The Annoying Piano (TAP)
Overview
TAP (The Annoying Piano) is an experimental digital piano that dynamically alters pitch during performance, creating emergent compositions through real-time note manipulation. This instrument challenges traditional piano paradigms by introducing controlled unpredictability into the playing experience, enabling musicians and sound artists to explore new territories of non-idiomatic improvisation and algorithmic composition.
Max for Live device
TAP is also a Max for Live MIDI effect for Ableton Live. It moved, with its history, to audio-plugins on 2026-10-28. The parked VST attempt is still in this repo's history, up to commit 0a32ae3.
Features
- Multi-input support:
- Mouse interaction
- Keyboard controls
- External MIDI controller compatibility
- MIDI file upload and playback
- Dynamic pitch alteration modes:
- Swap: Exchange pitches between consecutive notes
- Gravity: Apply weighted pitch attraction between notes
- Move: Shift pitch by defined semitone intervals
- Customizable audio effects
- Real-time pitch manipulation
Technical Stack
- Frontend Framework: React (^18.3.1)
- Backend Framework: Next.js (^14.2.13)
- Styling: TailwindCSS
- Audio Engine: Tone.js (^15.0.4)
- Additional Dependencies:
- @heroicons/react: ^2.1.5
- @react-midi/hooks: ^2.0.1
- @tonejs/midi: ^2.0.28
- react-icons: ^5.3.0
Installation
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/jimmyNicholas/next-annoying-piano.git
cd next-annoying-piano
- Install dependencies:
npm install
# or
yarn install
- Start the development server:
npm run dev
# or
yarn dev
Usage Guide
Input Methods
1. Mouse Control
- Click and hold piano keys to play
- Release or move mouse to stop the note
2. Keyboard Input
- Click the "Activate Keyboard" button to enable keyboard controls
- [Keyboard mapping image to be added]
- Special modifier keys available [Details to be added with image]
3. MIDI Controller
- Connect your MIDI controller via USB
- Allow browser access when prompted
- Select your MIDI device from the dropdown menu
4. MIDI File Playback
- Supported format: Standard MIDI files (.mid)
- Upload via the file upload button
- Single track playback (first track for multi-track files)
- Basic transport controls (play, pause, stop)
- MIDI parsing handled by tonejs/MIDI library
Pitch Alteration Modes
Swap Mode
Changes the pitch of consecutive notes by exchanging their frequencies.
Example:
Initial state: G4 = 392Hz, A4 = 440Hz
1. Play G4 → Last Key = G4
2. Play A4 → Last Key = G4, Current = A4
3. Swap occurs
Result: G4 = 440Hz, A4 = 392Hz
Gravity Mode
Attracts the pitch of previous notes toward the last played note.
Example (Strength = 2):
Initial state: G4 = 392Hz, A4 = 440Hz
1. Play G4 → Last Key = G4
2. Play A4 → Last Key = G4, Current = A4
3. Gravity applied
Result: G4 = 398Hz, A4 = 440Hz
Move Mode
Shifts the pitch of the last played note by a specified number of semitones.
Example (Semitones = 1):
1. Play A4 (440Hz)
2. Move applied
Result: A4 = 466.16Hz
Development Status
Future plans include:
- NPM package distribution
- MIDI file size limits
- Extended browser compatibility testing
- System requirements documentation
- Production deployment guide
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.
Note: Browser compatibility, system requirements, and recommended audio setup specifications are currently being documented through testing. Please check back for updates.
