Variable Velocity on the Virtual Piano Keyboard

• Jan 7, 2017 - 15:33

On some sampling programs where the mouse can be used to press a virtual keyboard (when a MIDI device isn't currently available, or even in conjunction with one), there is the ability to have a velocity change from very light at the top portion of the key (furthest away from the player on a keyboard) and to have a high velocity at the tip of the key closest to the player. This can be useful for testing a particular soundset to see what velocity is applicable at a particular moment in the music, or to just test the different velocity layers quickly. I'm positing that there should be an option to have this be enabled on Musescore's virtual keyboard, and not only this but if possible to have a readout showing from 1-127 so that if there is a particular tone that one wants and finds it while clicking the keyboard, they can take that velocity number and input it into the score through the inspector or piano roll editor.

And while I'm at it, there's one other thing (and I don't even use the virtual keyboard but I still see the benefit), I've always preferred to have the ability to drag the mouse across a virtual keyboard and have it play: i.e. if you press the left mouse button and move the cursor across the keyboard, the keyboard will sound whatever notes falling under the cursor. This always seemed preferable to me rather than to have the click be static on the initial note so as to not sound any other notes even if the user drags the cursor across the virtual keys.

I realize these are trifles for a scoring program and it's not important for notation, but it's still something worth mentioning and hope it's taken into consideration by the developers.

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