Provided by: jack-keyboard_2.7.2-1build2_amd64 bug

NAME

       jack-keyboard - A virtual keyboard for JACK MIDI

SYNOPSIS

       jack-keyboard  [ -C ] [ -G ] [ -K ] [ -T ] [ -V ] [ -a input port ] [ -k ] [ -r rate ] [ -t ] [ -u ] [ -c
       channel ] [ -b bank ] [ -p program ] [ -l layout ]

OPTIONS

       -C     Enable "keyboard cue" - two horizontal lines over a part of keyboard; keys under  the  lower  line
              are mapped to the lower row of your PC keyboard; keys under the upper line are mapped to the upper
              row.

       -G     Disable GUI.  It makes jack-keyboard look like it did before version 2.0.

       -K     Grab  the  keyboard.   This makes jack-keyboard receive keyboard events even when it does not have
              focus.  In other words, you can play while mousing in a different window.

              Note: It's not reliable yet.  It does not work when some  other  application  keeps  the  keyboard
              grabbed.   It  does not work with GNOME.  Even when it seems to work, some keyboard events may get
              lost.

       -T     Toggle titlebar, on which channel/bank/program information is shown.  With -G option, it  disables
              titlebar; otherwise it enables it.

       -V     Print version number to standard output and exit.

       -a input port
              Automatically connect to the named input port.  Note that this may cause problems with LASH.

       -k     Allow  connecting  to  other  instances  of  jack-keyboard (see PIANOLA MODE below).  Without this
              option, jack-keyboard will refuse to connect to any  JACK  client  whose  name  starts  in  "jack-
              keyboard";  this  is  to  prevent  loops.   Note that it's impossible to connect instance of jack-
              keyboard to itself, even with this option set.

       -r rate
              Set rate limit to rate, in Kbaud.  Limit defined by the MIDI specification is 31.25.   By  default
              this parameter is zero, that is, rate limiting is disabled.

       -t     Send  all  MIDI  messages with zero time offset, making them play as soon as they reach the synth.
              This was the default behavior before version 1.6.

       -u     By default, jack-keyboard does not send program/bank change messages after  reconnecting,  so  the
              newly connected instrument remains at previous settings.  This option changes that behaviour.

       -c channel
              Set initial MIDI channel to channel; by default it's 1.

       -b bank
              Set  initial MIDI bank to bank.  With this option, jack-keyboard will send the bank/program change
              once, when it connects.

       -p program
              Set initial MIDI program to program.  With this option, jack-keyboard will send  the  bank/program
              change once, when it connects.

       -l layout
              Specify  the  layout of computer keyboard being used.  Valid arguments are QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY,
              and DVORAK.  Default is QWERTY.

DESCRIPTION

       jack-keyboard is a virtual MIDI keyboard - a program that allows you to send JACK MIDI events  (play  ;-)
       using  your  PC keyboard.  It's somewhat similar to vkeybd, except it uses JACK MIDI instead of ALSA, and
       the keyboard mapping is much better - it uses the same layout as trackers (like Impulse Tracker) did,  so
       you have two and half octaves under your fingers.

KEY BINDINGS

       Keyboard mapping is the same as in Impulse Tracker.  This is your QWERTY keyboard:

                    +----+----+    +----+----+----+    +----+----+
                    | 2  | 3  |    | 5  | 6  | 7  |    | 9  | 0  |
                 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                 | Q  | W  | E  | R  | T  | Y  | U  | I  | O  | P  |
                 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                        | S  | D  |    | G  | H  | J  |
                     +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                     | Z  | X  | C  | V  | B  | N  | M  |
                     +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

       And this is MIDI mapping:

                    +----+----+    +----+----+----+    +----+----+
                    |C#5 |D#5 |    |F#5 |G#5 |A#5 |    |C#6 |D#6 |
                 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                 | C5 | D5 | E5 | F5 | G5 | A5 | B5 | C6 | D6 | E6 |
                 +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                        |C#4 |D#4 |    |F#4 |G#4 |A#4 |
                     +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                     | C4 | D4 | E4 | F4 | G4 | A4 | B4 |
                     +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

       Spacebar  is a sustain key.  Holding it when pressing or releasing key will make that key sustained, i.e.
       Note Off MIDI event won't be sent after releasing the key.  To release (stop) all  the  sustained  notes,
       press and release spacebar.

       Holding  Shift  when pressing note will make it louder (it increases velocity).  Holding Ctrl will do the
       opposite.  You can change the default velocity by moving the Velocity slider.  You can change the  "high"
       and "low" velocity values by moving the slider while holding Shift or Ctrl keys.

       Pressing  "-" and "+" keys on numeric keypad changes the octave your keyboard is mapped to.  Pressing "*"
       and "/" on numeric keypad changes MIDI program (instrument).  Pressing Insert or Delete keys will connect
       jack-keyboard to the next/previous MIDI input port (it will cycle between running instances of  ghostess,
       for  example).   Home  and  End keys change the MIDI channel.  Page Up and Page Down keys switch the MIDI
       bank.

       Esc works as a panic key - when you press it, all sound stops.

SETTING CHANNEL/BANK/PROGRAM NUMBER DIRECTLY

       To switch directly to a channel, bank or program, enter its number on the numeric  keypad  (it  won't  be
       shown in any way) and press Home or End (to change channel), Page Up or Page Down (to change bank) or "/"
       or  "*"  (to change program).  For example, to change to program number 123, type, on the numeric keypad,
       "123/", without quotes.

TITLEBAR

       When -G xor -T is given, some informational messages in the title bar appear. They  are  supposed  to  be
       self  explanatory.   If you see "bank/program change not sent", it means that the bank/program numbers as
       seen in the title bar were not sent.  In other words, synth the jack-keyboard is  connected  to  may  use
       different values.  This happens at startup and after switching between synths (using Insert/Delete keys).
       To  send  bank/program  change  at startup, use -b and -p parameters.  To automatically send bank/program
       change after reconnect, use the -u option.

PIANOLA MODE

       In addition to the MIDI output port, jack-keyboard also opens MIDI input (listening) port.   MIDI  events
       going  into this port will be passed to the output port unmodified, except for channel number, which will
       be set to the one jack-keyboard is configured to use.  Note On  and  Note  Off  MIDI  events  will  cause
       visible  effect  (pressing and releasing) on keys, just like if they were being pressed using keyboard or
       mouse.

       jack-keyboard will never connect to it's own MIDI input port.  It will also  refuse  to  connect  to  any
       other  client  whose  name  begins  in "jack-keyboard", unless the "-k" option is given.  It is, however,
       possible to connect these ports manually, using jack_connect or qjackctl; this may create feedback loop.

SEE ALSO

       jackd(1), ghostess(1), qjackctl(1)

BUGS

       Key grabbing is unreliable.

       Many PC keyboards have problems with polyphony.  For example, with the one  I'm  using  right  now,  it's
       impossible to press "c", "v" and "b" at the same time.  It's a hardware problem, not the software one.

       The spin widgets used to set channel/bank/program number don't take focus, so the value cannot be entered
       into them in the usual way.  It's because jack-keyboard already uses numeric keys for different purposes.
       You can still directly enter channel/bank/program in a way described above.

jack-keyboard 2.4                                 20 April 2008                                 JACK-KEYBOARD(1)