{{Infobox Software , name = KeyKit , caption = , logo = , developer = AT&T / Tim Thompson , operating system =

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for ...

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which i ...

, genre =

Programming language A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language. The description of a programming l ...

Music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, an ...

, license = Free for non-commercial use , website = http://nosuch.com/keykit KeyKit is a graphical environment and

programming language A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs. Most programming languages are text-based formal languages, but they may also be graphical. They are a kind of computer language. The description of a programming l ...

for

synthesis and

algorithmic composition Algorithmic composition is the technique of using algorithms to create music. Algorithms (or, at the very least, formal sets of rules) have been used to compose music for centuries; the procedures used to plot voice-leading in Western counterp ...

. It was originally developed by Tim Thompson and released by

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...

Overview

Tim Thompson
is a software engineer and the originator of various software titles, including Keykit and Stevie (predecessor of the now widely distributed and popular

text editor A text editor is a type of computer program that edits plain text. Such programs are sometimes known as "notepad" software (e.g. Windows Notepad). Text editors are provided with operating systems and software development packages, and can be u ...

Vim Vim means enthusiasm and vigor. It may also refer to: * Vim (cleaning product) * Vim Comedy Company, a movie studio * Vim Records * Vimentin, a protein * "Vim", a song by Machine Head on the album ''Through the Ashes of Empires'' * Vim (text ed ...

). Keykit (originally named "Keynote") was developed by Thompson in his spare time while he worked for AT&T, though it was not related to his actual job there. Keynote was originally released through the AT&T Toolchest, and in 1995 was released as KeyKit with a license making it freely available for non-commercial use. Keykit is noteworthy for its versatility and expressiveness. Complex algorithmic arrangements can be produced with as much detail and sophistication as required, and the software works on multiple platforms and operating systems. It is not dependent on peripherals or sound cards from a specific vendor. These are unique advantages over similar "

music workstation A music workstation is an electronic musical instrument providing the facilities of: *a sound module, *a music sequencer and *(usually) a musical keyboard. It enables a musician to compose electronic music using just one piece of equipment. ...

" products with the same or similar functionality for algorithmic composition and computer generated music.

Language features

* variables, functions, classes, and

dynamic typing In computer programming, a type system is a logical system comprising a set of rules that assigns a property called a type to every "term" (a word, phrase, or other set of symbols). Usually the terms are various constructs of a computer progra ...

* supports

object-oriented programming Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of " objects", which can contain data and code. The data is in the form of fields (often known as attributes or ''properties''), and the code is in the form of ...

* always-active MIDI recording * multi-tasking environment * library functions and classes (both built-in and user-definable) * multi-platform multi-os and not dependent on specific peripherals

GUI features

Features: * GUI-based multi-track sequencer * pop-up context menus * built-in and user-definable "tools"

Limitations

* interoperability: no support for COM/OLE, Jack, VST,

ReWire ReWire is a software protocol, jointly developed by Propellerhead and Steinberg, allowing remote control and data transfer among digital audio editing and related software. Originally appearing in the ReBirth software synthesizer in 1998, the pr ...

* no support for audio processing (MIDI only)

External links

Keykit Download

(based on KeyKit engine)
Video demo of keykit from 1994

Article about KeyKit from Linux Journal, March 2005
Audio programming languages Dynamically typed programming languages Object-oriented programming languages

Overview

Language features

GUI features

Limitations

See also

External links