How can I access a different time signature than for a project defined?

[AncientMind]

Means: A project will most likely be made in 4/4. But for some percussion sounds I'd like to play them 3 or 5 times a bar - which means, that this sound has to play every 1/3 (or every 1/5) bar. If I re-define a midi item's time signature to be 5/5, it becomes 5/4 (measured with project's time signature and time base) bars long.... Is there any possibility to divide one bar (the time of 4/4 in project's time base) in 3 or 5 parts?
Or to ask this question in another way: Can I create a grid in REAPER's MIDI editor divided in 3, 5,. parts independent of the project time signature?
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I found a way, but it's not really satisfying... I can define another per-MIDI-item BPM, which is for example 160 instead of 128. Now I get a grid with the needed wide for 5/4 (simply 160/128 = 5/4). Then I hack in the notes - and voilá - they are played on a 1/5 notes base. But... if I use a BPM which can't be divided without a rest... it seems a bit mor complicating. Well, for 1/3 notes events I'd create 3/3 of 128, means 96 BPM MIDI items.

But... are there more 'elegant' solutions for this task...?

[Lokasenna]

In the MIDI editor, you can change the grid to Triplets for your threes.

Fives... I'm not sure. What if you add a time change to something like 20/16 for that bar? All the 4/4 stuff should have a grid line to snap to and all the 5/4 stuff should have as well. I don't have Reaper handy, so my math might not be quite right, you might also need a bpm change to keep the tempo right, but I think the basic idea works.

[AncientMind]

First I thought similar to 20/16... unluckily it didn't work. The problem is, that our well known 4/4 grid is made by the MIDI editor (at least it looks like). As long as this editor doesn't respect a MIDI item setting (for a single item instead of all items) like a different time signature, I can't get rid of 4/4. Every different setting has to be realized by fooling the editor.
My workaround does the job,... but I thought there might be a way to circumvent such cheap tricks... seemingly there are no, hmmm
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[whiteaxxxe]

for three provided on four it is a triplet. to provide five over a 4/4 beat you have to have quintuplets. dont know if Reaper can do that.

a simple change of the bar doesnt do anything, because 20/16 will be longer than 4/4, exactly it will be 5/4 at the same tempo.

as I see it the OP is right, there must be a change in tempo to have 5 provided over the 4/4 if Reaper cant do quintuplets as beat.

[Judders]

For 5:4 polyrhythms, can't you make a midi item 5 beats long, then alt-drag the item to resize it to a length of 4 beats?

[AncientMind]

Originally Posted by Judders

For 5:4 polyrhythms, can't you make a midi item 5 beats long, then alt-drag the item to resize it to a length of 4 beats?

Jep, that was really a simple and short (of course working!) solution - thanks a lot!

[Judders]

Originally Posted by AncientMind

Jep, that was really a simple and short (of course working!) solution - thanks a lot!

You're welcome