18 posts
I've always had problems with protools in that it has to be reinstalled every now and then because it simply ceases to work. Yesterday I decided to try the latest version of Reaper as I had always like using reaper before, particularly the nice quick and easy (very quick and easy) way you can record/edit etc with it. I think I shall stick with Reaper for a while but so far I'm really liking the latest version.
It looks cool but easy to navigate.
I've used Reaper for ages now. I have no issues with it at all. I rarely do anything really deep with it so I can't say I've tested it limits at all. But I think it's a great program and it's so intuitive.
I was a Vegas/ACID guy, but I've completely fallen in love with Reaper.
Literally the only drawback I find with it is that it doesn't support WMA natively (so you have to convert before you use anything encoded that way), but it is very robust, loves my VSTs, and has NEVER crashed. I use it every single day at work as my main production software for my radio commercials.
It's great, and just keeps getting better...try it for yourself, for free, and it never stops working even after the trial period is up - not that I think someone should use it past that point without showing some monetary love to its creators by buying a license.
I did...worth every penny and more...
www.reaper.fm
Tripper
Yeah, I paid for it the first time around as it was such good value, and I just paid for the latest version. It amazes me just how small the footprint of the software is considering what it does.
I try it occasionally. I can't call myself a fan, it is always harder to do the things I really love to do with it.
But, you can't beat free. If I need a quick mix on the fly or a location recording on a foreign system, reaper is great and free.
I haven't found a compelling reason to use it over Pro Tools as far as workflow goes, and there's no McDSP plugs on it, so it's not my primary choice.
charger — May 01, 2011 it is always harder to do the things I really love to do with it.
Just curious what you find harder to do with Reaper...not trying to be a pain, but just want to understand. Everything I've done so far has been incredibly intuitive and easy with Reaper, with the only exception to that being the way it handles pan and volume envelopes...and I'm used to that now.
Tripper
Everything. Sends aren't intuitive. Bussing isn't intuitive. If you use Pro Tools and you've used a hardware mixer, there is a flow to hardware that Reaper does not have, and that I crave. Plugin handling was ugly and unintuitive, at least the last time I looked. If you ran through a session with me in Pro Tools, the intuitive flow of it would be readily apparent. Reaper for me is a lot of fits and starts, head scratching--why does it work like this? Pro Tools was built from the tape/hardware flow from the start, and still has a tape/hardware mixer flow. But I'm doing mission-critical stuff--big mixes with lots of tracks, usually live, and I need to know if I have to throw something in on the fly I can do it. I feel like Rreaper is solid and would be bulletproof on record. But I need to know how to get to stuff instantly. So I've used Reaper on location, 2-4 mics and had success, but I would pick Pro Tools every time if I had the option.
Maybe Reaper is just more intuitive to those who have never used a hardware path? (Don't know personally since I've never used Reaper.)
Hey Charger, have you tried the newest versions of SONAR anywhere yet? X1 is quite a bit of a redesign apparently and many love how much more similar to using "real equipment" it is. Again, I haven't upgraded to that yet so I'm still in the crowd of curious onlookers...
On the recording side, I get to do a voice-over project this month, but I'll be using my current version of things for that. Should be fun! :)
I'm a big "don't fuck with what works" advocate. Pro Tools finally added delay compensation and hardware independence--was pretty fun mixing through the TonePort! And with delay compensation we can finally use the UAD cards. Combine UAD with McDSP, the best plugins around, and the routing and editing flexibility, I just have not seen a reason to try anything else. Reaper I have used on location or on a laptop occasionally when I needed something free, and I use FLStudio constantly. I can't see myself changing to another DAW though.
charger — May 06, 2011Everything. Sends aren't intuitive. Bussing isn't intuitive. If you use Pro Tools and you've used a hardware mixer, there is a flow to hardware that Reaper does not have, and that I crave. Plugin handling was ugly and unintuitive, at least the last time I looked. If you ran through a session with me in Pro Tools, the intuitive flow of it would be readily apparent. Reaper for me is a lot of fits and starts, head scratching--why does it work like this? Pro Tools was built from the tape/hardware flow from the start, and still has a tape/hardware mixer flow. But I'm doing mission-critical stuff--big mixes with lots of tracks, usually live, and I need to know if I have to throw something in on the fly I can do it. I feel like Rreaper is solid and would be bulletproof on record. But I need to know how to get to stuff instantly. So I've used Reaper on location, 2-4 mics and had success, but I would pick Pro Tools every time if I had the option.
Okay. I've never used Pro Tools or done much hardware mixing/recording to any extent (with the exception of mixing bands on small mixers at live shows), so maybe what's intuitive to me about Reaper are the very things you find clunky and hard to work with, since you are someone who's been using Pro Tools for so long and is more experienced with that kind of recording than I am.
I almost NEVER use my DAWs for recording more than one track at a time (radio production doesn't require it and almost all the recording I do at home is solo stuff), so maybe its flaws/drawbacks simply aren't apparent in the way I use it.
Thanks for explaining, my friend! :)
Tripper
CraigBert — May 06, 2011On the recording side, I get to do a voice-over project this month, but I'll be using my current version of things for that. Should be fun! :)
Awesome!
Tripper
New version of Reaper is now out. Just upgraded...I love this software !
REAPER 4.01 is out now...added some cool features, changed the interface a teeny bit. Seems even MORE stable.
Love the fact that you can now select and drag snippets of the files you're previewing onto your timeline, saving you from dragging the whole thing up and having to chop it. Works great for me when I need specific voiceover or sound effect parts.
www.reaper.fm
Tripper
Yep, upgraded straight away, and the first thing is I love the new interface (especially the default theme too). Reaper just keeps getting better and better and so quick and easy to use.
You guys talked me into downloading the thing and trying it out.
desertbluesman — Aug 19, 2011You guys talked me into downloading the thing and trying it out.
It's definitely worth a look. What'd you think?
Tripper
I will download it one of these days, Right now I am busy doing other things but when I get a moment I will download it burn the installer to CD then install it on my DAW which has no networking enabled, and no USB enabled for thumb drive transfer so I got to do it the hard way.....
