Electronic Piano Editor's Review

Electronic Piano 2.5 allows you to play musical notes, chords and drum beats using your PC keyboard. It is a freeware programme, which is compatible with Microsoft OS. 

Pitched at amateur players, it allows you to reap the benefits of MIDI technology without requiring practical knowledge.

Users can play one of 128 musical instruments (including piano, saxophone, harmonica, violin and trumpet), as well as choosing from 47 drum sounds. The programme allows up to seven instruments to be combined, as well as playing 12 one-stroke chords and simulating six-string guitar chords.

The basic on-screen keyboard corresponds with a classic piano keyboard's layout using letters and numbers. Keyboard shortcuts allow you to change features, including channels, chord options, octave and voice options. The MIDI sound mimics classic electronic keyboards in its stylised synthetic tone.

There is no internal audio capture facility – but software such as Audacity or Hypercam 2 will allow you to record your audio and/or video.

Some users have reported compatibility issues with Windows Vista. However, there is a compatibility option when installing Electronic Piano 2.5 that does seem to smooth this out. There is currently no version for Windows 7.

Pros: Wide range of musical instruments, simple functionality, multi channel support.

Cons: Unable to record music, some compatibility issues.

Conclusion: Electronic Piano 2.5 is a great basic music player for those who want to improve their understanding of basic composition and experiment with different instrument sounds. Not suitable for advanced or professional users, it is still an excellent piece of free software that offers great functionality for its size.