Computer keyboard

[clockdude2001.1]

how can I use my computer’s keyboard to play notes & chords?

[Sum-Nihil (Alberto Zamora)]

As the manual says:

The computer keyboard MIDI driver generates MIDI notes when keys are presses while the Rack window is focused. Using two rows of keys, the virtual MIDI keyboard spans approximately 2½ octaves and can be shifted down and up with the ` and 1 keys. Currently only the QWERTY (US) layout is supported, but other keyboard layouts may function similarly.

[clockdude2001.1]

what I meant was how do I get vcv rack to sound notes with the keyboard?

[Sum-Nihil (Alberto Zamora)]

Well, you have to conect the cv and gate output from the MIDI-1 or MIDI-4 module to a sound source like a VCO and envelope.

[PaulPiko]

[PaulPiko]

For chords, you can use MIDI-4, and multiple VCOs for the different notes

[Patman (Patman / NYSTHI Manual)]

I’ll upload my png that I originally made for the VCV manual when I get home…

[alikins (Adrian Likins)]

Oh, interesting. It hadn’t even occurred to me that the ‘Computer Keyboard/Qwerty Keyboard’ Midi driver would be (for lack of a better word) “polyphonic”.

[Patman (Patman / NYSTHI Manual)]

there’s also moDllz Midi Poly 16 for polyphonic.

and that pic i was referring to:

[sammy (Sam)]

You’ve saved my ears, thank you so much

[ScreenSlave]

One note of caution - Your computer keyboard will only send 4 notes of polyphony at a time. This is enough for most things but if you need more you will need to get a midi controller keyboard of some kind.

[Jens.Peter.Nielsen]

some do more than 4.

The Logitech G413 I use has 26-key rollover - I think that’s quite common for gaming keyboards.

N-Key Rollover explained and how to test it - Mechanical Keyboard

[Squinky]

Probably now all of them are, but “back in the day” some keyboard hardware was not polyphonic. the computer keyboard-centric term for that was “n-key rollover”, I think. It was kind of a luxury feature that made fast typing more reliable.