[RWP] automation in reaper

indigo 33indigo at charter.net
Tue Apr 24 10:00:19 EDT 2012 

Calvin, I only looked at Patrick's suggested ReaControl Midi for a 
moment last night, when I  inserted it by the effects routing page, and 
it looks promising as a means of doing automated effects parameters.
I have all kinds of control surfaces here, and haven't got round to 
automating effects parameters yet, but ReaControl Midi seems exactly 
designed to make assignment of a continuous controller midi message to a 
control easy.
Also, there seems to be access to assigning midi keyboard controls to 
parameters by clicking on the word Param in the effects routing page.
You get a menu with some selections that seem intended to assign 
keyboard controls, including  Midi Learn.
I haven't tried it yet on an effect parameter, but I used Midi Learn  to 
assign one of my control surfaces knobs to a soft synth's pan or attack, 
or some such parameter, so that midi learn button definitely seems to work.
All these posts about different ways to do things in Reaper is typical, 
because of the way Reaper is written.
It began as an open ended program; that grew from Cockos forum user 
requests for features, so there are now many doors that lead to the same 
room; and many secret passages and hidden corridors leading to who knows 
where.
I love it, and believe we'll eventually have full access.
We're all chipping with our individual discoveries, and someday someone 
will write a comprehensive manual on running Reaper from screenreaders.

Right now, it's an interesting  process of experimentation.

I tell myself that I should hang out in the Cockos forums on feature 
requests, but I could be asking there for access or features that 
already exist, only we haven't found them yet.
Indigo L


On 4/24/2012 3:23 AM, Calvin Botha wrote:
> What an amazing list! Indigo, what version of reaper are you using? Do
> you think that accessing a plug-ins parameters would be any different
> for version 4, or should i revert to version 3?  You see, i am able to
> access parameters for automation but not the other way that you
> mentioned, or does it not work for all plugs.
>
>
> Kind Regards
>
> DJ D at rkn3ss
>
> On 4/23/12, indigo<33indigo at charter.net>  wrote:
>> I didn't get into Reaper version so early that when parameters didn't
>> have numbers.
>> Of course, how great it would be to be able to jump to a parameter by
>> typing a letter.
>> And while we're at it; lets lie in the road and block  the author's
>> driveway until he gets rid of those stupid prefixes in the plugs folders.
>> Everything is VSTI this or that, or JS this or that.
>> There's a candidate for some kind of script or macro, to filter out that
>> prefix that keeps us from jumping to a synth by typing the initial
>> letter of its name.
>> By the way, I read complaints about that idiotic plug naming from plenty
>> of sighted users in the Cockos forums.
>> I mean, we know what folder we're in, we don't need reminding at every plug.
>> Indigo L
>> On 4/24/2012 12:31 AM, Patrick Perdue wrote:
>>> Often, I find myself prefering the shift+p thing over the routing
>>> dialugoe, especially when it's an effect I am familiar with. It takes way
>>> less time, for example, to jump to a compressor's threshold, usually near
>>> the top of the parameter list this way, and I am usually working in real
>>> time with an active audio source, so can hear changes in real time. If I
>>> absolutely have to have real values, I'll use the other thing, but for
>>> lots of stuff, I don't even bother, unless I need to notch out very
>>> specific frequency bands or something. I'm done playing the numbers are
>>> everything game. Takes too much time.
>>>
>>>
>>> It was even more convenient with the old ReaAccess, I think 1.20, since
>>> every parameter didn't have an associated number in the listbox.
>>>
>>> On Apr 24, 2012, at 12:23 AM, indigo wrote:
>>>
>>>> I just loaded ReaControl midi with the effects routing page method, and
>>>> it looks very interesting.
>>>> ReaControl Midi appeared to have only 1 preset, so showed nothing in the
>>>> preset combo box, but when I tabbed down there were edit boxes and
>>>> sliders at the arrow keys.
>>>> It looks like a good way to send continuous controller messages, and use
>>>> the pitch wheel, when the user has no other controller.
>>>> I'll try automating some effects parameters with it soon.
>>>> I have not tried tweaking effects parameters from shift+P.
>>>> That parameters list is a very awkward way to tweak synth parameters,
>>>> with so much tabbing up and down on each parameter.
>>>> Just for curiousity, try Snowie's method for accessing effects parameters
>>>> in some of the Rea plugs that won't show their presets.
>>>> Insert a track with ctrl+T.
>>>> Press enter, then the letter F.
>>>> In the effects routing page, shift+tab up  twice to all plugins, arrow
>>>> down to whatever kind of effect you want, arrow down 3 times for VST.
>>>> Tab down once to show the VST effects plugs.
>>>> Arrow to a plug and press enter.
>>>> Then tab down to the combo box that ought to be  displaying the plug's
>>>> presets.
>>>> For many of Reaper's included plugs; in that combo box you may get the
>>>> announcement No Presets.
>>>> To display the plug's preset list, in jaws press Alt+down arrow, then
>>>> press page down, and the presets will display.
>>>> In NVDA and Wineyes; you don't need alt+down arrow, just press page down
>>>> and the presets show.
>>>> You'll be at the bottom of the presets list and need to arrow up through
>>>> the presets.
>>>> Press enter on a preset, then tab down and you'll find edit boxes and
>>>> sliders to tweak values.
>>>>
>>>> This method is very good for exposing effects presets and parameters
>>>> without using the shift+P method; and way easier to tweak values without
>>>> all that tedious tabbing up and down, and, instead of 0 to 1000 as
>>>> values, you get many real world values, ms and frequencies in hertz, and
>>>> equalizers have their bands and frequencies nicely laid out.
>>>> It gives beautiful access, when you don't need to automate.
>>>> I'll try your ReaControl Midi for that.
>>>> By the way, you can't load a synthesizer from the effects routing page, I
>>>> tried it in jaws, NVDA and Window-Eyes.
>>>> Soft synths  appear to load, but I couldn't get a peep out of them.
>>>> It works great for effects though.
>>>> Indigo L
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 4/23/2012 6:12 PM, Patrick Perdue wrote:
>>>>> Try opening something like Sony WaveHammer, a pretty old plugin with no
>>>>> automated controls in that view, then using the shift+P method. You
>>>>> won't get much under than wet and bypass. This is because the plugin
>>>>> doesn't expose anything to be automated, and really has nothing to do
>>>>> with Reaper itself. Same reason why you don't get things like file load
>>>>> dialogues in samplers or convolution plugins in that view, etc. It
>>>>> doesn't make sense to automate those..
>>>>> Now, try doing the same with just about any given VST, included with
>>>>> Reaper or not. Big difference
>>>>>
>>>>> If a plugin doesn't expose a parameter to be automated, it won't show up
>>>>> in the ReaAccess shift p thingy. Fortunately, many plugins do this for
>>>>> most parameters that are worth changing, although you don't necessarily
>>>>> always know what they are in some cases, like the Antress VST suite of
>>>>> plugins, where most parameters are just labeled as "knob." But at least
>>>>> you can tweak them, unlike with the native plugin UI.
>>>>>
>>>>> What you described here works if Reaper is set to make all plugins
>>>>> conform to a generic interface, and is the only way I know of to access
>>>>> presets, but you can still get to any of those exposed parameters the
>>>>> other way.
>>>>>
>>>>> On 4/23/2012 5:14 PM, Indigo wrote:
>>>>>> Then I don't know the difference between automatable parameters and
>>>>>> just
>>>>>> plain parameters for Reaper's effects plugins.
>>>>>> Have you tried this method of inserting effects plugs from the effects
>>>>>> routing page, Patrick.
>>>>>> Jim Snowbarger, Royand I have been learning the method for weeks now.
>>>>>> We get all the presets in a combo box, and all the parameters and edit
>>>>>> boxes for their values at the tab key?
>>>>>> Please enlighten as to how these aren't automatable parameters, and the
>>>>>> difference in the parameters you access, okay?
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>> Indigo L
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 4/23/2012 3:04 PM, Patrick Perdue wrote:
>>>>>>> Nope, not really. Effects are effects, whether they are softsynths or
>>>>>>> not. The exposed automatable parameters are accessed the same way for
>>>>>>> either VST, VSTI, DX, DXI, JS, etc.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 4/23/2012 2:40 PM, indigo wrote:
>>>>>>>> Calvin, My previous post on accessing parameters by pressing shift+P
>>>>>>>> in
>>>>>>>> track view works for soft synths.
>>>>>>>> You access parameters for effects in a slightly different way.
>>>>>>>> I don't have Reaper on this computer right now to refer to to
>>>>>>>> describe
>>>>>>>> every exact move, but it's like this.
>>>>>>>> Press ctrl+T to insert a track for the effect, press enter.
>>>>>>>> Press the letter F to go from the track view to the effects routing
>>>>>>>> page.
>>>>>>>> Use the same tab and arrow key moves you use to find a soft synth
>>>>>>>> from
>>>>>>>> track view, in other words tab up to all plugins, select the folder
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> the kind of effect, you want, like JS, DXI, VST, whatever.
>>>>>>>> Once you have an effects plug selected at your arrow keys, press
>>>>>>>> enter;
>>>>>>>> and the effect loads.
>>>>>>>> Then, find a combo box at your arrow keys which displays presets for
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> plug.
>>>>>>>> If it's a third party plug you've added to Reaper, its presets will
>>>>>>>> already be displayed in a list at that combo box.
>>>>>>>> If it's an included Reaper plug like ReaControl or ReaDelay,
>>>>>>>> etcetera,
>>>>>>>> you will find the announcement No Presets displayed, but don't worry.
>>>>>>>> If you're in Jaws, press alt+down arrow, then press Page down, and
>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>> presets lists displays.
>>>>>>>> You are placed at the bottom of the presets list, so will need to
>>>>>>>> arrow
>>>>>>>> up through the presets.
>>>>>>>> Select a preset, press enter.
>>>>>>>> Now, with each tab down, you find parameters for each of the plug's
>>>>>>>> presets.
>>>>>>>> There are edit boxes at your arrow keys to type new values into, or
>>>>>>>> sliders at your arrow keys to change values.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Changes of effect values can be heard immediately.
>>>>>>>> There's no okay key to save changes of values, you can save them by
>>>>>>>> saving your project.
>>>>>>>> In Window-Eyes or NVDA, you don't need to press alt+down arrow in the
>>>>>>>> presets combo box; just press page down to display all the presets
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> Reaper's included effects plugIns.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> As of now, actual automation of effects is still eluding us, unless
>>>>>>>> you
>>>>>>>> do them from a control surface, which is entirely possible, but I
>>>>>>>> think
>>>>>>>> you'll be impressed with how many presets, parameters and values you
>>>>>>>> can
>>>>>>>> access in Reaper.
>>>>>>>> Indigo L
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 4/23/2012 8:28 AM, Calvin Botha wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Hay all. Just stumbled upon this list after Reaper caught my
>>>>>>>>> attention. I like reaper's speed and versitility but am still
>>>>>>>>> getting
>>>>>>>>> use to its opporations as i'm a sonar user.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Anyway, I was wondering if it is possible to access the automatable
>>>>>>>>> parameters of vst plug-ins from within reaper like in sonar's track
>>>>>>>>> inspector. This often solved many accessibility issues with many vst
>>>>>>>>> plug-ins.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> For those who have never used sonar, the track inspector allowed you
>>>>>>>>> to see and edit the parameters of the current effect you had loaded.
>>>>>>>>> For example, if you had a reverb plug-in that supported automation
>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>> the interface wasn't jaws friendly, you could go to the inspector
>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>> scrole to, for example, pre-delay and change its value by using the
>>>>>>>>> plus and minus keys.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> My question is, is this possible in reaper?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Kind regards.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> DJ D at rkn3ss
>>>>>>>>>
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