# Reaper users: how do you make Reaper open the Midi Editor always at the same position and size?



## meradium (Jul 18, 2018)

I am desperately looking for a way to make Reaper not place its MIDI Editor all over the place when I double click on any of the media items.

This is driving me nuts.

I figure out a way to setup a screenset but now it seems I have to trigger that shortcut whenever I double click on a media item. The window position and its settings are not stored when I close the editor again.

Is there a special trick to this?

I intend to use the MIDI Editor standalone, not docked, to be able to access the great Reaticulate plugin of @tack. 

If I could force Reaper to take the whole screen for a docked editor to the bottom of the screen, that would work as well...

Any recommendations?


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## robgb (Jul 18, 2018)

Hmmm. I'm on a Mac and after setting up the size of the midi editor, it goes to full screen, always the same size, when I double click a media item. I also added a dock/undock toggle in the toolbar. I'm not sure what the special trick is. Reaper just seems to remember the position and size of the editor.


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## EvilDragon (Jul 18, 2018)

meradium said:


> I figure out a way to setup a screenset but now it seems I have to trigger that shortcut whenever I double click on a media item.



How the hell did you manage to do THAT?

Sounds like you made a mouse modifier change to load a screenset when double-clicking on an item. That's the wrong way to do it... Screensets by default have their own keyboard shortcuts (Shift+F4/F5/F6 IIRC).


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## meradium (Jul 18, 2018)

EvilDragon said:


> How the hell did you manage to do THAT?
> 
> Sounds like you made a mouse modifier change to load a screenset when double-clicking on an item. That's the wrong way to do it... Screensets by default have their own keyboard shortcuts (Shift+F4/F5/F6 IIRC).



You got me wrong there ED. When double clicking an item it opens up the MIDI Editor but that one seems to always have a different size, position, and internal settings.

To get it to look like I want I would always have to press the pre-assigned Screenset shortcut AFTER opening the MIDI Editor window. That would be quite daunting. There must be a better way to do this...


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## meradium (Jul 18, 2018)

robgb said:


> Hmmm. I'm on a Mac and after setting up the size of the midi editor, it goes to full screen, always the same size, when I double click a media item. I also added a dock/undock toggle in the toolbar. I'm not sure what the special trick is. Reaper just seems to remember the position and size of the editor.



Please share your secret!  I am clueless. Mine just does what it wants.


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## James Marshall (Jul 18, 2018)

In preferences > MIDI Editor ... what do you have selected for "*One MIDI editor per:*" and "*Behaviour for 'open items in built-in MIDI editor*'"?

Could be related to the problem you're having, perhaps you need to have One MIDI editor per _project_?

Like rob said it _should_ remember the last window size and position of a floating MIDI Editor...


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## meradium (Jul 18, 2018)

A miracle must have happened... I changed some pref and now it seems to work as expected... Correction: No, looks like I was too quick. Same problem.

I do have to confess that I find the MIDI Editor Prefs quite confusing. What I would love to see:

a) double click on multiple selected items -> items are by default all visible and editable
b) when editor is open and configured as in a) I press a button (or execute an action) and only the currently focused track is visible (others are semi-transparent) and editable

Not sure how close I am now.... will have to do further testing.

And now the icing on the cake would be to have the following soloing functions on top of that:

When in a) I press a button and all selected midi items are soloed.
When in b) I can do the same as before but additionally engage exclusive soloing for only the focused track


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## meradium (Jul 18, 2018)

OK, It saves the window position now... but I have to do the positioning for each an every item... :( And the screensets change the focus of the track even though I told it not to save that, so that does also not work to recall a window size and position.

How are you guys doing it? Have you defined a track template of some sorts?


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## RichardCooke (Apr 16, 2021)

For anyone still wanting to do this, I've found a way that works well, kinda of like FL Studio:
- In options - preferences - midi editor - set
- one midi editor per project 
- 'behaviour for open items' is - open all midi in project
- enable 'active midi item follows selection'
- In 'actions' (?) 
- new action
- Item: select all items
- Item: open in built-in midi
- save with shortcut key 'E'
- find the action view: toggle show midi editor, assign it key 'F7'

Now when you open a project, just push E to open the midi editor, maximize it, and you can edit anything.
Push F7 to show and hide it instantly no matter what else you are doing in the mixer, arrange view, etc.


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