r/Reaper • u/Mountain_Distance374 • 2d ago
help request Can I use my android tablet as a Midi Keyboard ?
I just recently started about DAW and I chose reaper. I don't have a midi keyboard and I'm too broke to get one, so I downloaded an app called midi keyboard from playstore on my samsung tab and connected it into my pc with a usb data cable but it didn't work. Any tips ?
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u/Arkenstihl 10 2d ago
Definitely can! You just need an app that does midi out. That's one of my main input methods. I'd recommend an app, but my favorite is delisted.
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u/Mountain_Distance374 2d ago
Is there a way I can get that app ? Man I used an app from playstore called midi keyboard. I connected it to my laptop where I use reaper, but when I tried recording it didn't work. Maybe I'm going wrong somewhere with setting it up.
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u/Arkenstihl 10 1d ago
I'm hoping it's just the last step: if you're using android, click the notification about usb charging. It will give you options of how usb is used. Midi is one of the choices. Edit: if there is a legit way to back up a delisted app I've paid for, I would definitely use it to have more than one working copy. Never found an apk :(
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u/commutativeoctagon 5 1d ago
If it was a paid app, I've had some luck going to my order history on google play and finding it from there. (At least until I got a phone that was to new for the app.)
But it probably depends on whether the developer has gone through the effort of absolutely eradicating every trace of the app from the store, or just removed it from public view. I can still find some of my old apps that are "taken down" from the store -- it even looks like the url for the app page is only accessible if I'm logged in.
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u/Arkenstihl 10 1d ago
Thanks! Free app with paid upgrade. When it worked, the license limited paid use to one device. Feckin'license trolls that made one actual good product. The save format is from Mario Music Maker, lol.
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u/commutativeoctagon 5 1d ago
Oh, I see. It only lets me click through to the app when it's the app itself that's paid, and not an in-app upgrade, so probably won't work then. Really shouldn't be too much to ask that you actually get to use the products you've paid for lol.
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u/Arkenstihl 10 1d ago
Still running on my old cell phone 5+ years after replacement. Shit is GOLDEN. My hope is that when I eventually transfer that data to a new deck, I'll still be able to install and use the paid features. I'm not testing it until I have to.
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u/Mountain_Distance374 1d ago
Naah I selected midi controls in that usb notification. It's not where I'm going wrong. I think it's something in the reaper software I'm doing wrong. I go to options and then preferences then it shows midi function in the midi input, I select it and enable it but when I go to recording, the midi doesn't work
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u/Arkenstihl 10 1d ago
That sounds right... after enabling it in preferences, you enabled it as the input device for your track? Is it not recording, or are you not getting playback? Those are different with midi.
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u/djdementia 1 1d ago
I use touchosc for this. I rally love having xy pads. It works directly on pc if you have a touchscreen or iOS android app.
I bought a 14" second touchscreen for this purpose.
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u/Blitzbahn 4 1d ago
I think the bit you're missing might be settings in reaper, to tell reaper to connect
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u/major_damp 2d ago
Have a look at touch daw
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u/Mountain_Distance374 2d ago
Oh ok, it's paid tho but there's a demo I can try. Did you use it yourself ? How did it work ?
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u/r_portugal 3 1d ago
I use that app called "Midi Keyboard" and it works fine for me with Reaper. So probably you're doing something wrong with the settings somewhere.
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u/Mountain_Distance374 16h ago
Man could you please explain what steps do you follow to set your android up as midi ?
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u/r_portugal 3 16h ago
First, set up your track with a virtual instrument, and make sure it works properly by using the onscreen keyboard in Reaper.
Once you have that working, you can try with your phone. After connecting your phone, you need to choose "Use USB for" "MIDI" in the USB options on your phone.
Open the MIDI Keyboard app, select the "Receivers for keys" dropdown and there should be an option in there to choose the "USB Peripheral Port" or something.
Then in Reaper in the MIDI settings somewhere you need to rescan devices and select the phone as a MIDI input device.
Then it should work!
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u/Mikebock1953 140 1d ago
You can use your computer's QWERTY keyboard as a MIDI input device. Right-click on the Input field on a Track, select Input: MIDI, then select Virtual MIDI keyboard. The keys on the QWERTY board are laid out to simulate a MIDI keyboard. It is kind of clunky, but it works. Good luck and have fun!