Pass key commands from VST to DAW

Audio Plugins
1

I have created a simple plugin have a plugin that has some keyboard shortcuts (for example O for toggle audio on/off). I would however like all other keys to go to the DAW (for example start recording when pressing R like usually happens in my DAW) even when the plugin window is the active window. Is there any way to do this? My DAW is MAGIX Sequoia.

2

It should happen automatically unless you are stealing the keystrokes. If you have implemented Component::keyPressed() for any components, make sure you return false for any keys you don’t need.

3

I think I have done that. Here are the lines from my code:

In the PluginEditor.h

virtual bool keyPressed (const KeyPress& key) override;
virtual bool keyStateChanged(bool isKeyDown) override;

In the PluginEditor.cpp

bool TalkbackAudioProcessorEditor::keyPressed(const KeyPress & press)
{
    if (press == 'L')
    {
        listenButton.triggerClick();
        return true; // return true when the keypress was handled
    }
    return false; // return false if you don't handle the keypress
}

bool TalkbackAudioProcessorEditor::keyStateChanged(bool isKeyDown)
{
    static auto lastSpaceKeyIsDown = false;
    
    auto newSpaceKeyIsDown = KeyPress::isKeyCurrentlyDown('T');
    
    if (newSpaceKeyIsDown != lastSpaceKeyIsDown)
    {
        lastSpaceKeyIsDown = newSpaceKeyIsDown;
        
        if (newSpaceKeyIsDown){
            talkButton.setToggleState(false, NotificationType::dontSendNotification);
            talkButton.triggerClick();
        }
        else{
            talkButton.setToggleState(true, NotificationType::dontSendNotification);
            talkButton.triggerClick();
        }
    }
    
    return false;

In Sequoia and in Reaper when my plugin is the active window no keyboard shortcuts for the DAW seem to work…

4

Hmm, that’s odd, because Reaper usually intentionally cuts out plugins from receiving certain key presses unless you change a setting:

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5

Maybe that setting was changed on the computer I tried it on. I don’t know. I don’t really use Reaper and just tried it on a friends computer. My main concern is getting it to work with Sequoia which is what I use