# Wondering if I am missing something? Record MIDI chords in DAW? **URL:** \ **Category:** Scaler 2 General Discussion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2020, 3:10am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/wondering-if-i-am-missing-something-record-midi-chords-in-daw/2110 "2020-02-04T03:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![all-that-spaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@all-that-spaz](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/all-that-spaz)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:10am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/wondering-if-i-am-missing-something-record-midi-chords-in-daw/2110/1 "2020-02-04T03:10:06Z")
Hi, I downloaded a Scaler v1.8 demo and have been trying it out in REAPER 6.3. I have instantiated it on a track and can listen to its built in sounds. I have also routed to another VSTi on another track and can hear the chords with that VSTi. I can record the bound trigger notes using a MIDI controller on the tracks. What I can not seem to do but expected to be able to, is record the MIDI chords as I “play” them by triggering the chords within the Scaler interface by clicking on the chord labels. I can play a progression in this manner but I can not seem to record the MIDI. I can drag and drop the chords into REAPER, but I can’t seem to get REAPER to record the chords even though they are obviously being sent to the other VSTi as MIDI. I can hear the chords (even with the Scaler built in audio muted) as I play them in the scaler interface so they seem to be routed correctly. I am writing to ask if I should expect to be able to do this, so that I may either continue trying to figure out what I am doing wrong or if I should accept that it is not possible. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![davide](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex012/user_avatar/forum.scalermusic.com/davide/32/824_2.png) [@davide](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/davide)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/wondering-if-i-am-missing-something-record-midi-chords-in-daw/2110/2 "2020-02-04T03:29:58Z")
There are a few workaround to record your ‘external instrument’ see the tutorial sections of this forum. > [@Setup - Reaper 5 - External Instrument Control](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/setup-reaper-5-external-instrument-control/739): > > Open Reaper and make 2 tracks. Load Scaler on track1 Track2 is the audiotrack of the external synth Set the midi output of the scalertrack to your external synth, I cannot do more as 1 screenshot in a post. There ya go! FYI Scaler 2 has a midi capture feature which records the actual midi notes of everything you are doing. Due Q1 2010 ---
**Author:** ![all-that-spaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@all-that-spaz](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/all-that-spaz)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 3:49am UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/wondering-if-i-am-missing-something-record-midi-chords-in-daw/2110/3 "2020-02-04T03:49:42Z")
Thank you. I think I just figured it out. On the REAPER track with my second VSTi, I set the Record option to "Output (MIDI) and now I can capture the MIDI chords. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![TobeDowns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@TobeDowns](https://forum.scalermusic.com/u/TobeDowns)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://forum.scalermusic.com/t/wondering-if-i-am-missing-something-record-midi-chords-in-daw/2110/4 "2020-10-21T15:44:35Z")
Hello…as per my experience as long as you don’t change scale or use easy scale(s) containing a given number of notes it isn’t a big deal for composing such things like you want. (notice : Easy scale mode can ease adaptation process if changing idea for a transposition, scales modulations etc. as you manipulate keynotes relative positions in the scale and not their absolute chromatic positions) I think it’s also theorically possible to drive this from an other midi controller containing pads… and allow record of such live performance with two fingers