I know what you’re thinking. Plenty of music applications already have QWERTY input so you can play soft synths with your computer keyboard. Ableton Live does it by default; Logic and GarageBand have the Caps Lock keyboard. Why would you want a dedicated utility?
I thought the same until I saw Tanager AudioWorks’ Mac and Windows utility “Chirp” on Gearwire. The difference here is features, covering the full range of possible MIDI messages:
- Drum triggers as well as note triggers (each on different channels)
- 18-21 pitches (plus the whole 127-note range using octave controls)
- Send custom MIDI data from triggers (note on/off, program change, controller values, SysEx, GM drum mapping)
- Control velocity with a graphical slide or use top-row number keys
- Send custom control changes from your mouse
- Pitch bend, mod wheel
- Use spacebar for sustain
- An on-screen keyboard for feedback (not an issue in Apple’s software, but you do lack on-screen keyboards in other programs)
Now, you do get some of these features in other tools, but definitely not all of them. You basically get the full range of possible MIDI messages. That means this is useful for, as I see it, two basic applications — but they’re killer apps:
1. Playing parts and programming synths in tight spaces (planes, trains, and automobiles)
2. Adding more custom control for live performance in tools like Ableton Live, Reaktor, etc.
#2 has some competition, like Bome MIDI Translator Pro, which can handle keystrokes. But because Chirp is set up like a MIDI keyboard, synth programming addicts may not be able to escape #1.
And this is the perfect time to mention something largely unrelated that excites me: Virgin America has added power ports at every seat. That’s every seat, not random seats here and there, and real power sockets, not some weird airplane-style socket. I’m flying to San Francisco next weekend, and I expect to get some serious music time in. It’s fun making music where the air is rarified. Thanks to Virgin America for providing promotional money for this p— doh! Did it again. Okay, well, here’s hoping other airlines follow suit.
US$39.95 for Mac and Windows
And yeah, I may have to give this a go on that cross-continental flight. Sleeping on the red eye is for suckers. That’s music programming time.