I own an M-Audio O2 USB MIDI controller that I use to create my music or to satisfy my jamming needs. I have several programs installed that support it, including the quintessential FL Studio and the mighty Miditzer Virtual Theatre Organ. Occasionally I’ll use MIDI-OX for some on-the-fly jamming with MIDI while testing the settings on my controller, but I really don’t use it all that much because the MIDI interface seems rather sluggish on these newer versions of Windows.
Even with all these tools installed, it still felt like something was missing. I wanted a simple virtual piano that lets me play my keyboard like, um, a piano. Nothing fancy, just a program to run when I feel like improvising some piano music to clear my mind. After a quick search and a few disappointments, I came across FreePiano, which was just what I was looking for.
FreePiano is a small, open-source virtual keyboard that needs no installation and supports my controller with ease. Even better, it supports VST plug-ins and comes with a piano VST file to get you started. Better yet, it found my folder where I keep the rest of my VST files I use with FL Studio and allows me to use them in FreePiano.
Should I happen upon a tune worth saving, I can record it and save my recording as a MIDI or MP4 file for sharing with the world.
My search for the ideal virtual piano has ended. FreePiano is definitely a keeper.
MJBDiver.com 