Editing Openai/693306da-bfa4-800c-bbf4-86d6eabddb76 (section)

=== Assistant: Short answer: Yes — Reaper can do the entire MIDI processing step itself, no need for TouchOSC in the middle at all unl… ===
Short answer: Yes — Reaper can do the entire MIDI processing step itself, no need for TouchOSC in the middle at all unless you specifically want that UI layer.

Reaper is uniquely good at this because:
* It allows input FX (pre-DAW MIDI processing)
* It supports JSFX MIDI scripts
* It can transform MIDI before it ever hits the track

==== 🔁 If you want the same chain but with Reaper ====

<syntaxhighlight>MIDI Keyboard → TouchOSC (processing) → Reaper

</syntaxhighlight>

but honestly, Reaper can do this internally:

==== ⭐ Option A (recommended): Skip TouchOSC, use Reaper Input FX ====

In Reaper:
# Create a MIDI track
# Right-click track input → choose MIDI keyboard
# Click the Input FX button (not track FX)
# Add: - JS: MIDI velocity control - JS: MIDI CC mapper - JS: MIDI transpose - or custom JSFX scripts

These plugins affect MIDI before it reaches the track recording/monitoring.
Exactly what you wanted: pre-DAW transformation.

===== Examples of what Reaper can do in Input FX =====
* filter note ranges
* scale lock / quantize
* velocity curve shaping
* convert CC ↔ aftertouch ↔ notes
* channel remapping
* split keyboard zones
* MIDI generative scripting (JSFX)

Reaper’s JSFX is insanely flexible — basically like writing realtime MIDI code.

==== ⭐ Option B: Still use TouchOSC as middleware ====

If you insist on having TouchOSC as the processor:

<syntaxhighlight>MIDI Keyboard → TouchOSC → (virtual MIDI port) → Reaper

</syntaxhighlight>

You must use a virtual MIDI port:
* Windows: loopMIDI
* macOS: IAC Driver
* Network: rtpMIDI

Then in Reaper:
# Preferences → MIDI Devices
# Enable virtual port as input
# Disable direct keyboard input (so raw MIDI doesn’t bypass TouchOSC)

==== ⭐ Option C: Do the processing purely with ReaScript (Lua, Python) ====

If you want custom logic but hate TouchOSC scripting:
* Reaper can run Lua scripts triggered by MIDI
* can perform transformations, routing, generative patterns

This gets nerdy but powerful.

==== 💡 So what’s best? ====

If your goal is simply MIDI preprocessing, then:

| Method                 | Best for                                               |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Reaper Input FX + JSFX | Pure MIDI shaping, CC mapping, scales, velocity curves |
| TouchOSC in between    | If you need touchscreen panel, XY pads, custom UI      |
| ReaScript              | Complex rules, generative, algorithmic transforms      |

==== 🔥 My recommendation: ====

===== Do it inside Reaper with Input FX → JSFX MIDI processors =====

TouchOSC is only necessary if you want a control surface.

If you tell me what you want to modify (e.g. convert CC1→CC74, lock to C minor scale, custom velocity curve, split keyboard zones), I can:
* make you a JSFX script
* or configure the exact chain

What transformations do you want to run on the incoming MIDI?