Re: Trying to use my A 300 Pro keyboard control surface in Reaper 4 Daw
2013/08/09 16:40:24
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I am using the A800 pro with Reaper and as far as I know, apart from the number of keys, they are identical products.
I assume you are keen to map the transport controls. Reaper responds to standard MIDI MMC messages but the A-pro series keyboards require that you enter these as MIDI SysEx sequences, which is annoying. A further annoyance is that, for some reason I simply cannot fathom, SysEx sequences appear to only be transmitted over the MIDI port, not the USB port. I have absolutely no idea why this is so, but the whole design of the A-pro software is pretty strange anyway, although the hardware is excellent.
here are the sysx strings for the main transport functions
rewind
F0 7F 10 06 05 F7
fast forward
F0 7F 10 06 04 F7
stop
F0 7F 10 06 01 F7
play
F0 7F 10 06 02 F7
pause
F0 7F 10 06 09 F7
record
F0 7F 10 06 06 F7
punch out (I assigned this to the hold button)
F0 7F 10 06 07 F7
For remaining functions like go to start/end etc. you will probably find it easiest to pick a MIDI CC and then use Reaper's action menu to assign this to the appropriate action.
Bear in mind that Roland did not see fit to make the LEDs respond to incoming MIDI messages so it is not possible to have play light up and then turn off when stop is pressed. All the buttons should therefore be configured as momentary action.
You will need a MIDI to USB interface and of course a MIDI cable for this to work, even though you have a perfectly good USB cable. Alternatively if you map everything to MIDI CC and don't use SysEx then the A-pro series will send this over USB but you need to use Reaper's action menu to customise the transport actions to respond appropriately.
It may be that I have done something stupid and that there's a way to get SysEx transmitted over USB but it does not work for me, unless the ACT button is pressed and then the messages are, I think, fixed and designed for Sonar. You cannot customise Reaper's response to SysEx messages, unfortunately, AFAIK. It's a shame such a nice piece of hardware is crippled by appallingly awful software but Roland are like that, some of their products are wonderfully intuitive and others make me think the Lizard People have taken over and are trying to understand what this 'music' thing is supposed to be about.