[RWP] basics of getting going in Reaper

[Indigo]

How do I connect a midi keyboard to Reaper?


If your midi keyboard  has a USB cable, plug that into your computer.
If you want to use midi caples, plug a midi cable from midi out on the 
keyboard to midi in on your audio/midi interface card, and vice versa, 
from midi out on your sound card to midi in on your keyboard.
Install all drivers that came with your sound card and keyboard.
Install Reaper 64 on Windows 7 64, and Reaper 32 on XP.
Open and close Reaper once, then Install ReaAccess, being sure to place 
a check mark with your space bar on which screenreaders you want to use 
with Reaper and ReaAccess.
Open Reaper, and deal with the splash screen, and the continue to 
evaluate option, until you decide to buy it.
press ctrl+P to go to options/preferences, which is a tree structure.
Under Audio, you need to arrow to device, then tab down and configure 
input and output from your audio Device, also called sound card, and 
select  ASIO if your sound card offers it.
You should find a line with the name of your sound card, with the word 
Disabled after it.
You need to change Disabled to Enabled
The general method for all screenreaders is to route the sound card's 
name, or Disabled, over to your number pad cursor; position the cursor 
on the sound card name or Disabled; or bring focus to it in NVDA; then 
right click at the number pad, and the configure dialog should pop up.
Press enter on the configure dialog, and at the tab key; place 
checkmarks with spacebar on use as audio device.
You need to enable the first and last audio input jack you want to use 
from your sound card.
Tab down to output from your sound card, select first and last outputs 
to be used, repeat the above steps, tab to Okay and hit enter on it.
Enabling your midi device is very similar.
Still under the general topic Audio, arrow to midi device, tab down to 
the line with the names of your midi keyboard and midi interface and get 
the word Enabled after their name using the same routing method 
described for audio device.

Tab to apply, okay, and hit enter.
You can test to learn if midi messages are getting into reaper by 
loading a soft synth onto a track.
Press ctrl+I to get the insert menu for loading a soft or virtual synth.
  Tab to Reaper's folders where virtual synths and effects plugIns are 
stored.
In VST, arrow to the included synth called ReaSynth, and press enter on it.
It will load onto its own track.
Arrowing up or down selects a track.
Arrow to the new track that has  ReaSynth.
Tab down to Record source, which should be Input.
Tab to Arm for Record, and press spacebar to turn armed on.
You need to give ReaSynth an output sound engine, which can be your midi 
keyboard, if it has built in sounds, so tab to midi output; and arrow to 
the name of your midi keyboard.
Tab to monitor item; and use space bar to select on;  or normal.
Be sure to press enter before exiting to save these settings.
You will be returned to the track view.
While arrowed to the track With ReaSynth, you should hear its oscillator 
like beeps when you press your midi keyboard's keys.
Have fun.