I know what you’re thinking. Plenty of music applications already have QWERTY input so you can play soft synths with your computer keyboard. Ableton Live does it by default; Logic and GarageBand have the Caps Lock keyboard. Why would you want a dedicated utility?

I thought the same until I saw Tanager AudioWorks’ Mac and Windows utility “Chirp” on Gearwire. The difference here is features, covering the full range of possible MIDI messages:

Bill Van Loo writes to tell us about a QWERTY keyboard that started its life as stock Apple hardware and wound up a custom-configured, custom-painted controller for Ableton Live:

I just finished reworking an old USB QWERTY keyboard to serve as a custom keyboard for controlling Ableton Live, and thought you might like a look. The whole thing is well-documented with photos and comments at my Flickr site:

flickr set: Custom keyboard for Ableton Live

The basic idea: instead of buying an expensive controller to expand my tactile control of Ableton Live (or building something custom with MIDI controllers), I decided to use an old USB QWERTY keyboard and custom-paint it to enhance its use as a live performance device.

The big idea behind the keyboard is that the humble QWERTY keyboard offers a ton of control possibilities, thanks to the flexible keymapping capabilities of Ableton Live. I’ve been using the built-in keyboard on my Powerbook for a while now to trigger clips in performance, but it’s tough for a couple reasons. First, it looks like you’re writing e-mail during a show, and that’s kinda boring. Second, all the keys look the same (minus the markings, of course) - there’s not much that lets you navigate easily in low-light conditions and in the heat of the moment on stage.

You can see a full write-up here:

custom USB QWERTY keyboard for Ableton Live [Ableton forum]

Great work, Bill! There are some particularly handy tips in the forum post about painting plastic — good stuff to know. Bill promises next-up he’ll have a custom-painted 16-fader MIDI controller.

I think we’re going to need a regular Pimp my Studio. I want some undercarriage light effects on my Roland SH-201.

The quest to reinvent the piano-style keyboard continues. Inventors have updated two efforts to design button-covered instruments with alternative pitch layouts. Is this a musical revolution — or just an attempt to play faster scales with less practice that will result in repetitive stress injuries?

Pioneer, known for their DJ software (and their superb video scratching hardware, the DXJ-X1 as covered here previously) have opted to release a software-only solution. But unless I’m missing something, the new DJS software has little going for it other than the Pioneer name. All the basics are here: MP3 support with built-in ripping, auto mixing, on-screen waveform cueing, cue points and looping, fader start features, and so on. Other than that, though, looks fairly bare-bones, and Pioneer is entering an already-overcrowded market here. This might appeal to Pioneer fans, except — don’t you guys own hardware?

Further commentary and 51 comments (and counting) from the turntablist haven, Skratchworx

So if I’m so bored by this and it’s two weeks old anyway, why am I bringing it to your attention? Because you get to enjoy . . . (drum roll) . . .

Pioneer’s Groundbreaking Explanation of the QWERTY Keyboard!

“The DJ can assign basic functions to a particular key on the PC keyboard. By doing this for frequently used functions, the DJ can establish his or her own playing style – on a keyboard.”

Other software developers, you’re on notice. Pioneer has discovered that by assigning functions to QWERTY keys you can . . . press . . . QWERTY keys and . . . do stuff. If you want to look cool: get a nice big shoulder strap for a Bluetooth wireless QWERTY and play it Keytar style. (Sadly, this works better for QWERTY-mapped synth lines, not DJing. It also helps if you wear a Devo hat.)

Samchillian,
the oddly-named, circuit-bended (and spray painted) ergonomic QWERTY
keyboard that New Yorker Leon Gruenbaum invented is more than a wierd
name: it could be a chance for keyboardists to finally cure themselves
of guitar envy, AND look nerdy while doing it! Since QWERTY keys are
mapped to pitch change, not specific pitches (stay with me, here),
simple key patterns can generate wild, screaming solos. One key press
can equal 'one pitch higher' in a scale. Suddenly a scale is just a
repetition of two keys. Scale too boring? Create a microtonal flurry of
notes that sounds like Hendrix and Cecil Taylor had a love child.

Samchillians may be hard to pick up, though the creator says he hopes
others will start playing the instrument. Never fear: there's a free standalone PC version, plus a non-working Mac version (woo-hoo!). Don't miss the video demo.

Carpal tunnel never sounded so good. (Seriously, the only disadvantage
of this thing is that, as the creator warns, the repetitive key
sequences could cause injury! Thanks to musicthing for picking this up! Since I'm in NYC, so maybe I can go snag the creator!