VR Piano App Released for FREE on SideQuest
I’ll cut to the chase, a beta version of my first ever app — Grand Reality — is now available for FREE on SideQuest. If you own an Oculus Quest, please download it and let me know what you think. If you’ve never used SideQuest before, it’s easy to get started.
Having been rejected from the Oculus Quest store, I’ve changed my approach a bit and have decided to release a free beta version in order to get feedback from early-adopters.
I’d like to stress that it’s far from a polished, finished version, so please don’t judge it as you would a commercial app or game, and please do tell me if you come across a bug so that I can fix it. But, it’s there for you to download and try for free. If you like it, please don’t forget to leave a review on the SideQuest page. This really helps other people find it.
In this article I’m going to run through the features, what you can actually do in this version, and what’s in store for the upcoming releases.
Hand-Tracking
Obviously, a major feature is hand-tracking. I knew that hand-presence was always going to be a key ingredient in a virtual reality piano app.
There’s also piano positioning, or rather ‘player positioning’ where you position your view in relation to the piano. Using a combination of auto-positioning and manual tweaking, I’ve been able to match up my real electric piano to the VR version. That means that each note is in the correct position, and I’m getting that crucial feedback from the real piano action when I press the key.
That brings me on to the next topic;
Bluetooth or USB MIDI
You might be wondering how Grand Reality knows when I press a key. Well, I’ve got my real-world electric piano hooked up to a MIDI to Bluetooth converter which is beaming midi data to my Quest headset. That means, Grand Reality not only knows which keys I’m playing, but how hard I’m pressing them and for how long — which is another crucial ingredient in playing the piano.
There’s also sustain pedal tracking, although the Quest doesn’t have foot tracking yet so for now you’ll have to deal with having invisible legs!
In addition, I’ve added the ability to plug a USB piano directly into the USB-C port on the side of the Quest headset, which also allows you to see key-presses in VR.
Multiplayer
There is a multiplayer mode which allows you to play the piano with other people in VR over the internet. Playing on the same piano as another person is a really cool and unique VR experience. This opens the door for VR piano lessons!
So, what’s the point?
You might be wondering, “why not just take your headset off and play the piano like a normal human being?”. Well, aside from being able to pick a piece, slow it down, repeat it and learn it at your own pace, the real game-changer is the ability to see virtual hands playing the piano in front of you.
You don’t have to make that mental jump when translating from a piano in a Youtube/Synthesia video and there’s no reaching over or getting in the way of a real-life piano teacher. You really have to experience it to see what I mean. It’s a game-changer!
Let me know what you think
I’m keen to get people’s feedback. Don’t worry, if you don’t own an electric piano you can still use the app, it’s fun to browse the library of pieces and watch them play back.
If you do own an electric piano, and it’s Bluetooth or USB-enabled, then you can get the full experience. If that’s you, then I’m very keen to hear from you. So please do get in touch.
