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. Once NINJAM is connected to a NINJAM server, your Live sound will be combined with other musician’s sound and the NINJAM metronome. These combined signals will all be routed back into a REAPER channel then out to your speakers.

NOTE: With the new ReaNINJAM feature built in to REAPER, this configuration can be simplified. I'll post a second tutorial using ReaNINJAM soon.

Please send comments to Dave, tonedevf@gmail.com

Tested with: REAPER 1.859, NINJAM 0.06, Live 6.0.5

0) Close all audio apps

1) Install REAPER with default settings except...

  -Install ReaRoute
  -DO NOT install ReWire (Live will complain at startup if REAPER has Rewire functionality)
  -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” 
  
  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 "from Live"
     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
     On this track, click the green "I/O" button to open "Routing" window
        Uncheck “Master / Parent Send”
        Under "Audio Hardware Outputs", select "ReaRoute Channel 3 / ReaRoute Channel 4"
        Close "Routing" window
     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 "from NINJAM"
     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 5 / ReaRoute Channel 6
     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

  Options> Preferences > Audio tab
  Set "Driver Type" to "ASIO"
  Set "Audio Device" to “ReaRoute ASIO”
  Click the "Output Config" button and ensure that "1/2 Stereo" is enabled
  Hit OK, close Preferences window
  Check View > Input/Output
  Ensure the “Master Out” is set to “1/2”
  Set some continuous loop playing, making sure that signal is showing on your master ouput track

4) Switch back to REAPER. You should see signal in the “from Live to NINJAM” channel but you won’t be able to hear anything yet.

5) Launch NINJAM

  a) Options > Audio Configuration
     Set “Input/Output System:” to “ASIO”
     Set “ASIO Driver” to “ReaRoute ASIO”
     Set “Input Range first” to “3: ReaRoute REAPER=>CLIENT 3”
     Set “Input Range last” to “4: ReaRoute REAPER=>CLIENT 4”
     Set “Output ----=====| left:” to “5: ReaRoute Client=>REAPER 5” 
     Set “Output ----=====| right:” to “6: ReaRoute Client=>REAPER 6”
     Click OK 
  
  b) Connect to a ninjam server
     Under Local Channels, label the first channel “left”, check “Transmit”, choose “ReaRoute REAPER=>CLIENT 3” from the pulldown, and slide the pan fully left.
     Hit “Add Local Channel”
     Label this new channel “right”, check “Transmit”, choose “ReaRoute REAPER=>CLIENT 4” from the pulldown, and slide the pan fully right.

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

7) BONUS: Make a cue track

  a) in REAPER, Track > New Track
     On the track just created, in the white space next to the number "3", label this track "Cue from Live"
     Below the number "3", 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 7 / ReaRoute Channel 8
     Enable “Record Monitoring: ON” by clicking the speaker icon left of the level meter. 
  
  b) in Live, Options > Preferences > Audio
     Click "Output Config"
     Enable "7/8 Stereo"
     Hit OK, close Preferences window
     Check View > Input/Output
     On the Master track, change "Cue Out" to 7/8
     Near the bottom of the Master track, toggle the "Solo" button to show "Cue" 
  
  c) 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.