Configuring Cockos Reaper with ZED-R16

Transcription

1 This document describes how to configure Cockos Reaper to work with the ZED-R16. The following step by step procedures refer to Reaper 3.75 on both MAC an PC. A similar procedure should apply for other versions of Reaper. NOTE: As of version the Firewire driver has been renamed from ZEDDICE to Allen and Heath Firewire. Before starting Ensure the Allen & Heath Firewire driver is installed on your system and up to date. Please read the Firewire Driver Installation / Firewire Control Pannel V3.5.x guides for details regarding installation and understanding of the Control Panel. Ensure the ZED-R16 is powered on and the Firewire cable is connected from the computer to either port on the ZED-R16 Firewire interface. Check that your computer has recognized the connection of the ZED-R16 Firewire device by opening the Allen & Heath Firewire Control Panel. Audio routing Launch Reaper. Choose Yes if the message Would you like to select your audio device driver now? or Would you like to view your audio device configuration? is displayed. Otherwise click Options > Preferences. Select Audio, Device, set ASIO as the Audio System and ASIO Allen and Heath Firewire as the ASIO Driver. Check the Enable inputs option. Set 1: ZED-R16 CH1/CH1/2 as the first input and 26: ZED-R16 ADAT8/ ADAT7/8 as the last input. Set as well 1: ZED-R16 CH1/CH1/2 as the first output and 26: ZED-R16 ADAT8/ ADAT7/8 as the last output. Allen & Heath 1 ZED R-16 Reaper setup guide - Issue 2

2 Leave the Request sample rate and Request block size options disabled and click the ASIO Configuration button instead to launch the Allen & Heath Firewire Control Panel and set your desired sample rate and buffer size, then click OK. If you are not familiar with Reaper, you may use the ZED-R16 Reaper template as a starting point and skip to the MIDI control section (page 4). Click File/Open Project and select the template file. Please note MIDI settings are stored in the host application, not in the project. Follow the instructions in the next sections to setup MIDI control. ZED-R16 Reaper template The project has 24 mono tracks sourced from the ZED-R Mono Input Channels and ADAT 1 port, and a stereo track sourced from the ZED-R Main LR. All tracks are routed to the Master bus in Reaper - this is patched to Output 17 & 18. Use ZED-R16 Digital Master to LR button and Digital Master Input rotary control to monitor the DAW Master bus when mixing in the box. All tracks are also routed to the corresponding ZED-R channel via a pre-fader Send at unity gain. Enable the Digital Return on the ZED-R Input Channels and arm the Main LR track to record the analogue mixdown out of the desk. To start from a blank project, click File/New Project. Right-click the track panel under the main toolbar and choose Insert multiple tracks. Type 16 in the Insert how many tracks box and click OK. To set the source for a given track, click its In button, and select the required input (for example Mono Input and Mono Input/ZED R16 CH1/CH1/CH2 for Track 1). If any audio is present on the corresponding ZED-R16 channel, arm the track to monitor the input signal on the meter. Allen & Heath 2 ZED R-16 Reaper setup guide - Issue 2

3 To set the routing for a given track, click its IO button. This will open a Routing window. Click the Audio Hardware Outputs drop down menu and select the required output (for example 1: ZED R16 CH1/CH1/2 for Track 1). Select pre or post-fader mode according to your particular workflow. If any audio clip is present on the track, start Playback in Reaper and enable the Digital Return in the corresponding ZED-R channel to monitor the signal. Please read the ZED-R16 User Guide for detailed information regarding the routing options. Leave the Master/Parent Send option enabled if you still want the track to be routed to the Master bus in Reaper. As an alternative, open the Routing Matrix view in Reaper to quickly assign inputs and outputs for each track rather than repeating the described steps multiple times. The Routing Matrix does also provide an useful overview of your I/O patch. Open the Master bus Routing window to ensure it is patched to a dedicated pair of channels on the ZED-R16. For example, select 17: ZED R16 L/MAIN L/R / ZED R16 R/MAIN L/R to patch the Master bus to the ZED-R Digital Master to LR. Allen & Heath 3 ZED R-16 Reaper setup guide - Issue 2

4 MIDI control The default set of MIDI data messages used by the ZED-R16 can be mapped or learned by Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software. MIDI data coming from the ZED-R16 is tunnelled over the Firewire cable and Allen & Heath Firewire will appear as a MIDI device. If you are not using Firewire, you can still use the MIDI features of the ZED-R16 by connecting standard MIDI DIN cables to a third party MIDI interface. Many soundcards come equipped with MIDI ports as standard. Set the ZED-R16 transport to send MMC out - hold down the Rec button at power up, let go and then hold down button 1 then let go. Next simultaneously hold down button 1 and Rec for two seconds, release both buttons and power the mixer off and on again. Note: The Transport MMC/NOTE ON/OFF functionality is only available for desks with serial number ZR16X or higher. For desks with lower serial numbers, Transport buttons will output MMC only. Launch Reaper and create a new project or open an existing one. Click Options > Preferences then select Audio, MIDI Devices. Double-click the Allen and Heath Firewire device in the MIDI Inputs window. Check the Enable input from this device and Enable input for control messages option boxes, then click OK. The MIDI Devices window should now be similar to the following screenshot: Allen & Heath 4 ZED R-16 Reaper setup guide - Issue 2

5 Click Actions > Show action list. This will open the Actions window with a list of functions that can be controlled from either keyboard shortcuts or MIDI. Scroll the list of actions to select the required function or parameter, for example Track: Set volume for track 01 (MIDI CC only). Click the Add button. Click the Special Key button and move the corresponding control on the ZED-R16 (for example the Mono Input Channel 1 fader). A message should appear in the Shortcut field (for example MIDI Chan 16 CC 1 ). Click OK. Repeat the process to assign all the required faders, pots and Solo/Select or MIDI buttons. Click the Import/export button to save your settings so that you can recall them any time you want. Allen & Heath 5 ZED R-16 Reaper setup guide - Issue 2