total newbie - apparently I'm too stupid to know how midi works in this thing

Hi. So I've been sequencing a LONG time. Up until semi-recently, my Windows tools of choice have been Cakewalk/Sonar and Ableton Live. I know both of those apps inside and out. I've recently made the switch to full-time linux though, and have been using Rosegarden as my midi sequencer. I've got a lot of outboard synth gear and primarily sequence all that (very little audio). Now, per suggestions of a friend, I've been trying to give Reaper a try. The problem though is that I cannot seem to figure out how to just do standard midi routing in it. I've got 5 different hardware synths running off a couple midi interfaces and I have one synth that I want to use as a keyboard controller. Could someone walk me through (step by step preferably) setting up a track to where my controller can control one of my other synths? I've attached a screenshot of my midi setup. The problem comes into play when i create a new track. I right click and "show midi control" and then I'm completely lost. I have a pretty good understanding of Midi and have built some very elaborate master controller based setups for live performance over the years, but this is just perplexing me. Maybe it's just unfamiliarity with the "Reaper Way" but I just can't seem to make heads or tails of this program. I've read the user guide as well, but all the midi stuff in there seems to be geared towards soft synths. any ideas?

Hi - hope you find reaper to be good stuff. think this is easier than you think - If you just want one keyboard to send midi to the other synths... create a track - set the input by clicking the IN button and going to midi inputs, to be your master midi keyboard. (arm&monitor it too.) check you get a signal by hitting a few notes, the red little square and the velocity line should blink. r-click the [IO] button on the track and select the midi output to the synth you want to play. if its not on the list of available outputs then check the midi settings (where your pic was taken). that should be it. the reamidicontrol you mention (which understandably confused you) allows you to do more complex stuff like automate/program params of midi hardware from reaper, send sysex, program changes and the such. e.g drawing an envelope in reaper that effects the synth.. enable control change and choose a CC and fader in reacontrolmidi. you can then control a parameter of your synth with a learned midi controller or on-screen knob, using the 'param' button. once your IO is set correctly on the track itself, playing with reacontrolmidi should then explain itself. hope thats ok :)

I'm not sure it's proper english to use the words "stupid" and "midi" in the same sentence. I still basically don't know what the fuck MIDI does. Sooo...if you're interested in MIDI...you can't be too stupid! Good luck!

Are you serious doughboy? Midi is just notes that play sound. The sound could be drums, piano, whatever. You should seriously give midi a try. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities with your sounds. Download some free vsti's from the internet and get jammin. There's so many of them and different kinds for different sounds. If you don't have a midi keyboard to play the sounds in the vsti's you can just use your computer keyboard. If you need help just ask questions.

@jeebustrain, Whichever synth you want to use as a MIDI controller, right-click its Mode in the MIDI Inputs section and enable it for Control as well as for Input. Then its CC messages etc will be received and processed by Reaper.

That's great. thanks guys. I figured it was something pretty simple. I'm going for the most elaborate pure Linux audio setup I can - I can't get Sonar to play nice inside Wine, so if Reaper works out for me, I'll finally get back to making music again. BTW - Reaper doesn't have a notation editor, does it?

Ah ha, I see the problem now ... ... not enough gear. ;) ------------ 'fraid not, no notation editor.

Can we ever convince our wifes, I ask. Hi Jeebustrain, welcome to the Reaper-forums. -Data

Hey jeebustrain, Just curious, are you using 2 video cards for the triple monitor setup?

BRAIN! Good to see you made it over here finally! @ everyone else: I'm the friend that recommended REAPER to him. Me and Brian go waaaaay back. So everyone play nice ok? :D