Software Keyboard "Hold" (Latch) mode and "Glide"

SevenSystems

I'm researching into how software keyboards implement a combination of "Glide" (slide finger over multiple keys to trigger them) and a "Hold" mode (releasing the finger does not release the key, instead tapping it again does).

There seems to be two roughly equal "factions":

a) When sliding the finger over the keys, all of the slid-over keys "stick" (eg., KB-1 does this (calls Hold "Latch"))
b) When sliding the finger over the keys, "Hold" is ignored until the last finger is lifted, that key then "sticks" (eg., AUM's internal keyboard does this)

I'm not sure which concept makes more sense musically. Any ideas?

CracklePot

Would it be possible to have both?
The all-hold mode seems to imply polyphonic style, the last-hold seems to imply monophonic style.
Could you have a poly/mono switch to change the way Hold would function?

SevenSystems

@CracklePot said:
Would it be possible to have both?
The all-hold mode seems to imply polyphonic style, the last-hold seems to imply monophonic style.
Could you have a poly/mono switch to change the way Hold would function?

Yes, that would surely be possible... however, I'm already planning two separate "Hold" modes, so I have to watch out for "optionitis" 😄

It's interesting that all votes so far prefer the "AUM" way, I would've thought the KB-1 way is more useful personally.

HotStrange

I kinda agree that it would be nice to switch between the 2 options as sometimes I like to have an entire chord on hold, and sometimes it’s just one single note. I feel you on have too many options though. I was torn on my vote as I think I’d equally use both.

SevenSystems

@HotStrange said:
I kinda agree that it would be nice to switch between the 2 options as sometimes I like to have an entire chord on hold, and sometimes it’s just one single note. I feel you on have too many options though. I was torn on my vote as I think I’d equally use both.

Note that this thread is only about the interaction of "Slide" and "Hold" and how it's supposed to work. Obviously, in any case you'll be able to "hold" chords by tapping multiple keys in sequence to latch them anyway. My question is only about what happens when you slide across multiple keys with "Hold" on.

Maybe this isn't clear from my initial post which was written in a hurry to quickly fit as much useful work as possible into the hour or so that I had 😄

Also maybe @CracklePot misunderstood?

Gavinski

Being able to hold entire chords is > @SevenSystems said:

@HotStrange said:
I kinda agree that it would be nice to switch between the 2 options as sometimes I like to have an entire chord on hold, and sometimes it’s just one single note. I feel you on have too many options though. I was torn on my vote as I think I’d equally use both.

Note that this thread is only about the interaction of "Slide" and "Hold" and how it's supposed to work. Obviously, in any case you'll be able to "hold" chords by tapping multiple keys in sequence to latch them anyway. My question is only about what happens when you slide across multiple keys with "Hold" on.

Maybe this isn't clear from my initial post which was written in a hurry to quickly fit as much useful work as possible into the hour or so that I had 😄

Also maybe @CracklePot misunderstood?

I think your initial post was clear. I've never really thought about this before - the aum way definitely seems to make more musical sense to me

SevenSystems

@Gavinski said:
Being able to hold entire chords is > @SevenSystems said:

@HotStrange said:
I kinda agree that it would be nice to switch between the 2 options as sometimes I like to have an entire chord on hold, and sometimes it’s just one single note. I feel you on have too many options though. I was torn on my vote as I think I’d equally use both.

Note that this thread is only about the interaction of "Slide" and "Hold" and how it's supposed to work. Obviously, in any case you'll be able to "hold" chords by tapping multiple keys in sequence to latch them anyway. My question is only about what happens when you slide across multiple keys with "Hold" on.

Maybe this isn't clear from my initial post which was written in a hurry to quickly fit as much useful work as possible into the hour or so that I had 😄

Also maybe @CracklePot misunderstood?

I think your initial post was clear. I've never really thought about this before - the aum way definitely seems to make more musical sense to me

Yeah, thinking about things too much and in too much detail has been destroying my life since 1979 🤣 (you'd think the opposite would be true but alas...)

CracklePot

Yeah, the initial question made sense.
Maybe my reply made no sense?

I picture all-hold useful for building fat, droning chords with notes coming and going as directed.
I picture last-hold useful for a droning solo in monophonic style, with the last played note being able to drone on (or not if you tap it while it is holding to unlatch it).

SevenSystems

@CracklePot said:
Yeah, the initial question made sense.
Maybe my reply made no sense?

I picture all-hold useful for building fat, droning chords with notes coming and going as directed.
I picture last-hold useful for a droning solo in monophonic style, with the last played note being able to drone on (or not if you tap it while it is holding to unlatch it).

OK, thanks for the explanation. Although you could also achieve the first scenario by just tapping all the adjacent keys in sequence… seeing as 100% of the votes so far prefer the second (AUM) variant and the first can be achieved with a slight workaround, I'll probably go with the AUM way for now. if enough users complain later on about the lack of the first way, I can still add it as an option… 😉 Options shmoptions.

in any case, there will already be two modes, Hold and Hold+ -- I might post a video later when the tractors are done 😉 🚜🚜🚜

HotStrange

@SevenSystems said:

@HotStrange said:
I kinda agree that it would be nice to switch between the 2 options as sometimes I like to have an entire chord on hold, and sometimes it’s just one single note. I feel you on have too many options though. I was torn on my vote as I think I’d equally use both.

Note that this thread is only about the interaction of "Slide" and "Hold" and how it's supposed to work. Obviously, in any case you'll be able to "hold" chords by tapping multiple keys in sequence to latch them anyway. My question is only about what happens when you slide across multiple keys with "Hold" on.

Maybe this isn't clear from my initial post which was written in a hurry to quickly fit as much useful work as possible into the hour or so that I had 😄

Also maybe @CracklePot misunderstood?

Ah I think I read it too fast and misunderstood. Or maybe we’re all falling apart here 😂 in that case I’m honestly still torn 😂 but I’d be happy with either one. I think I’d probably use the second option more though.

SevenSystems

I've tried a few more apps that have software keyboards, and it's interesting -- it's essentially a 50/50 split between "AUM" and "KB-1" behaviour. I hate that 'cause that means that if I were a good person with infinite amounts of time, I'd have to add an option for this 😂

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SevenSystems

@tja said:
Easy answer:

Implement both and offer a toggle.

I like both.

Options shmoptions.

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