Moving to reaper - a T-user guide

[metamorphosis]

I still use T3, but times are a-changing, and even though reaper's interface is batshit bizarre compared to Tracktions, it has a good, working, solid engine by contrast. Here are a few ways to make it more similar - and feel free to contribute if you have any suggestions.

Download reaper and start, configure soundcard in options
configure VST folder in options, untick 'get name (etc)', scan
load the FX window, under options tick 'show vst folders'
Download Reaction reaper theme, unzip, drag main file onto reaper window to install
Download ReaMenus latest, drag onto reaper main window to install (makes the reaper menus simpler, more structured and more easily understood).
Go to options->layouts->track and select 'Narrow', Resize left-hand of track pane tll it only shows what you want it to show.
Go to options->layouts->mixer and select 'Extended 1'.
Right-click master channel and under options untick 'show sends if space available'.

Now, right-clicking on one of the FX slots next to your track volume in the mixer window should give you 'Quick-fx', which you can follow to your VST-folders (similar to tracktion in terms of selection).

You are able to rearrange and copy FX by dragging them from slots in the Mixer window, though it's no way near as well done as in Tracktion.
I love tracktion and will probably stick with it for as long as possible.
Cheers,
M

[dhbret]

Say it's not so!
Bret

[BushmasterM4]

I just downloaded and installed "White Ties Imperial" skin for Reaper and its looks so cool !!! Very old school mixer type vibe. Im slowly switch from T3 to Reaper and PT10. And this new "Imperial" skin is making me lean more towards Reaper as my go-to DAW.

[bk]

Yep. I still love T3 as well, but the writing is on the wall. I fear T's days are numbered.

Such a wickedly cool interface, left to rot. It's a damn shame, really. There's nothing else like it, and I've tried just about every one there is. I've settled on Reaper as well, for now. I trying to learn it while T3 still functions for the most part.

My biggest tip, you've already noted: that's ticking the "show vst folders". I didn't notice that was there for a long time, and when I finally did, it did start to feel a little more like "home". It's amazing how sometimes the smallest detail can really F-up your workflow.

[metamorphosis]

@Bushmaster, yeah, the imperial theme is pretty cool, if you've got the dual-screens to wield it, though personally, I feel it overcomplicates things, which the Reaction theme seems to do the reverse of quite nicely.
Both are cool in very different ways.

[BushmasterM4]

@Bushmaster, yeah, the imperial theme is pretty cool, if you've got the dual-screens to wield it, though personally, I feel it overcomplicates things, which the Reaction theme seems to do the reverse of quite nicely.
Both are cool in very different ways.

I am running two 27" monitors. I downloaded the Reaction theme after I read your post and plan on installing it too. Pretty easy to switch between skins. I do like Pro Tools also, but Im running it strictly native with a Mackie 1640i mixer/interface. And the software version of PT doesnt allow certain features that all other DAW's do stock. Now if I want to spend an extra $1500+ for the "Complete Production Kit" upgrade then it will do what I want (long story). I have found a somewhat simple work-around in PT, but one should have to drop extra money for a simple feature all others include. Maybe someone needs to make a Tracktion skin for Reaper

[valley]

@Bushmaster, yeah, the imperial theme is pretty cool, if you've got the dual-screens to wield it, though personally, I feel it overcomplicates things, which the Reaction theme seems to do the reverse of quite nicely.
Both are cool in very different ways.

I found the same thing. Even with dual screen, Imperial just has too much going on, and some of the controls are fiddly.

I think I prefer Reaborn to Reaction though. (I don't recall why though, so I should maybe give it another look).

Mostly with Reaper its the morass of ugly confusing dialog boxes that appear for even the slightest careless click that drive me back to T. I also really miss T's clip title bar tools.

Since Tracktion runs like crap on later OSXs, I'm trying to get it working in an XP VM.


<sigh> Two or three programmers armed with JUCE could probably knock up a fair approximation of T in a year or so. Features such as Elastique support would be off the menu, but with Lua built in, user contributions would be extremely easy (similar to Reaper's Python support but without the overhead). Such a waste.

[metamorphosis]

I agree, it really should be done. But then, if Jules can't be bothered, who can? Getting a fully-featured tracktion1 which supports multiple cores would be big challenge in and of itself, let alone all the other features that've come in since T1. It's a shame none of the other hosts have shamelessly copied the design, they really need to.

[valley]

Well Reaper is about as far away from my happy place as I think I can possibly go.

I've given it a try. I've even written my own MCU/C4 driver for it in an effort to reduce to an absolute minimum the amount of time I spend looking at Reaper. It reminds me of everything I hated about Cubase, only far far worse.

I just can't do it.

At this point I figure I need to either bite the bullet and find somewhere that I can spend some quality time testing Logic[1], or I'm going to waste the remainder of my life recreating Tracktion.


[1] I keep hoping my daughter will discover music so I can drop 200 bucks on software sight-unseen in good faith.