A musical web app to play notes with delay effect.
Demo: https://hisschemoller.github.io/kibo-keyboard/
See a video with the Kibo instrument on YouTube
Kibo Keyboard is a simple melodic music keyboard. Each time you play a note a small ball is launched from the bottom of the screen. The ball then bounces around the screen. Whenever it bounces off another object it again plays its sound. This way the bouncing balls create a random delay effect.
The harder you play the note (the higher the MIDI velocity) the higher the octave of the sound. Visually higher octaves are represented as smaller balls.
This app is especially made to work with the Kodaly Kibo. The Kibo is a MIDI controller with eight wooden shapes that can be played like drum pads or piano keys. MIDI transmits wireless over Bluetooth LE or over USB cable.
Try the demo of the app on its Github page. If you don’t have a Kibo or other MIDI controller handy you can use your computer’s number keys 1 to 8.
When tapped the Kibo's eight pads send MIDI notes in default pitches. The app is set up to react to these pitches. They are 60, 62, 64, 65, 67, 69, 71 and 72. If you want to trigger the app with a different MIDI controller, be aware that it will only react to these pitches.
You will notice that the harder you hit a note, the higher it sounds. This is because MIDI velocity is used to determine the note's octave. The harder you hit, the higher the octave. On screen higher octaves are visible as smaller balls.
The settings panel shows when the app starts. It can be recalled by clicking the cogwheel icon in the top right corner of the screen.
It has two settings:
- Bluetooth - Click 'Connect' to connect to a Bluetooth LE device that transmits MIDI over Bluetooth.
- MIDI - Select a MIDI input from the dropdown.
Chrome is currently the only browser that can run the app. The desktop as well as the mobile Android version of Chrome.
Browsers have to implement the Javascript Web Bluetooth or Web MIDI API to run the app. Because these are required to connect through MIDI or Bluetooth.