How is Midi in Reaper?

[EvilDragon]

Well, it's not like Cubase has no bugs in their MIDI, either. And it's three times older than Reaper.

[Groundhog #31684]

... the ability to select melodies as if with a brush ...

Reaper has "Select notes touched whilst dragging" as a mouse modifier. That sounds brush-like enough to count (although the cursor in Reaper is some kind of magic finger thing).

[sjm]

What always put me off Reaper for MIDI editing was that OOTB it's pretty cumbersome. It's nice that I can make it behave like FL, but it seems like an awful amount of effort is required. I actually spent several hours configuring the MIDI shortcuts and mouse behaviour once, but gave up at some point.

This essentially summed up my experience with Reaper: fine OOTB for basic stuff like recording a few audio tracks, but the minute you wanted to delve deeper it involved customisation hell and/or fighting the interface. It's great that I can configure all this stuff, but actually I just want to make music

So is there anywhere you can download a preconfigured template that makes the piano roll behave more or less the same as the FL piano roll? Surely someone has already done this and there is no need to reinvent the wheel, right?

[woggle]

... the ability to select melodies as if with a brush ...

Reaper has "Select notes touched whilst dragging" as a mouse modifier. That sounds brush-like enough to count (although the cursor in Reaper is some kind of magic finger thing).

yep and thanks - that does the trick and crtl click lets you deselect individual notes if you want

so I have selected that action to test it - and now I want to turn it off - how do I do that?

[stacev]

You can restore it in the same place you modified.
Press Import/Export button -> Restore modifiers to factory default (in this context or all contexts).

[woggle]

You can restore it in the same place you modified.
Press Import/Export button -> Restore modifiers to factory default in this context or all contexts.

I only see something that asks if I want to restore all shortcuts in all sections - which is the last thing I want to do. I was hoping for something like right-click on the action and set the status to "off"

[Groundhog #31684]

... the ability to select melodies as if with a brush ...

Reaper has "Select notes touched whilst dragging" as a mouse modifier. That sounds brush-like enough to count (although the cursor in Reaper is some kind of magic finger thing).

yep and thanks - that does the trick and crtl click lets you deselect individual notes if you want

so I have selected that action to test it - and now I want to turn it off - how do I do that?

Ah, so you've run the action "Set default mouse modifier..." to test it. That's fine, just type "piano roll left drag" into the filter in the MIDI Editor action list and you have all of the options for left click drag there. Select "Insert note, drag to extend or change pitch" to reset it.

If you want to add mouse modifiers permanently (or change the default we've just talked about too), go into Preferences->Mouse Modifiers (or MIDI editor menu Options -> MIDI Editor mouse modifiers) and select MIDI piano roll in the first dropdown then left drag in the right one and add the action to a modifier combo there.

[woggle]

... the ability to select melodies as if with a brush ...

Reaper has "Select notes touched whilst dragging" as a mouse modifier. That sounds brush-like enough to count (although the cursor in Reaper is some kind of magic finger thing).

yep and thanks - that does the trick and crtl click lets you deselect individual notes if you want

so I have selected that action to test it - and now I want to turn it off - how do I do that?

Ah, so you've run the action "Set default mouse modifier..." to test it. That's fine, just type "piano roll left drag" into the filter in the MIDI Editor action list and you have all of the options for left click drag there. Select "Insert note, drag to extend or change pitch" to reset it.

If you want to add mouse modifiers permanently (or change the default we've just talked about too), go into Preferences->Mouse Modifiers (or MIDI editor menu Options -> MIDI Editor mouse modifiers) and select MIDI piano roll in the first dropdown then left drag in the right one and add the action to a modifier combo there.

thanks, that has reset it back to the default

[xbitz]

What always put me off Reaper for MIDI editing was that OOTB it's pretty cumbersome. It's nice that I can make it behave like FL, but it seems like an awful amount of effort is required. I actually spent several hours configuring the MIDI shortcuts and mouse behaviour once, but gave up at some point.

This essentially summed up my experience with Reaper: fine OOTB for basic stuff like recording a few audio tracks, but the minute you wanted to delve deeper it involved customisation hell and/or fighting the interface. It's great that I can configure all this stuff, but actually I just want to make music

So is there anywhere you can download a preconfigured template that makes the piano roll behave more or less the same as the FL piano roll? Surely someone has already done this and there is no need to reinvent the wheel, right?

my one, quite same as FL, reaper-mouse.ini

Code: Select all

[MM_CTX_ITEMLOWER]
mm_0=48
mm_1=29
mm_4=27
[MM_CTX_TRACK]
mm_0=10
mm_1=11
mm_4=9
[hasimported]
MM_CTX_ITEM=1
MM_CTX_ITEMEDGE=1
MM_CTX_ENVPT=1
MM_CTX_ENVSEG=1
MM_CTX_TRACK=1
MM_CTX_RULER=1
MM_CTX_ARRANGE_RMOUSE=1
MM_CTX_ITEM_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_ENVSEG_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_CCLANE=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_RULER=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_RMOUSE=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_ITEM_CLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE_CLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL_CLK=1
MM_CTX_ARRANGE_MMOUSE=1
MM_CTX_CURSORHANDLE=1
MM_CTX_ARRANGE_MMOUSE_CLK=1
[MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE_CLK]
mm_4=2
mm_0=1
[MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL_CLK]
mm_4=4
mm_0=4
[MM_CTX_ITEM_CLK]
mm_0=41167
[MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL]
mm_3=22
mm_5=16
mm_1=27
mm_2=11
[MM_CTX_ARRANGE_MMOUSE]
mm_0=2
[MM_CTX_ARRANGE_RMOUSE]
mm_3=9
[MM_CTX_MIDI_RMOUSE]
mm_0=6

hope it's enough

diffs are
note copying is same as selecting ctrl+mouse dragging( in FL it's shift + mouse dragging)
note drawing no needs pressed shift
note brush is pressed ctlr+alt+shift + mouse

my whole standard conf been attached too

[xbitz]

diagonal slice is script based



http://forums.cockos.com/showthread.php ... ost1699078

chord,notes,arp inserting is here
http://reaperblog.net/2012/03/midi-edit ... arpeggios/

added the scale (dunno the source, from the stash) files, it's need for folding



so for dropping out the empty PR rows

[juliansader]

I have never tried this Daw and was wondering how well the Midi is in it compared to Cubase. Is the Piano Roll decent? How well does vsts work in this Daw? I have been using Cubase and both FL. Just wanted to try this one out and wanted some opinions. I work with only Midi from vst and will NOT be using any audio or external hardware. Thanks

REAPER's MIDI editing is far better than people usually give it credit for. I would rank it as easily on par with Cubase, and much better than most other DAWs.

When you see REAPER's MIDI editor for the first time, it will seem very austere compared to FL Studio. Where are all the toolbar buttons? How do I draw nice curves?

Fortunately, you will find that REAPER's piano roll - as well as its new notation editor - becomes powerful and agile once you familiarize yourself with all the available tools:

* REAPER's built-in mouse modifiers and actions (which can be linked to keyboard or mousewheel shortcuts), which include most of the basic tools you will need, such as drawing freehand curves, creating linear ramps, nudging MIDI events left/right or up/down, etc.

* All the MIDI functions provides by the SWS extension, which include a Groove Tool as well as various actions to copy CCs between lanes and between envelopes and CC lanes.

* All the MIDI scripts provided by the ReaPack extension, which include a large number of advanced MIDI editing tools to compress/expand/tilt CC curves, warp or arch curves, draw parabolic/sine curves, etc. Also an advanced LFO Tool.

Most people who disparage REAPER's MIDI are simply not familiar with all of REAPER's features, probably because it is hidden behind an austere interface.

MIDI bugs
REAPER's MIDI editor currently has too many bugs. However, the devs are currently on a WoW-like raid quest to squash these bugs, and if they carry on at the present rate, REAPER's MIDI may well be bug-free when we reach version 5.28 in two months' time.

EDIT: Logical editor
The Logical Editor gives Cubase a big advantage when it comes to automating certain MIDI actions. REAPER's scripting features allow for a similar functionality - BUT only if the user is willing to learn ReaScript coding and then to set up some templates. Once the templates have been coded, Reascript can do everything - and more - that Cubase's Logical Editor can do.

[sjm]

my one, quite same as FL, reaper-mouse.ini

Code: Select all

[MM_CTX_ITEMLOWER]
mm_0=48
mm_1=29
mm_4=27
[MM_CTX_TRACK]
mm_0=10
mm_1=11
mm_4=9
[hasimported]
MM_CTX_ITEM=1
MM_CTX_ITEMEDGE=1
MM_CTX_ENVPT=1
MM_CTX_ENVSEG=1
MM_CTX_TRACK=1
MM_CTX_RULER=1
MM_CTX_ARRANGE_RMOUSE=1
MM_CTX_ITEM_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_ENVSEG_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_CCLANE=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_RULER=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_RMOUSE=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE_DBLCLK=1
MM_CTX_ITEM_CLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE_CLK=1
MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL_CLK=1
MM_CTX_ARRANGE_MMOUSE=1
MM_CTX_CURSORHANDLE=1
MM_CTX_ARRANGE_MMOUSE_CLK=1
[MM_CTX_MIDI_NOTE_CLK]
mm_4=2
mm_0=1
[MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL_CLK]
mm_4=4
mm_0=4
[MM_CTX_ITEM_CLK]
mm_0=41167
[MM_CTX_MIDI_PIANOROLL]
mm_3=22
mm_5=16
mm_1=27
mm_2=11
[MM_CTX_ARRANGE_MMOUSE]
mm_0=2
[MM_CTX_ARRANGE_RMOUSE]
mm_3=9
[MM_CTX_MIDI_RMOUSE]
mm_0=6

hope it's enough

diffs are
note copying is same as selecting ctrl+mouse dragging( in FL it's shift + mouse dragging)
note drawing no needs pressed shift
note brush is pressed ctlr+alt+shift + mouse

my whole standard conf been attached too

Nice one, I'll give this a try some time.

[kelldammit]

It's been a while since I used it for any in-depth midi, but I thought the tool-less editing was pretty slick. Overall, serviceable if not particularly advanced.
It's one of the better DAWs for vst/vsti stability in my experience (plus you can sandbox the problem children, which is nice). Cubase 8 edged out Reaper v4 on my system by a small margin in terms of efficiency when last I tried it, but Reaper's automatic delay compensation was better.
I used to use Reaper all the time for guerilla-style audio recordings, and it was fantastic for that.

[MarlaPodolski]

[FL Studio] ... is terrible convoluted with a sea of menus to do what others do in two or three steps)

REAPER is clearly King of the "convoluted sea of menus". (Yes, I know, there are dozens of user scripts I could waste a few days trying out to fix the Menu Problem in REAPER, but why don't they just fix it at Cocko?)

Which all goes to say - including the MIDI improvements still needed - REAPER has a multi-millionaire owner, yet major, major important user requests always have waited years to be fixed or resolved. Why? I ran out of patience years ago. Moved on to greener pastures. Too bad, since REAPER really isn't awful, but so unresponsive to users' needs. Again, why? No excuse.

[woggle]

[FL Studio] ... is terrible convoluted with a sea of menus to do what others do in two or three steps)

REAPER is clearly King of the "convoluted sea of menus". (Yes, I know, there are dozens of user scripts I could waste a few days trying out to fix the Menu Problem in REAPER, but why don't they just fix it at Cocko?)

Which all goes to say - including the MIDI improvements still needed - REAPER has a multi-millionaire owner, yet major, major important user requests always have waited years to be fixed or resolved. Why? I ran out of patience years ago. Moved on to greener pastures. Too bad, since REAPER really isn't awful, but so unresponsive to users' needs. Again, why? No excuse.

I used to think that but realised a lot of the users - or at least the mega-posting ones - love to tweak Reaper. Tweakability (and difficulty) is a key feature for the userbase for a bunch of reasons, some more psychological than others

But really, frustrating as it is for others, it is good there is a DAW like Reaper in the same way it is good there is pine and vi and Debian and emacs and etc etc

Also - what are you using now?