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Old 09-01-2014, 06:22 AM   #1
hermitcrab
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Default Need Help setting up drum VSTI with Reapers MIDI

Hi,

I have tried to read the manual for both products but Repaers MIDI is proving difficult for me as i have never used MIDI before. I have a disease that makes it very difficult to read for long and makes me confused so i can struggle to understand simple things at times.

I would really appreciate some help with setting up Reapers MIDI piano roll/ MIDI editor to feed BFD ECO virtual drum software. I would like to write info into Reapers MIDI ( i have no midi keyboard or drums ) that could feed BFD eco so i can program drums from scratch as the built in grooves in BFD don't seem to be the best way to do it for my music as i have a good idea of what i would like drum for drum.

I have got the VSTI working on a new channel in REaper as suggested in BFD manual but i do not know exactly how to make a midi channel/feed into BFD.

Many thanks.
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Old 09-01-2014, 06:32 AM   #2
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Simplest way:
On the BF Eco track, just click Ctrl+drag to draw an empty MIDI clip, double-click it to open it in the MIDI Editor, then draw in the notes you want
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Old 09-01-2014, 07:58 AM   #3
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If you want multiple audio outputs, so that you can mix the drum kit pieces and apply different FX in Reaper:
(a) right-click in the TCP area below any existing tracks,
(b) select "Insert virtual instrument on new track",
(c) select BFD Eco,
(d) click [Yes] on the "Build Routing confirmation" window; that will create tracks for all of the audio outputs from BFD Eco.
Now you will have BFD Eco on on track, where the MIDI will go, automatically Armed for Recording from all Inputs, sending the MIDI to BFD Eco, and several tracks for the audio outputs from BFD Eco.

Within BFD Eco, load your drums or drum kit, adjust them and set the routing for each Mixer channel to a particular audio output pair.

The schematic may help:
... Big pic: https://i.imgur.com/HK4t929.png
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Old 09-01-2014, 08:37 AM   #4
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Hi Dark Star and thank you very much for your help.

I am on mac ( 10.7.5 ). Control and drag didn't seem to work but insert new midi item worked.

In the midi editor, when i double click to draw a hit i can't seem to position the hit exactly on the grid line. I have snap to grid on. It just goes somewhere near it in different places. Is there a way to make sure the hit gets drawn on the midi line grid please ?

The drawn hits then sometimes copy themselves to every segment of the midi file. Can you tell me how to do that so i can choose when to do it and when to stop that from happening please ?

Cheers

Last edited by hermitcrab; 09-01-2014 at 09:11 AM.
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Old 09-01-2014, 09:08 AM   #5
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Cmd+drag or Opt+drag ??

In the piano Roll, a note should be inserted every time you click (as the sound coming form BFD Eco confirms that a note is being entered. Could it be that very short notes are being drawn? Make sure that "Snap to grid" is on, in the MIDI Editor -click [Options} > Snap settings and Zoom out horizontally (that's mapped to the mouse scrollwheel here, but it may be different for you).

Also, perhaps, change the Notes to 1/8 (in the drop-down at the bottom of the MIDI Editor). (You can also Quantize the notes, but that is for later )

The last bit is easier: The Insert >> new MIDI item inserts a 1-bar clip. I'll guess that you have dragged that out to make a longer clip? If so, the 1-bar clip will be repeated, as, by default, the source data is looped.

To change this, insert the empty 1 bar loop, right-click > Item settings and untick "Loop item source". Now you should be able to drag it to make a longer empty clip.
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Old 09-01-2014, 09:31 AM   #6
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Ah thanks man.

I was only clicking once to draw but i needed to click twice it seems. I had snap to grid enabled but it didn't seem to work but now that i am on 1/8 it is working great thanks.

Command-drag does work thanks - it was because i was trying to do it at the very start i think.

Sorry if i get things mixed up, i thought it was just me being not good with computers until i was diagnosed - at least i know i am not ( totally ) mad now !

You are being very kind and helpful, so thank you very much. I must rest now but will post again if ( when ! ) i need more help.

Thanks to you i might actually be able to do this now.

Much obliged.
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Old 09-01-2014, 09:43 AM   #7
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You're welcome. That's what we do here

Single-click should work. Can you look in the Preferences and see what this says?


As for "Snap to grid", depending on the zoom level, the minor grid lines may not be shown - hence my suggestion to Zoom in.
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Old 09-01-2014, 10:34 AM   #8
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HI Dark Star,

Even i can follow your directions !

The zooming in must have done the trick thanks.

Yes, you are right, the Default Action for Left Click in my reaper is 'Deselect all notes and move edit cursor.

Default action for insert note is 'Double Click' and Default for left drag is' insert note,drag to extend or change pitch'.

This will be why it only worked sometimes on a single click - because i was dragging it sometimes.

Is there a way to change it so that a Single Click is Default action for inserting a note please ?

I can live with double click but single would be great.

( i tried swap cmd/opt but that didn't change the default action. )

Cheers
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Old 09-01-2014, 03:50 PM   #9
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Double-click the "behaviour" for a drop-down list and choose the one you want.

Left-click / default action: Insert note
Double-click / default action: no action

Lots of details are in the User Guide.
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Old 09-02-2014, 02:20 AM   #10
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Thank you so much DarkStar, you have been really helpful. In all honesty I would not have been able to do any of that without your help as i have real problems with reading, processing and retaining info. I literally cannot remember what i have just read a lot of the time. This has resulted in me becoming very frustrated and defeated with the user guide. I am not exaggerating by saying i would have been on months with it and still not achieved what you have shown me. I have really appreciated your help.

All the best.
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Old 09-02-2014, 02:57 AM   #11
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Aw shucks


We all started somewhere.
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