Using NINJAM with Live via REAPER

From CockosWiki

Purpose: To configure Live for use in NINJAM. By following these steps audio signal will flow from Live to NINJAM by way of a channel in REAPER.

NOTE: Look at the older versions of this page if you want to run the standalone NINJAM client.

Please send comments to tonedevf@gmail.com

Tested with: REAPER 2.53, Live 7.0.7

0) Close all audio apps

1) Install REAPER with default settings except...

  -Install ReaRoute (REAPER v3 seems to install ReaRoute by default?)
  -DO NOT install ReWire (Live will complain at startup if REAPER has Rewire functionality)
  -REAPER v3 doesn't seem to need the following step but REAPER v2 did...
  -NOTE:   You must have already installed *SOME* ASIO driver prior to installing ReaRoute.  
     For some reason, if you haven't already installed one, ReaRoute just doesn't show up.
     If ReaRoute doesn't show up, try installing http://www.asio4all.com/ first.

2) Launch REAPER

  a) Options > Preferences > Audio
     Uncheck “Close audio device when stopped and application is inactive”
     Make sure REAPER is set to use your physical audio interface
  
  b) File > New Project  (should be a blank project with no tracks) 
  
  c) Track > New Track
     On the track just created, in the white space next to the number "1", label this track "Live / NINJAM"
     Below the number "1", click the grey circle to make it red (this record-enables the track)
     Left-click the horizontal level meters that are now visible, choose Stereo Input > ReaRoute Channel 1 / ReaRoute Channel 2
     Enable “Record Monitoring: ON” by clicking the speaker icon left of the level meter. 
  
  d) Track > New Track
     On the track just created, in the white space next to the number "2", label this track "Live / CUE"
     Below the number "2", click the grey circle to make it red (this record-enables the track)
     Left-click the horizontal level meters that are now visible, choose Stereo Input > ReaRoute Channel 3 / ReaRoute Channel 4
     Enable “Record Monitoring: ON” by clicking the speaker icon left of the level meter. 
  
  e) File > Save Project As... > “Routing Live into REAPER”  (or some name of your choosing)

3) Launch Live

  a) Options > Preferences > Audio tab
  b) Set "Driver Type" to "ASIO"
  c) Set "Audio Device" to “ReaRoute ASIO”
  d) Click the "Output Config" button and ensure that "1/2 Stereo" and “3/4 Stereo” are enabled
  e) Hit OK, close Preferences window
  f) Check View > Input/Output
  g) Above the headphone volume knob, make sure the button says "Cue" (not "solo")
  h) Ensure the “Master Out” is set to “1/2” and “Cue Out” is set to “3/4”
  i) Set some continuous loop playing, making sure that signal is showing on your master ouput track
  j) Switch back to REAPER.  You should see signal in the “Live / NINJAM” channel and hear that signal.
     If you see signal but don't hear anything, toggle through the Record Monitoring modes by hitting the button left of the signal meter.  The mode should be “ON”, not “OFF” or “AUTO”
     

5) Test the CUE track

  a) Switch to Live
  b) Ensure Live is set to use Cue, not Solo, by toggling the button above the headphones/monitor dial in the master output section
  c) Enable the Cue button on the track currently making noise and disable the master output on that track by clicking the button with the track number
  d) Switch back to REAPER.  You should see the signal coming through the "Live / CUE" track and hear that signal
  e) The idea here is that while you are in the middle of the jam session, you can preview some element before sending it to the rest of the NINJAM participants
  f) To route a channel in Live to the Cue track, first turn off the Track Activator (the big button with track number), then enable the headphone button immediately bellow.
  

6) Connect to a NINJAM server

  a) In REAPER, on the "Live / NINJAM" channel, hit the FX button
  b) Highlight "VST: ReaNINJAM (Cockos)" and click OK
  c) Hit the "Show ReaNINJAM Console" button if the console doesn't open automatically
  d) Under "Local Channels", enter your name in the channel provided
  e) Make sure "Xmit" is checked
  f) Make sure "Stereo 1/2" is selected in the pull-down
  g) Click "File" menu > Connect
  h) Choose a server
  i) Have Fun!

7) Rock out with your Cockos(tm) out ! !