MIDI track content disappears

[K8inLA]

I just got my midi keyboard set up with Reaper. Yesterday I recorded in a midi track. I copied the notes into a new midi track and made that one piano and changed the original to a synth and renamed the midi track. When I closed down the project, I had both tracks playing together, but when I opened it up today, all the content was gone from the original track. It's blank. The copied midi was still there, as are other midi tracks in the song.

I was able to go back to a backup version and retrieve the lost midi notes and get everything back together, but when I opened the project this morning, the same midi track had vanished again.

Any idea what could cause this?

I've attached a view of what was there originally, and how it looked when I opened it this morning (or at least when I noticed the synth was gone). I've also attached a 3rd view here, where the track is turned partially orange. When I just recovered the missing track again from a backup file, and pasted it into the new version of the file, that track is also completely orange. I have not assigned any colors. What is the meaning of that?

After I posted the missing piece from yesterday into my mix I had already been working on today, the rhythm midi track I added this morning no longer plays sound.

Any clue why that would be?

To say I'm frustrated with Reaper at the moment is an understatement.

[wolfdogg]

Not sure about your disappearing items problem. The color looks like a new take.. so maybe the checkbox in Preferences -> Appearance -> Peaks/Waveworms -> 'Automatically color any recording pass that adds new takes to existing media items' ?

[K8inLA]

Originally Posted by wolfdogg

Not sure about your disappearing items problem. The color looks like a new take.. so maybe the checkbox in Preferences -> Appearance -> Peaks/Waveworms -> 'Automatically color any recording pass that adds new takes to existing media items' ?

I think you're right about the color being a new take that I didn't know I made.

As far as the midi disappearing...I may have found the culprit, I'm not sure. In another project, I decided my intro didn't work, but I wanted to save it for another song, so I saved the project with a new name and edited the midi melody. then I renamed the midi track. When I reopened the original project, the original midi track was gone - I guess because renaming the track in project 2 that was shared by project 1, overwrote the original midi track (even though there was still a backup.)

Does anyone know...if I had used "Save New Version of Project" instead of "Save Project As", would it have copied the file instead of sharing the file?

This entire program is crazy buggy. My synth tracks have suddenly lost sound. Now it won't let me extend a midi track to add more length; it only lets me loop it or drag it. It was working fine to lengthen the same track section by section earlier and I haven't changed anything.

[solger]

Welcome to the Reaper Forums!

In case you haven't already found them, make sure to also check out the User Guide (https://www.reaper.fm/userguide.php) and Videos section (https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php) in general. Lots of useful info there to start with.

Originally Posted by K8inLA

As far as the midi disappearing...I may have found the culprit, I'm not sure. In another project, I decided my intro didn't work, but I wanted to save it for another song, so I saved the project with a new name and edited the midi melody. then I renamed the midi track. When I reopened the original project, the original midi track was gone - I guess because renaming the track in project 2 that was shared by project 1, overwrote the original midi track (even though there was still a backup.)

This is probably related to the following settings under Preferences > Media > MIDI for creating/importing MIDI items:

• Create new MIDI items as: MIDI Items (in project, recommended) or .MID file
• Import existing MIDI files as: MIDI Items (in project, recommended) or .MID file reference

In case these are set to .MID file, MIDI Items will be stored as (external) .MID files on the drive - instead of being stored as data inside the .RPP Reaper project file.

Does anyone know...if I had used "Save New Version of Project" instead of "Save Project As", would it have copied the file instead of sharing the file?

A good strategy in general is to check the following options at the bottom of the Save window (either when using File > 'Save Project As' or saving the project for the first time):

• Create subdirectory for project
• Copy all media into project directory

This way all the necessary (external) files which are used or imported into the project are saved into a single project folder.
In addition, there's also a global Copy imported media to project media directory option available under Preferences > Media

Some general hints about file management can be found here:

• https://reaperblog.net/2013/07/reape...le-management/
• https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php#K4WhkBzK3PA
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooSmb4oboyQ

Now it won't let me extend a midi track to add more length; it only lets me loop it or drag it.

Sounds like Loop (item) source might be enabled for this MIDI item. You can check this, for instance, via:

• Item > Item Settings > Loop item source
• Item > Item Properties: [ ] Loop source

There are also some global Loop source settings under Preferences > Project > Media Item Defaults

[K8inLA]

"A good strategy in general is to check the following options at the bottom of the Save window (either when using File > 'Save Project As' or saving the project for the first time):

• Create subdirectory for project
• Copy all media into project directory

"

Thanks. I'm sure I overlooked that when I did "Save as"

"Sounds like Loop (item) source might be enabled for this MIDI item. You can check this, for instance, via:

• Item > Item Settings > Loop item source
• Item > Item Properties: [ ] Loop source

"

After I unchecked Loop item source, I was able to extend the stuck track, but other tracks where "Loop item source" is checked give me three different pointer icons, one that looks like mesh that loops, one that fades, and one that's a vertical bar with a double-headed horizontal arrow that extends the track. On the track in question, that last icon moves the track instead of extending it, even though previously it worked to extend that track.

When I uncheck "Loop item source", I don't get the vertical bar with the arrow at all, but the mesh icon extends the track without looping it.

When I have the program open for any length of time, certain tracks stop playing sound. When I reboot the program, the sound comes back. Is there a cache setting somewhere that needs to be changed to prevent that from happening?

[solger]

Originally Posted by K8inLA

After I unchecked Loop item source, I was able to extend the stuck track, but other tracks where "Loop item source" is checked give me three different pointer icons, one that looks like mesh that loops, one that fades, and one that's a vertical bar with a double-headed horizontal arrow that extends the track. On the track in question, that last icon moves the track instead of extending it, even though previously it worked to extend that track.

In general, different Media Item related Mouse Modifier Actions can be triggered depending on:

• Where the mouse cursor is placed on the Media Item (edge) ...
• ... and which Modifier Keys are pressed

More info is shown in the Mouse Modifier videos found at the bottom of the Setting Up Shop category of the Videos Section. Just as example: https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php#u1b2DCfKiYk

When I have the program open for any length of time, certain tracks stop playing sound. When I reboot the program, the sound comes back. Is there a cache setting somewhere that needs to be changed to prevent that from happening?

It's quite difficult to give any specific hints without knowing more details about the issue and about your setup:

• What audio device are you using?
• What's the model name of the MIDI keyboard? And how is it connected?
• Are these mainly MIDI tracks in this case (as shown in your screenshots in post #1)? Or Audio Tracks? Or both?
• What does 'certain tracks stop playing sound' mean exactly? Like, for instance: are plugins on MIDI Tracks not responding anymore to MIDI keyboard input? Or is there no audio output when playing back already recorded MIDI Items?
• And so on ...

By the way: is there a specific reason why you are using Audio System: WaveOut (as shown in your screenshots in post #1) instead of WASAPI or ASIO?

-------------

In general, you might go through the following:

• Preferences > Audio: Close audio device ... options
• Preferences > Audio > Buffering
• Preferences > Plugins > VST: Compatibility options
• Preferences > Audio > MIDI Devices: Reset by/on options

If the MIDI Keyboard and/or audio device is connected via USB, you might probably also wanna check if the USB port power (save) settings are disabled to prevent the USB-ports from going to sleep.