easy octave changer for MIDI?

[leescratchy]

Hi there,

I do enjoy that some VSTi's come with -1/+1 octave buttons but most don't, I'm sure there has to be a MIDI script somewhere to do that please?

Something dead easy with -1/+1 buttons would really hit the spot, maybe I could load it in the FX window directly please? Having it pinned would be even better.

Thanks as usual!

[Spookye]

Originally Posted by leescratchy

Hi there,

I do enjoy that some VSTi's come with -1/+1 octave buttons but most don't, I'm sure there has to be a MIDI script somewhere to do that please?

Something dead easy with -1/+1 buttons would really hit the spot, maybe I could load it in the FX window directly please? Having it pinned would be even better.

Thanks as usual!

[leescratchy]

Cool thanks but ideally I would like an FX I could add on top of VSTFX in the FX window for each track, one for +1, one for -1 and I could uncheck them on the fly, no need to select a MIDI item, activate a script etc if any possible

[ashcat_lt]

Search “transpose” in the FX list and there should be at least one or two plugins but ReaControlMIDI also does it.

[S.L.I.P.]

Originally Posted by leescratchy

Cool thanks but ideally I would like an FX I could add on top of VSTFX in the FX window for each track, one for +1, one for -1 and I could uncheck them on the fly, no need to select a MIDI item, activate a script etc if any possible

[SiddieNam]

Have a play with ReaControlMIDI -- Cockos' own Reaper MIDI tool. You ccan quickly bypass or enable it in the FX chain just by hitting shift when you click it.

It has a logger you can activtate so you can see what it's doing; and you can use it to transpose easily (at risk of teaching granny to suck eggs, you need to get it to go up or down by 12 semitones to change an octave -- sorry if this is obvious, just trying to be helpful!).

You can have multiple instances of ReaControlMIDI in one track. Do be warned that using it to transpose MIDI notes up or down by enabling or disabling them might lead to unpredictable results. For example, if you had the first one in a line transposing down an octave, you'd have to have the next one set to go up by 24 semitones just to go up one Octave from your incoming raw MIDI. But if you switched off (ie bypassed) the first one by shift-clicking, you'd go up two octaves.

But it would be possible to come up with a way of making this work for you -- you'd just have to think about your use case and the possible combos of down and up an octave that you'd need.

[panicaftermath]

Two other ways of doing this, depending on exactly what you want to accomplish:

At the item level, you can transpose selected items up or down with these actions:

Item properties: Pitch item up one octave
Item properties: Pitch item down one octave

That works for audio items as well as midi.

If you are already in a midi editor, you can transpose selected notes:
Edit: Move notes up one octave
Edit: Move notes down one octave

You can assign those to short cuts and they will be one keystroke away.

[leescratchy]

OK thank you all, I'll be sure to look into all this but I would really like to simply have "OCTAVE +1" and "OCTAVE -1" MIDI FX that I could toggle on the spot on top of VST plugins in the FX window, no fussing whatsoever and I believe it seems doable

[ashcat_lt]

Choose the transpose plugin you want to use. Put two of them on a track. Set one for an octave up and the other to octave down. Rename those plugin instances appropriately. Save the FX Chain. Load that chain on any track you want.

The real problem with switching via plugin bypass, though, is going to come when you try to do that while notes are sustaining. If you switch it after a Note On is sent, but before the corresponding Note Off is sent, the Note Off’s note number won’t match that of the On, so the note will probably just be stuck on.

[panicaftermath]

Sounds like you found a solution that works for you!

If you wanted to avoid the issue that ashcat mentioned about potentially hanging notes, you could add the "SWS/S&M: Send all notes off to selected tracks" or the "Send all-notes-off and all-sounds-off to all MIDI outputs/plug-ins" command to your custom action just before the transposition, though the latter command could momentarily glitch other devices.

I wasn't aware of those SWS/FNG midi transpose actions. Very useful! In the past I've transposed MIDI items and overlooked how doing that doesn't actually transpose the midi data, setting myself up for some confusion down the road.

When you mention "the recently introduced custom button feature" — what does that refer to? Something other than toolbar buttons? Can action buttons be added to the tcp itself? Thanks!

[ashcat_lt]

So it was not actually the OP who posted about the SWS actions, but those actions I believe actually “permanently” change the midi in an item. This may not always be desired, is definitely not what the OP asked for, and can’t help for live input or midi received from another track.

[mister happy]

Originally Posted by panicaftermath

..."the recently introduced custom button feature" — what does that refer to? Something other than toolbar buttons? Can action buttons be added to the tcp itself? Thanks!

Yes.

Originally Posted by ashcat_lt

...is definitely not what the OP asked for...

Ok.

[Fabian]

Originally Posted by leescratchy

OK thank you all, I'll be sure to look into all this but I would really like to simply have "OCTAVE +1" and "OCTAVE -1" MIDI FX that I could toggle on the spot on top of VST plugins in the FX window, no fussing whatsoever and I believe it seems doable

Try this, see if it works for you
https://stash.reaper.fm/49227/MF_MIDIoctaver.jsfx