1vkeybd(1) General Commands Manual vkeybd(1)
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6 vkeybd - virtual keyboard on X
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10 vkeybd [-options]
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14 vkeybd is a virtual keyboard for AWE/OSS, MIDI/OSS and ALSA drivers.
15 It's a simple fake of a MIDI keyboard on X-windows system. Enjoy a
16 music with your mouse and computer keyboard :-)
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20 Common Options
21 --device mode
22 Use the specified mode for output device. The argument are awe,
23 midi or alsa, for AWE/OSS, MIDI/OSS and ALSA devices, respec‐
24 tively. Default is alsa.
25 --config file
27 Use the specified file as config file (see section "KEYBOARD").
28 --preset file
30 Use the specified file as preset list file (see section "PRESET
31 LIST FILE").
32 --channel num
34 Specify the channel to be played for normal instruments. Valid
35 only for MIDI and ALSA devices. Default is 0.
36 --drum num
38 Specify the channel to be played for drum instruments. Valid
39 only for MIDI and ALSA devices. Default is 9.
40 --octave num
42 Specify the number of octaves to display keys. Default is 3.
43 ALSA Device Option
46 --addr destination
47 Set ALSA client and port numbers to be connected. If argument
48 begins with 's' or 'S', the port is opened as subscription port,
49 and events are sent to all connected subscribers. The port can
50 be connected to other ports via aconnect(1). Otherwise, vkeybd
51 connects directly to the specified port. The argument must be a
52 form like client:port or client.port, where client and port are
53 index numbers listed in /proc/asound/seq/clients. Default is
54 's'.
55 --name string
57 Specify the name of client/port. Some applications like tk707
58 check the client/port name whether it is a valid MIDI device
59 port. This options makes vkeybd possible to "fake" as a real
60 MIDI device.
61 OSS Sequencer Device Options
64 --seqdev file
65 Specify the device file path for sequencer access. As default
66 /dev/sequencer is used.
67 --seqidx num
69 Specify the synth device index for AWE32/64 WaveTable. If nega‐
70 tive value is given, the device is auto-probed. Default value
71 is -1.
72 MIDI Device Option
75 --mididev num
76 Speicfy the file path of MIDI device. Default value is
77 /dev/midi.
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81 Connection shows whether the vkeybd connects to the device. On OSS
82 system, only one application is allowed to access sequencer device.
83 Thus, if one wants to play another program even using another device,
84 he needs to disconnect vkeybd once. On ALSA or OSS emulation on ALSA,
85 you don't have to switch vkeybd off, since multiple access is allowed.
86 With Save Config , the current keymap and view configuration are saved
88 on ~/.vkeybdrc config file. This file will be read at the next invoke.
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92 Thie menu shows the check buttons to toggle the display of control but‐
93 tons.
94 With Key/Velocity button, a key and a velocity scale bars are shown.
96 The key scale indicates the lowest note value of the visible keyboard
97 (as default 48 = C4). The velocity scale bar is used to change the
98 velocity of each note-on.
99 With Control button, controls for the current channel and for the MIDI
101 continous-controls are enabled. The channel number is increased or
102 decreased by clicking the right or left button around the shown channel
103 number. The bank and preset are remembered for each channel. You may
104 choose the CC to be adjusted by pull-down menu, which indicates Mod‐
105 Wheel as default. Then change the parameter value with the scale bar
106 at the right side.
107 With Pitch button, you may adjust pitch wheel. The pitch goes back to
109 the center position when you click the Pitch Clear button at the left.
110 With Program button, the selection list of playing instrument is tog‐
112 gled. The shown presets are read from preset list file.
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116 Each visible key is mapped on your computer keyboard from 'z' to '\'.
117 To use the computer keyboard, you should turn off auto repeat on your X
118 display via xset(1) :
119 % xset -r
121 The key assignment can be changed by editting the config file ~/.vkeyb‐
123 drc. Once save the current configuration via File/Save Config menu.
124 The config file is the Tcl source, and you may change the list of
125 keymap as you wish.
126 The keymap is a list of elements consisting on the key symbol and the
128 corresponding note offset. The key symbol is the X key symbol for
129 assigned key, and note offset is the shifted note number from note key
130 of beginning of keyboard, which is changed by Key scalebar. For exam‐
131 ple, when a pair of {a 8} is defined and the lowest MIDI key is 48, a
132 MIDI note 56 will be turned on by pressing the key 'a'.
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136 The preset list file is used to describe the list of MIDI preset names.
137 If the command line option is omitted, the default preset list file
138 ~/vkeybd.list, ~/.vkeybd.list and $vkblib/vkeybd.list are searched
139 sequentially. The preset list will appear when Program toggle button
140 is on, and you can select a tone to be played from the list.
141 The preset list file can be converted from SoundFont(tm) file via
143 sftovkb(1) utility. For example,
144 % sftovkb synthgm.sbk > vkeybd.list
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148 sftovkb(1), X(1), xset(1), aconnect(1)
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152 Takashi Iwai <tiwai@suse.de>
153 January 1, 2000 vkeybd(1)