can i use my midi keyboard?

just wondering… i realised recently that a massive crippling point for me when it comes to composing on renoise (or any other tracker) is that if i’m trying to compose in a key that isn’t based around C (or thereabouts) it’s very difficult because i have to switch octaves frequently, and i get annoyed and yadayada

this explains why i come up with great stuff on a piano, but unless i write it down note-for-note (instead of just remembering how to play it) i balk when it comes to adapting the song for renoise.

i then realised that even if my midi keyboard DOESN’T have touch sensitivity (so using it to record live sounding stuff is impossible), it would be very useful to use it instead of renoise’s virtual keyboard, as all octaves would be just as easily accessible as one another. i could try basslines at the same time as otherthings and YES. it would be great.

is it possible? i assume it would be. and if not, PLEASE implement it. and include the option to have instrument splits. ^_o

I’m aware of this problem myself… I will try to make steprecording in the pianoroll easy to use and efficient. What about this:

There will be two selectable sizes, editstep and notelength.
Pressing a note inserts a note with the selected notelength.
Pressing another note before releasing the first inserts another note at the same starting time (ie chord entry).
Releasing the last key moves the timecursor ahead by the selected editstep.

This is simple, and can easily be done in the patterneditor as well.

In addition, I’ve been thinking about using the sustain pedal for more complex inputting. Something like this:

Press keys like above, but hold down the sustain pedal before you release the last key. When you hold down the sustain pedal, Renoise remembers which keys are down. When you release the last key, the timecursor jumps ahead, and those keys become “editstep” longer.

So to enter a C major arpeggio where all keys are held until the end:
Press C
Press Sustain
Release C
Press E
Release E
Press G
Release Sustain
Release G

In addition, pressing the sustain pedal when no notes are pressed makes no sense, so this can be used for just jumping in time by the editstep.
(of course this will be an option)

my midi-keyboard does not have velocity (it sends a fixed value) and it works great. it does hinder me ofcourse not be able to record different volume-levels, but it did cost me only 20€, its very small (fits in my backpack) and it works with a 9v-battery … :) now I just need the laptop I always wanted to buy.

…no-one’s really answered my question though. i guess i phrased it badly.

i just wanted to know if i could hook my midi keyboard to my computer, and use it instead of renoise’s virtual keyboard. and, if i did this, whether it would eliminate the need to switch between octaves all the time (given that my keyboard is a lot wider than my computer keyboard :P )

by the time you read this, i probably will have tried it. but still answer, cuz i’ll do it completely wrong unless you tell me how to. :D

The problem is, when you press a key on your keyboard that isn’t what you wanted… The you’ll want to undo it, or jump back and press another key. And so it will be for a lot of other editing operations. How can handling those with a midi keyboard be done?

Gwilym>

If I understand your question correctly…

In renoise using the virtual keyboard* you have 2 octaves. I have a midicontroller keyboard with 4 octaves and I can use all of them at the same time.

*)
.w.e…t.y
a.s.d.f.g.h …etc

yaaay! thankyou :)

and martinal, i realise it could still be irritating having to control the program with both keyboard AND midi keyboard*, but i think it would be better than keyboard alone. at least for jamming with instruments (no lock-ups!). :)

*yeah, i never meant to use the program with JUST a midi keyboard. that’d be weird (though possible).

Waht the… sorry about that… I meant:

…2…3…5…6
q…w…e…r…t…y

Almost 6 years with ft2… you’d think you would pick up something… :rolleyes:

As a side note it’s pretty amazing the way one (…at least I) have learnt to play on the computer keyboard as it would be just any instrument! :) Apart from playing chords and playing two handedly I think I’m as good on the computer keyboard as on a normal keyboard :D

^^ dito.
i’ve been dreaming of a computer keyboard /w velocity & aftertouch ever since i knew such features existed for common keyboards.
but i fear my lil’ dream will always remain what it is… -_-

Not to mention being able to hit certain keys at the same time… like w+r+t.

Damn… that’s not a bad idea. I have a regular keyboard but I always end up using the computer keyboard anyway. Wonder how hard it would be to create such a thing… and if there is a market for it… :unsure:

I think that only trackers users could be interested on it: try to tell about this idea to a MIDI user and be prepared to listen to a fat laugh :)

I would buy it by they way :rolleyes:

Would a velocity sensitive computer keyboard enable us to write bold text by hitting the keys harder? :D

no

Would a velocity sensitive computer keyboard enable us to write bold
text by hitting the keys

but the idea is not bad …

I acctually had a patent that I handed in on a keyboard of that kind, that had touch sensitive keys. When pressed harder then normal they gave you capital letters. You could adjust the amout required, in some ways.
It could also be used for games and ofcourse tracking :) But it turned out that there already was a japanese patent that did that, not as good as mine but still it was a fun thing to do.

I did not manufacture the keyboard, because that would have cost me to much before I got a patent, so I just had blueprints…

This is perhaps a good time to mention a feature I’ve been thinking about.

With the more detailed timing and more flexible patternstructure that we’re planning for 1.3, it’s possible to make a good quantize feature. The feature I was thinking of then, was the ability to assign a “quantize source track”. In this track you will put (silent or not) notes with the timing to quantize by. When entering notes, the editstep can then be ignored (if this feature is turned on) and the timing of the entered notes can simply follow the timing of the current source track.

So now you probably ask: what makes this relevant in this thread?
In addition to following the timing of the source track, the velocities could also be followed. So if you make a couple of tracks with different timing and velocity, you can use these as a “source groove” for quantizing other tracks either after or while inputting notes.

Force feedback keyboard.