Evaluating Reaper v3 - MIDI question, inserted file refuses to play

Hi, I'm sure that there is a simple answer, and if I have missed it searching the forums please point me to the appropriate thread. I did initial evaluation pass with Reaper v3 on my main workstation using a Ketron sd4 external sound module. Nothing fancy, just imported a couple of existing MIDI files and played them. So I've gone through the "Insert media file", setting the MIDI output device, etc. That all worked very well. I'm testing on a different computer right now that doesn't have the HW MIDI sound module attached. Right now I'm just using the MSoft crappy built in MIDI soft-synth. But for what I'm doing right now that is OK. When I insert the MIDI file(s) and try to get it to play the cursor does NOT advance in Reaper and the MIDI file is not playing. When I click on the "Play" button Reaper says that it is playing, but it doesn't advance. I've set up/enabled the MIDI output device, and assigned it to all of the MIDI tracks. On my other machine with the HW MIDI sound module I don't recall doing anything other than setting the MIDI output device, assigning it to the tracks, and clicking on play. Both machines are running Windows XP Pro. I created a new Reaper project to hold the MIDI file. The file is being brought in on separate tracks/channels in both the case where it plays on machine #1 and in the case where it does not on machine #2. What am I missing in the configuration? I've looked at the media item properties and one thing I noticed was that the length field was empty. I tried filling in the length of the inserted MIDI file as reported when I move to the end of the MIDI file in Reaper. That did not make any difference. And, yes, there is MIDI data on all of the tracks as shown in the track display in Reaper. Update: I just tried inserting an audio track from a CD and same thing, the cursor does not advance from the 0:0.0 position when play is selected, and Audio output is properly set up, and the Media Item properties in this case does have the length field filled in. Thanks, Burt

Welcome to the Reaper forums. You'll get lots of help here. That MIDI data is just that: data. You have to give it the sounds to play by adding a soundfont from a soundbank of some sort as an FX on that item.. The "data" will play the sounds from that. Hope I interpreted you correctly. cliff

Here's some more information on what I'm seeing. On this installation of Windows XP Pro, where I'm currently testing Reaper, I still am unable to get the transport to advance/play anything. Either with an inserted WAV file or MIDI. This is NOT an audio / sound card issue, and is NOT a case of not knowing that I need some kind of MIDI synth (either HW or software). The problem exists with the latest Reaper on this machine or even an older 2.x version which I grabbed to get the BradSucks demo project to see if that made any difference. If I insert the WAV file into a new project I can render it to a new WAV file and that rendered file plays just fine. I simply cannot get Reaper to play / advance even though the transport says "Playing". I installed Reaper under an old Windoze 2000 installation on another partition of this machine and it works just fine there with the same sound card and Reaper Preferences set. Also it works just fine under Windows XP Pro on my other machine with my HW MIDI sound module. Back to the WinXP Pro box that is being a problem. I un-installed Reaper and removed the Reaper application data folder in case something was getting hosed there. I checked the Registry for any old remnants that could cause issues, looked for hidden files/directories, etc. I then reinstalled Reaper. Configured audio just as I did on the other installations. Same exact problem. The transport fails to advance, but I can render the final mix just fine. Does anyone have any other suggestions on what might be causing this issue? All other software works just fine on this installation of Windows XP Pro. Thanks, Burt

I am having this problem sometimes but it is related to soundcard. I have a firewire card with a crappy firewire chip in my laptop. every once in a while it just "drops out" and doesn't do anything (exactly like in your case, the transport won't move) until i plug it out, power cycle the device and plug it back in. rendering works because rendering doesn't have anything to do with soundcard, it's pure calculations.

Problems with the cursor not advancing ARE due to issues with the sound card driver and it's communication with reaper (which may change depending on OS of course). Any renders will work, as a render doesn't use the sound card. Try installing ASIO4ALL and see if that changes anything, or choose some other driver type in the audio device preferences. ie, WDM vs DirectAudio or whatever is there in the drop down. let us know what options you have there.

sounds like you've tried all the options then. when you start up reaper, do you have any software sitting in the tray (ie a sound card device panel)? Since your base XP install works, I guess it's really trying to track down what piece of software is using the sound card at the same time, as you say.

Thanks, I've checked the tray, one of the first places I had looked, and nothing there that is any different. Checked running processes in Task Manager looking for anything obvious there. Nada. Next I'll look at services, but I'll probably just have to use Reaper on a different machine or reinstall Windoze from scratch on this machine to resolve the issue. But since I do have a work around as long as I don't need to record audio input on this machine it should be OK. At least I understand the issue, if not the specific underlying cause in this case. Burt