Host Automation
Step 1 — Make a track and add Omnisphere FX rack plug-in
1. Right-click in the empty track area and choose Insert new track. Alternatively, locate an existing track that you’d like to add the Omnisphere FX rack plug-in to.
2. On the new track, click the FX button.
3. In the FX Browser that opens, double-click on VST3: FX-Omnisphere (Spectrasonics).
NOTE: You can choose either AU or VST, but please only use one plug-in type for your session.
4. The plug-in window will appear.
Step 2 — Tell Reaper which parameter to learn
1. You can select any Omnisphere effect from by clicking on the down arrow above the word EFFECT.
2. Right click on the parameter you’d like to MIDI learn and select “Enable Host Automation.”
3. Show the automation lane by clicking on the automation button on the channel strip to open the Envelopes pop-up menu.
4. Inside the Envelopes menu window, click on the box in the first column to the right of the desired parameter to make it active:
5. The automation lane will appear below your track, allowing you to write in automation manually:
If you’d like to set up your MIDI controller to write Host Automation, you can continue with the steps below.
Step 3 — Set up your MIDI controller in Reaper
1. Go to the top menu and click Options → Settings….
2. In the left panel, click MIDI Inputs (this will be under the Audio category).
3. You should see your MIDI controller listed under MIDI input devices in the main window.
4. Right-click your device and choose:
• Enable Input for Track Record Input. • Include Input in “All MIDI Inputs” (this lets Reaper see MIDI notes). • Enable Input for Control Messages (this lets you use knobs/faders to control parameters).
You should see dots inside the boxes for Input, All, and Control:
If you don’t, you can click in the boxes to make the dots appear.
5. Click OK to close Preferences.
Now your controller is ready to send MIDI to Reaper.
Step 4 — Enable your MIDI Controller to write Host Automation
1. Click on and move the desired parameter in Omnisphere FX Rack. (Note that any parameter you choose must have Host Automation Enabled following Step 2 in this article).
2. In the plug-in window, look at the top-right corner for a button called Param.
3. Click Param → Learn….
4. A new window will open called MIDI/OSC Learn.
5. While in the MIDI/OSC Learn window, wiggle or turn the desired knob/slider on your MIDI controller.
6. Reaper should automatically detect it (you’ll see “MIDI Chan # CC #” appear in the window).
7. Click OK to confirm.
Now, when you move your knob, the plug-in parameter should move too!
Step 5 — Record automation
1. On your track, set the automation mode (click the Trim button in the track control panel and change it to Latch or Touch).
2. Arm the track.
3. Press Record and move your knob while the project plays.
4. Reaper will draw automation curves that you can edit later. If you don’t see an automation curve, make sure to go back to the Param menu from within the plug-in window and select “Show track envelope” from the dropdown menu.
This lets you capture your knob movements into your project.
Need more help with this?
Spectrasonics Customer Support
