Play Piano Online With a MIDI Keyboard

Connecting a MIDI Controller

Octype makes connecting your hardware simple:

1. Connect your MIDI keyboard, synthesizer, or digital piano to your computer via USB (or MIDI-to-USB interface).
2. Turn on your MIDI device.
3. Open Octype in a compatible web browser.
4. Click ▶ start piano. When the browser requests MIDI access, grant the permission.

Web MIDI Permissions

To query connected hardware, web browsers enforce security permissions. When you first enter the piano view, the browser will display a prompt asking to “Use MIDI devices”. SelectAllow. If you accidentally deny access, you can click the lock/settings icon in the browser address bar to reset permissions.

Velocity Sensitivity

Unlike standard computer keys, MIDI controllers capture the force of your physical play (known asvelocity). Octype fully parses these velocity bytes (0 to 127) and dynamically maps them to one of its 16 high-resolution audio layers. Soft strokes play quiet, warm sample layers, while hard hits trigger aggressive, bright fortissimo layers — reproducing the natural dynamic range of a concert acoustic grand.

Sustain Pedal (CC64) Support

Octype's central input router processes standard Control Change (CC) messages. A physical sustain pedal plugged into your MIDI controller typically transmits CC64 messages. Octype automatically maps CC64 values (≥ 64 as engaged, < 64 as released) to drive its internal sustain system. This allows you to play naturally, blending chords and notes exactly like a physical piano.

Browser Compatibility & Hot-Plug Support

The Web MIDI standard is currently fully supported in Chromium-based browsers:

• Supported: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, Brave (desktop versions).
• Not Supported: Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox do not natively support Web MIDI. In these browsers, Octype degrades gracefully, allowing full playback via computer keyboard, mouse, and touch inputs.

Octype supports MIDI hot-plugging. You can connect or disconnect devices while the piano is open, and the manager will update and list available devices instantly without requiring a page refresh. Select active devices by opening the Settings panel.