Triggering audio tracks live

Velimartin · 12-18-2016, 04:33 AM

Hi!
I'm creating a live one man band using a Midi synth (Yamaha MX49) and AKAI LPD8 pad controller with Reaper. I'm doing fine as long as triggering midi events but how trigger Reaper tracks that play audio? I need to be able to arm/disarm OR change the output volume of a track with the pad controller. It only sends CC or notes...

I have choir sounds on certain tracks with a pattern sequencer. I play them with my Midi keyboard but the same keyboard also controls the MIDI sounds. I need to turn on and off the choir tracks live. So that some times the choir sounds are played , sometimes not.

VM

Zelos · 12-18-2016, 06:06 AM

You should clarify a bit more, but I'm just going to assume it would be enough to have an on/off toggle for your tracks.

I do this with the 'Bypass' parameter. In the VST window click on the checkmark in the top right corner, then Param -> Learn. This will basically put an on/off switch on your chosen MIDI control.
Also if you want to select specific tracks for record arm you can search for 'select track' in the action browser and map that to your controller. Then make sure that 'automatic record arm when track is selected' is activated. This can be found my right-clicking on the record-arm button on a track (can also be set as a default for new tracks in the preferences). For multiple tracks you can make groups and use the 'select all tracks in group 1/2/3...' action.

There's also an action called 'bypass FX on selected tracks', but I think you need to install SWS for that.

By the way - if you just want to play with REAPER like you'd do with a normal keyboard, you can do this:
1. Activate automatic record arm
2. Set actions 'Track: Go to next track' and 'Track: Go to previous track' to buttons on your MIDI controller
(3. Set 'Bypass FX on selected track' to a button)

Then you'll have 2-3 buttons for switching through your tracks and, most importantly, sounds you played before will not cut off like with bypass FX or on a keyboard. You'll be able to play the next sound while the last one is fading away. If you want to cut off you just press the button from 3. before switching. Remember that this will leave the FX bypassed until activated again.

Velimartin · 12-19-2016, 12:00 PM

Thanks this was a good advice, I never learned to this learn thing before

The problem is that when I press the pad to turn off the vst sampler, it immediately turns it back on. I have to hit really quickly so that it only takes one push. How can I overcome this?

Is it also possible to control track volume with a CC value? That would be most handy.

VM

Velimartin · 12-19-2016, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Velimartin

Thanks this was a good advice, I never learned to this learn thing before

The problem is that when I press the pad to turn off the vst sampler, it immediately turns it back on. I have to hit really quickly so that it only takes one push. How can I overcome this?

Is it also possible to control track volume with a CC value? That would be most handy.

VM

Adding to this: I have one of the controllers CC knobs controlling the volume of midi channel 15 on the synth. I linked the sample track's volume to this channel... But for some reason it's not working. The volume of midi channel 15 is going up and down as wished but it's not affecting the sample track in Reaper.

mschnell · 12-19-2016, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Velimartin

tracks that play audio?

ReaSampölomatic5000 an trigger ("fire") definable snippets of the audio content of tracks via Midi Notes.

-Michael

Velimartin · 12-22-2016, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mschnell

ReaSampölomatic5000 an trigger ("fire") definable snippets of the audio content of tracks via Midi Notes.

-Michael

Thanks, Reasamplomatic looks interesting, but it doesn't satisfy my needs in this case. I have made samples using the TX16WX sampler (mapping several samples on different sections of the keyboard. So I have a track with that sampler and played with the MIDI keyboard. I need to control the volume / arm / solo-mute of that track via MIDI (so that even though I'm playinkg the keyboard, the track will stay muted). Is that possible?

mschnell · 12-22-2016, 03:14 PM

I don't exactly understand what you are tying to accomplish. But I do know that you can mute/unmute tracks from a Midi keybpoard. I am doing this all the time, as I use Reaper as a versatile VST host for live playing.

In fact I use Midi program change messages to trigger SMS-LiveConfigs and same does the muting/unmuting (and a lot more).

In fact SMS LiveConfigs can call any Reaper Action and hence control any aspect. Of course there are other options as well.

(The key to using preprocessed Midi to control Reaper is "MidiToReaControlPath".)

-Michael

Velimartin · 12-22-2016, 04:24 PM

Well, I just managed to make the "learn" method work for the VST gain. I can now adjust the sampler's volume with the pad controllers CC knob.

However, it would be also handy to mute/unmute the track, so will still give it a try.

preferred.nomenclature · 12-22-2016, 04:34 PM

"The problem is that when I press the pad to turn off the vst sampler, it immediately turns it back on. I have to hit really quickly so that it only takes one push. How can I overcome this?"

How did you assign the pad to the bypass? In my experience with the default assingment of a parameter to a single MIDI note, is that the note's velocity determines the intensity of the parameter, which I initially found rather confusing when applied to an on/off parameter such as bypass until I realized that a quiet note would bypass and a loud one would engage.

12-18-2016, 04:33 AM	#1
Velimartin Human being with feelings Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 8	Triggering audio tracks live Hi! I'm creating a live one man band using a Midi synth (Yamaha MX49) and AKAI LPD8 pad controller with Reaper. I'm doing fine as long as triggering midi events but how trigger Reaper tracks that play audio? I need to be able to arm/disarm OR change the output volume of a track with the pad controller. It only sends CC or notes... I have choir sounds on certain tracks with a pattern sequencer. I play them with my Midi keyboard but the same keyboard also controls the MIDI sounds. I need to turn on and off the choir tracks live. So that some times the choir sounds are played , sometimes not. VM

12-18-2016, 06:06 AM	#2
Zelos Human being with feelings Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 92	You should clarify a bit more, but I'm just going to assume it would be enough to have an on/off toggle for your tracks. I do this with the 'Bypass' parameter. In the VST window click on the checkmark in the top right corner, then Param -> Learn. This will basically put an on/off switch on your chosen MIDI control. Also if you want to select specific tracks for record arm you can search for 'select track' in the action browser and map that to your controller. Then make sure that 'automatic record arm when track is selected' is activated. This can be found my right-clicking on the record-arm button on a track (can also be set as a default for new tracks in the preferences). For multiple tracks you can make groups and use the 'select all tracks in group 1/2/3...' action. There's also an action called 'bypass FX on selected tracks', but I think you need to install SWS for that. By the way - if you just want to play with REAPER like you'd do with a normal keyboard, you can do this: 1. Activate automatic record arm 2. Set actions 'Track: Go to next track' and 'Track: Go to previous track' to buttons on your MIDI controller (3. Set 'Bypass FX on selected track' to a button) Then you'll have 2-3 buttons for switching through your tracks and, most importantly, sounds you played before will not cut off like with bypass FX or on a keyboard. You'll be able to play the next sound while the last one is fading away. If you want to cut off you just press the button from 3. before switching. Remember that this will leave the FX bypassed until activated again. __________________ Music Entertainment System http://www.mes-records.com Last edited by Zelos; 12-18-2016 at 06:36 AM.

12-22-2016, 03:14 PM	#7
mschnell Human being with feelings Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Krefeld, Germany Posts: 14,793	I don't exactly understand what you are tying to accomplish. But I do know that you can mute/unmute tracks from a Midi keybpoard. I am doing this all the time, as I use Reaper as a versatile VST host for live playing. In fact I use Midi program change messages to trigger SMS-LiveConfigs and same does the muting/unmuting (and a lot more). In fact SMS LiveConfigs can call any Reaper Action and hence control any aspect. Of course there are other options as well. (The key to using preprocessed Midi to control Reaper is "MidiToReaControlPath".) -Michael __________________ http://www.boa-sorte.de, http://www.bschnell.de/b Last edited by mschnell; 12-23-2016 at 01:51 AM.

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12-19-2016, 12:00 PM	#3
Velimartin Human being with feelings Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 8	Thanks this was a good advice, I never learned to this learn thing before The problem is that when I press the pad to turn off the vst sampler, it immediately turns it back on. I have to hit really quickly so that it only takes one push. How can I overcome this? Is it also possible to control track volume with a CC value? That would be most handy. VM

12-22-2016, 04:24 PM	#8
Velimartin Human being with feelings Join Date: Dec 2016 Posts: 8	Well, I just managed to make the "learn" method work for the VST gain. I can now adjust the sampler's volume with the pad controllers CC knob. However, it would be also handy to mute/unmute the track, so will still give it a try.

12-22-2016, 04:34 PM	#9
preferred.nomenclature Human being with feelings Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 371	"The problem is that when I press the pad to turn off the vst sampler, it immediately turns it back on. I have to hit really quickly so that it only takes one push. How can I overcome this?" How did you assign the pad to the bypass? In my experience with the default assingment of a parameter to a single MIDI note, is that the note's velocity determines the intensity of the parameter, which I initially found rather confusing when applied to an on/off parameter such as bypass until I realized that a quiet note would bypass and a loud one would engage.