Get me rolling, please.

[enuenu]

I just installed Reaper, my first ever foray into the DAW world. I am a guitarist and have never touched a digital tool. However I have IT qualifications so will learn fast. I want to get started in the most basic way possible and maybe you can help by providing "step by step" (there shouldn't be many steps) instructions to do the following (or link to a similar tutorial, I can't find a similar quick start tute);

Without using any interface or real instrument (just my PC and Reaper as installed), create a basic track with a couple of virtual instruments that I guess are in Reaper somewhere. Lets say a 4/4 drum beat consisting of alternating snare and kick drum and a bass line that goes E-E-A-G with these notes placed in the centre of the space between each drum beat. Then show me how to speed it up and loop it and save it to a file named "Song01". That's it. Completing this task will give me all I need to get started, I will work the rest out from there (with your future help I hope).

If I have asked too much just instructions on how to create a track with a looped 4/4 kick drum beat that slows and speeds up will do (using Reaper and my PC only).

No jargon please, just "click this, enter that, drag this and drop it there etc etc" would be great. I learn fastest observing cause and effect, I don't care what things are called yet.

Thanks.

EDIT - with a bit of uneducated clicking I got a virtual synth (ReaSynth) visible by right clicking in the pane at centre right. Then via the "view" menu I got a virtual MIDI keyboard on screen. Then I selected a channel for the virtual MIDI keyboard input from the drop down menus in ReaSynth, hit record and started making some noise. Then I double clicked the green area where my notes were shown, got a MIDI editor and started aligning note in bars, adding notes etc. Very intuitive program people, impressed. Never touched anything but a guitar before tonight and I'm throwin' down beats in half an hour without reading the manual. Yeah, I'm on fire baby!

What is the difference between a channel and a track?
What do the different colours in the track area (dark green, light green and white) represent?
Having trouble removing stuff and clearing the track area back to unblemished state (ie all light green).
Where are the drums?

[g8torcliff]

Originally Posted by enuenu

Without using any interface or real instrument (just my PC and Reaper as installed), create a basic track with a couple of virtual instruments that I guess are in Reaper somewhere.

I don't think there are any virtual instruments in Reaper. There are the basic MS sounds that come on your soundcard, but not much else.

(using Reaper and my PC only).

I believe you need some sort of soundfonts....

I selected a channel for the virtual MIDI keyboard input from the drop down menus in ReaSynth, hit record and started making some noise. Yeah, I'm on fire! What is a channel? If you have 4 instances of the ReaSynth, each with a different channel selected (1,2,3,4) is that like 4 synths playing simultaneously?

Without any soundfonts or samples....wow.

I doubt you will get much click, drag and drop help without any "jargon".
I have to wonder if you are trolling? Sorry if you aren't.

cliff

[enuenu]

No trolling here, I'm serious. Thing is I am close to completing the task I set myself without opening the manual. I can record some synth tones and create a melody using the virtual MIDI keyboard and packaged virtual instruments I found by right clicking in the track pane (right click > Insert virtual instrument on new track > then choose one). I found a virtual drum "Thunderkick" (under JS) but can't get the sound to fire using the virtual MIDI keyboard. How do I fire off a "Thunderkick" beat?

In the track area in the pane at centre left of screen (in this case its labelled "Thunderkick") there is a drop down menu asking for input info. I have been choosing "MIDI input > Virtual MIDI keyboard > then I pick a channel". What is a channel?

EDIT - Off to bed now, fun stuff. I think the JS virtual instruments must just be effects only.

[Curvespace]

Hey, welcome to Reaperdom.

I'll try and answer a few of your questions, but I'm afraid I can't give you the step-by-step guide you want because I'm supposed to be getting on with some work!

In Reaper, a track is one of the horizontal strips, which is also represented in the mixer as a vertical strip. It has a fader,plug-ins etc. Each 'track' can have up to 64 channels. When you create a new track the default will be that it has 2 channels, which represent left and right speakers (and I imagine this is all you should need for now). Adding more channels to a track allows you to do complex routing between tracks and allows multi-output VSTi's to use individual outputs (for example, a drumsynth could be routed to send its kicks to channels 1-2 and its snares to channels 3-4 and you could then route channels 3-4 [the snares] to s seperate track, so they now have their own fader and effects etc.)

If you want to use a VST synth I'd recommend you download a free one rather than use Reapers in-built ones. Reapers own synths are functional, but don't really compare to other free stuff you'll find online and use inside Reaper. The KVR forums are a good place to start. You should also be able to find a free drum-machine and/or sampler that you can use for beats. I personally use Shortcircuit V1 (V2 crashes) which is a sampler. If you use a sampler then you will have to load samples into it (I hope I'm not being 'too' basic here) as it most likely wont come with its own sounds.

I would seriously recommend downloading the user-manual and having a look around the forums for video tutorials and beginner advice. It's all good stuff. I'm afraid you will likely have to learn some amount of jargon, but it's nothing to be afraid of (in the same way that it helps to know a bit of music theory if you're learning the guitar).

I'm sorry I didn't have time to answer all your queries. I'm afraid it'll be unlikely that someone will type up a complete step by step guide as it'd probably take a while and I imagine there are other resources about the place that will tell you the stuff you need. Good luck in any case

EDIT: I've just seen that you've mentioned channels in reference to MIDI. My explanation above represents track channels. In addition to them you also have INPUT channels, which is a way of getting audio or MIDI into Reaper. That drop-down menu shows you want input(s) are currently selected, this can be stuff like the MIDI virtual keyboard, a MIDI input (on your soundcard) or perhaps your audio inputs (from your soundcard, which you'd set to record audio).

[Ollie]

Welcome to the forums!

You're about to learn operating a whole recording studio full of equipment - that's what DAW software really is. All I can say is that it will be hard without knowing the proper names for stuff and reading a lot. Computer knowledge won't help you much besides basic operation concepts since it's more the job of an audio engineer you will learn about.

You should download and read the User Guide,
http://www.cockos.com/wiki/index.php/REAPER_User_Guide

read the Wiki
http://www.cockos.com/wiki/index.php..._Documentation

and check all the sticky threads on top of this and the other forums here to learn about basic stuff and terminology. Then it will be much easier to help you with specific questions and you will be able to answer a lot of them for yourself easily.

[g8torcliff]

Sorry if I thought you might be trolling.....you just never know. People can put a lot of time and effort into answering questions just to find out it is for nothing....

Here is a thread which explains a lot of how to get drums going....

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.p...ighlight=drums

Its only a beginning, but it will "get you rolling"...

cliff

ps. you can also do a search of the threads using "drums" and you will find a lot....same with "MIDI".

[moodswinger]

Enu2 - welcome.
Looks like you've figured out how to do the melody part you were seeking, so I'll pass on that. But as a newbie why don't you post the steps you went thru to get the melody down so if any future newbie asks something similar, they'll have the intructions as you requested in one thread, instead of part of them and still needing 1/2 the info.

For the drum parts....
the easiest way without sifting thru plug after plug till you find something you like and can use, is to get "jamesters" Readrum template.
(search his name and it's link is in his signature).
Find some drum samples you like (web search "free drum hits" "drum samples" etc.)
or I can load you up a bass, snare, and HiHat I recorded (very basic, by hand, open room, but they work for what I wanted/need).
- After you get that (should be rather quick and easy), put Readrum in your "tracktemplate" folder, and make a folder for your samples. (up to here without Reaper open).
- Open Reaper. Then "add a new track using template" (thru pull down), there you should find Readrum listed, pick it and a new track should appear with readrum loaded.
- Select that track, and add "empty MIDI item".
- Double click on the FX button for that track (or "Readrum" on the MCP (bottom mixer area)) on the and Readrum with sampleomatic should come up. This is where you load your hits in. get to your sample folder and pick the appropriate track for that hit and just drag the sample to the open screen and a "wave" representation of that sound should appear.
- Once the sounds are loaded close this and click on the same empty item and "open with MIDI editor", change to "drum mode", and change the item display to how you prefer (choice of block, diamond, and triangles), set your grid to the beat timing you want and click in your hits.
-FYI - if your hits last longer (ring out) past your grid they get cut off, meaning if you have a cymbal type hit that (could) ring out a half measure but you trigger the hit on a 16th note grid you'll hear the first 1/4 of the hit then it's cut-off, so for last hits before spaces I change to a longer space and trigger that hit. ie trigger 2 hits at 1/4 (beats 1&2) change to 1/2 and trigger hit on beat 3 so it rings thru beat 4.

You'll have to find the appropriate pull downs for all the instructions above, but they are there, and I'm at work and can't remember exactly which is where to be more exact.

As far as the tempo changes, I haven't done this. And I may be mistaking but I believe that with Ver. 2.5 now you can set markers where you want the changes to occur and set the area between them to change tempo. Instructions for what I'm thinking, aren't in the manual yet, so you'll have to look in the Pre-Release forum and read about how it works or get lucky enough for someone to pick this up and finish it for you/us but this should get you a basic drum track you can loop / stretch / alter how you see fit.

Hope it was some help.
Cheers,
MoodSwinger

[enuenu]

Thanks a lot for such detailed responses. I will give it all a try when I get home tonight (it is 8am here and the workday begins). I will aslo create a newbie step by step when I get around to it. I know I jumped in quickly without looking and that I have to read the manual. I will do so. However like 99% of people I couldn't wait to fire up my new app and start using it. Very nice app, impressive tightness of code. I was going to get Cubase but thought I would demo a DAW first. Now Reaper might have its hooks in me. Why spend hundreds when I can spend $50? Will Reaper limit me when I get to a more advanced stage?

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by enuenu

Will Reaper limit me when I get to a more advanced stage?

Depends on how advanced and which stage, but....no.

[enuenu]

Just speaking generally. I don't know enough at the moment to be more specific. I just don't want to spend 3-5 years learning an application inside out then find I have hit a technical ceiling and have to go back to Cubase or Pro Tools and start all over again if for example I wanted to create files I could send to a studio for mastering and production of sellable music (dream on).

[Ollie]

Much more people come from other DAW softwares like PT, Sonar or Cubase to Reaper than vice versa, and many of them are professional and sometimes reknown audio engineers and they all had to start all over again with Reaper instead. That's mostly because these softwares are often way more limited than Reaper in a (for them) critical thing (which varies individually). Reaper is different, new, reasonably priced and unknown in comparison but it's in no way a limited program for newbies. Whether you can make professional recordings with any of these tools or not, depends 100% on your knowledge and 0% on the software in general.

[Tedwood]

Originally Posted by Steindork

Much more people come from other DAW softwares like PT, Sonar or Cubase to Reaper than vice versa,

Although in all fairness some have said (well one actually) they can't use Reaper any more because of the way it looks (like an East German food processor), and some are using other daws as well as Reaper. Several posts by pros on how they would like to use Reaper but their clients or bosses expect or insist on some other daw too.

If you do become the complete daw expert in six months you can also take comfort in the fact that the developers want to make Reaper the best it can be, so if your own suggestions are the best that there are they will listen to you as well. Now that is different!

[moodswinger]

I really don't think out-growing Reaper will be an issue, I mean Cockos seems to be on the innovative side of things. And the good thing is, when they implement new features, there's quite a bit of dialogue bet. the dev's & testers, about the best options, way to do , an incorporate it into the workflow. (eg: from the time that "drum view" was added to the MIDI editor options in beta, it went from just blocks to blocks or diamonds, to blocks/dimonds/triangles within a point update (ver.2.xx - ver.2.x1)) at the time I thought you really want them to take the time to make triangles...really? But in the end, I'm glad, as the triangles is what I use most, as it's a better rep of the hit and decay. I love it.
And my thought is, there really (has to) come a time where a bottle neck occurs, meaning as far as new features comparable to the competition, they've (for the most part) caught 'em and then they'll be implementing things not available elsewhere, and refining existing features due to new technologies or user preference.
Either way, and in the end, unless something drastic/tragic happens, I'd say it's a safe investment in time and money.
I'm sure others would say the same, but just IMO.
Cheers,
MoodSwinger

[enuenu]

OK after a hectic week I'm back. I followed your instructions to this point;

Originally Posted by moodswinger

Double click on the FX button for that track (or "Readrum" on the MCP (bottom mixer area)) on the and Readrum with sampleomatic should come up. This is where you load your hits in. get to your sample folder and pick the appropriate track for that hit and just drag the sample to the open screen and a "wave" representation of that sound should appear.

I got to the stage of having a window displayed titled "FX chain: Track "ReaDrums" [BYPASSED]" but then got stuck here. In this window I see a list of the drum hit names down the left hand side and the ReaSamplOmatic pane(black) sitting above a field where I can browse for a file. I'm not sure how to

Originally Posted by moodswinger

get to your sample folder and pick the appropriate track for that hit and just drag the sample to the open screen and a "wave" representation of that sound should appear.

Do I have to navigate to a file using the browse button located below the ReaSamplOmatic pane?
Any help appreciated.

[dazzathedrummer]

I think you can drag and drop into the black bit either from Win Explorer or from the Reaper media explorer.

[Chris_P_Critter]

Enuenu -

I think you're pretty adept as far as the PC goes, so I won't go into that piece, but for me when I first started out with PC music production, the toughest part for me was compiling resources.

Sorry in advance if you already know this stuff - for me it was very overwhelming when I first started out - this is a very "dumbed down" explanation.

If you intend to use only a PC ans some virtual instruments, you first need to compile your "arsenal" of virtual instruments (These are called VSTi's).

CLICK HERE - this is an incredible resource for free plug in's and instruments. There are oodles of freebies out there - everything from synth's, to drum's, to samplers, to effects and then some.

Once you go through and pick out the instruments and plug-ins you want to use, install the files into your VST directory, and load them onto a track - now you're ready to go.

If you've never used MIDI before, here is a simple way to understand it. Your track with your VSTi and MIDI file loaded are like a player piano (remember those - the piano that has the paper reel in it that drives the keys). Same theory here - the VSTi is the Piano, and the MIDI file is the paper that drives the keys. Insert a new MIDI item, and double-click on it. This will bring up the MIDI editor, and now you're ready to add notes, etc.

This is a very complex subject, when you start talking about MIDI in a lot of detail, but this is a very basic "how-to".

Hope this helps.

Cheers and welcome!

[enuenu]

Thanks. The pianola analogy is a great one. I think I understand how MIDI works now. Just put your pianola paper roll (MIDI file) in to another pianola (VSTi) and you get the same melodies played with a different instrument. This "instrument" could be a drum hit (pitchless), a horn toot (pitched) or a sample (pitchless recorded snippet). So if you loaded a drum hit as the VSTi onto a MIDI track that was a originally a piano melody, you would get a series of beats positioned at each note. Same if you used a sample. However if you used a VSTi that contained a "pitched" virtual instrument you would hear a melody. Sound correct?

Its just a few of the mechanics I need help with. I am at work now (7:30am here) so can't experiment. Is the "sample folder" that moodswinger referred to the same as the VST directory you have referred to?

I take it you have multiple MIDI tracks that play simultaneously to build a "song"(?). Each track can only have one "VSTi" (?) associated with it. Sound correct?

Installing the files (copying the files?) into the VST directory is next I guess. Is a VSTi (virtual instrument) represented by a single file? I have to find the file, copy it to the VST directory then "load" it into a MIDI track. Still a bit unsure about;
* where the VST directory is located
* what extension a VSTi file uses
* the mechanics of how to "load" a VSTi file into a track.

This seems a friendly forum, great. I will start with creating totally virtual music. When I have that under control I will progress to buying my interface and recording my guitar and vocals. Thanks again

[enuenu]

I have begun to read the user guide from the beginning. Hopefully the answers will be revealed soon.

[moodswinger]

enu2-
Hey sorry I didn't see you had a problem earlier as far as your sample folder and loading them. Did you get it figured out?? Let me know if you need more info. glad to see your reading the manual, it's great. But if I can get you thru this part of it, I'll do what I can. Also Check out a thread I started here:

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=26814

maybe you'll like this and it'll help let me know.

Cheers,
MoodSwinger

[Tedwood]

I take it you have multiple MIDI tracks that play simultaneously to build a "song"(?). Each track can only have one "VSTi" (?) associated with it. Sound correct?
Correct


Installing the files (copying the files?) into the VST directory is next I guess. Is a VSTi (virtual instrument) represented by a single file? I have to find the file, copy it to the VST directory then "load" it into a MIDI track. Still a bit unsure about;
The VSTi is a .dll - usually just save to the VST folder. Sometimes they may have another data folder of samples etc


* where the VST directory is located
you just make one where you like, but usually with your other progs, mine is here: C:\Program Files\REAPER\VstPlugins

* what extension a VSTi file uses .dll

* the mechanics of how to "load" a VSTi file into a track.

First you have to tell Reaper where you VST folder is in your prefs - plugins - VST.
Then to load one, press FX on the track and select one from the FX window

Then all you got to do is start putting notes into a midi item on the track for the VSTi to read.

[enuenu]

OK I muddled my way through a little further. I loaded the snare by dragging it to the MIDI area from the FX window. I then put some beats in using the MIDI editor. However when I play the track I hear nothing. Why? Check the attached screen shot.

Not sure what the ReaSamplOmatic5000 pane in the FX chain window is all about. It says "file not loaded" in this pane. When I click and drag in this black pane a green section appears which is bounded by vertical yellow lines. No idea what this is about. Still reading manual but like to put down a beat.

What should I have selected from the drop down menu in the field at the bottom of the track information where the context menu tells me it is "Meter/Click to choose recording input/options"?

[moodswinger]

Originally Posted by enuenu

OK I muddled my way through a little further. I loaded the snare by dragging it to the MIDI area from the FX window. I then put some beats in using the MIDI editor. However when I play the track I hear nothing. Why? Check the attached screen shot.

Not quite sure how you did this or what you mean by it.
Did you drag the sample or snare hit you wanted to use into the MIDI editor?
I'm not real sure how you got ReaDrum with just the "Snare".....ah oh wait did you put the sample in the snare location on the MIDI editor??

Okay doesn't matter really. Try this...
-insert new track from template and pick your ReaDrum Template.
-now add your empty MIDI item in the new (ReaDrum) track.
-now double click the FX button to bring up ReaDrum.
-there you should see (8) items: kick, snare, hats op, hats cl, etc. each one of those items is just a ref title for the (8) instances of ReaSamplomatic that are "automatically" loaded. ReaSamp is the synth that the notes you put in trigger for each sound. (1) synth per note /drum.
-starting with kick at the top, click on it so the comment field at the top of ReaSamp has "kick" in it. from there get to your sample you want to use for kick. Drag-n-drop it into the ReaSamp black screen that (in your screenshot) says "file not loaded". That's where you should now see a "wav" of your sound file. Close out of that.
-Double click the MIDI item in that track, you should see a lane that says "kick", throw down a quick pattern and hit play on the transport there, you should now hear your pattern.

What should I have selected from the drop down menu in the field at the bottom of the track information where the context menu tells me it is "Meter/Click to choose recording input/options"?

Not quite sure what your referring to here, I'll see if I can figure it out watch for an edit, but I'm at work so it may be a bit.

hope this helps.
Cheers,
MoodSwinger

[enuenu]

Thanks for sticking with me.

Originally Posted by moodswinger

from there get to your sample you want to use for kick. Drag-n-drop it into the ReaSamp black screen that (in your screenshot) says "file not loaded". That's where you should now see a "wav" of your sound file.

This is the part I have stuggled with. I can't seem to drag and drop the highlighted "Kick" to the ReaSamplOmatic5000 pane as you instructed, it won't drag and drop to this pane. See attached screenshot reaperScreen02.png for where I am at at this point. (In reaperScreen02.png you can also see the context text box "Meter/Click to choose recording input/options" that I was enquiring about.)

From this point I can however drag the highlighted "Kick" to the MIDI editor, the result of doing this is shown in attached screenshot reaperScreen03.png. Then I added some hits in the MIDI editor window (by double clicking the green MIDI area to the right of the track info) as shown in attached reaperScreen04.png. When I then click play the track seems to play but I hear nothing. Perhaps using the virtual keyboard in the MIDI editor to add the hits is incorrect?

I am not using the ReaSamplOmatic5000 pane at all and I think I should be.

[Tedwood]

Sounds to me like all you want at the moment is an easy to use drum sample player, there's a few free one to choose from, but you might try Virtuadrum from Angular Momentum

from their site:

Loads 16 and 24 bit samples.
8 stereo channels with Low Pass, High Pass, Band Pass and Notch filter modes.
Load an open hihat into channel 13+14. It will play as closed, foot and open hihat.
250 drumsaples included: Kick, Snare, Clap, Hihats, Tom A, Tom B, Perc A. Perc B, Ride and Crash. Every category has 25 samples.

here's the link:
http://www.amvst.com/index.php?name=...=details&id=38

It's not hard to figure out but if you download it and can't make a noise with it I'll get you started.

[moodswinger]

enu2-
okay, lets figure this out..
this first pic is my set-up with reaDrum loaded on a track with an empty MIDI item loaded on the track which seems to be same as yours shows, so we're good to this point.


this second shows, I've opened ReaDrums (FX button), and I've opened my media explorer (docked). Browsed to my Sample folder, in my case (F:/Samples & Loops/Drum Sounds..)and I've highlighted the kick sample. From there I've dragged it to the empty ReaSamp window dropped it there, and now the wav of the sample is shown. click the (x) close button.


this third shows my midi editor opened, I changed my view mode to named notes and you can see my sample title is listed there. placed two hits and you can see the meters are lit showing the sound is triggered.


as for the "Meter/Click..." context is the mouse over for the vu meter and by clicking it allows you to set some of the routing parameters if I'm remembering correct.

If you get this and it works for you now, you may wanna check this out...
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=26814
it's a variation using ReaDrums with outs sent to (8) different racks so you can control and mix like a recorded kit. If you're interested let me know and I'll upload it for you.

Any other questions/problems we'll work 'em out.

[enuenu]

Thanks a lot. Unfortunately I am at work and our networked PCs have browser cotnrols in place that deny access to stashbox so I can't see your images. I will check it out when I get home tonight.

I am guessing here but I am sensing that the ReaDrums itself does not actually contain the sample sounds. I am also guessing that ReaDrums is what is known as a track template (not sure what that actually is yet), whereas I thought it was a collection of sample sounds. Do I have this all correct? Forgive my stumbling, once I get the basics down I will be off and running. Trying to instruct how to do this stuff via text based descriptions is like trying to describe the taste of chocolate, much easier to just have a bite. Bring on WonkaVision!

I will check out the suggested links as well.

[moodswinger]

Originally Posted by enuenu

I am guessing here but I am sensing that the ReaDrums itself does not actually contain the sample sounds. I am also guessing that ReaDrums is what is known as a track template (not sure what that actually is yet), whereas I thought it was a collection of sample sounds. Do I have this all correct?

Yes... I think that you now knowing that, will help alot. now go back and reread my previous posts too, see if they make more sense with this new-found knowledge.
Let me know how things go.

[enuenu]

Thanks. So it seems I need ReaDrums AND some sample sounds to lay down a beat. I will search for some sample sounds and try again. Not sure what ReaDrums actually does now, but I will research. I thought all I needed to create a beat were some sample sounds and the MIDI editor to place them on a timeline. I will read more.

[enuenu]

Mission accomplished. Thanks a lot for your help in getting me this far. I created a little groove with ReaDrums and a melody with ReaSynth (see reaperSceen05.jpg attached). Now I have that out of my system I will go back to the manual in earnest. I am at the stage where I need instuctions like;
"Lift your left foot, move it forward then put it down. Now do the same with your right foot...."
rather than
"Walk from A to B...."

I have a few more weird questions, the nature of which are analogous to a blindfolded man pitching in a baseball game.

1) I used ReaSynth to add my melody using the virtual keyboard. This has one sound only I think, so I tried to add some melody with different sounds. I added a track using ReaVoice and added notes using the virtual keyboard just as I did with ReaSynth, but no sound eventuated. Maybe ReaVoice is an effect and not an actual instrument like ReaSynth? How can I add varied sounds using the virtual keyboard? Do I add effects to the melody I created with ReaSynth?

2) I went to Angular Momentum and got Virtuadrum. Great site. When I ran the installer it dumped a whole bunch of folders containing .wav files and a .dll file (AM virtuadrum 1.2.dll) in a new folder. I used these .wav files to populate ReaDrums via ReaSamplOmatic5000. However I see on the Angular Momentum Webpage that Virtuadrum has a GUI, it is not just a collection of .wav files. How do you use the GUI within Reaper? Does it have something to do with the .dll file?

I had a blast playing with Reaper tonight. I am hooked on this DAW stuff and I can hardly crawl yet. I return to the manual.

[Tedwood]

All the info needed wad in my earlier post enueno, the .dll goes in your VST folder, and so does the samples folder - seperately

Originally Posted by Tedwood

I take it you have multiple MIDI tracks that play simultaneously to build a "song"(?). Each track can only have one "VSTi" (?) associated with it. Sound correct?
Correct


Installing the files (copying the files?) into the VST directory is next I guess. Is a VSTi (virtual instrument) represented by a single file? I have to find the file, copy it to the VST directory then "load" it into a MIDI track. Still a bit unsure about;
The VSTi is a .dll - usually just save to the VST folder. Sometimes they may have another data folder of samples etc


* where the VST directory is located
you just make one where you like, but usually with your other progs, mine is here: C:\Program Files\REAPER\VstPlugins


* what extension a VSTi file uses .dll

* the mechanics of how to "load" a VSTi file into a track.

First you have to tell Reaper where you VST folder is in your prefs - plugins - VST.
Then to load one, press FX on the track and select one from the FX window

Then all you got to do is start putting notes into a midi item on the track for the VSTi to read.

[enuenu]

Thanks. Got the Virtuadrum GUI up now. Through trial and error I found I had to "scan for new plugins" before I could use the new plugin. Now just have to work out how to use it. It put 9 tracks in automatically. "AM Virtuadrum" plus 8 others (Vir 1,3,5,7,9,11,13 & 15). Are these "Vir" (virtual I am guessing) tracks like a subset of the "AM Virtuadrum" track in some way?

[enuenu]

Check the attached screen shot. How would I play and listen to the ReaDrum MIDI track that I have already created and while listening to this track, record Virtuadrum beats into other tracks by clicking the triggers on the Virtuadrum GUI? Would these recordings of Virtuadrum be audio or MIDI tracks? Can I make them MIDI somehow? So when I hit a Virtuadrum trigger it places a MIDI marker in a MIDI editor? Then I can fix up any mistimed hits and make the whole Virtuadrum track perfectly timed. I tried all this a few times and created a mess. I worked out (I think) that I have to disarm recording on the tracks I want to keep untouched (but listen to while recording) and arm recording on those have new stuff laid down on them. However I could not record any hits created by clicking the triggers on the Virtuadrum GUI.

[Tedwood]

I don't know about recording from the pads on the interface, not likely to work since the VST is controlled by midi data coming in and the VST can't write "backwards to it's own input" if that makes any sense. I would just create a midi item and enter/edit notes in that, because that is on the "input" side. You could also enter notes via outboard keyboard.

[enuenu]

Thanks for the advice. I don't know enough to fully comprehend what you mean but I have an inkling. I thought you could record from the trigger pads on the Virtuadrum GUI. In this way you could record an "analog" beat. Then I was hoping you could "MIDIfy" this analog beat if you so wished, cleaning it up by taking the timing nuances out (every beat right on a 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, 1/64 etc), or you could leave it analog (human).

If you can't record a beat by clicking trigger pads in the Virtuadrum GUI, I am wondering why the GUI has trigger pads. What purpose do they serve? I laid down my beat in the way you described (I think) by using the .wav files in Virtuadrum and manually placing these sound samples in the MIDI editor via ReaSampOmatic5000 as embedded in ReaDrums.

I was hoping to use other virtual instruments (I saw others at the Angular Momentum Website) that had virtual keyboards or other virtual trigger devices to record stuff like virtual guitar, bass and keyboards. Maybe you can't do this type of thing at all? Maybe these virtual instrument plugins just provide a palette of sound samples that you must manually position using the MIDI editor.

[moodswinger]

****EDIT ---- THIS PART WAS REMOVED, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT TRUE DUE AN ASSUMPTION********

There is a "humanize" feature, either implemented now, or coming in the next release.
Truthfully I've never really got good results doing a "manual free-time" input with MIDI on a computer, be it input thru key strokes or mouse clicks, there always seems to be a longer latency than I could get used to or gave the results I could accept. So I always just quantize and nudge.
Cheers,
MoodSwinger

[Tedwood]

Moodswinger, can you explain how you can record from the pads on the same track, these are further down the chain than the input of the VST surely, and can't route the data backwards - I can't do it anyway

All things considered I think would be much more sensible to just input your data straight into the midi item either by mouse or via the virtual keyboard (by mouse or keystroke)

If I have missed a trick, please be kind enough to elucidate.

[moodswinger]

Ted -
You are right I've just been trying to get it to work in Reaper like I had previously mis-spoken, and it doesn't. I had admittedly never tried it with Reaper, as I do prefer to just place my hits, and assumed it would act as others I have used (Reason, Magix, and I believe Tracktion), which is very much like a hardware Drum Machine, set a length (measures), and record your hits, one pad at a time or however you hit 'em, and the MIDI info gets recorded and it just loops until you stop it.

Alas, that's not how it works

[Tedwood]

Here's another drum plugin that's good for beginners - I tried it once and it sounded pretty darn good

http://www.bluenoise.no/mydrumset.html

[enuenu]

It seems you can't do what I was asking about. Manually placing the hits on a grid in a MIDI editor is the only way to go it seems. However being able to enter a hit by physically clicking a virtual pad or tapping a real pad would allow me to get the hit roughly in the position in time I want it using my ear and feel. Its a lot more intuitive than placing hits on a MIDI grid while you're not listening to anything.

It would be great if you could physically add a hit by clicking (even better would be a real pad tapped by fingers) while listening to stuff you have already laid down, then go back and look at where in the MIDI grid you placed it. I guess with more experience you can get a feel for what stuff will sound like simply by looking at a graphical representation of the beat as shown on a MIDI editor grid without hearing anything. If its not quite right you nudge it around I guess, as you suggested moodswinger.

By the way, what is the purpose of the virtual trigger pads in, for example, Virtuadrum?

[Tedwood]

You can play the "virtual keyboard" to enter notes in "real time"

Right click on your track and select it from mid input, then go to: View - virtual midi keyboard - or Alt+B, you can play it by mouse or even the qwerty keyboard