I’ve seen tons of virtual keyboards before, but never a commercial virtual MIDI keyboard.

Tanager Audioworks’ Chirp is a new application that turns your computer keyboard into a MIDI keyboard controller…..so you can play notes on your computer keyboard.

Chirp combines a photo?realistic keyboard interface, ten programmable trigger pads and several controls for easily entering pitch bend, modulation, sustain and note velocity data. The product works with any music or recording application requiring MIDI input or capable of sending MIDI note data.

Piano keys are mapped to specific computer keyboard keys; the user can define which keys on his or her laptop are to be used to input notes or chords. The programmable trigger pads can be assigned to any MIDI events, perfect for triggering drum sounds or just sending patch changes quickly for quick setup changes on stage. The mouse (or laptop glide pad) can be used to enter MIDI continuous controller information. Incoming MIDI data drives the keyboard as well.

“While Chirp certainly does not replace the need for a hardware keyboard controller, it provides songwriters and recording musicians with an attractive alternative for capturing musical inspiration when only a laptop is available” says Tanager AudioWorks President Scott Bausback.

The product is available for $39.99 as both an immediate download from the company’s website or as a shipped CD?ROM.

Creative Technology

The Prodikeys PC-MIDI features multimedia keyboard functions such as customizable HotKeys, media playback control, and enhanced F-keys functions, which enable easy access to frequently used applications and tasks on the PC. The HotKeys are customizable with the included HotKeys Manager software. The integrated music keys are embedded and protected under the keyboard palm rest which supports the wrists for typing comfortably. The Snap-On color faceplate feature also allows users options to customize the keyboard color.

Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI comes with a suite of easy-to-use music software designed to let home users explore music making on the computer. Users can play with different instrument sounds, learn to play a song, and easily create and record music in MP3, WAV or WMA formats.

“Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI is more than just a keyboard. It is an integrated solution that expands the functions of the PC, and takes digital music entertainment beyond the passive listening experience. Users can now learn to play a song they heard, and even create their own music for using as mobile phone ring tone, or background music for videos and photo slide shows,” said Sim Wong Hoo, chairman and CEO of Creative.

Creative Music Software

Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI includes three simple and easy-to-use music software applications designed to let home users enjoy the fun of creating music on the computer:

• Mini Keyboard lets users explore playing with more than a hundred different instrument sounds on the computer.
• EasyNotes lets users learn to play songs easily by following the on-screen indicators.
• FunMix lets users create music easily by mixing different sound loops and save it as MP3, WAV or WMA file for using as mobile phone ring tones, or background music for videos or photo slide shows.
• More music content for the software can be downloaded from www.prodikeys.com.

The Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI is MIDI-compatible and can also be used with any other third party MIDI software, such as Cubase and CakeWalk.

The Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI is available for US$39.00.

More information is available at the Creative site.