Reaper Rocks!

[syo***]

I just started using Reaper for my recording and so far I am extremely impressed.

I've been a ProTools user for the last 12 years or so. I've always had a like/hate relationship with PT. Its finicky, resource hungry and I feel poorly supported by its maker, but my PT rig was my first DAW and it's what I know best.
Well I just bought a new (FAST!) computer. My first 64-bit Win 7 machine so I knew I would have to upgrade from PT 7.4 to 10 which would cost me another $600. This fact prompted me to finally give Reaper a try as I've heard of many long time PT users migrating to Reaper who wind up loving it.

Without reading any documentation, I launched Reaper, layed down some keyboards, drums and a quick lead guitar test in about 10 minutes. It usually takes PT 5 minutes just to load! It's light resource-wise, handles tracks and plug-ins intelligently and has tons of features I'm just starting to learn about. I had FireFox up and I think Photoshop too and it hummed along without a hitch. PT works best on machine dedicated solely to its use and with nothing extraneous in memory. It's still a little early but I think I'm sold on Reaper. Especially since Reaper costs $60. On the honor system even! No ILok!

Any other ProTools refugees out there? Anyone else using Reaper? If so, what do you think?

[Robert****]

Never tried it. Do you prefer it to Reason?

[syo***]

Hey Robert,
Yes, definitely for recording I prefer Reaper but they are different programs really. Reason is great with so many creative tools, sounds and instruments. But the biggest downside for me is it won't take any of my favored plugins like EZDrummer, Guitar Rig, Amplitube, my reverb suites, compressors etc. But the great thing is I can Rewire Reason (I believe) in Reaper! So it looks like the best of both worlds. You can Rewire in ProTools too but it's quite a hog.

I haven't done any mixing yet with Reaper but it looks to be good there too. You should give the demo a try. It's the full version with no limits. Downloads in seconds and you can be up and playing around in 5 minutes.

[Lev]

Been using reaper for quite a while and find it very intuative. I'm currently running Ableton rewired to it and it's flawless (on a 4 year old laptop). Now if I could just finish one of my half started projects on it.....

[FrankenFretter***]

Never use canned salmon!

[syo***]

Never use canned salmon!

That's two more things I like about you, Sean. The El Kabong avatar and your taste in movies. That death scene from the Meaning of Life is classic...

[FrankenFretter***]

That's two more things I like about you, Sean. The El Kabong avatar and your taste in movies. That death scene from the Meaning of Life is classic...

Heh heh, thanks Michael. I grew up on Python, and it probably had a huge influence on my love for British humour.

Back to the OP subject, I'm currently trying to learn how to use Audacity with Guitar Rig 4, and I'm a total idiot when it comes to home recording. I just checked out the Reaper website, and it's extremely reasonable for a DAW. I may try it out as well.

[deeaa*]

Any other ProTools refugees out there? Anyone else using Reaper? If so, what do you think?

I did use ProTools M-Powered for a while as it came with a soundcard...it was an improvement over Samplitude which I used before that. Tried Cakewalk too, and whatnot way back. But never tried Reaper, I've gotten so used to using Cubase and the gazillion little things it has built-in. But Reaper sure sounds like it's a good soft.

BTW my favorite scene is 'Find the fish' at the 'middle of the film.' I don't think I ever laughed so hard at anything in movies, it was just so bizarre and unexpected.

[Eric***]

Back to the OP subject, I'm currently trying to learn how to use Audacity with Guitar Rig 4, and I'm a total idiot when it comes to home recording. I just checked out the Reaper website, and it's extremely reasonable for a DAW. I may try it out as well.

So on this note, have any of you recording enthusiasts ever used Audacity? My advice to Sean was going to be to stick with Audacity until he had the basics of recording down, because its simplistic interface and lack of options makes it much easier to navigate. I realized that I've never actually used any 'real' DAW, so it could be that they're all easier to use while also providing more options.

I always assumed the rabbit hole just got deeper and wider as you ventured into more pro-type applications, but I don't really know.

Back to the OP, I've been interested in using Ardour among DAWs for a while too, but if I ever have more advanced needs I will definitely try out Reaper.

[omegadot]

I've used audacity and reaper since reaper came with my amp. Both are fantastic.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

[stingx]

I've tried Reaper and I think it's a good piece of software. That said, I use, and will continue to use, Mackie Tracktion II until it no longer works on a future OS. I have used all types of DAW software - Cubase, Pro Tools, Sonar, etc. - over the years and all take away time from creativity to be a bit more of a producer. Tracktion is THE MOST INTUITIVE piece of software I have user used. It's all laid out for you on a single page. Just drag elements to where they need to go and just record.

The version I have still works very well and I am running 64-bit Win 7. I even use a 32-bit VST from Scuffham successfully in there along with a huge collection of VSTs amassed over the years. It doesn't crash. It doesn't hog resources. I have gone overboard and made something like 55 tracks of nonsense to stress it using multiple versions of heavy hitting resource VSTs like Ozone.

Anyway, not to detract from OP but I do like Reaper and should I not be able to use Tracktion in the future it would become my new DAW software of choice. That said, I hope I can use Tracktion forever.

[syo***]

Anyway, not to detract from OP but I do like Reaper and should I not be able to use Tracktion in the future it would become my new DAW software of choice. That said, I hope I can use Tracktion forever.

Not at all Stingx. I've played around with quite a few packages but never Tracktion. Sounds great.
Having used ProTools for so many years it's kind of strange to not even have it installed on my new system, but can't say I'm missing it too much. The biggest hassle was tracking down VST versions of my favorite plugins. Unfortunately, some of my RTA plugs are useless to me now. Probably another reason not to rely on a software with proprietary plug-ins. I'm very happy with what I have now.

[bleakerthanyou]

I'd have to agree that Reaper is truly a great piece of software. I've been using it in the studio for a couple of years, and after converting an old road case to hold a slide-out flatscreen lcd, I've mounted my PC and interface in there and I've been using reaper as a live rig as well. Even with 16 armed tracks and countless cpu-hungry vst's, I've not had a single problem using it live. Even my amp sounds are modelled thru plugins at some gigs. I suppose you have to be pretty tech savvy to trust a computer that much, so running it live isn't for everyone, but Reaper is easily my favorite DAW to date.