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making 4 bar midi inset action and 8 bar midi item inserting action

 You can create a custom action using only REAPER's native commands to insert a MIDI item that is exactly four bars long. This is achieved by using the edit cursor to define a time selection before triggering the insert command.

As the sources note, if you define a time selection before choosing Insert > New MIDI item, the newly created item will automatically match the length of that selection.

Custom Action: Insert 4-Bar MIDI Item

To build this macro, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Action List (press ?).
  2. Click New action... and select New custom action....
  3. Name your action (e.g., Insert 4-bar MIDI item).
  4. Drag the following native actions from the left pane to the right pane in this exact order:
    • Navigate: Move edit cursor to start of measure (Ensures the item starts perfectly on the bar line).
    • Time selection: Set start point.
    • Navigate: Move edit cursor right one measure.
    • Navigate: Move edit cursor right one measure.
    • Navigate: Move edit cursor right one measure.
    • Navigate: Move edit cursor right one measure (Total of 4 moves for 4 bars).
    • Time selection: Set end point.
    • Insert new MIDI item... (This creates the item to fill the 4-bar selection).
    • Time selection: Remove (unselect) time selection (Optional cleanup to clear the selection area).
  5. Check the box for Consolidate undo points so the entire sequence can be reversed with one "Undo".
  6. Click OK and assign your preferred keyboard shortcut.

How it Works

  • Precision: By starting with "Move edit cursor to start of measure," you prevent the item from being inserted mid-bar if your cursor was slightly off-center.
  • Automatic Sizing: Because REAPER treats a time selection as the primary guide for new media length, the "Insert new MIDI item" command will ignore its 1-bar default and stretch to fill the 4-bar gap you defined.
  • Cleanup: The final "Remove time selection" action ensures that your project is ready for immediate playback or further editing without a highlighted loop area getting in the way.

Tip: If you frequently need items of different lengths (e.g., 8 bars or 16 bars), you can create variations of this macro by simply adding or removing the Navigate: Move edit cursor right one measure steps in the sequence.

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