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Old 07-21-2021, 01:50 PM   #1
Ulli
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Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 6
Default Script for live backing tracks - click tracks, samples, etc

Hi there,

I have written a script to use Reaper as playback application for live performances. There are lot of scripts, plugins etc. around. Unfortunately none of them suited our requirements which are very basic or their behavior was not stable to use it as a live performance playback.
The closest solution to our requirements is the Region Playlist out of the SWS Extensions. From time to time also this playlist skipped regions that were defined as loop.
So the idea was to do something on myself and only use the Reaper native API.

The current script is a first version I would say with many things that could be improved. But first tests show it works. It is not clear if it is „stable“. There were much too less tests on different machines, settings, operating systems.

The idea behind the script
The idea is to define several regions within the project in which each region will be played once (:single) or endless (:loop). An endless loop region could be quit by toggling the repeat button. After that the next region will be played. If a region is marked as a loop region, the repeat state of reaper is switched to on.


Here is a complete „howto“

Installation
  • Go to: Actions -> Show action list … -> New action … (Button) -> Load ReaScript …
  • this should open a directory browser and you should now point to the downloaded script
  • after loading, the script appears in the Reaper action list

Preparing your live performance project
  • remove any markers (currently markers are not supported)
  • define your regions, starting with a number greater than 0
  • the ID of the region must increase from region to region along the timeline
  • the name of the region must have a :single or a :loop at the end
    - e.g. start:single verse:single refrain:loop bridge:loop dummy:single
  • place a dummy region behind your last region, this is to automatically stop playing at the end and shutdown the script

Running and using the script
  • choose the script in the Reaper Actions list (Actions -> Show action list … -> Experiment_BackingTrackScript.lua
  • now you can press „Run“ or „Run/close“ and it immediately starts running, beginning at the first region
  • use the repeat button to navigate through your regions

To make it comfortable for a live session I have assigned midi keys to
  • running the script
  • toggle the repeat button
  • stop playing

Also I use for each song a project tab. So I can easily jump from song to song by the next / previous tab command.


Things to improve (any help is kindly appreciated)
  • allow markers
  • be independent of the region ID’s numbering
  • remove hardcoded decisions and initializations

Also thanks to X-Raym as a source of inspiration for me first script. Below I have also attached a test project.
Attached Files
File Type: lua BackingTrackScript.lua (6.6 KB, 259 views)
File Type: rpp TestProject.RPP (2.3 KB, 269 views)

Last edited by Ulli; 07-21-2021 at 01:55 PM.
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