Looking for: Free MIDI Piano Software

Coyote Duster

Hi,

I'm looking for a decent, free (although I am open to suggestions of a purchase for further down the line) piece of software that will allow me to play my MIDI keyboard (weighted keys, USB connection) through my laptop and connected speakers.

Ideally looking at piano sounds as I am looking at taking lessons in the near future. Ability to record would be a welcome bonus, though not a requirement at this stage.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Partical

It depends what need to do but i think you need an audio cable. Connect it from your headphone jack on your keyboard to your microphone port in the back of your pc and have it recognised by the pc as "line in", then it will play through your pc and through whatever audio output you have, speakers/headphones etc.

Midi software is used when you want the computer to interpret the sound, so you play a c# and the software will record a c#, its good for writing music and using funky reverbs, delays etc but its not natural playing at all, its interpretation. The audio cable on the other hand will simply use your pc as a "speaker" and allow you to record 1 to 1 what your hands are playing.

If you want to record fluid actual movements (but no alteration) you want an audio cable, if you are looking to lay down/edit/manufacture a rhythym you want midi software.

Im not sure i explained myself well enough there so sorry if theres some confusion.

mcdermott

I can't remember the name of the program I used, which is annoying, but what you're looking for is probably a VST player. Then you can find a free VST plugin for a piano, and you'll be good to go. For the plugin, I specifically remember finding 4front piano to be pretty decent (a link to the plugin is on that page, that's not the actual page for the plugin...think it's the second one down).

There are any number of free players, so finding one shouldn't be too difficult. There are some linked on that page, but not sure which are any good. According to wikipedia, Audacity has some kind of VST capability, but I know that isn't what I used so I can't say how it works.

Coyote Duster

Thanks for the replies.

To clarify my intentions... I was basically hoping to treat my MIDI keyboard as an electronic piano (without actually having an electronic piano) and play it through my laptop. I think I've made the rookie mistake of thinking 'it must be able to use this as a piano cause it sure looks like one'.

Looking at Audacity, it talks a lot about being able to record audio, which is fine, but I can't make out if I will be able to hear what I'm recording as I play it. I will look some more into VST players.

Partical, your suggestion of using the audio cable.... is that dependant on the MIDI keyboard having internal sounds built-in that would then be 'amplified' by the laptop?

Cheers.

BuddyDoQ

Once upon a time, I used to hook my long-dead midi keyboard up to this bit of *freeware http://www.anvilstudio.com/

*Some advanced features are pay

I've got a new midi keyboard coming in this week and I've been looking into a lot of proish-yet-affordable software to go with it. FLStudio, and Ableton have made my shortlist.

Partical

Coyote Duster wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

To clarify my intentions... I was basically hoping to treat my MIDI keyboard as an electronic piano (without actually having an electronic piano) and play it through my laptop. I think I've made the rookie mistake of thinking 'it must be able to use this as a piano cause it sure looks like one'.

Looking at Audacity, it talks a lot about being able to record audio, which is fine, but I can't make out if I will be able to hear what I'm recording as I play it. I will look some more into VST players.

Partical, your suggestion of using the audio cable.... is that dependant on the MIDI keyboard having internal sounds built-in that would then be 'amplified' by the laptop?

Cheers.

Think of it this way, your keyboard has a headphone jack right? If so all you are doing is instead of putting your headphones into your keyboard you are connecting your keyboard to your pc. When you put your headphones into your pc you will hear the piano (so long as you have it set up as "line in" which is easy in windows7, it does it for you) as if you were wearing headphones. Now the upside of this is you can use 3rd party programmes to record the sound, i use vhscr cap. I can upload an example if you like, its basically using your pc as a conduit to your heaphones and allows you to record it.

Vortigern

Assuming I'm reading this right, and not suffering from lack of coffee, you're using a controller keyboard right? No built in sounds? Just send MIDI data? From a pure playing standpoint you could use Native Instruments free Kore Player package to provide the instrument sounds.

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kore-player/

That won't let you record. Audacity is a slick little package, but doesn't handle MIDI.

I had a quick look at vhscr cap, but I'm not thinking that's what you're after (could be I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time).

Anvil Studio and Multitrack Studio look like they might do what you want. Multi has a free "light" edition.

Partical

ah i assumed he had like a digital piano with midi capabilities, one which plays standard but CAN be used as a midi

mcdermott

Vortigern wrote: »

Assuming I'm reading this right, and not suffering from lack of coffee, you're using a controller keyboard right? No built in sounds? Just send MIDI data? From a pure playing standpoint you could use Native Instruments free Kore Player package to provide the instrument sounds.

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kore-player/

That won't let you record. Audacity is a slick little package, but doesn't handle MIDI.

I had a quick look at vhscr cap, but I'm not thinking that's what you're after (could be I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time).

Anvil Studio and Multitrack Studio look like they might do what you want. Multi has a free "light" edition.

Ah...I had simply read something suggesting that, with a plugin, Audacity could handle VST plugins; a little more reading and it turns out they only mean VST effects, which (obviously) makes sense. I was on my way to work, so I didn't catch that.

I'm actually downloading that Kore Player too right now, just to check it out...it looks pretty spiffy.

Coyote Duster

Vortigern wrote: »

Assuming I'm reading this right, and not suffering from lack of coffee, you're using a controller keyboard right? No built in sounds? Just send MIDI data? From a pure playing standpoint you could use Native Instruments free Kore Player package to provide the instrument sounds.

http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/kore-player/

That won't let you record. Audacity is a slick little package, but doesn't handle MIDI.

I had a quick look at vhscr cap, but I'm not thinking that's what you're after (could be I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the first time).

Anvil Studio and Multitrack Studio look like they might do what you want. Multi has a free "light" edition.

Yeah, sorry about the confusion, but that's exatcly my situation - its a MIDI controller keyboard with no inbuilt sounds. Kore Player looks like it could be the answer - it looks pretty slick too. I shall give it a go tonite. (As I mentioned previously, recording is not a priority right now, just being able to play)


Many thanks.

Agentflit

Here's one way to do it without spending a penny:

sfz is a nice soundfont player that's easy on the processor & memory. Soundfonts are just collections of samples bundled bundled into a SF2 file. hammersound is a good site for browsing free soundfonts, like they have a great bassoon one, and here's a good piano one.

Most setups with midi controllers introduce some latency, if that's a problem just install ASIO4all. It even makes my old netbook competent!

Sir Carcass

In regards to VST plugins, most recording software should have an option for Input Monitoring for each channel you're recording with. Basically turning it on will make it so you hear what you're playing as you play, and off the opposite. I haven't used it with piano, but I use VST plugins for guitar recording and drum sampling, and that's how it works for those.

NickTheNewbie

You want reaper. It's a full production midi suite. As was said before, any midi recording program will also act as a monitor to sound out what you're currently playing on your piano. Don't worry about VSTs, because they're simulations of real life instruments that you need not worry about until you're trying to record some kind of high quality production.

http://www.reaper.fm/

mcdermott

Hmmm...I'm looking at Kore Player, and I'm not sure I'm impressed. From what I can tell, it can't load simple VST instruments, and the instruments included...well, they're okay, but they aren't what I'm looking for. Can anybody suggest a good freeware VST host that can just load any old VST instrument I can find that I like?

Mitsuhide

Just grab the FL Studio demo.

That's what I use with my little nanoKEY, and it's got some great sounds. Lots of built in ones.

You can't save projects, but you can export to an mp3 or what have you.. :P

Infidel

Mitsuhide wrote: »

Just grab the FL Studio demo.

That's what I use with my little nanoKEY, and it's got some great sounds. Lots of built in ones.

You can't save projects, but you can export to an mp3 or what have you.. :P

Seconded, FL Studio is great and the only limitation is not being able to save projects, which is moot if you're just using it to play live and record.

ChrisAlgoo

REAPER costs about sixty, and is a full-featured DAW that can do all that VSTi stuff.

Vortigern

Reaper does have a huge open source community and the demo isn't crippled, nor does it stop working after 30 days. It's an open source community with lots of good plugins made by users. I think highly of Reaper, but it might be more than the OP is looking for in terms of learning curve.

If the entire point is to plug in a controller and play, then all that's required is a driver for the sounds. NI's Kore Player does that, there's a handful of others from the other major players in sound design too. That's just a matter of some google work to find what suits you.

Gihgehls

I recommend the free demo of FLStudio. Even if you are only using it to play, it is software that you can grow with. There are tons of synths and patches that it comes with, and it won't be hard to find one that sounds like a real piano.

Typhoid Manny

mcdermott wrote: »

Hmmm...I'm looking at Kore Player, and I'm not sure I'm impressed. From what I can tell, it can't load simple VST instruments, and the instruments included...well, they're okay, but they aren't what I'm looking for. Can anybody suggest a good freeware VST host that can just load any old VST instrument I can find that I like?

www.reaper.fm

the piano roll isn't the best in the world, but it's free (or like $40 if you want to pay the dude for it, but if you don't there's no functionality lost) and everything else about the program is awesome.

T-bolt

Depends on the computer / sound card, but you may be disappointed in the latency between playing a note on the keyboard & hearing it. There are USB audio interfaces you can buy, but that's of course not free. Doesn't hurt to try these free options beforehand though, you might not notice the latency!

Infidel

T-bolt wrote: »

Depends on the computer / sound card, but you may be disappointed in the latency between playing a note on the keyboard & hearing it. There are USB audio interfaces you can buy, but that's of course not free. Doesn't hurt to try these free options beforehand though, you might not notice the latency!

ASIO4all takes care of the latency for almost everyone.

Gihgehls

Asio4all is the savior of many.