How to Use a MIDI Controller to Control DAW Actions in Reaper

[@mschultz6263]

Your explanation of how to set up the midi controller in Reaper really helped me out. Now I have my Line 6 FBV Mkll foot switch set up to start and stop when I'm recording. Thank you !!!

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

Awesome! Glad I could help you get it working!

[@landonfinnerty2391]

Michael, thank you, I have used Reaper for years, but, i am totally new to Midi and Midi controllers, 3 days, and notice that there is no clear use of Reaper in the Midi world. Even Kenny Jioi has been able to help me. If you go to Ableton, or Logic Pro, they all kind of omit Reaper. So you have given me hope.

[@supra1981]

you sir are a legend, i was beating my head against the wall and no other video gave a simple answer like you, next time you're in Scotland i'll buy you a pint lol.

[@MrNeillawrence]

Thank you! I've been struggling with this today and your straightforward approach really cut through the complexity.

[@kerwinalexander6836]

Hello Michael. This video was brilliant!!! My Minilab 3 will be arriving today and I was looking for instructions on how to set it up to control stuff in reaper. This w/b a tremendous help. Cheers mate!

[@BJ-fj6jw]

WILL BE GETTING THIS TOO. Hope the Arturia 3 will work like his earlier model. Let me know. Thx.

[@dnadal09]

Thank you! I knew I should've skipped the Reaper forums and gone straight to KZbin.

[@2000jago]

I like the way you explain things, clear concise and to the point, no umm, err, ahh etc. Keep doing tutorials, you have a knack for it.

[@ekimthims1]

At last..sense out of chaos..Been trying to set up a code 61 in Reaper for ages, your video is good news information for me..many thanks.

[@danhedonia]

Just going to say - you do an excellent job of talking just enough but not too much. Often the bugaboo of YT tutorials; well done!

[@LuigiGiannandrea]

Great video! I am just new on midi controllers. Yesterday I adquired a M-Wave 25 and I am understanding a lot of things with your video! Thanks again. 🙏

[@BrianPremo]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. Very clear and helpful instructions.

[@StefanBallReal]

Thanks for this - clear explanation and great pace on the delivery too. Subscribed. :)

[@papaidodekiekin3089]

Best explanation on YT. Thanks a lot!!!!!!

[@MsTessG]

Thank you! Please keep doing tutorials. You're very good at it and this was so helpful.

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

I LOVE THE WAY YOU EXPLAIN THIS!!! THANK YOU!!!!

[@stenlyspa1325]

thanks man, this was really helpful!!! have a great day!

[@tonyfarina1310]

Thanks.I am going to try this with my TEC Bite and Breath Controller 2 that I am trying to use in Soundpaint.This seems like a good workaround.

[@boldbearStudios]

Michael, excellent style of presenting stuff. Thanks a lot for helping me out. Keep up the good work!

[@TheSpeenort]

I just got the KMI QuNexus MPE keyboard which is supposed to control up to three tracks simultaneously. So now I'm wading through the ReaLearn controls in the extensions menu.

[@ericpankenin2584]

great! just what I was looking for. thx and besides, well executed tutorial in all the various important aspects.

[@giulyanv]

Golden tip! Thanks!

[@JeremyPrado]

wow great! triggering controls on mouse ends today!!! ha ha ha THANKS FOR SHARING!!! I just smashed the red button and its really worth it

[@danielhadida3915]

fantastic video : clear and to the point !

[@ccolon_1]

thanks you so much for this video. i've set up a lot of actions like this and it turned out very convenient

[@wieslawirzyniec4527]

thank you SO MUCH for this tutorial :)

[@thenuge4227]

Great! exactly what I was looking for. Thanks man!

[@Ahrgos]

My goodness thank you! You'll never know how much this helped me right now! Thank you my friend!

[@Wanderlinse]

👍 thanks, really useful and focused video.

[@teashea1]

nice video ------ good production values - well organized

[@DirectAccessYT]

Good lesson and info, thankyou

[@TheCandoheavy]

Thanks for the video. Question, what about if you want to do 16 channels instead of 8 with the sliders? What I did on my controller was 1-8 midi channel 1, 9-16 midi channel 2, etc, but have to be changing midi channels on my controller constantly, can't figure out how to easily change scenes, it works, but maybe you have an easier way. Thanks for your tips.

[@BarrettSimms]

This helped alot. Thanks dude!

[@clydesight]

Thanks for the tutorial!

[@apolloagua]

Great comprehensive video tutorial!

[@joshmontederamos4813]

Will you be making more Reaper related videos? This was very helpful, cheers

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

I will at some point, nothing planned at the moment but as I make things in reaper I’m sure I’ll have some ideas for videos come up. I’m always open to suggestions as well!

[@MsIij]

thank you for this tuto

[@michaelanthony9068]

Thank you Michael. I’m really frustrated lately cuz I just got a 2nd midi controller, so instead of just setting midi assignments to things like “all channels” now I’m having to assign specific channels and ports and I.D. numbers and I often don’t know why it doesn’t work when it doesn’t or why it does when it does. Last nite after hours of cussing I think my new keyboard started working again cuz I turned it off and back on. Ugh…

[@DirectAccessYT]

YEAH, IF YOU PLUG IN a keyboard to connect it to a A MIDI CHANEL on your DAW that is alredy open/on, it can seem like its not working. If you change the daw to a different midi chanel, then switch back (eg were on ch1, its not wotrking so you switch DAW to receive on Midi ch 2 (for just a few seconds)), then back to midi ch 1) then it works.

[@kerwinalexander6836]

Hello again. If you set your arturia controller to control DAW actions (I use reaper also) will it still continue to control the DAW while using Analog Lab s/w? The Analog Lab s/w auto configures itself to the minilab controller/ (all the knobs, and sliders (minilab 3)) when in use. Thanks

[@DopamineOverload]

Superb demonstration and analysis, sir! Subbed!

[@apolloagua]

I

[@edvardas132]

Hey, is it possible for example if I create track 1 and open fx tab and choose lets say 2effects delay and reverb to switch them off and on on midi controller? or if I want to press midi to turn off delay and turn on reverb fx?

[@faselblaDer3te]

I'm gonna use this to set all tracks to a pretty random color when I play an F#7add9 on my MIDI keyboard.

[@faselblaDer3te]

I was kidding, obviously, but now I got my own Minilab mkII (just today), and this tutorial was insanely helpful, so let me express my gratitude in a proper fashion ;-) THANK YOUUUU!

[@leevitalone]

Huge help for a beginner thank you so much.

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

You’re welcome! Glad I could help!

[@leevitalone]

@@MichaelRiggsMusic you can get totally lost in Reaper or any DAW when you are first starting so when some gives you a starting point and you are able to navigate, it make all the difference in the world, thank you.

[@btsrapTV]

Really appreciate this tutorial. Cheers.

[@citadelo5ricks]

This is great, but also illustrates the inconsistency of reaper. I use it for recording, it's new lane system is great. But, reaper is such a distraction because learning it becomes the focus, rather than making music. At least for me.

[@pimjacobs4086]

Thanks, it was really helpful!

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

I’m glad it helped you! Thanks for watching!

[@adanjimenez1987]

uffff, i am from colombia, your video, help me to much, how we said in colombia, la buena parce 🤓

[@gendarmyy7586]

I am wondering if this is also possible with a midi keyboard app on my phone that I'd connect to my pc? I tried doing so but it seems like reaper doesn't detect it as a midi controller

[@Ancaja123]

how does Mackie Control Universal work, should it automatically map these controls including transport? I'm trying to get a control surface hooked up, and I have it set up in the control surface menu within Reaper presets, but nothing is happening as it should.

[@BoltRM]

Perfect!

[@Sebastiuon]

perfect! thx for the help

[@rollandjoeseph]

Helpful, thx!

[@cosmicsea7]

Omg thank you for this!

[@slcustomcarpentry853]

Very helpful. I just got a Minilab3 and this solved my problems. Do you have any content on the 3?

[@StNudge]

HELP: I cant use my minilab 3 on Reaper. I made sure everything is enabled at the audio/MIDI Devices preferes on the DAW. I choose the Input to be MIDI (All MIDI inputs) on the track and it shows input when I play the keys, confirmed it on the virtual instrument option. BUT, when I try to add a plug in, either if its the Arturia Analog Lab or Reapers options: ReaSynths, none does seem to work... There is input, but there is no sound coming out. What am I doing wrong? Hours trying to fix this.

[@lifemusic4r]

Hi! Don’t you know if I can control faders this way when reaper is folded?

[@kerwinalexander6836]

Hello once again. Can you set controls for more than 1 DAW? I use reaper. I will be participating in a beatmaking workshop and the s/w is Ableton Live 11 Lite. I want to set controls for reaper, which I can from this video (Thanks) Will I be able to set a "Memory" or template using Midi Control Center? Thanks.

[@orabaki]

It helped me a lot, thanks! But my midi controller doesn't have those options to change a button to toggle, is it possible to do within REAPER? I'd like to toggle recording with a button for example.

[@stebal68]

thanks for your video. I'm sure now to order this keyboard

[@nqobilentshalintshali2251]

❤Great video

[@justin.johnson]

Thank you sir

[@andreaflores8334]

Great video! Thank you :)

[@patriciomendezvera]

This is gold! Thanks for the awesome video! Little question here: lets say that i want to change the notes given by the pads in my midi controller, for example, the pad number 1 gives an E1, pad number 2 gives an F1, etc. So i want to change the pad number 1 to give an D1 instead of E1, can it be done?

[@tristanjonardantipolo5708]

Hi, can i use a midi controller assign as a pedal foot switch?

[@Artificial_tears]

thanks a lot for the video, I'm almost there but I have a problem with the program editor 3 for akai mini, I have an error message that appears when I want to program the pads for the drums, the message is as follows: check that the akai mini is properly connected to the computer. the akai is connected and I can even hear it on reaper but cannot change the notes.thanks

[@stephenchow5161]

thanks for this

[@lennyzenith6232]

Super cool, thanks. Been struggling with this for a while. One thing you don't cover, is how to 'record' these volume changes whilst mixing? I'll search around more.

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

Good point, yeah this video was more for setting it up but recording those changes is a good idea for a future video. For now if you haven’t found it already I think what you’re after is the “trim” control on the track. That will open a window where you can click a checkbox for any effects you want to control and record. I think you’ll need to change some of the settings to arm the tracks for any live changes during playback to get recorded. I think that’s also a checkbox and there are some options at the top of the window as well.

[@daangraanbanaan]

Can't you just overdub your midi knob movements? 🤔

[@dyingstenchmusic]

Did you by chance make a follow up a out the trim and volume change issue the dude was having

[@pinoydiy8384]

Youre the best thank you

[@hr2186]

Hi are your first two knobs stiff compared to the others? Those first two seem to be wonky

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

The two furthest left knobs on this controller do feel slightly stiffer than the rest. I think it is because those knobs can be clicked in like a button while the rest are just simple knobs

[@hr2186]

@@MichaelRiggsMusic Thank you sir!

[@quenita1717]

Ok.. and how to do if.. i would like to use controllers of my arturia kelab "stop" or "record". I can define them in actions of reaper, but there is a problem. They correspond to notes of piano roll, so , if I set a record botton, it gives me an information that it's a note number 95. When I start playing in hit this note, reaper starts recording, if I play note 94, it stops in transport.. any suggestions how to solve this problem? How it could difference the DAW controll bottoms from keys?

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

I’ve also had this issue, I haven’t tried to fix it yet but there are some options where you enable the controller in settings to use it for control only or control and note input I think. That might affect both the pads and keys though. If you figure out a fix I’d love to know what you did

[@alexdegiovanni1598]

Can you get it to record it while it's playing?

[@bejsmenful]

Hi there! I've got a problem and I guess you are the person who knows the solution. I have assigned knobs on my AKAI MPK mini mk2. I use the Analog Lab plugin. The knobs work but there's no affect to the sound. Thee virtual knobs move but there's no effect in the tone. I have to use mouse to get any change. Could you help me, please? :)

[@MichaelRiggsMusic]

Hmm, this isn’t an issue I’ve personally run into so I wouldn’t know the answer to that, but if you do figure it out I’d love to know how you fix it!

[@user-wr6vq8ec9v]

how about envelopes?

[@MasQueVencedorEnCristo]

Gonna truth this out I can’t get my trigger to play sound 😖 u made it sound like that rubber ducky can be used to make sounds too

[@vigneshbalajimusiq4933]

999th subscriber!!!

[@darinpaterson4403]

search for volume and list goes down to about 2354 options lol

[@talonsnyder4217]

Not helpful what is reaper 😢

[@MsTessG]

You can literally Google any question in the world.

[@HenriqueOliveiraBR]

Thank you so much! That was super helpful!