when you have Reaper daw volume automation does the velocity (volume) of the midi notes stop working on that same track, or does one win over another?

 

no. one win over another

 

Volume automation and velocity work independently. And well, technically, velocity doesn't imply a volume change. For example, in many VSTis (and I'd guess hardware synths), you could map velocity to whatever you feel like, such as making an LFO speed up or slow down.

An even better/clearer point by @No Avenger below

 

Last edited: May 26, 2024

Velocity is for MIDI, volume automation for audio. Two different things, no interference.

 

Like the others have said, volume automation simply increases/decreases the volume of the track and has nothing to do with the MIDI on that track. It's the same thing as if you would manually increase the volume of the track with the track fader.

However, fades (fade-in/fade-out) on a MIDI item will affect the velocity of notes playing during the fades. It's not really useful on long sustained notes since they will just stay the same velocity throughout the fade, but if you have a bunch of quick notes playing during a fade they will increase (or decrease depending on the type of fade) in velocity throughout the fade.

 

volume envelope automation affects midi in reaper

 

Nope, have a look



Velocity (in this example) only affects the filter, have a listen

 

yes i noticed it affects the filter indeed at times when i have a synth on

with reasamplomatic5000 have u checked? i think it affects the volume in that case

 

I think you might be getting caught up in semantics a bit on what velocity really is. Velocity is just another set of MIDI data that your MIDI processor(s) (ex. a VSTi, or a hardware synth) can do something with. That can result in an audible change in volume of a sound, and it could result in no change in volume whatsoever. It's all a case of what your MIDI processors do with it. It's basically just a MIDI data saying how hard you hit a key on your keyboard (I'm simplifying a bit here for brevity), but a VSTi you use might do absolutely nothing with that information (in fact, a lot don't, without some configuring).

I haven't used it in a while, so I might be out of date in saying this, but ReaSamplomatic is a good example of what I mean because from what I remember, out of the box velocity has no impact at all on the sound. You have to do something like change the min vol parameter to make velocity affect volume on it, IIRC.

Anticipating a potential follow up question, if you set up rs5k to be velocity sensitive (using min vol), and do some volume automation, they'll work independently (i.e. both affective the volume of the sound)

 

Last edited: May 28, 2024

No. In short. Track volume automation and velocity are different. Midi velocity is just on off value embedded with the note, its not a continuous control (CC)

But MIDI does have volume (CC 7) but its different, its not velocity its volume. But velocity impacts volume, when there is no volume automation present. (i could discuss this in depth but im lazy)
Most modern vsti ignores this cc, but some does. They just have a filter for Program change or Bank or patch change, most of the korg vsti has this as a separate feature, u can even use an external control for volume if u disabled it control change.

To experiment this try any sound font player like sound canvas or similar like bassmidi vsti which is free, or try KONTAKT it must have it.
Make a midi item with a volume cc automation like below on that Item, Remember "on that item" not on track, and check.

This might be of help


Check the level in the meters. sry cant do a video.

 

Last edited: May 30, 2024