Enabling Midi Devices

enabling Midi Devices

Here are instructions to set up your midi keyboard or controller in Reaper, starting with details for Windows, followed by Mac instructions. Skip straight to Mac instructions.

Windows instructions

In Reaper, open preferences. This can be done with the keyboard shortcut Control+P.

press up or down arrow until you get to audio. Alternatively, press the letter A until you hear audio. If your screen reader announces that the audio category is collapsed, expand it, by pressing the right arrow key. Inside this category is Midi devices. Arrow down until you hear midi devices.

Tab until you hear, “midi inputs to make available.” This is a list of all connected midi devices.

Arrow up or down until you hear the name of your midi device.

By default, all midi devices are disabled. To enable the midi device, press the applications key and arrow through the options. Press enter on “enable input.” This will allow you to use your midi keyboard. If you're midi device is a control surface, or you'd like to be able to use your keyboard as a control surface to adjust things like pan, volume and effects controls, press applications key and enter on, “enable input for control messageS.”

If you want to have Reaper to output sound to your keyboard, using the keyboard's built-in instruments, then tab TWICE to the next list which IS THE OUTPUTS LIST, Then simply press the applications key on your chosen device and arrow to “enable output” and press enter.

Finally, tab to OK and press enter.

Mac Instructions

In Reaper, hit Command+P. This will bring up the preferences window.

In the category table on the left, interact with that table, then move under the audio branch, to midi.

If Audio is collapsed, expand it with VO+backslash. Then you should be able to see Midi under the audio node.

Stop interacting with the table. Now you should see two tables. one for midi inputs, and one for midi outputs. Note that if no input is present, you won't see the table, but only will see output.

Interact, then find in the input area the midi controller you're going to use. Route your mouse with VO+Command+F5. Note that on some systems, you may have to hit VO+Command+FN+F5 depending on your OSX configuration.

Once your mouse pointer has been routed, hold your control key down, and while doing so, click your physical mouse/trackpad. In the menu that pops up, go to enable.

If you want to have Reaper to output sound to your keyboard, using the keyboard's built-in instruments, interact with the second table. Making sure in the menu to hit Enable.

When you've done all your enabling, stop interacting, then go down and hit VO+Space on the OK button.