USB MIDI in Reaper - How?

rayc

rayc

retroreprobate
Hrllo Folks,
For my sins my wife bought me an electronic drum kit that has a USB midi connection.
I've set the thing up, I've installed the drivers and have even done a test recording using the sudio out of the kit but I can't get my head around how to do the midi thing from the kit to the DAW. Any suggestions? I do have the Reaper hand book but hoped there'd be someone who'd been tehre & done that to pint me in the right direction.
 
first thing: are you getting midi into Reaper?
you have to go into preferences to turn on the usb midi port.

next, what's it not doing?
Remember that midi is ONLY performance info and not sound. You wont get sound out unless you have a vsti on the midi to make sound.

We need more info as to what you've done and what its doing.
 
First like everyone stated, make sure it is recording.


I know this from SD, depending on your kit, each hit, (and if it is a really good kit) where you hit is a MIDI note, that simple. Next step is mapping that note the kit sends to a sound sample in the VSTI. In SD, they cover most kits, but if it doesn't it has a learn feature. Get in front of the kit, start with the kick, select the kit from the VSTI and click learn, punch the kick pedal, kick mapped.

Should be pretty close in almost any MIDI drum VSTI, it is simple mapping the drum sound to the note that the kit send out.

Hope this helps a little.
 
Where I am is precisely where Tim started.
I hadn't been in to any preferences etc. I'll head into Reaper this arvo & turn on the USB MIDI port (didn't know it was in there or that it existed).
Jiff, I haven't any drum VSTs or anything lined up just the machine plugged in - the audio out works on the unit and that's as far as I managed to get.
DM60 - I'm not there yet but the info will be invaluable when I am.
I was planning to get EZdrummer and just prog stuff in the rudimentary level I need but now I have this thing I'll have to use it & be seen to use it as well as I'm sure you'll understand.
 
rayc said:
Hrllo Folks,
For my sins my wife bought me an electronic drum kit that has a USB midi connection.
Click to expand...

Sorry Ray
I totally missed that very important word "KIT", mostly people talk about drum VSTi's & not so much about electronic kits,
time to go back to the optician I think? :facepalm:
 
rayc said:
DM60 - I'm not there yet but the info will be invaluable when I am.
I was planning to get EZdrummer and just prog stuff in the rudimentary level I need but now I have this thing I'll have to use it & be seen to use it as well as I'm sure you'll understand.
Click to expand...

I think you will actually like it once you get it set up. I think your drums will feel more believable and add that little touch. Plus, once recorded you can go and "fix" those little problem areas.
 
Ray, it shouldn't be fundamentally different from setting up a keyboard, which I've done. So the MIDI settings in preferences, hook the leads up to your interface, set the track inputs to MIDI rather than Analog, arm to record and start thumping and see if you're getting MIDI recorded - and we go from there... seeing we're on the same time zone, if you can't nut it out, could probably organise a time to chat you through it by phone if that's any use... not that I'm the expert, mind you, far from it!... ;)
 
Sounds like you're headed in the right direction.

One thing about this game, you can't just expect it to 'just work'; you're going to have to turn things on and set them up.
The Reaper manual will help you a bit, but midi comes from some very geeky guys in the '70s and can be difficult to figure out at times.

Take things one step at a time and ask questions.
 
I don't recall having to activate or turn on any MIDI inputs in Reaper when I started using my e-kit. As long as I turn on my kit (or keyboard, or whatever MIDI device) before I start Reaper, it'll be listed under the MIDI inputs on the track input list, and it shows up under the MIDI Devices dialog box in Options.

I usually just insert a new track, go to the Input button, select MIDI Devices, then select my e-kit. Load up EZD as a VSTi on that track, arm for recording, turn on monitoring, and I can tap away. I did end up adjusting my interface's ASIO buffer to help the latency. And when you get to actually recording, look a little further back in the Reaper forum here and find my post on adjusting the Input/Output latency offset so your drum recordings will be in time with the rest of your project.

Have fun man! I really suck at the drums but I've really loved my e-kit. A friend of mine put it very well: "playing drums is like sex. Even if you're not very good at it, it's still a lot of fun!"
 
Tadpui said:
I don't recall having to activate or turn on any MIDI inputs in Reaper when I started using my e-kit. As long as I turn on my kit (or keyboard, or whatever MIDI device) before I start Reaper, it'll be listed under the MIDI inputs on the track input list, and it shows up under the MIDI Devices dialog box in Options.

I usually just insert a new track, go to the Input button, select MIDI Devices, then select my e-kit. Load up EZD as a VSTi on that track, arm for recording, turn on monitoring, and I can tap away. I did end up adjusting my interface's ASIO buffer to help the latency. And when you get to actually recording, look a little further back in the Reaper forum here and find my post on adjusting the Input/Output latency offset so your drum recordings will be in time with the rest of your project.

Have fun man! I really suck at the drums but I've really loved my e-kit. A friend of mine put it very well: "playing drums is like sex. Even if you're not very good at it, it's still a lot of fun!"
Click to expand...

You have to select your MIDI device under Options > MIDI devices, after that its good to go when you arm a track and select MIDI input.
 
Keep in mind also that in General MIDI (a MIDI programming standard), MIDI channels are set up to accept percussion voices in channels 10 (basic drum kit) and 11 (auxiliary percussion).

GM comes in handy for me when I'm setting up multiple tracks; my string voices don't get mixed up with electric piano or drums, etc.

If you prefer, when your MIDI drum part is recorded, you can either record the audio of your electronic kit's "brain" playing back the part, or use the recorded MIDI to trigger a virtual instrument (VSTi) in Reaper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top