An interesting question about playing the PC keyboard

[tintintini]

Hello everyone.
I use Sibelius software, which has the option of note input in the background of a metronome.
Of course the usual way is to connect a keyboard controller and play it, but I try to test another option of playing on the PC keyboard itself.
Let me explain: Sibelius has the option of opening a virtual piano keyboard, and pressing the keyboard keys on a computer in a particular configuration runs each time a different virtual piano key.
The problem is that since the computer keyboard has an element of repetition when you hold a key for a longer time (as we all know! [a...aaa...aaaaaaaaaa]), what happens is that Sibelius recognizes a "long" sound as short sounds (for example: a piece in four-quarters and I click twice the keyboard, which should give two halves, but... giving 4 pieces of sixteen pieces).
Imagine a car horn which, instead of one long siren, honks many short sirens at the same time, against the wishes of the driver who wanted one long siren.
To prove, when you tap on this virtual keyboard with the mouse - this is not happening and the sounds stay in their original size, although it is very uncomfortable to play with the mouse, so this option is irrelevant.
Does anyone have a creative idea of how to overcome this technical problem?
I would love to hear wise advice.
Thanks!

 

[SeaGtGruff]

That's basically how computer keyboards work-- although it's a function of the computer, not the keyboard, by which I mean that holding a key down sends a constant "key pressed" signal to the computer and it's up to the computer's operating system to decide how to react to that.

Usually if you press and hold a key, the character associated with that key will pop up, followed by a brief delay or pause, and then after the pause the character will start to repeat very quickly. That pause is to help ensure that typing on the keyboard won't produce a lot of repeated characters that you hadn't intended, because the quickest and briefest of key-taps seems like a prolonged "key pressed" signal to the computer.

There may be some settings in Sibelius that let you control how a held-down key will be interpreted, but then again there might not be-- I'm not at all familiar with Sibelius, so I don't know.

 

[happyrat1]

Depending on your operating system there may be a few options.

First of all, if the virtual keyboard software itself was properly written it would be able to turn off keyboard repeat automatically whenever you ran it.

Since that doesn't seem to be the case here you may have some other options.

On some computer BIOS settings you can disable keyboard repeat at the hardware level on bootup.

Just go to your CMOS settings on bootup and see if there are keyboard options.

Secondly, in Windows (I'm no expert) go to the control panel and see what's there in the way of input device control. You may be able to disable keyboard repeat in there as well.

In fact you may have to exercise both the CMOS and the Control Panel options in order to achieve what you want.

Gary

 

[CowboyNQ]

https://bltt.org/windows-10-keyboard-repeat-rate/

 

[Rayblewit]

Why and who plays music with a qwerty keyboard?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

The OP is wanting to use the computer keyboard and/or virtual piano keyboard to enter notes into musical notation software. A lot of DAWs and other musical programs let you use the computer’s keyboard as a piano keyboard, such as

_S_D___G_H_ J = C# D# F# G# A#
Z_X_C_V_B_N_M_, = C D E F G A B C

 

[tintintini]

Friends, you're just amazing. First, thank you very much.
So, I did what CowboyNQ wrote.
Indeed - it helped! At last I can write halves without sounding like parts of sixteen.
The thing is that it's still not perfect, because half is the longest I can get to
Even when I lowered the keyboard rate to the lowest in both settings, the keyboard still has to pass to the second signal ... Do you think an option defines so that as long as the key is pressed - the keyboard does not move on?

PS Remember to do prinetscreen for key rate settings before making a change for backup!

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I don't know if there's any such setting for the operating system, but programs can be written that way. For example, the VMPK (Virtual MIDI Piano Keyboard) program lets you use the computer keyboard to play the virtual keyboard, and if you keep holding down a key then it plays the corresponding note once and holds it until you let up on the key. But that's being handled by the VMPK program, not the operating system.

I haven't given up yet on trying to figure out how to use the MIDI Yoke NT program. It seems to be working, I just haven't figured out how to get my DAWs to recognize its virtual MIDI ports.

 

[CowboyNQ]

So, I did what CowboyNQ wrote.
Indeed - it helped!

I'm pleased it was of some assistance.

Do you think an option defines so that as long as the key is pressed - the keyboard does not move on?

Try the below. Disclaimer: I just ripped this off the internet and have not tried it myself, so can't vouch for it personally:

Choose "Accessibility Options"


(Depending on your Control Panel view, you may need to choose "Accessibility Options" again at the next screen listing Tasks or you may go directly the Options settings below).


On the "Keyboard" tab, check "Filter Keys" and click the "Settings" button.


Select the "Ignore Quick Keystrokes" and click the "Settings" button


Select the "No Repeat ..."


at the bottom of the box, adjust the "Keys Must Be Held ..." time to 0.0 (so the key will still type as soon as you hit it.)

Good luck.

 

[tintintini]

I don't know if there's any such setting for the operating system, but programs can be written that way. For example, the VMPK (Virtual MIDI Piano Keyboard) program lets you use the computer keyboard to play the virtual keyboard, and if you keep holding down a key then it plays the corresponding note once and holds it until you let up on the key. But that's being handled by the VMPK program, not the operating system.

I haven't given up yet on trying to figure out how to use the MIDI Yoke NT program. It seems to be working, I just haven't figured out how to get my DAWs to recognize its virtual MIDI ports.

Thank you very much, Anyway, SeaGtGruff!

 

[tintintini]

I'm pleased it was of some assistance.


Try the below. Disclaimer: I just ripped this off the internet and have not tried it myself, so can't vouch for it personally:

Choose "Accessibility Options"


(Depending on your Control Panel view, you may need to choose "Accessibility Options" again at the next screen listing Tasks or you may go directly the Options settings below).


On the "Keyboard" tab, check "Filter Keys" and click the "Settings" button.


Select the "Ignore Quick Keystrokes" and click the "Settings" button


Select the "No Repeat ..."


at the bottom of the box, adjust the "Keys Must Be Held ..." time to 0.0 (so the key will still type as soon as you hit it.)

Good luck.

And about what you wrote, CowboyNQ, I tried it but it didn't work... I will definitely buy a keyboard controller and thus will solve the problem. More convenient Thank you too for any help!

 

[ELEE]

Why and who plays music with a qwerty keyboard?

Really, that's not playing music, that's typing. A computer is not a instrument. Not even virtual in my mind.
A musician plays an instrument. A piano keyboard musician masters the art of playing the real piano keys that responds to the varying degrees of touch sensitivity and pressure parameters generated by human fingers.