KVR Audio

sellyoursoul · Post by **sellyoursoul** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:01 pm

Marcus797 wrote:Ok I get that Reaper is a great bargain at 60$, it's the best bang-for-your-buck DAW on the market, etc... I get it, I really do.

But you're honestly telling me that if a DAW with far more (and better) features, workflow, etc... like Cubase or Logic was 60$ you would still go with Reaper?! Why drive a Honda if you can drive an S class Mercedes for the same price?

When I left Cubase, it was because it was a clunky piece of junk. If it was a Mercedes, it was a 20 year old, unmaintained one. Now that I get along fine in Reaper, why would I go back to Cubase, even if the price of Reaper went up? Cubase is still made by the same company, with the same root issues that were present back then. Devs don't listen, product is overpriced, the burden of a dongle, the forums are littered with assholes.

memyselfandus · Post by **memyselfandus** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:18 pm

the cool thing about reaper for me is whenever I think of some random thing I want to do that I cannot do in another host.. 9 out of 10 times there is a way to do it. I use it all the time for practicing along with songs with the media explorer also. you can loop a section of audio right in the browser and of course change tempo in reaper. tip#45403 dock the fx browser in the docker. then drag and drop plugins onto tracks. is there a way to double click on a plugin in the fx explorer and have it added to a selected track?

andrew_k · Post by **andrew_k** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:40 pm

I used Cubase from version SX to C4. I loved it, though a few issues were frustrating:

* Core functionality would sometimes get broken, and though there were often workarounds the fixes were generally a little slow in coming

* It would crash sometimes on startup when 'initialising midi'

* It would crash at other times too (not that often though)

* I didn't really want any of the processing power of my PC being used performing dongle checks (just in the same way that users complained when Windows Vista came out that they didn't buy a PC to run the OS). I'm sure the actual overhead of the dongle was minimal, but still...

* The cost. I live in New Zealand. SX cost me $NZ1200, with each upgrade costing around $NZ350. It was just getting expensive.

So, I switched to Reaper when the pre v4 sale was on. This cost me around $NZ50 - $NZ$55. However after using it for a while I've decided I actually prefer Reaper. Due to the apps flexibility, particularly the routing, it lends itself to being a creative sound sculpting tool all on it's own.

In the end I have to agree with the conclusions of the Reaper v3 review in Sound On Sound (see 'So Should I Defect?'). Namely that Reaper appeals to tweakers, just in the same way that Linux does to OS junkies. At the end of the day it's really just different horses for different courses, each to their own etc. etc.

gpunk · Post by **gpunk** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 11:36 pm

memyselfandus wrote:is there a way to double click on a plugin in the fx explorer and have it added to a selected track?

Kind of, you can hit the fx button on a track, that will show the FX browser, double click a plugin will now load it onto that track

memyselfandus · Post by **memyselfandus** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:56 am

Thanks. thats how I usually do it. I just mean when its docked in the docker without the popup.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:47 am

memyselfandus wrote:the cool thing about reaper for me is whenever I think of some random thing I want to do that I cannot do in another host.. 9 out of 10 times there is a way to do it. I use it all the time for practicing along with songs with the media explorer also. you can loop a section of audio right in the browser and of course change tempo in reaper. tip#45403 dock the fx browser in the docker. then drag and drop plugins onto tracks. is there a way to double click on a plugin in the fx explorer and have it added to a selected track?

It's a good one. Related, setting up plugs to always open in the docker is nice too.

mandolarian · Post by **mandolarian** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:05 am

Yeah, knocking around in dockers is what makes a good DAW so stylish.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:19 am

They look better than me

liquidsound · Post by **liquidsound** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:30 am

chacka wrote:
liquidsound wrote:
chacka wrote:
liquidsound wrote:It did help me tremendously! Now I know for me it's not worth to get back to Reaper after some demo trials in the recent past. I'm staying in Live/Reason and do my fast (very fast indeed) writing in MuLab which is coming out with v4 and being modular with one of the smoothest pianoroll in the Daw business solves all my writing problems. I'm going to rest the case and never look back.
hibidy, you are the coolest

Edit: Ah, this happens when I have several tabs open to answer laters.

I meant to say: Good! I'm glad you're happy with what you use and that you have a stronger opinion on that now.
Well, it took 26 pages but that's better then 26 free trials and some.
Cool. Then it was worth it.

Damn!..... I went to visit the SWS site and.... Now I own a copy of REAPER.

I will give it a month of total immersion and see if I can answer my own post.
I use Live sessions on a daily basis and Reason 6 which is just perfect for what it is intended for.
I like simplicity but at the same time, being a CAD programmer, I get fascinated buy workflows, hence, the SWS got me curious. I was happy with Performer on a Mac SE, so today's DAWs are such a luxury for me, consequently I have hard time understanding musicians going crazy for so much power and still never enough.
I wrote my best music on a little energyXT and Reason. Live to me is the missing link to the traditional workflow and that's why I use it.
Let's see what REAPER has to add to my music life.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:51 am

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE, YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIMILATED, YOU ARE NOW PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE

Astromann · Post by **Astromann** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:57 am

liquidsound wrote: writing in MuLab which is coming out with v4 and being modular with one of the smoothest pianoroll in the Daw business

I recently downloaded the free version of Mulab, havent had a chance to look at it properly yet.
But the Piano Roll appeared to be very basic and limited and the whole main interface somehow appeared like a kind of low cost version of Garage Band.
Kind of put me off...but I will give it a go over xmas and see what its like.
Cheers

liquidsound · Post by **liquidsound** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:00 am

Astromann wrote:
liquidsound wrote: writing in MuLab which is coming out with v4 and being modular with one of the smoothest pianoroll in the Daw business
I recently downloaded the free version of Mulab, havent had a chance to look at it properly yet.
But the Piano Roll appeared to be very basic and limited and the whole main interface somehow appeared like a kind of low cost version of Garage Band.
Kind of put me off...but I will give it a go over xmas and see what its like.
Cheers

Here comes the "simplicity" I was referring to. The MuLab piano roll is not as basic as it looks. First, the way you can navigate the thing is like working with real pencil and paper. You can Write, Delete, Move and Modify Length of midi notes, Drag around, Zoom Vertical Horizontal and Zoom all, Select Multiple Notes without ever using a single key modifier or specific areas located away from where the action is: The Grid! Only using your mouse, which leaves your left hand on the keyboard when you need it. This is still not achievable by any DAW yet, no FL either. Of course using additional modifiers other actions are available.
I write a lot and this is the closest thing to doing it on paper. Try it yourself. Againg, MuLab it's not Reaper, far from it, but it allows me to write and compose very fast, faster then energyXT. These little players in the DAW game have something special for musicians: they let you focus on the moment with the most simple tools and workflow available. I guess I'm of the old school, but if I need to write my music I prefer uncluttered piano roll and the ability to use the mouse WITHOUT those damn key modifiers!

Beside all this MuLab is modular and can build its own synth and effects and the little monster is growing daily. Version 4 is coming out shortly so go and get the beta. It has something similar, but more powerful, than Reason Combinator built in (allowing you to use VST etc. in it like the Combinator but with more modules available in the deep editor) and unusual Parts Loops independent from the main loop allowing you to do cool stuff like polyrhythms and sequences sounding like Xils 3 etc. Never seen anywhere, not in Reaper yet. Very very useful and powerful. Again this thing is a new player but you must be willing to also learn how to cook with a single pot like a Chinese WOK: one pot, one knife and you can cook everything and anything, fast and good. The Daws are toys, the simpler the better.

keyman_sam · Post by **keyman_sam** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:36 am

I misunderstood the question. I thought if reaper was $400 or whatever outrageous price.

Yeah if Cubase was $60 when I was tring out reaper, I'd be in! Now if cubase was priced $60 I'd still stay with reaper since I know the thing well.

Fritze · Post by **Fritze** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:45 am

hibidy wrote:

They look better than me

Yeah, same here. They've got those stylish pants.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 6:53 am

Hell, I just wish I still had hair

Would you still buy Reaper if it will cost you as much as the other DAWs ?