ReaLearn Tutorial 2

Using "Auto-load" to control whatever plug-in is currently in focus

Tip	This topic is now also covered in this and this video tutorial.

This one seems to be a very popular use case: To create a dedicated set of mappings for a specific FX plug-in and load these mappings whenever focusing that plug-in on the screen. The easiest way to do this is to use the "Auto-load" feature.

To have a nice example, let’s assume you want to build a first set of mappings for the VSTi plug-in Vital. The procedure for other plug-ins is the same.

Step 1: Activate the correct controller preset

Before you start, I strongly recommend downloading a ReaLearn controller preset for your specific controller from ReaPack and activate it in the controller compartment. You will need to right-click the header panel and choose [reload-all-presets] to make a newly downloaded controller preset appear in the preset list. If there’s no suitable preset for your controller available on ReaPack or in the list of unofficial controller presets, build your own.

This step is completely optional, but it gives you many advantages, both in the short and long run. Please see section Controller compartment for details.

Step 2: Create mappings for your FX plug-in

In this step you will tell ReaLearn which control element on your controller should control which parameter of your FX plug-in:

1. Add Vital VSTi and a new empty ReaLearn instance, both as track FX (not as monitoring FX), preferably side-by-side so that you can see both.

   • It’s also possible to use monitoring FX but for this particular tutorial it’s important to use track FX (otherwise ReaLearn will not ask you if it should make your mappings project-independent in step 3).

2. In ReaLearn, press Learn many.

3. Move a control element on your controller, change a Vital parameter, move another control element, change another Vital parameter … until you are finished!

4. Press Stop.

Step 3: Save mappings as main preset and link it to the FX type

Now let’s save your newly created set of mappings as preset and link the preset to the Vital VSTi plug-in:

1. Make sure the main compartment is shown.

2. Press Save as… (next to Preset).

   • ReaLearn will ask you if it should make your mappings project-independent. Answer with Yes (important).

3. Enter a descriptive preset name, e.g. "Vital".

4. Right-click ReaLearn’s header panel → Global FX-to-preset links → <Add link from FX "Vital.dll" to…​> and choose the previously created "Vital" preset.

   • The name Vital.dll can vary, depending on your operating system.

   • If it doesn’t mention Vital but another VST plug-in, focus your Vital VSTi plug-in instance for a moment and then go directly to ReaLearn and right-click the header panel.

Step 4: Activate "Auto-load"

Now you just have to set Auto-load to Based on instance FX. Since the [instance-fx] is by default the currently focused FX, ReaLearn will from now on activate your "Vital" preset whenever Vital VSTi plug-in has focus. If you want this in all projects without having to add ReaLearn to each project manually, add a dedicated ReaLearn instance to REAPER’s monitoring FX chain (REAPER → View → Monitoring FX).