How to Setup Midi Keyboard?

Hey all, I'm still fairly new to Reaper, haven't done any hard core recording with it, still kinda playing around and learning new things. Any ways, I just got a M-Audio Axiom 25 Midi keyboard. This is the first Midi device I have ever owned. I have no idea how to setup it up and make it work with reaper. I read through the documentation that came with the device and it was basically garbage haha. I installed all the drivers that came with the device. Not really sure what to do next. Thanks for any help, Kevin DiGennaro P.S. Happy Holidays!

Connect it to your PC via USB. Load Reaper, go to Options->Preferences->Audio->MIDI Devices and in "MIDI inputs to make available (selectable as track inputs, etc.)" you will find it. Right-click on it and check Enable input and Enable input for control messages (assigned in actions menu). This way you could play notes with its keyboard and control some parameters with knobs, pads and transport controls. Now insert a track and right-click on its record button, check Monitor Input (Tape Auto Style) and Record: Output (MIDI). Right click again on its record button and go to MIDI Input. There you have to select your Axiom Keyboard so you can play VSTi's with it (select All Channels). Now go to Actions->Show actions list... in menu and put in the filter "Play". In lower window you'll see that action displayed, select it and click on Add button. A window will prompt asking for a CC frokm your Axiom, juts press the Play button on your device and since now on you'll be able to start playing your project with that button. Go assigning all your buttons to your needs.

Hey thanks Mercado 

Now it is a short break from work and I had forgotten how to make these specific connections so your advice has wider application to those of us who have done this before many times but forgotten how. say hello to Chavez.

Just to make sure you understand.I midi controller keyboard will need a,"Synth" of some description installed in Reaper as a VST to make some sounds.A good free one with loads of Quality sounds in the ProteusVX. Download and install this and make sure it puts it's main .dll in your Reaper Plug-ins folder or add the path to Proteus in your Options/Preferences/VST section and re-scan so it knows where to find it. Now you can set up your midi keyboard. In your Options/Preferences/Midi Devices make sure your new device input is enabled. Once this is done you can make a midi instrument track in Reaper Track/Insert new track then..... Insert/Insert Virtual instrument on new track. Now you can Right click on the track's Record button and choose Monitor Input and Record input and also choose at the bottom of the list Midi input if you need to and choose your device and channels. HTH :)

Oh yea and get the editing software 

There is free editing 'Enigma' software from the M-Audio site. I thought it would come with a disk with the Axiom but it has to be downloaded from the manufacturer. It is a bit hard to navigate and I forget the name but start with some templates if you can then get into this editing software later.

Thanks for the replies guys, I installed enigma, I'm still a little confused what to do next though tbh haha I did what mercado said to do, I got a little confused on the actions list, because I typed in "play" and several actions appeared but none where just "play" I tried recording and playing my keyboard but nothing happened Edit: got the actions working, but still not sure how to play the keyboard actually.. lol

Thanks guys, i installed the vsti on my machine, but don't think I installed it into Reaper right, the file is an exe, wat do i do with it?

Mercado - what's the benefit of recording midi output versus recording input?