The Music Room
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| The Music Room | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| VR/AR | VR |
| Developer | Chroma Coda |
| Publisher | Chroma Coda |
| Platform | SteamVR |
| Device | HTC Vive |
| Operating System | Windows |
| Type | Software |
| Input Device | Tracked Motion Controllers |
| Play Area | Room-Scale |
| Language | English |
| Release Date | August 2017 (Steam) |
| Price | US$129.99 (US Steam storefront, October 13, 2026) |
| App Store | Steam |
| Website | https://store.steampowered.com/app/431030/The_Music_Room/ |
| Infobox Updated | 2026-10-13 |
The Music Room is a virtual reality MIDI-controller application developed and published by Chroma Coda.[1] It uses virtual instruments and tracked motion controllers to perform music and control a digital audio workstation (DAW).[2] Its Steam listing records an August 2017 release and classifies it as audio production software.[1] The application was available before that storefront date: an October 2016 hands-on report tested its Standard SteamVR edition, obtained through a key supplied by the developer.[2]
Features
Instruments and controls
The original setup document names drums and three melodic instruments, Kiriata, Topu and Putoro.[3] The documented instrument types include laser and chord harps, plus a pedal steel guitar style instrument.[4]
The following controls are documented in the early Vive version:
| Instrument | Documented interaction |
|---|---|
| Drum kit | Controller motion plays the drums. The trigger controls hi-hat opening. The developer's introductory lesson distinguishes changing the physical kit layout from changing its sound or active DAW track.[5] |
| Laser harp | The separated, note-labelled strings support bass or lead playing. Controller triggers bend notes, and the touchpad changes pitch.[2] |
| Chord harp | Touchpad selections choose notes, triggers select major seventh and minor chords, and menu buttons change octaves. The instrument supports rhythmic strumming.[2] |
In August 2017, Chroma Coda described velocity-sensitive drumming, snare strike-position sensing, cymbal choking, multiple cymbal zones, continuous hi-hat control and separate tip and shank articulations. Mallets, hot rods and sticks selected different Bitwig tracks. These were controller and MIDI features; the resulting sound depended on the receiving instrument.[6]
MIDI and DAW integration
The Music Room controls a host's sounds rather than relying on a fixed standalone sound engine. Collaborator Sub-Zero Sound reported that an early prototype triggered samples through FMOD, while the release version used Bitwig to trigger the musician's samples or virtual instruments.[7]
The developer's launch-period explanations describe MPE (polyphonic expression) support for pitch bends, pressure and timbre on individual notes. In that version, instruments sent MPE-style messages and could not directly send System Exclusive messages. Chroma Coda also described sending MIDI to Cubase and using Bitwig clips for sequencer data controlled from VR.[6] In 2017, the developer also tested Ableton Live but described MPE channel-routing workarounds.[8]
In a 2019 interview, Chroma Coda director Loki Davison said controller vibration marked in-tune pitches, giving the musician tactile feedback comparable to frets.[9]
The historical package bundled a Bitwig 8-Track key, with the DAW downloaded and installed separately. In VR, the Bitwig panel selects sounds and controls playback, recording and loops.[2] The store also describes preset selection and clip launching, and recommends an MPE-capable host.[1] The published bundle and setup descriptions do not establish current key redemption or compatibility with later host versions.
Rooms and interface design
The introductory lesson describes a starting area with doors used to select venues. Controller representations change with the nearby instrument. It explains MIDI control-change messages that can be mapped in Bitwig, selecting tracks from a panel, and returning to the venue menu by touching floor markers.[5] The 2016 hands-on report described Bakehouse Studios' Floyd and Elvis rehearsal rooms and Melbourne's Cherry Bar as selectable environments.[2]
In a chapter first published online in October 2022 and included in a 2023 book, Thomas Deacon and Mathieu Barthet used The Music Room as a single-user instrument-space case study. They described instruments arranged around the performer, a studio-photograph backdrop and separate areas for playing instruments and displaying conventional screen panels. Their typology used qualitative coding of systems, videos, images, documentation and literature. This was an analysis of interface design, rather than a controlled test of The Music Room's musical performance or educational outcomes.[4]
System Requirements
Windows
These are legacy specifications on the store page. Since January 1, 2024, Steam's client requires Windows 10 or later.[1]
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 7 64bit | Windows 8.1 64bit |
| Processor | Intel i5-4590 | Intel i7 |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 970 | NVIDIA GTX 980 |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Storage | 1000 MB available space | 1000 MB available space |
| Audio | ASIO recommended | ASIO recommended, RME or similar |
The listing requires HTC Vive, SteamVR, tracked controllers and a 2 m by 1.5 m room-scale area.[1] The developer separately stated in August 2017 that Oculus Rift was already supported.[8] These dated statements do not document compatibility with every later headset or controller.
Setup Instructions
The surviving installation manual describes this desktop setup:[3]
- Start The Music Room Hub from Steam or Viveport and keep it running.
- Install Bitwig, select an audio driver and test sound.
- With the Hub running, detect controllers in Bitwig's preferences.
- Load The Music Room template or add instruments to tracks. Include the application's VST directory in Bitwig's search paths.
- Load the sampler and SFZ drum samples, or use another SFZ sampler.
- Launch VR from the Hub. Panel entries select Bitwig tracks for the virtual instruments.
For Steam, the manual places VST_Plugins in the application's library folder and SFZ_Samples inside it. Paths depend on installation location. It recommends ASIO drivers and warns that audio latency affects playing feel.[3]
The developer described audio-trigger or microphone kick input, and aligning the virtual kit with a physical pedal by placing a controller on it and pressing K.[8]
Development and release history
In a June 2016 interview, Chroma Coda director Loki Davison said development began with Vive prototypes, following earlier consideration of the idea with a Morpheus prototype. He described a goal of bringing guitar and double-bass-style expression to electronic instruments and targeting studio and live performance.[10] A June 2017 City of Melbourne council report records Chroma Coda's The Music Room among the recipients of its small-business grants in 2016.[11]
In September 2017, Chroma Coda said the application had been sold through music channels for over a year.[8] The US Steam storefront listed US$129.99 on October 13, 2026.[1]
Images and Videos
The developer's introductory lesson explains venue selection and the drum and laser-harp interfaces.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "The Music Room". Steam. Chroma Coda. https://store.steampowered.com/app/431030/The_Music_Room/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Derek Forrest (2016-10-01). "Making Music In VR: 'The Music Room,' Hands On". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/music-room-chroma-coda-vr,32783.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Chroma Coda. "Installing The Music Room". Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rem1lwCrm8I96p_7Tf9le_hrT1QsIr7JEJN8c2Bm9s4/edit. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas Deacon and Mathieu Barthet (2023). "Spatial Design Considerations for Interactive Audio in Virtual Reality". Sonic Interactions in Virtual Environments. Springer. pp. 181-217. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-04021-4_6. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-04021-4_6. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chroma Coda. "An introductory lesson on The Music Room". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyvKiFCyVcs. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 chromacoda (2017). "Ask any questions here". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/app/431030/discussions/0/2183537632739138619/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Sub-Zero Sound (2017-08-18). "The Music Room VR". Sub-Zero Sound. https://www.sub-zerosound.com/news/the-music-room. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 chromacoda (2017). "Ask any questions here, comments 16-30". Steam Community. https://steamcommunity.com/app/431030/discussions/0/2183537632739138619/?ctp=2. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Adam Crute (2019-05-14). "Virtual reality: How will it change the way you make music?". MusicTech. https://musictech.com/features/trends/vr-music-making/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Paul James (2016-06-22). "'The Music Room' Mixed Reality Video Shows the Power of VR Musicianship". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/the-music-room-mixed-reality-video-shows-the-power-of-vr-musicianship/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "The City of Melbourne Startup Action Plan". City of Melbourne council agenda item 6.4. City of Melbourne. 2017-06-27. Attachment 2, printed page 30 (PDF page 32). https://mvga-prod-files.s3.ap-southeast-4.amazonaws.com/public/about-council/committees-meetings/meeting-archive/MeetingAgendaItemAttachments/784/14028/JUN17%2520CCL%2520AGENDA%2520ITEM%25206.4.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-13.