VMPK for Android

This is the Java version of VMPK, ported to the Android operating system

Project maintained by pedrolcl Hosted on GitHub Pages — Theme by mattgraham

Virtual MIDI Piano Keyboard for Android is a MIDI events generator simulating a MIDI controller. It generates sound with the help of an embedded software MIDI synthesizer (Sonivox EAS) or sends MIDI events to the local network using a compatible IPMIDI protocol.

License

This program is a MIDI Controller emulated by software. It produces MIDI events, which can be received by other compatible devices like MIDI Synthesizers to produce sound. The package you have installed already includes a MIDI Synthesizer, in addition to a mechanism for transmitting MIDI events by the network that can be received by computers connected to your local network, using either Ethernet or Wireless interfaces.

To receive these MIDI events on a Windows PC or Mac OSX connected to the same local network as your Android device, install in the computer the software ipMIDI gateway. In Linux you can use either multimidicast or Qmidinet. You may need to disable or reconfigure the Firewall in your computer to allow these programs to work properly.

VMPK does not record songs or reproduce recordings. To record, edit and play MIDI compositions you need a MIDI Sequencer, which is a different type of MIDI Software.

Main features

In the first row of the screen you can find a bar with 5 buttons, selecting the features shown in the row immediately below. These are the usual controls of any MIDI controller keyboard, with some particularities.

Some sliders can change its value using the device's tilt sensor (accelerometer/gyroscope). This feature is activated by the switches labeled "Gyro".

The piano keyboard initially shows 2 octaves, but there is an option in the Settings page to select any number of keys. By selecting a larger number, the size of the keys becomes smaller enough to fit the whole keyboard onto the screen.

You can press simultaneously as much keys as the number of your device simultaneous touch points.

The program's menu is available where you usually find it on the Android apps. The "Show note names" option activates tags over the piano keys displaying the names of the notes and their octave numbers. The "Settings" menu option opens a configuration page where you can change several options. The "Full screen" option hides all controls and text except the piano keyboard, so you can focus in your music without distractions.

The main volume of the synthesizer can be changed using the standard operating system functions.

It is recommended to use headphones to avoid disturbing others nearby.

Settings

Piano Settings

Number of Piano Keys: any value between 12 and 49. By default, the keyboard displays 25 keys.
First Key: any natural note between C and B. By default, the starting note is C.
Key Pressed Color: you may choose any color among many ones available.
MIDI Output: by default, VMPK sends MIDI events to the internal synthesizer, but it can also send MIDI events to external devices, using your device's WiFi radio.
Double Keyboard in Full Screen: when the Full Screen mode is activated there can be two keyboards. The lower one is exactly like the upper (same number of keys, same starting note) but plays the lower octaves.

Program Settings

Language: you can choose from Spanish and English translations of the program texts.
Theme: you can choose from a dark and a light theme. The dark theme uses less power than the light one, enabling longer battery life.

Internal MIDI Synthesizer Settings

Reverb: There are four available presets for reverberation, and the option to switch it off entirely.
Chorus: There are four available presets for chorus, and the option to switch it off entirely.

Network-UDP Multicast (IPMIDI)

You should use these values unchanged, unless you configure the software in your computers in the same way as well.

Port number: by default, ipMIDI uses the port number 21928
Multicast address: by default the ipMIDI address is 255.0.0.37