Hidden MIDI Keyboard by KILLIHU

Virtual MIDI keyboard apps force an impossible choice: maintain focus on the keyboard window and lose access to your DAW controls, or work in your DAW and lose MIDI input capability. Switching between windows destroys creative flow, breaks concentration, and turns music-making into a frustrating exercise in window management. Hidden MIDI Keyboard eliminates this friction entirely by working invisibly in the background, always ready to send MIDI data regardless of which application has focus.

This isn’t just another on-screen piano that clutters your workspace. Hidden MIDI Keyboard operates completely in the background with no visible window, activated and deactivated instantly with a custom hotkey you define. Only the keys you configure for MIDI transmission are captured – every other key remains fully functional for your DAW shortcuts, typing, and normal computer use. Switch between a standard MIDI keyboard layout, percussion pads, CC faders, or completely custom configurations on the fly without opening menus or losing your workflow position.

With multiple predefined layouts optimized for common workflows, a powerful custom layout editor for creating personalized configurations, intelligent key blocking to prevent accidental DAW triggers, adjustable velocity curves, transpose and octave shifting, sustain and pitch bend controls, and the ability to switch layouts mid-session without interrupting your work, Hidden MIDI Keyboard delivers professional MIDI input capability without the window-switching frustration that plagues traditional virtual keyboard apps.

Features & Highlights

Focus-Independent Operation: The defining feature that separates Hidden MIDI Keyboard from every other virtual keyboard app. Work in your DAW, notation software, or any other application while sending MIDI data from your computer keyboard. No window switching, no focus stealing, no workflow interruption. Press your activation hotkey (F12 by default, fully customizable) and start playing – the app works invisibly in the background. Discrete pop-up messages appear under your mouse pointer confirming activation, deactivation, layout changes, and octave or velocity adjustments, giving you visual feedback without disrupting your workspace.

Selective Key Capture: Only keys configured for MIDI transmission are captured by Hidden MIDI Keyboard. Every other key continues to function normally for DAW shortcuts, typing, menu navigation, and system commands. This means you can have MIDI note keys active while still using keyboard shortcuts for transport control, editing, mixing, and all other DAW functions.

Multiple Predefined Layouts: Ten carefully designed layouts cover common production scenarios. Ableton Extended expands Live’s computer keyboard MIDI functionality while preserving shortcut keys. Drum Pads provides 32 pads optimized for Drum Rack workflow. Dual Keyboard offers two and a half octaves with sustain, pitch bend, and velocity controls. inScale layout integrates perfectly with the inScale MaxforLive device for scale-locked performance. Logic Plus replicates and extends Logic’s virtual keyboard with modulation wheel and additional keys.

Custom Layout Editor: Create unlimited custom layouts tailored to your exact workflow needs. Assign any computer key to send any MIDI note, CC message, pitch bend, or program change. Configure notes in Relative mode (responds to octave transposition, perfect for melodic layouts) or Fixed mode (always sends the same note regardless of octave shifting, ideal for percussion triggers or specific sample mappings). Set velocity curves, configure transpose ranges, control sustain behavior, and even disable specific keys to prevent accidental triggers. Build specialized controllers for specific plugins, design percussion layouts that match your drum mapping preferences, or create hybrid configurations that combine notes, CC faders, and transport controls in a single layout.

Layout Switching On The Fly: Change between different keyboard layouts instantly without opening settings or interrupting your session. Switch from a standard MIDI keyboard to percussion pads when moving from melody to drums. Swap to CC fader layout for hands-on mixing, then back to keyboard layout for recording. Use the numeric keypad for direct access to your first nine selected layouts, or press the Layout Cycle key to step through only the layouts you’ve enabled in your settings. Each layout remembers its configuration independently.

Adjustable Velocity Control: Set fixed velocity for consistent triggering, or use velocity-sensitive keys where different rows or sections of your keyboard send different velocity values. The Multi-Velocity layout dedicates entire key rows to different velocity levels, perfect for expressive percussion programming or dynamics control without a hardware controller.

Transport and Performance Controls: Most layouts include sustain pedal simulation, octave transpose controls (shift keyboard range up or down without reconfiguring, with customizable transpose amount to suit your workflow), pitch bend (typically assigned to easily-accessible keys for expressive performance), and velocity adjustment keys for on-the-fly dynamic control.

MIDI CC Fader Simulation: Several layouts include MIDI CC faders created by assigning ranges of keys to send continuous controller messages. Press keys in sequence to sweep through CC values like moving a hardware fader. The MIDI Faders layout provides four complete CC faders plus pitch bend, while Drum Pads + CC combines 16 pads with three CC faders for hybrid control.

Intelligent Key Blocking: Predefined layouts include smart key blocking that prevents accidental keypresses from reaching your DAW. For example, keys positioned between black note keys are often blocked to avoid unintended triggers when reaching for chromatic notes. This design consideration reduces mistakes during rapid playing.

Cross-Language Keyboard Support: The app uses physical key positions rather than character labels, so it works correctly on keyboards of any language layout (QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, etc.). Your computer keyboard language doesn’t affect functionality – the app reads key positions, not characters.

Layout Import/Export: Share custom layouts with other users or back up your configurations. Export layouts as files and import them on other computers. This is particularly useful for studios with multiple workstations or for sharing specialized layouts within production teams.

How to Use

Install Hidden MIDI Keyboard on your Windows 10 or 11 computer. Create a virtual MIDI port using loopMIDI by Tobias Erichsen (free software) – this virtual port acts as the bridge between Hidden MIDI Keyboard and your DAW. Launch Hidden MIDI Keyboard and configure your activation hotkey in the settings.

Basic Setup:

Select a predefined layout that matches your workflow from the layout menu. In your DAW, set the MIDI input to the virtual MIDI port created by loopMIDI. Press your configured activation hotkey – Hidden MIDI Keyboard is now active and sending MIDI data. Press the hotkey again to deactivate when you need full keyboard access for typing or other tasks.

Working in Your DAW:

With Hidden MIDI Keyboard activated, work normally in your DAW. Open plugin windows, adjust mixer settings, edit MIDI clips, navigate your session – all while retaining the ability to play notes from your computer keyboard. Keys configured for MIDI transmission will send note data instead of triggering DAW shortcuts. Keys not assigned to MIDI functions continue to work as normal keyboard shortcuts.

Switching Layouts:

Change layouts instantly using multiple methods: open Hidden MIDI Keyboard’s system tray menu and select from the list, press the Layout Cycle key to step through your enabled layouts, or use the numeric keypad (keys 1-9) to jump directly to specific layouts in your selection. The change happens instantly without interrupting playback or losing MIDI data. Switch to Drum Pads layout when working with percussion, swap to Dual Keyboard for melodic parts, use MIDI Faders layout for mixing automation, or activate your custom layouts for specialized tasks. Each layout maintains its own configuration independently.

Creating Custom Layouts:

Open the custom layout editor from the app settings. Select a key on the virtual keyboard display, then configure what MIDI data it sends. Choose between Relative note mode (responds to octave transposition) or Fixed note mode (always sends the same note value). Assign note numbers, CC values, pitch bend, disable keys to prevent accidental presses, or leave keys unassigned so they continue functioning as normal keyboard keys. Set velocity values or velocity curves, configure the base octave and transpose amount. Save your custom layout with a descriptive name. The layout becomes available in the layout selection menu immediately. Note that predefined layouts cannot be edited directly – duplicate them first if you want to modify a preset configuration.

Optimizing for Specific Workflows:

Ableton Live users benefit from the Ableton Extended layout which preserves common shortcuts while expanding MIDI key range. Drum programmers should try Drum Pads layout with its 32-pad grid and intelligent transpose controls that shift by 16 positions to match Drum Rack’s pad layout. The inScale layout integrates with the inScale MaxforLive device for scale-locked composition and performance. Users mixing with keyboard controls will find MIDI Faders layout provides hands-on CC manipulation without hardware.

Ideal For

Laptop Producers Without MIDI Controllers: Turn your built-in keyboard into a functional MIDI input device without carrying additional hardware. Perfect for mobile production, hotel room sessions, or any situation where space and portability matter more than a full-size controller.

Studio Producers Who Want Quick MIDI Input: Keep your hands on the keyboard for rapid idea capture without reaching for a MIDI controller. Sketch melodies while mixing, program drums while editing, or add quick MIDI parts while staying focused on your computer screen.

Ableton Live Users: Extend Live’s native computer keyboard MIDI functionality with more keys, better layouts, and the ability to customize configurations. Use alongside Push or other controllers to add extra MIDI input options without additional hardware.

Sound Designers: Create custom layouts optimized for specific synthesizers or samplers. Map computer keys to trigger specific notes or CC values that match your sound design workflow, creating personalized control surfaces for software instruments.

Music Educators & Students: Demonstrate musical concepts and create examples without requiring physical MIDI keyboards in every teaching or learning environment. Students can practice MIDI sequencing and composition using only their laptop.

What’s Included

• Hidden MIDI Keyboard Windows application
• 10 predefined layouts (Ableton Extended, Drum Pads, Drum Pads + CC, Dual Keyboard, inScale, Logic Plus, MIDI Faders, Multi-Velocity, Sequential, Custom)
• Custom layout editor for unlimited configurations
• Layout import/export functionality
• Adjustable velocity curves and controls
• Octave transpose and pitch bend
• Sustain pedal simulation
• MIDI CC fader simulation
• Configurable activation hotkey
• System tray operation
• Comprehensive online help documentation

Requirements

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Virtual MIDI port software (loopMIDI by Tobias Erichsen recommended – free download)
• DAW or software that receives MIDI input
• Note: Some special keys may not be usable on certain keyboard layouts

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