VCV Rack - midi into Reason

[Nymphomation]

Hi all, sorry if this question has been asked/answered before, I did try and search for an answer.

For anyone using VCV rack Pro (2.4.1) VST withing Reason - how do you get the Midi out of VCV rack into the Reason?

E.g. I used the Midi to CV module to get the clock from Reason, that goes into Marbles/Random Sampler, and then my gate and V/Oct into the CV to midi Module.

But.. how now do I get the midi out of there into Reason? The Midi Out Device doesn;t see it, and I've tried and failed with the 'advanced midi' routing (I don't really understand that!)

Please, what am I missing?! Thanks in advance!

[huggermugger]

You don't. It's 2024 and Reason STILL can't see the MIDI output coming from a VST.

[mimidancer]

Getting midi out of a vst in reason is not possible. but you can send out cv data and convert it to MIDI. You need a DC-coupled audio interface. In VCV rack you will need the Expert Sleepers Silent Way module. it is $10 in the vcv library. But there are many devices that will convert CV to midi. Or you can just use the CV.

[Nymphomation]

Ah wow, that kinda sucks

You don't. It's 2024 and Reason STILL can't see the MIDI output coming from a VST.

[Nymphomation]

Thanks for your answer, I'm a bit confused though. I want to take the digital CV from the VCV Rack VST and play a Reason instrument or other VST with it. Would your suggested workflow let me do that?
You're saying I can send out the CV and convert it to MIDI - but what for? Where would that MIDI go? Sorry, I'm a bit confused!

Getting midi out of a vst in reason is not possible. but you can send out cv data and convert it to MIDI. You need a DC-coupled audio interface. In VCV rack you will need the Expert Sleepers Silent Way module. it is $10 in the vcv library. But there are many devices that will convert CV to midi. Or you can just use the CV.

[mimidancer]

Thanks for your answer, I'm a bit confused though. I want to take the digital CV from the VCV Rack VST and play a Reason instrument or other VST with it. Would your suggested workflow let me do that?
You're saying I can send out the CV and convert it to MIDI - but what for? Where would that MIDI go? Sorry, I'm a bit confused!

Getting midi out of a vst in reason is not possible. but you can send out cv data and convert it to MIDI. You need a DC-coupled audio interface. In VCV rack you will need the Expert Sleepers Silent Way module. it is $10 in the vcv library. But there are many devices that will convert CV to midi. Or you can just use the CV.

you could. you would bring the CV out of the PC convert it to MIDI then back into the PC you can also just send the cv back into reason. But i have never done that.. you need a DC-coupled interface and something to convert the CV to MIDI. You may be able to loop back the cv out in a way it does not leave reason but I do not know how. If it can be done I bet Carley from @PoohBearsReasonChannel would know how. He is on this board sometimes you should reach out to him. Also, his youtube channel is the best out there for learning and using CV in Reason. Sorry I am not more helpful for bringing the cv back in. I do send cv out of reason to my Eurock modules often.

[Nymphomation]

Ah right, I see what you mean. I have a physical eurorack system, so could use my real marbles to trigger stuff in Reason (I have CV to midiconverters) - but I just wanted to do it all in Reason... Cant have it all I guess!
Well... I could switch to Ableton

Thanks for your answer, I'm a bit confused though. I want to take the digital CV from the VCV Rack VST and play a Reason instrument or other VST with it. Would your suggested workflow let me do that?
You're saying I can send out the CV and convert it to MIDI - but what for? Where would that MIDI go? Sorry, I'm a bit confused!

you could. you would bring the CV out of the PC convert it to MIDI then back into the PC you can also just send the cv back into reason. But i have never done that.. you need a DC-coupled interface and something to convert the CV to MIDI. You may be able to loop back the cv out in a way it does not leave reason but I do not know how. If it can be done I bet Carley from @PoohBearsReasonChannel would know how. He is on this board sometimes you should reach out to him. Also, his youtube channel is the best out there for learning and using CV in Reason. Sorry I am not more helpful for bringing the cv back in. I do send cv out of reason to my Eurock modules often.

[mimidancer]

Ah right, I see what you mean. I have a physical eurorack system, so could use my real marbles to trigger stuff in Reason (I have CV to midiconverters) - but I just wanted to do it all in Reason... Cant have it all I guess!
Well... I could switch to Ableton

you could. you would bring the CV out of the PC convert it to MIDI then back into the PC you can also just send the cv back into reason. But i have never done that.. you need a DC-coupled interface and something to convert the CV to MIDI. You may be able to loop back the cv out in a way it does not leave reason but I do not know how. If it can be done I bet Carley from @PoohBearsReasonChannel would know how. He is on this board sometimes you should reach out to him. Also, his youtube channel is the best out there for learning and using CV in Reason. Sorry I am not more helpful for bringing the cv back in. I do send cv out of reason to my Eurock modules often.

I own Live as well, but you can't beat the reason if you already understand modular.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

In VCV rack use the CV to midi and send that out to a loopback and back to Reason..
You can also send the CV signals back to Reason via audio then use Thor to convert them into Reason CV, you probably have to the scale them, either in VCV first or Reason later.

[Nymphomation]

Hi thanks for your reply, I'm sorry but I don;t understand it! I'm using the CV to midi in VCV rack but can't figure out the next step.

Would you be able to break that down for me "send that out to a loopback and back to Reason.." - could you tell me exactly how you're doing it (treat me like a dummy

In VCV rack use the CV to midi and send that out to a loopback and back to Reason..
You can also send the CV signals back to Reason via audio then use Thor to convert them into Reason CV, you probably have to the scale them, either in VCV first or Reason later.

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Hi thanks for your reply, I'm sorry but I don;t understand it! I'm using the CV to midi in VCV rack but can't figure out the next step.

Would you be able to break that down for me "send that out to a loopback and back to Reason.." - could you tell me exactly how you're doing it (treat me like a dummy

In VCV rack use the CV to midi and send that out to a loopback and back to Reason..
You can also send the CV signals back to Reason via audio then use Thor to convert them into Reason CV, you probably have to the scale them, either in VCV first or Reason later.

Note in later versions of Reason use the Midi out Device instead of the EMI

This might help as well...

[Nymphomation]

Hi thanks for the reply. I watched both videos, a couple of times. They're great videos, thanks for sharing, but I can't get it to work in my case. I've tried with both Reason v10 and 12.

These are the steps I took:
- installed loopMIDI and setup a port
- created a control surface with the correct midi input
- made a VCV rack with Midi to CV -> Marbles -> CV to MIDI
- created a MIDI OUT /EMI and selected midi loopback
- created a thor, and locked it to the midi loopback surface

When playing the timeline, I'd hoped that the CV to MIDI from VCV rack would play the Thor via the Midi Out/EMI - isn't that the idea?
When you select the Loopback on the VCV rack CV to Midi device, you just have a choice of Loopback 1 to 16, there is no 'named' loopback, i.e. like the one I created in the loopMIDI gui.
I'm not sure the Midi is getting from VCV rack to the Midi Out/EMI, as there is no activity on the Note or Midi light.

Have you used this method specifically with VCV rack in this way? I'd love to know if you have, and what step I'm missing! Thanks in advance

Hi thanks for your reply, I'm sorry but I don;t understand it! I'm using the CV to midi in VCV rack but can't figure out the next step.

Would you be able to break that down for me "send that out to a loopback and back to Reason.." - could you tell me exactly how you're doing it (treat me like a dummy

Note in later versions of Reason use the Midi out Device instead of the EMI

This might help as well...

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Hi thanks for the reply. I watched both videos, a couple of times. They're great videos, thanks for sharing, but I can't get it to work in my case. I've tried with both Reason v10 and 12.

These are the steps I took:
- installed loopMIDI and setup a port
- created a control surface with the correct midi input
- made a VCV rack with Midi to CV -> Marbles -> CV to MIDI
- created a MIDI OUT /EMI and selected midi loopback
- created a thor, and locked it to the midi loopback surface

When playing the timeline, I'd hoped that the CV to MIDI from VCV rack would play the Thor via the Midi Out/EMI - isn't that the idea?
When you select the Loopback on the VCV rack CV to Midi device, you just have a choice of Loopback 1 to 16, there is no 'named' loopback, i.e. like the one I created in the loopMIDI gui.
I'm not sure the Midi is getting from VCV rack to the Midi Out/EMI, as there is no activity on the Note or Midi light.

Have you used this method specifically with VCV rack in this way? I'd love to know if you have, and what step I'm missing! Thanks in advance

You are so close, the Midi loopback video with the EMI is really for other things however the loopback part is the bit you want.
All you have to do is point the surface controller you created with the loopback port and point that at Thor, you do not even need the EMI\Midi out device.
As for the loopback 1 to 16, I wonder if that is giving you midi channels? Should not matter which one you use but best to use Channel 1

This is what mine looks like, note the top options says Windows Midi and not Loopback like yours. I also don't get to see ports, I could have an old version of VCV as I don't use it. (I take it you have rebooted your system since installing the loopback software?)

vcv.jpg (41.72 KiB) Viewed 390 times

[mimidancer]

In VCV rack use the CV to midi and send that out to a loopback and back to Reason..
You can also send the CV signals back to Reason via audio then use Thor to convert them into Reason CV, you probably have to the scale them, either in VCV first or Reason later.

you are always so helpful. I knew you would know.

[Nymphomation]

Thanks so much for your help, I got there in the end! I needed to select 'Windows Midi', not 'loopback' in the CV to Midi module. Great stuff, I've been trying to do this for months, I've finally got it working!

Hi thanks for the reply. I watched both videos, a couple of times. They're great videos, thanks for sharing, but I can't get it to work in my case. I've tried with both Reason v10 and 12.

These are the steps I took:
- installed loopMIDI and setup a port
- created a control surface with the correct midi input
- made a VCV rack with Midi to CV -> Marbles -> CV to MIDI
- created a MIDI OUT /EMI and selected midi loopback
- created a thor, and locked it to the midi loopback surface

When playing the timeline, I'd hoped that the CV to MIDI from VCV rack would play the Thor via the Midi Out/EMI - isn't that the idea?
When you select the Loopback on the VCV rack CV to Midi device, you just have a choice of Loopback 1 to 16, there is no 'named' loopback, i.e. like the one I created in the loopMIDI gui.
I'm not sure the Midi is getting from VCV rack to the Midi Out/EMI, as there is no activity on the Note or Midi light.

Have you used this method specifically with VCV rack in this way? I'd love to know if you have, and what step I'm missing! Thanks in advance

You are so close, the Midi loopback video with the EMI is really for other things however the loopback part is the bit you want.
All you have to do is point the surface controller you created with the loopback port and point that at Thor, you do not even need the EMI\Midi out device.
As for the loopback 1 to 16, I wonder if that is giving you midi channels? Should not matter which one you use but best to use Channel 1

This is what mine looks like, note the top options says Windows Midi and not Loopback like yours. I also don't get to see ports, I could have an old version of VCV as I don't use it. (I take it you have rebooted your system since installing the loopback software?)
vcv.jpg

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Thanks so much for your help, I got there in the end! I needed to select 'Windows Midi', not 'loopback' in the CV to Midi module. Great stuff, I've been trying to do this for months, I've finally got it working!

Glad it's all working, as a bonus you can now run VST's in VCV with midi output and send that back to Reason