How to use hardware DRUM MACHINES with REAPER

In this video you will learn how to connect a drum machine to use along with REAPER, sending MIDI clock to sync tempo for sequenced patterns, or sending MIDI notes from the MIDI Editor to program songs with the sounds of your drum machine.

Whether you program sequences on the hardware, trigger it from MIDI notes, or just sample it to use in a software sampler, I encourage you to have fun learning the possibilities to find your ideal workflow to get the most of your drum machines.

Get my free 1987 Drums instrument for Decent Sampler

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[TheREAPERBlog]

I'm soo mad about focus on my camera, I won't use that filter again.

[dromzzz]

Really helpful! I've been using grooveboxes as my main production tools recently but up til now had been doing this in a very janky way. Thanks for bringing me into the future!

[shanesplanetshane]

Using reaper with a Tempest on a windows machine, has its own MAJOR quirks. Because of jitter, it can be really challenging. Thanks for the vid!

[daysaverproductions]

If you can do a video with an mpc 2000 or 2000xl that would be great but also I think your guide here will show me what to do as the videos on YouTube to do that are ancient and very poor quality too. Thanks and keep up the good work!

[solyarisoftware]

Hi Jon. Sorry for a bit out of scope; I submitted on the reaper forum this feature request: " Enabling MIDI Key Snapping When Recording". What do you think about it?

[xgmode]

I found looping some sequence on my Behringer Edge timing in Reaper is lost when the loop goes back to the start position. Quite annoying when layering to multiple tracks. Can only record either a longer bit or stop before it loops. Maybe it's due to the Behringer USB driver, haven't tried oldschool MIDI cable connection yet. Doing this with my Yamaha MU500 thru USB doesn't give this issue.

[nectariosm]

Unfortunately (my v7.22) Reaper can't loop and keep sending external MIDI clock on time. I am using lots of hardware sequencers via a MOTU MIDI Express 128 and a Midronome and although I have 0 issues with Ableton Live 12, Logic Pro X, Cubase 12...when Reaper loops for 8/16/32 bars, it randomly goes sloppy with external MIDI clock upon looping and this is increasingly worse as the project gets bigger.
Buffer settings don't make a difference

The other DAWs don't suffer from this, only Reaper, which points to Reaper being the culprit and not something with my set up.
The work around is to not use any loop points, which sucks.

[alaukikdj]

need reaper to improve its gui a lot! it still don't have its own identity