In this guide, we’ll go over three scripts that dramatically extend the MIDI Editor’s note/CC editing and manipulation capabilities. These are not the only scripts that do so, but they are some of the most broadly applicable, robust, and useful that I’ve found.
Each of these scripts is so full-featured that they warrant their own guides. Therefore, I’ll just briefly introduce the scripts and go over their basic usage before linking to more detailed instructions.
This guide assumes you've gone through Part 1 of this series.
MULTI TOOL
The multi-tool script by Julian Sader is a community favorite for its comprehensive functionality, stability, and ease of use. It combines a veritable toolbar’s worth of note/CC manipulation functions into a single, contextual widget. Here’s an example of the script in action:
To use the multi-tool, assign the action “Script: js_Mouse Editing - Multi tool.lua” to a hotkey. Select notes, CC events, automation points, or velocity handles. Press the hotkey and a bunch of colored boxes will appear. These are context-sensitive zones that perform a variety of functions depending on how you interact with them.
To help you acquaint yourself with the multi-tool’s usage, I’ve created a PDF with detailed instructions and a reference sheet for all the zone functions.
MIDI Razor Editing
A recent and powerful addition to the MIDI Editor script line-up is MIDI Razor Editing (MRE) by sockmonkey72. Like the name suggests, this script brings Razor Editing functionality to the MIDI Editor. Pictured below are some (but definitely not all) uses for MRE:
To use the script, either:
- Bind the action “Script: sockmonkey72_MIDIRazorEdits.lua” to a hotkey, then press that hotkey to activate MIDI Razor Editing (MRE) mode. The MIDI Editor grid and CC Lanes will light up with a colored border when you do so, indicating MRE mode is activated.
- Assign a hotkey tothe action “Script: sockmonkey72_MIDIRazorEdits_SelectedNotes.lua”, select the notes you want to edit, and press the hotkey. MRE mode will now be activated with those notes selected.
(Note: Pick one of the two options above as they’re not designed to be used in tandem)
Once activated, there are a lot of ways to use MRE that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with in order to get the most out of the script. To do so, run the action “Script: sockmonkey72_MIDIRazorEdits_settings.lua”. This will open the settings page for MIDI Razor Editing where you can view and (optionally) configure all the shortcuts, modifiers, and miscellaneous functions of MRE. I recommend assigning this action to a toolbar button or menu for easy access.
If you have a bug report or feature request (or just want to say thank you) for this script, visit the official forum thread.
MIDI Transformer
The MIDI Transformer - also created by the prolific sockmonkey72 - is a very powerful tool used to create elaborate, specialized MIDI editing functions that go beyond the capabilities of custom actions. The script itself is an editor, used to generate functions that are then exported as their own scripts and run via toolbar/hotkey/mouse modifier, chained in custom actions, or toggled in SWS cycle actions.
For example, I’ve used the MIDI Transformer to create a custom action that will explode selected four-part harmony from one track to four separate tracks in a single keystroke, like so:
Other uses include custom quantize/humanize presets, all manner of smart selections, automated ghost/junk note clean-up, CC lane transferal/transformation, and anything else you can come up with, really!
This is an incredibly deep and flexible tool that warrants much more than a blog post to get the most out of. Luckily, extensive documentation is available:
QUICKSTART GUIDE:
https://github.com/jeremybernstein/ReaScripts/wiki/Transformer-Quickstart-Guide
DETAILED DOCUMENTATION:
https://github.com/jeremybernstein/ReaScripts/wiki/MIDI-Transformer-%E2%80%90-Detailed-Documentation
If you have a bug report or feature request (or just want to say thank you) for this script, visit the official forum thread.
Part 1 - Set Up
Part 2 - Editing Tools ← Thou art here
Part 3 - Zoom Control
Part 4 - CC Lane Management
If you find any of sockmonkey72’s scripts useful and wish to donate to him financially for it, he’s asked that I provide instead a link to donate to Nova Ukraine as he does not accept donations for his work.
If you're looking for more scripts beyond those mentioned in this series, I maintain a Google Sheet Database of MIDI-related ReaScripts
The theme I'm using in the screenshots and GIFs is the Reapertips Theme