Reaper and X-Touch One not on speaking terms

[FrankF]

Greetings pop pickers,
I've just taken delivery of a new X-Touch One, and I've configured it for Reaper as indicated in the Quick Start Guide, but nothing responds to it in Reaper - not the transport buttons, the fader, the CH change buttons: diddly squat, in fact.

Also, the X-Touch display is blank apart from "rE", to indicate that it's assigned to Reaper.
In MIDI DEVICES, the X-Touch is enabled for both input and output, and I've also just enabled CLOCK, but still no joy.

I'm sure there's a simple tweak in Reaper that I'm missing, but what the blazing saddles is it?

[Drew Stephenson]

If you go to Options > Preferences > Control/OSC/web
Does it appear there? That's where my BCF2000 appears when it's configured for MCU operation.

[FrankF]

Ah, we're almost up and running - thanks for that, blinddrew!

I "added" the X-Touch in that dialog box you mentioned, and now the transport buttons and fader work, but not much else, and I'm getting an error msg every time I use the X-touch, saying "the following midi inputs/outputs could not be opened - X-Touch One", so I'm guessing I'm in some kind of generic control mode.

I'll have another look at it tomorrow and then report back.

[Drew Stephenson]

Does the x-touch have different operating modes? And if so, which one is it in now?

[FrankF]

To be honest, I don't have a clue what I'm doing:
I just "added" the X-touch via the Control/Osc/Web dialogue that you mentioned, although it isn't listed.
I can see your BCF2000, Faderport, and a couple of other devices, but no X-touch.
Now I've just started Reaper again, and I'm back to a completely unresponsive X-touch, with no display or anything.

[Drew Stephenson]

I think you'll need to check the manual on the X-Touch and see what mode it's in, because that will determine how Reaper sees it.

[FrankF]

Does the x-touch have different operating modes? And if so, which one is it in now?

Sorry, to answer your question: the LCD says "Mode MC Reaper", but I had to power it on YET AGAIN in config mode to get it to show that.

Surely I don't have to reconfigure it every time I switch it on?

[Drew Stephenson]

I wouldn't have thought so. I'm trying to remember who here has one up and running with Reaper, I think it might be Music Wolf?

[Rich Hanson]

I've no experience with this particular device, but I have written controller code for Reaper - first thing to check is that in the standard Reaper MIDI setup all the X-Touch i/o should _not_ be selected, they should only be assigned in the controller setup as they can't be selected in both.

I fell afoul of that one initially.

[FrankF]

first thing to check is that in the standard Reaper MIDI setup all the X-Touch i/o should _not_ be selected, they should only be assigned in the controller setup as they can't be selected in both.

I fell afoul of that one initially.

Er, I think I understood that!
So I've "disabled" the X-touch for i/o in Prefs / MIDI Devices, but how do I activate it in Prefs / Control / Osc /Sub if it isn't listed?
I can see Faderport /Tranzplant / BCF2000 and half a dozen others, and a couple of generic Mackie / Hui options.
I find it very strange that NONE of the X-touch models are present, but the older Behringer BCF2000 is, especially as this device comes with a Reaper overlay.

[Drew Stephenson]

Two thoughts, what if you try one of the generic Mackie modes?
And have you tried the X-touch on MCU standard mode?

[FrankF]

Two thoughts, what if you try one of the generic Mackie modes?
And have you tried the X-touch on MCU standard mode?

Yes, I've tried several modes from those offered; I've tried unplugging the X-touch / stopping and starting Reaper over and over.

To be honest, I'm fed up with this device: if they sell it with a series of overlays, then it should work with all those daws w/o any problems, but from what I've just read on the Reaper forum, people have written all kinds of scripts and workarounds to make it work even half as well as it should with Reaper.

So I'm on the point of boxing it up and sending it back.

So I wanted to ask you: how does your BCF work with Reaper? Are you happy with it? It seems, from a clip I watched on Reaper blog, that you can have faders, channels, transport control etc., with the most minor of tweakfaffing (or fafftweaking if you're easily offended).

There are a few BCFs for sale for not much money within driving distance, so I'm tempted to give it a go.
What say you? 8 faders instead of one, and for less money! (I really wanted a scrub facility, though, as it works wonders on my old digi-multitracker).

[Guest]

Does the x-touch have different operating modes? And if so, which one is it in now?

Sorry, to answer your question: the LCD says "Mode MC Reaper", but I had to power it on YET AGAIN in config mode to get it to show that.

Surely I don't have to reconfigure it every time I switch it on?

I think you do, I have one that I never got quite working with any daw. I do seem to remember having to configure it on every startup though for a specific DAW

[Drew Stephenson]

Hmm. I'm pretty certain there are other people here happily using x-touches without a configuration every time they boot up. But I could be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.

To get the BCF working I had to go onto the Reaper forum and get hold of the Klinke extension, then it was a doddle to configure through the OSC menu.
There are two main disadvantages to the BCF, no touch sensitivity on the faders, which makes writing automation a bit more awkward, and the faders are more agricultural than the new ones from the x-touch.

[Rich Hanson]

Ah, ignore me, I must be misremembering.

I did find this on YouTube about it though, from Behringer themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOATNS1V8o

[Guest]

I’ll get mine out of the cupboard and try it with reaper when I get a chance...

[FrankF]

Thanks for the replies, chaps.
Bob, if you get it working, I'd love to hear what you did.

It seems that no matter what controller you use, you have to faff around with some add-on script or extension, as Blinddrew mentioned.
I saw some other extension options on the Reaper forum: maybe I'll have a go with one of them.

I'm currently in a sort of No Man's Land (but without the smoke and barbed wire), where I don't want to abandon my digital multitracker (AKAI DPS24), but I do want access to all the MIDI note-correction and other possibilities of a DAW, ham-fisted keyboard player that I am.
Buying the X-touch was an attempt to cross over to the other side, so to speak, but Ouch! I got shot! (That'll learn me to mix my metaphors...)

So I'm wondering what other controllers people are using to get real faders (not necessarily motorised) and transport controls.
For example, would something like the Arturia Keylab do the trick? It has faders and transport controls and knobs...

[Drew Stephenson]

I also use a Korg nanoKontrol2 in my set-up. It does require configuring but just using its own editor and assigning various CC controls to whatever you want them to do in Reaper, and it's been rock solid since.

[FrankF]

Ah, ignore me, I must be misremembering.

I did find this on YouTube about it though, from Behringer themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOATNS1V8o

Well, would you Adam and Eve it: that worked!
Many thanks for finding that, Rich.
I will now spend the next 5 minutes feeling stoopid for not having found that clip on YT.

[FrankF]

I also use a Korg nanoKontrol2 in my set-up. It does require configuring but just using its own editor and assigning various CC controls to whatever you want them to do in Reaper, and it's been rock solid since.

Thanks, BD: I might still pick up a BCF2000 on your reccie, as it's only 80 euros, and it gives me an excuse to drive to Nantes.
Is there anything I should specifically look out for, in your opinion, when testing it?