A Virtual Keyboard (SOLVED)

[briandc]

Hi all,
I'm currently doing some synth testing at a pc where I'm not using an external midi controller, and I haven't yet found a virtual keyboard that allows notes to be played while another window is in focus. (I can understand why they're designed this way, but I thought it would be useful to have a keyboard where perhaps some notes can be latched to specific keys so that they are always active, even when working with another app.)

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

brian

[Michael Willis]

I don't really have an answer to your direct question, I'm not sure that you can route arbitrary key events to an app that's not in focus. I am curious about why you're not using a midi controller. If it's a matter of money, you can probably find some cheap keyboard with midi ports (like Casio or something) at a thrift store for less money than buying fast food for two. If you don't have a way to wire up midi to your computer, I can suggest this device: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JLU26W, it worked pretty well for me on Ubuntu until I upgraded to a nicer sound interface with midi ports.

[ssj71]

TBH I recommend just buying a portable usb keyboard, like a kmi k-board, korg nanokey etc. It will be more useful in the long run, especially if you are talking about using a 2nd qwerty keyboard.

[briandc]

Hi everyone and thanks for the suggestions. I actually have 3 midi controllers, each with their own advantages. It's just that sometimes it would be nice to, for the sake of tweaking sounds rather than playing pieces, to not have to toggle between the instrument and the virtual keyboard all the time just to test what I'm doing. --Maybe what I need could be accomplished with something like mididings; I'll have to look into it..

brian

[Lyberta]

VMPK?

[Frank Carvalho]

The problem you have is, how to interact with the keyboard. WIth the keyboard in focus, it receives all the PC keyboard events. Jack-keyboard works that way, and Carla also, when a specific plugin has focus.
When the keyboard is not in focus, then how do you plan to communicate with it? Keys on the PC keyboard goes to the window in focus, so that is not an option. Clicking keys with the mouse brings the keyboard back into focus. So I think you are running out of options right there.
My suggestion is also to get a MIDI keyoard.

/Frank

[sysrqer]

I think this is an inherent problem with linux (X11 maybe?), I know there is the same problem in renoise where you are supposed to be able to use the keyboard to play things, and in ardour too when you are editing EQs etc you cannot use the spacebar to start stop the transport. The renoise team (I think) said that it's there's nothing they can do about it and it's the window manager, as far as I can remember. That said, some plugins do allow the keyboard actions to pass through, the overtone plugins for example, so I don't understand where the blockage really is.

[briandc]

VMPK?

The winning answer!!

Thanks Lyberta!

Yes, VMPK indeed has: Edit -> Preferences -> Grab Keyboard

On this PC it works like a charm. I can play notes while tweaking a synth GUI with the mouse. (Of course, I have to deselect it when I want to use the keyboard to write.)

It *may* not work with all systems however. From the VMPK help contents FAQ :

The "Grab Keyboard" option fails:
It is a known issue for Linux users. This feature works well in KDE3/4 desktops using the standard kwin window manager; it also works with Enlightenment and Window Maker, but fails in Metacity and Compiz window managers, common among Gnome setups. It is also known that using this option prevents normal usage of the drop down menus on GTK2 applications. There is no known solution for this issue, except avoiding the broken scenarios if you really need this feature.

But on my pc (Ubuntu Studio 14.04) it works fine. The cat's meow!

brian