Why does Reaper keep selecting everything?

[ghostwhistler]

Getting frustrated with reaper tbh. The changes they keep making don't seem beneficial to me. I find the MIDI editor a pain in the ass. For some reason, if I try and select what is in the editor, it selects EVERYTHING across the entire song for some reason...


This is extremely annoying. Why does this happen?

Thanks

[writheuk]

From what I can make out from your image you need to use the "select all notes in time selection" action...

[writheuk]

I keep the action on the top toolbar. For my purposes at least there's nothing much wrong with REAPER's MIDI Editor...

[ghostwhistler]

I just want to select all the notes that are on screen, in the part I have open. Why is this so difficult? Sometimes it does it, sometimes it doesn't. The problem isn't that its the wrong command, it's that the command does not work consistently

[ghostwhistler]

I keep the action on the top toolbar. For my purposes at least there's nothing much wrong with REAPER's MIDI Editor...

I can't see what that button is, and I don't seem to be able to open the attachment

[writheuk]

Yeah... I noticed that too, and I can't open yours either! The button just says "Select all notes in TS". It's an action in the Midi Editor action list.

If it's of any use to you these are my settings in Preferences... (Just hope the attachment shows up!)

If you've got time you should really fill that whole toolbar with actions suitable to how you work - it really saves a lot of hassle!

[whassup]

For me it works like this: When the Reaper main window is in focus and I press Ctr-A it selects everything in the arrange view.
If I have focus on the opened midi editor Ctrl-A selects all midi notes in this item that is opened in the midi editor.

[writheuk]

Yeah, that's how it's supposed to be. Ctrl-A in the MIDI Editor selects all the notes in the selected item. Ctrl-A in the Arrange View selects all the items in the project.

[ghostwhistler]

That isn't how it's working though.

CTRL A in the midi editor half the time selects all Midi in the entire track. It doesn't matter what version of Reaper I use, or if I update it.

[writheuk]

I reckon if it's not a bug I'm pretty sure it'll have something to do with these settings:

Screenshot 2025-06-15 135134.png

Especially "Behaviour for open items... etc"

What I don't understand is when you say "half the time selects all MIDI in the entire track"... Are you saying when you double-click on an item in the arrange page the WHOLE track with every item on that track shows up in the MIDI Editor? If that's the case then use the "open the clicked MIDI item only" command.

[ghostwhistler]

When I am in the Midi Editor, I press CTRL A to select all the notes in that particular part. About half the time, in response, Reaper will select EVERY note in EVERY part.

[TheMaestro]

When I am in the Midi Editor, I press CTRL A to select all the notes in that particular part. About half the time, in response, Reaper will select EVERY note in EVERY part.

What's a "part"?
A time selection?

Ctrl+A will select every note in the midi item you have open.

[writheuk]

I THINK by "part" he means "item"... But I'm not sure!

If you want to continue with this I think the best idea is to screenshot the Arrange Window, then open the MIDI Editor Window and screenshot that, then do a screenshot of your MIDI Editor Preferences. Then post them, telling us which item you clicked on to open the MIDI Editor window...

[hma]

Getting frustrated with reaper tbh. The changes they keep making don't seem beneficial to me. I find the MIDI editor a pain in the ass. For some reason, if I try and select what is in the editor, it selects EVERYTHING across the entire song for some reason...


This is extremely annoying. Why does this happen?

Thanks

On the top right side lock the other tracks from being affected by clicking the lock icons on them?

[writheuk]

Here's the relevant section in the manual by the way...

aaabbbeenshot 2025-06-16 225016.png