Triggering sound using my computer's keyboard

kolorlover's icon

Hi,

Relatively new user. I'm a little lost as to how I can play sounds (like a simple sine wave using the cycle~ function) using different keys on my keyboard. I used the key function to figure out the number of the keys (ex: B is 98, A is 97) but I'm not sure how to connect them so they play the sound. I know the select function has something to do with this too as I was looking at some built-in tutorials.

Thanks.

brendan mccloskey's icon

Hi
you're almost there, but you don't specify exactly what you wish to do with the keystrokes. To control frequency, for example, use [key] to identify ascii numbers, then send its left outlet to [* 10]. Send the result to the [cycle~] left inlet. Now you're controlling frequency with the keys. [select] will issue bangs depending on the arguments you specify, so [select 49 50] will give a bang for keys "1" and "2".

Right/ctrl clicking on any object in edit mode brings up a helpfile patcher.

Brendan

AudioLemon's icon

The last post has a QWERTY keyboard MIDI controller. Put the pitch output from the patcher into a mtof and feed it into a cycle~. Not sure if thats what yr after but - it's handy and will do something like what you want one way or another.

Luke Hall's icon

Also available as part of my MaxMSP Library download available here in the Code section. It comes with some other abstractions you might find useful and updated help files.

kolorlover's icon

Thanks everyone. I'm getting there, slowly. I connected the key to the B and when I hit B on my keyboard, the button goes yellow so that means it's working. But I'm having troubles attaching or getting sound out of it.

Check attachment please.

edit: Sorry, the attachments don't seem to be working. One moment...

2432.maxmsp.jpg
jpg
Luke Hall's icon
Max Patch
Copy patch and select New From Clipboard in Max.

Download the library I just linked to, pop it somewhere in your max search path (or add it under Options > File Preferences) and then try this super simple patch. The object basically makes your computer keyboard mimic a MIDI keyboard. The example patch turns the MIDI notes to frequency values with [mtof], generates a sine wave at this pitch with [cycle~] and finally sends it to your speakers.

kolorlover's icon

Is there a simpler way? I just want different sounds to be produced (of sine waves) when I press certain keys on my keyboard. I was getting sound before but wasn't sure how to connect it to the button so the keys would trigger it. Yeah, I'm struggling. Sorry to be a pain.

Here's what I have right now - http://cl.ly/8OSq. But I don't know how to make it so the sound triggers only when those keys are pressed. And I need to product different sounds (sine wave) for each key.

brendan mccloskey's icon

Like this:
(copy all the text below, and go File/New From Clipboard; then go here:
https://cycling74.com/forums/common-max-arcana
and here:
https://cycling74.com/docs/max5/tutorials/max-tut/maxindex.html

Max Patch
Copy patch and select New From Clipboard in Max.