Track Midi Input/ Output Mystery

Maybe it's a poor night's sleep ... maybe there wasn't as much caffeine in my latest pot of coffee ... but I'm stumped! I'm a newby to Reaper ... but not entirely to midi and VSTis. I've been able to get track templates working fine by downloading them, making them or modifying them. What I can't figure out: I have a monotimbral VSTi working in a track by itself. I can 'play' it and hear it. I decide to add a new track to record midi and send to the instrument track. No midi input on the new track! I can't seem to get the track, armed or not to receive midi messages? My controller is working fine on any other track. What's going on please? Similar scenario. I drag a midi file into the same above track. I set up the receive/ send to the instrument track. No midi output to the instrument track! Even 'flaming' RTFM replies appreciated ... as long as the tell me where to go ... in the midi sense, that is. prado

Click the IO button of the newly added track and create a Send to the first track you need to. It will carry both audio and MIDI then. Works for me.

Thanks, but I think I mentioned in the post that I did send to the instrument track from the new track. So that's not my problem ... done that. But with sends or not, why doesn't the new track show it's receiving midi input when it's armed and selected? prado

When you right click on the arm button, have you selected Midi input for the new track? Pete

That's what I'm talking about! Thanks stratman ... right clicking on 'arm' is a whole new world. I guess that's part of what happens in the background when you choose 'create virtual instrument track.' prado