to its sensitivity and range controls which I customize to suit the track.
Hello @LFS and @Blue_Mangoo ! Have you had a chance to exchange about this issue? Thanks for your support.