Keybird’s new MIDI
We’re excited to share an update on our new MIDI system. Keybird now has its own custom PCB boards mounted beneath the keybed with optical sensors, capturing every keystroke with velocity and sending the signal directly via USB-C to your computer or sound module. In the near future we will also have onboard sound and recording features, for rehearsing, composing, recording etc directly with headphones or using your favorite software.
Combined with our Silent Mode foam bar—which blocks the hammers from striking the strings while keeping the natural acoustic feel—you can switch between acoustic play and “silent” digital output – as with all silent systems for acoustic pianos and with digital pianos as well, there are still mechanical noises. Our system does not prevent hammers from hitting the strings: we just put foam between hammers and strings to make it more silent. According to our measurements, the loudness of the “noise” is comparable to other silent systems.
The pedal signal is also integrated into the MIDI stream, so your full playing carries over into your DAW.
In the video below, you can hear the difference: live acoustic sound, MIDI audio file, and MIDI performance with and without the foam installed
Wav output:
MIDI output:
The video below in the beginning displays how playing on the Silent Mode sounds from the outside, and later displays how it sounds inside player’s headphones.