Big problem with the volume

[PlumeLilas]

Hello everyone!
I am very new to this forum and to Reaper, so I am so sorry if my question is super stupid. :S

I have searched all over the web and didn't find any solution to my problem, but I'm sure someone has the magic answer.
So, when I try to play a MIDI file in reaper, I have 0 sound.
Yet it works perfectly with audio files.

My MIDI keyboard is set up correctly.
I can record MIDI and I hear the playback in my keyboard.
When I record a MIDI file and listen to it back, it works normally.
But not when I import a file.
My audio device is my MIDI keyboard, I have set it up.
(It has a powerful speaker.)

I've read countless topics on here and I've tried several things:

- I had the auto mute function enabled, so I disabled it, but it has changed nothing.

- I tried to change the volume of the track by pressing i. It gets me into a list of settings, so I have tried to add some DB on there but there is no result.

- I have tried using my other DAW (QWS) to push very hard the volume and velocity of the MIDI files, but it changes nothing.

I can't use virtual instruments in QWS because it's only a MIDI sequencer, so I really need Reaper, one of the only ones that blind people can use.

I don't know if it can change something but I am blind, so I use reaper with a braille computer and the OSARA plugin, I also have the SWS plugin.

I can tell you that for example, the volume of my MIDI file right now is -150 in Reaper, I guess it's -150 db. So obviously I don't hear anything.
BUT the volume is also -150 DB for audio files and I hear them very well.

My MIDI files work perfectly in my other DAW or in my media players, I've even tried them in online MIDI players.
Oh, also I've tried mapping all the notes to a channel in Reaper.
My MIDI files come with the channels and programs correctly set up.

Do you have an idea about what is going on please?
Thank you very very much!

[martifingers]

Hi PlumeLilas. Not super stupid question but quite puzzling, perhaps because you have a slightly usual set-up. I am not a MIDI expert but I would think that you are not hearing a sound because all MIDI files need a VST instrument (or a hardware synth) to work. As you probably know, by themselves they are just instructions to play a note at a specific velocity etc. Digital sheet music I suppose. In the same way that a line of sheet music can be played on a guitar or piano then the same is true for MIDI. So when you say you hear them in your other DAW etc. what instrument are you hearing?

One thing I don't understand is about how you are using your MIDI keyboard for monitoring. This suggests to me that perhaps you are using the internal sounds of the keyboard triggered by MIDI out of your computer. Is this correct and is it what you wanted?

Have you checked that in Options/Preferences/MIDI Hardware settings, you have selected your keyboard as both an Input and Output?

Can you actually hear audio (eg vocals) through your keyboard speakers?

I am especially confused about you saying "BUT the volume is also -150 DB for audio files and I hear them very well." That doesn't seem right. How are you getting these figures?

I would say most people want their keyboard to input MIDI to Reaper and then add VST instruments so I would have suggested simply inserting any VSTi on the track but as far as I know this would require a conventional set of monitors.

A detailed description (and perhaps a diagram but that I appreciate may be a challenge?) of how your system is connected would be helpful especially for those who are more versed in MIDI than me. In particular what sound card are you using?

One other point - probably a very bad idea to turn off Auto Mute - it is there to protect your system and your ears!

Sorry I have not much to offer but others with more MIDI knowledge will chip in I hope!

[PlumeLilas]

Hi Martifingers!
Thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it a lot!

Actually, I have my MIDI keyboard as input and output MIDI device, because in it I have the sound of a vibraphone and I like it very much!
So, when I record MIDI, I hear my vibraphone playing.
But I also managed to play a VST instrument by clicking on "Insert virtual instrument on new track". I can use all of my instruments this way.
I use Kontakt mainly. I tried another one but it didn't work.
(But it doesn't work if I want to add an FX to a track I already created. I mean, the FX is added correctly but I don't have any sound.)

If I add an FX to a MIDI track I imported, I don't hear any sound.
In QWS for example, it's the (awful) Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth that plays my MIDI files. But I could change it so that it would be my keyboard the output port.
So I thought that in Reaper, imported MIDI files would be played by my keyboard as well, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Yes, I hear audio files on my keyboard's speaker. But for the volume, what I'm saying might be wrong, sorry.
I don't know. In a tutorial I read to use Reaper for blind/visually impaired people, it was written that to know the volume, you had to press j or k, that it showed the volume of audio channels 1 and 2.
Well, when I do this, my screan reader tells me "-150".

I'm so sorry if my post is confused. I'm so confused myself!

[Andywanders]

Originally Posted by PlumeLilas

I have my MIDI keyboard as input and output MIDI device...

So far - so good.

Originally Posted by PlumeLilas

If I add an FX to a MIDI track I imported, I don't hear any sound.

Don't put any FX on the MIDI track for now.

Originally Posted by PlumeLilas

I thought that in Reaper, imported MIDI files would be played by my keyboard as well, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

It is the case, but you need to tell it where to send the MIDI.

Check the routing for the MIDI track. You need to set up a "MIDI Hardware Send" to your MIDI keyboard, set to "Send to original channels".

You haven't told us the model of your keyboard, but if it has speakers built-in, I'm guessing it's something like a Yamaha PRS or similar. These keyboards are GM compatible, so no problemo.

That is basically it

As for volume...

Imported MIDI files can have up to 16 MIDI channels - one for each instrument. Each channel (instrument) can have its own MIDI volume and MIDI program settings (among other things). These can all be edited in Reaper's MIDI editor.

For example: MIDI volume is set with CC 7 (continuous controller 7) events. If you double-click on the MIDI item in Reaper's main window, it will open the MIDI editor where you can, well, edit these events.

When using external MIDI hardware - ie your MIDI keyboard, the faders in Reaper's mixer will have no affect whatsoever on the volume of the keyboard. Those faders control the audio within Reaper - audio tracks or plugin instruments such as Kontakt.

I hope this helps.

[bolgwrad]

Hi Plumelilas

What Andywanders said; in the Master track click on the 'Sends/Hardware Outputs' area and select 'Add New Hardware Output'. Your keyboard ought to be present here. You can also add a MIDI hardware output in the track itself: click the i/o button and select 'MIDI Hardware Output', your keyboard should (I think) be here too.

Your problem seems mainly to be with imported MIDI files. These come in two flavours, one with all instruments on one track and one with separate tracks. Reaper's MIDI import flow also asks whether a MIDI file should be assigned to one or multiple tracks. You may be getting tripped up here.

Maybe you could try recording a single note, single instrument, single channel MIDI file and import that, so at least you can determine which channel it's on.

[PlumeLilas]

Hi everyone!
Wow, thank you so very much for your help, it works now, thanks to you. <3

In fact, I think there were 2 problems:
And it has nothing to do with the volume finally, you're right.
So I can reenable the automute maybe.

1. I didn't know that once I had set up a MIDI input and output, I had to set it up in each track also.
So now I do it and it works.
But in fact, I was also doing it in the past but it didn't work, and I didn't understand why my MIDI output was not automatically detected.
But I have found why it didn't work: when I was in the track's settings, I selected the MIDI output, my keyboard, and then I was pressing escape, since I had selected it.
But apparently, pressing escape doesn't keep the settings, and I have to press entry rather.

2. I don't know for this one, but my keyboard is a SDP2 by Gear4music and it's not GM compatible.
It only has 8 voices with acoustic pianos, electric piano, an organ, a vibraphone, a clavinet I think, but it doesn't handle all MIDI programs.
So I have the impression that it doesn't play certain tracks that have a program it can't cope with.
So I enabled the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth and it works, even if the sound is really terrible for a lot of instruments.
And now I will try to understand all I can about VST routing. I've downloaded a tutorial from here, which seems amazing.
Thank you +++ again!
You are all very helpful.

[bigtop]

Good to hear it worked out.

Please edit thread title as SOLVED