Can't start or stop playback while adjusting Waves plugins

[riggler]

I'm trying out Reaper 3.31 and finally got my Waves plugins to work (SSL Bundle) by using shell2vst.exe and setting a registry entry. That all went fine, Reaper 3.31 scanned and found all of my plugins.

The problem is anytime I add a Waves plug to a track, the waves UI won't embed into the plugins window like the plugins that come with Reaper do. Instead they open in their own window. When you then click on the plugins interface window to adjust it, Reaper seems to lose focus from the keyboard and therefore you can't use the spacebar or enter to start/stop playback. That's a real bummer because it slows your workflow a lot.

I made sure that under Options in the FX window that it's set to not float windows, etc. Even if you dock the FX window, the plugin interface is still spawned in its own window, and not in the FX window itself.

I am not sure if this is a bug or not, but is there a solution here?

[EricM]

Yes it's true and annoying, plug-in UI eats keyboard except
if a modifier is used (ctrl/command or alt/option). Hopefully
this will be sorted eventually.

...I made sure that under Options in the FX window that
it's set to not float windows, ...

Did you uncheck "Auto-float newly created FX window" under
Preferences > Plug-ins? Should solve your issue with any
plug-in (if I understood it correctly).

[riggler]

I did uncheck that option before, and I see in the FX window "bridge mode plugin UI to front window", or something to that effect. I'll report back later with the exact text. I have a feeling that if I was using the 32 bit reaper and didn't have to use the shell2vst to create helper dlls this wouldn't happen. How to you set Ctrl or Alt Space to play while the plugin UI is the current focus? That sounds pretty cool!

[EricM]

Ah you are using 32 bit plugins on a 64 bit reaper via Reaper's
bit bridge that open in a separate window, that cannot be avoided
i think.

You can go to Actions menu and map CTRL+SPACE for example
to action "Transport: Play/Stop". Personally it still bothers me as
two keys need to be pressed for play/stop this way, but at least
it works.

[riggler]

So using a control key like that somehow gets the keystroke into Reaper?
If that really works that would be great!

Thanks a lot! Will try it out today!

[wjmwpg]

Originally Posted by EricM

Ah you are using 32 bit plugins on a 64 bit reaper via Reaper's
bit bridge that open in a separate window, that cannot be avoided
i think.

You can go to Actions menu and map CTRL+SPACE for example
to action "Transport: Play/Stop". Personally it still bothers me as
two keys need to be pressed for play/stop this way, but at least
it works.

Hmmmm . . . I have tried every modifier key I can think of, but still I can't Play/Stop the Transport with my spacebar when an FX window is active . . . what am I missing?

[ivansc]

You and all the others with this problem must be holding your mouths wrong, son.
(old Tennessee expression)

I have tried repeatedly to reproduce this with all sorts of plugins and regardless of what plugin I am using, I never lose the spacebar start.

Crazy. Wonder what I have set differently to the rest of you?
I honestly cannot remember this being an issue from reaper 1.xx on.

[MikComposer]

Same problem here

[zinalias]

Originally Posted by EricM

Ah you are using 32 bit plugins on a 64 bit reaper via Reaper's
bit bridge that open in a separate window, that cannot be avoided
i think.

Thanks a lot, now i know why!! therefore becomes less stressing
so the fix is installing 64 bit plugins

Or... adding Play/Stop to a midi controller, that way reaper responds wherever the focus is

[ivansc]

Now I feel really dumb!
Missed Eric`s response all that time ago & had this one niggling at the back of my mind ever since.

Mind you I only use 32 bit versions for NI`s B4II and my UAD-1 plugs... never occurred to me that it was a simple case of not knowing about the bridge window`s behaviour.