Reaper question (newbie)

[kmonkey]

Hi fellas. Yes i am aware of reaper forum but i have account here and i know people like Reaper a lot over here so hope you don't mind me asking here.

So i tried Reaper over years and i couldn't get it and i hate default theme. Previously using Cubase for decades and using Ableton now.

Like i said i tried reaper but for some reason i could not click with it. Weeks ago i tried with different theme (called reaborn 2) and for some reason i could click with it and now i am starting to realize that Reaper is deep and can be customized to my workflow however i am not sure so will ask here few simple questions ala is it possible with reaper or not?


1. Folder tracks - In Ableton i am able to create instrument track with VSTi. Add midi clip to it. Add FX to it. And i can save it as template and recall it inside of any project with midi clip and all FX loaded.

2. fx chain/group/rack - in Ableton i can add several FX and i can save them as a group (they call it Rack in Ableton but it is a group) and later i can load that group of FX on any mixer track. Can i do that with reaper?

3. Velocity?? What is happening with velocity here? Every time i draw a note velocity is at 127 ?!? I see some users on Reaper forum had similar issues. Someone claimed that if i create custom note with velocity at 90 every other should be at 90 but not in my case (like Reaper is supposed to remember my last velocity value). I turn Reaper off, run again empty project, draw velocity it is 127. Driving me crazy...

4. Most important question - i use Cubase Logical editor a lot. now i do understand such function does not exist in Reaper but there is deep macro and action set.

So when it comes to midi can i do things like in logical editor with actions? Like

I draw notes in cubase and ok i want to experiment a bit. I turn on Logical editor, i select notes and in logical editor i have action which place my notes randomly under pitch range i set it up to, and notes are automatically placed inside of scale i want it to. Is something like this possible with Reaper?

Random notes experimentation.
What i like so far - sheer amount of performance and slick fast everything like everything.

As i see it maybe it is possible to make my own workflow which is why i asked these things above.

Cheers

[EvilDragon]

1. Track templates.

2. FX chain presets.

3. You can change the default velocity by clicking on the piano roll keyboard. However, changing the velocity of a selected note does take that velocity as the default for new notes, so not sure what's happening there.

4. While not as deeply featured, you can do a decent amount of filtering with Reaper's MIDI filter.

In MIDI editor's transport area there's Key Snap feature, so you can lock the notes you enter to a particular scale, and there's an action to lock the note selection to a chosen scale (search Action list). As for other manipulations, there are scripts you can install I suppose - search the Reaper forum!

[GaryG]

I don't have Reaper in front of me so best consult user guide for *exact* wording but...

1. Folder tracks - In Ableton i am able to create instrument track with VSTi. Add midi clip to it. Add FX to it. And i can save it as template and recall it inside of any project with midi clip and all FX loaded.

Just click Track > Save track as template, you'll be able to choose whether midi etc is saved with the template. I think you can just right click a track too.

2. fx chain/group/rack - in Ableton i can add several FX and i can save them as a group (they call it Rack in Ableton but it is a group) and later i can load that group of FX on any mixer track. Can i do that with reaper?

In the effects window there's a Save FX Chain option so you can later load that chain elsewhere.

3. Velocity?? What is happening with velocity here? Every time i draw a note velocity is at 127 ?!? I see some users on Reaper forum had similar issues. Someone claimed that if i create custom note with velocity at 90 every other should be at 90 but not in my case (like Reaper is supposed to remember my last velocity value). I turn Reaper off, run again empty project, draw velocity it is 127. Driving me crazy...

I don't think it does remember the last velocity change as a 'default' but if you change the velocity of a note then subsequent notes should have that velocity..? I think this works too if you use the preview keyboard on the left (you know you can preview at different velocities by clicking at different points on the keys?)

4. Most important question - i use Cubase Logical editor a lot. now i do understand such function does not exist in Reaper but there is deep macro and action set.

Yeah, SWS extensions... You can probably do what you want using these (or write your own using scripting) but for specifics I think the Cockos forum is best.

[kmonkey]

Thank you guys...I will look into what you mentioned over weekend. Everything sound really exciting. I wonder how big Reaper team is. I wish this developer prosper and continue developing this. I really like it it seems as a very underrated piece of software and i really only started to grasp it. But from what i see my mind is boiling...

I saw SWS extension website but could not understand what is it and was afraid to install it until i figure out basic stuff. From my guess this is some sort of addon which will add various icons and action set in reaper right?

[DarkStar]

Team size = 2. Plus many user-contributors (user guide, themes, scripts, JS FX, extensions, guidance on the forum)

The SWS Extension adds many, many actions; you'll find them invaluable. And explore the scripts built by users - there are many for manipulating MIDI.

[kmonkey]

3. You can change the default velocity by clicking on the piano roll keyboard. However, changing the velocity of a selected note does take that velocity as the default for new notes, so not sure what's happening there.

Ok just tried it...this is still driving me crazy. Excuse me i need to ask.

Please look at my screenshot



I realized what you told me. I need to press somewhere in keyboard to change velocity and after that it is indeed changed but...How can i tell where is (for example) Velocity value 100?

If i press keyboard key most left (green spot) velocity is smaller and indeed i can draw then only smaller velocity notes. If i press middle of keyboard key (blue spot) velocity is a bit higher and if i press around red spot all of a sudden velocity is 127.

I can manually edit velocity to something different like Velocity of 50 (yellow arrows) but after i edit this single note velocity to 50 - all others newly added notes are still different velocity??

How am i supposed to know when pressing on piano roll keyboard - what velocity value i am pressing ?

Maybe this is theme issue or something is turned off in my settings?

[EvilDragon]

That's not related to a theme, and AFAIK there's no option to adjust that behavior... It just works over here, as I mentioned. Not sure what else to suggest, honestly.

There are some differences, though: I am not using the velocity handles (I have them hidden in options), I am using "Edit note velocity" mouse modifier (Alt+drag on the note). However, even when using the handles, it works just fine over here. Dunno.

Can you try this on a perfectly fresh portable install of Reaper? Without any settings changed? You could even do this by taking Reaper.ini file out of Reaper's resources folder, then it will start with fresh default settings the next time you run it...

[kmonkey]

That's not related to a theme, and AFAIK there's no option to adjust that behavior... It just works over here, as I mentioned. Not sure what else to suggest, honestly.

There are some differences, though: I am not using the velocity handles (I have them hidden in options), I am using "Edit note velocity" mouse modifier (Alt+drag on the note). However, even when using the handles, it works just fine over here. Dunno.

Can you try this on a perfectly fresh portable install of Reaper? Without any settings changed? You could even do this by taking Reaper.ini file out of Reaper's resources folder, then it will start with fresh default settings the next time you run it...

Hi! Previously i changed velocity by hovering with mouse over note and changing up and down or inside Velocity window doing same thing up or down. But like i said this (apart from the note i was editing) did not had any influence on other notes added AFTER editing that current note velocity.

However you helped a bit. When i edit Velocity by Alt+drag on note - then Reaper remember "globally" and every new note velocity is like previous one.

So: basic mouse editing on velocity - nothing is remembered (unlike any other DAW i ever worked with) and i am stuck on guessing which key range should represent velocity of 100.

But Alt-Drag velocity - value is preserved.

Thanks


edit: uuu this is super weird....After i dragged velocity notes with Alt-Drag now even with basic mouse editing (i mean without using Alt-Drag) is working...


This is super weird. Maybe my .ini file was corrupted until i used your trick Alt-Drag?

[EvilDragon]

Not sure - I don't think anything related to this gets written to .ini at all.

[kmonkey]

Not sure - I don't think anything related to this gets written to .ini at all.

Ok. You can bet i am not imagining this. This drived me crazy for two days but all of a sudden after i used Alt-Drag now even simple mouse drag remember Velocity and all new notes are correct.

Meaning if i move simple up down on note to velocity 85 all other new notes will be 85. I swear this was not working until the very moment when i used your trick Alt-Drag. Previously all notes where at 127 (editing one note manually did not affected other notes after this).

On Reaper forum i found at least three people with same issue

Thank you anyway i will write this down. This will be fun.

[Boone777]

Install SWS with peace of mind! Very practicle. It will add a menu on top of main window have a look at it you will see all the extra features.

[kmonkey]

Ok guys you can laugh...

I just discovered JS folder in FX window. And there is a ton of effects.

Ok laugh at me. This is some of the most impressive sounding tools like for free...ok GUI is generic but what the hell i mean like seriously am i dreaming or this is free....What the hell is wrong with this there is like another universe of tools. Compressor is da shit (in a good way). So many tools.

I am having culture blast...Jesus this is going to be good weekend...

Installing SWS....weeeeee

[Chris-S]

Hi,
there are some nice Reaper tutorials on YT.
My recommendations are the channels "The REAPER Blog" and "Reapermania".

Personally I try to customize as few things as possible. Because the more you customize the more the chance is that you mess things up.

Have fun

[BertKoor]

i am stuck on guessing which key range should represent velocity of 100.

Well.. if you play a midi controller keyboard, how do you know?

Answer is: you simply don't. There's soft and loud, relative to each other. You will correct whatever was not your intention without ever looking at the numbers.

[kmonkey]

i am stuck on guessing which key range should represent velocity of 100.

Well.. if you play a midi controller keyboard, how do you know?

I don't believe it or not. I use sequencers hardware and software - to make sequences. That's how i started. Sure i use Keyboard. But on sequencers (even HW ones) - starting vel is 100 or 90 and that's what my mind kinda starting with.

It does not matter. I just discovered there is a Python scripting language.

I disagree with user mentioned i should customize as less i can.

This Reaper is mind blowing. I can create my own toolbars, i can create my own midi tools i can customize it to be exactly what i want it to be.

Mind clusterf*** of lord this is serious toy!!! I need to be careful to not waste too much of time digging in to it.

Wonderful piece of software. Whoever created it. And i lived under some rock. No seriously i could not click with it with default skin. I am using WT Brawn bespoke and it is super cool. So much to discover. Seriously under priced software.

Btw what the hell is this performance - i can run so much more then in other DAW...