New user: Please help me get started (1 PC, 5 MIDI devices)

[BeakersHelper]

Hello,

I have recently discovered CopperLan after reading a lot of positive recommendations whilst searching for a Virtual Midi Port Manager to use with Reaper (DAW software from Cockos). I have just started to use this software and I am trying to reproduce a configuration I had when using MIDIYoke and MIDI Ox.
Please note, I only have 1 PC so I only wish to communicate with MIDI devices directly connected to my main PC.

Here is my configuration
Window 7 Professional (64 bit).
CopperLan version 1.4
Reaper version 5.0

5 USB MIDI devices (lets call them MUSB1, MUSB2, MUSB3 etc) which are either MIDI synthesizers connected via USB or Audio / MIDI interfaces.

I have confirmed that MIDI data can be sent directly to each USB MIDI device from Reaper (by selecting each device as an output in the Reaper preferences). I would now like to map each MIDI input / output to a VMIDI port so I can send MIDI data to/from Reaper using the VMIDI ports rather than the addressing the MUSB devices directly.

Please could someone explain how to do this, or point me to a suitable place to learn more. It is my understanding that I should not need to set up any additional port mapping in another application (such as MIDI Ox), but I cannot seem to get my CopperLan snapshot to work (i.e. send MIDI data to VMIDI1 in Reaper, and receive it at the hardware synth).

Thank you

[CopperPhil]

Hi,

Most of the MIDI drivers are single client under Windows, it means that the physical MIDI ports (USB-MIDI) can't be open simultaneously from Reaper and CopperLan.

Knowing this, first you have to close Reaper (or any other app likely to open the USB MIDI ports). Then, launch the CopperLan Manager, go to Edit tab, MIDI on [youcomputer], then you can switch on the MIDI in/out ports => it means that these ports are now managed by CopperLan and are no more accessible from other apps.

Then, go to the Connect tab, MIDI on [youcomputer], and you will see there the MIDI -> CopperLan bridges. The MIDI IN ports you have activated before should be present here. Select one of the ports, click on "MIDI Virtual Cable", [Add a MIDI cable] from the popup, then select the destination (can be a MIDI OUT port or a VMIDI aimed to be open from Reaper or other MIDI app).
You can do the same from a VMIDI ports (so, to be open from a MIDI app) to another VMIDI port or to a physical MIDI port.
So finally you can patch any MIDI/VMIDI port to any other one through CopperLan.

Since you do this configuration in a single computer, it will be automatically saved and restored next time you reboot the machine.

Thanks for using CopperLan!

[BeakersHelper]

Thank you for your reply.

I see from your explanation that I was going wrong at step 1, as I always had Reaper running in the background whilst I was attempting to configure CopperLan. This explains why I was unable to send data from Reaper to VMIDI1 and hear anything at the hardware, as the hardware was already tied up by Reaper, even if I was not sending to it.

I will be away from the Studio until Friday now so I won't have a chance to try again until then, but I feel I have a better understanding of how CopperLan works.

Best wishes,