Can REAPER Really Do Anything Other DAWs Can Do?

[harryupbabble]

I'm planning to buy REAPER 6 when it arrives, no matter what. Even if it can't do what other DAWs can do. And maybe it can, I'm not sure it can't. I'm just curious...

What made me curious is this. I was watching videos of DAWs at YouTube, especially FL Studio. Here's one that I watched a bit too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkTZLblecPM

It seems that in FL Studio, one can make a drum pattern, save that drum pattern, and later on paste that drum pattern anywhere on FL Studio's "Playlist" window. I have Cubase LE 5. In Cubase LE 5, FL Studio's "Playlist" window is the same as the "Arrange" window, right?

Anyways, here's the good part. If you paste that drum pattern several times on FL Studio's Playlist window, on bar 1 and bar 25 for example, and later on you alter the drum pattern on bar 1... the pattern on bar 25 also reflects whatever alterations you made on the bar 1 drum pattern.

I did some Googling but I can't seem to find anything that yes REAPER can do what FL Studio can do in terms of what I described above.

But I've seen this phrase mentioned, or something like it, a few times before: "REAPER can be configured to do anything other DAWs can do"

So, does anyone know how to configure REAPER to be pattern-based like FL Studio is? What about Cubase LE 5, can it do what FL Studio can do too? What about all the other DAWS? Which ones are really built for pattern-based music-making?

[andypryce]

You can do it with ''ghost copies'' in most of the DAWs
But the way FLS does it is really fast. You can lock content of playlist to patterns and quickly paint or brush patterns on related tracks

[inkwarp]

the playlist in FL is pretty cool, especially latest version.
it even has a performance mode, a 'clip launcher' and you can save unlimited number of 'versions' of the arrangement.
it's quite powerful. i know that there is a clip launcher for Reaper called 'Playime' although i've not tried it myself...

[SoundPorn]

With Reaper if you want that playlist workflow that's rather unique to FL Studio, you can use the ProjectInProjects function of Reaper which allows you to have multiple projects open, but only uses cpu for the one selected, and allows you to have multiple stems on another project, but render it to another, and make tweaks and have it rendered in real time.

But you can also use the Track Manager and markers and regions to achieve similar results.
Many times we want to force ourselves into a workflow instead of asking what we're trying to do and whats the most efficient way to do that. That's where Reaper shines it;ll allow you to find a way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwvAACC-KFQ

[harryupbabble]

You can do it with ''ghost copies'' in most of the DAWs
But the way FLS does it is really fast. You can lock content of playlist to patterns and quickly paint or brush patterns on related tracks

Thank you. But does anybody know how to activate REAPER's "ghost copies" function? Please share the knowledge?

[harryupbabble]

the playlist in FL is pretty cool, especially latest version.
it even has a performance mode, a 'clip launcher' and you can save unlimited number of 'versions' of the arrangement.
it's quite powerful. i know that there is a clip launcher for Reaper called 'Playime' although i've not tried it myself...

Thanks very much. I just Googled Playtime, it's not free, it's 20 Euros. But if Playtime can do what FL Studio can do in terms of "reflective clip changes", I don't know what else to call that ability, then it might still be cheaper compared to buying FL Studio because the cheapest FL Studio version is 99 US dollars?

[harryupbabble]

With Reaper if you want that playlist workflow that's rather unique to FL Studio, you can use the ProjectInProjects function of Reaper which allows you to have multiple projects open, but only uses cpu for the one selected, and allows you to have multiple stems on another project, but render it to another, and make tweaks and have it rendered in real time.

But you can also use the Track Manager and markers and regions to achieve similar results.
Many times we want to force ourselves into a workflow instead of asking what we're trying to do and whats the most efficient way to do that. That's where Reaper shines it;ll allow you to find a way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwvAACC-KFQ

Thank you. I guess your reply answers the topic title. It is a way and a "can do" solution. I'll have to read up on those functions that you mentioned to see if they really are instantaneous "reflective clip changes" though.

[inkwarp]

if i was given a choice ( and i love FL) i would have to go with reaper.
the development cycle is constant and there are things coming down the pipe ( like ARA support) which will make it more powerful.
the only thing in fl i really love is the piano roll/midi editor; it's the best i've used by far. however , i use rewire sometimes and FL also comes as a plugin for other daws so i can still use that stuff.

[Trancit]

You can do it with ''ghost copies'' in most of the DAWs
But the way FLS does it is really fast. You can lock content of playlist to patterns and quickly paint or brush patterns on related tracks

Thank you. But does anybody know how to activate REAPER's "ghost copies" function? Please share the knowledge?

In Reaper it´s called "pooled midi items"...

This i.e. a video demonstrating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xu0QXvaopI

And btw... it shows both ways...
If you want linked copies continious: just loop the item and drag it out (like shown in this video as well)
The pooled midi is important if you want to link the content of clips which are in different places...

At the very end: Reaper is much more powerful in this regard...

Second, which is much easier in Reaper:
If you want to unlink a clip from the original, just click on the little icon Kenny showed as he created a pooled copy...
In FL Studio you have to go into the clip menu and choose the command "Make unique" , which creates a new pattern

Third: If you want to learn Reaper, you should carefully watch kenny´s channel as he explains nearly everything what Reaper is capable of in a very understandable way...
Another good resource on youtube is the Reaper Blog: https://www.youtube.com/user/audiogeekzine/videos

Lot´s of cool stuff there

[harryupbabble]

You can do it with ''ghost copies'' in most of the DAWs
But the way FLS does it is really fast. You can lock content of playlist to patterns and quickly paint or brush patterns on related tracks

Thank you. But does anybody know how to activate REAPER's "ghost copies" function? Please share the knowledge?

In Reaper it´s called "pooled midi items"...

This i.e. a video demonstrating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xu0QXvaopI

And btw... it shows both ways...
If you want linked copies continious: just loop the item and drag it out (like shown in this video as well)
The pooled midi is important if you want to link the content of clips which are in different places...

At the very end: Reaper is much more powerful in this regard...

Second, which is much easier in Reaper:
If you want to unlink a clip from the original, just click on the little icon Kenny showed as he created a pooled copy...
In FL Studio you have to go into the clip menu and choose the command "Make unique" , which creates a new pattern

Third: If you want to learn Reaper, you should carefully watch kenny´s channel as he explains nearly everything what Reaper is capable of in a very understandable way...
Another good resource on youtube is the Reaper Blog: https://www.youtube.com/user/audiogeekzine/videos

Lot´s of cool stuff there

Thank you very very very much. That looks like the best solution. I'm just terrible at using the right Google search words. I would never have thought of using the search words "pooled midi items". I forgot what search words I used but "pooled midi items" was definitely not the words.

Okay, thanks again, very very very much.

[jancivil]

I doubt it has Time Warp, meaning the timeline can be warped while events remain stationary. Studio One 4 adopted this from Cubase recently.
Samplitude has this kind of feature. I'm not sure REAPER doesn't, but I doubt it.

So, if you want the timeline to conform with your music a priori, you have this or it doesn't, you'd have to trial and error using another type of tool and paradigm to try and formulate such, rather than the barlines literally being what you determined on your own, independent of the tool/(the sequencer).

Here's me responding to the question of the topic title when the actual question regards the FL Playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjYoNL4g5Vg

[harryupbabble]

This thread doesn't just have to be about that one "can REAPER do it?" curiosity that I had.

The thread title is "Can REAPER Really Do Anything Other DAWs Can Do?"

And not just FL Studio. All DAWs.
And not just that pattern-based thing that FL Studio can do. Anything.

So, for example... can REAPER do Time Warp? I don't think I need that Time Warp soon... maybe later it can be useful.
Maybe other people need that Time Warp function now. Can REAPER do it?
And other stuff that other DAWs can do. Can REAPER do those? Really curious.

So far, REAPER can do the things I want it do. I had to ask for help but still... REAPER can do it.
It can edit 20,000 MIDI items. And it seems it can do some of FL Studio's pattern-based music-making functions (I will find that useful when REAPER 6 arrives).

So again, what can anybody's DAW do that REAPER can't do?

[sleepcircle]

i think reaper MIGHT have time warp? when you set a tempo change, all the things within the area change their speeds as well, at least.

which is sometimes annoying. so you can switch the project default or individual items to stick to "beat (length and start time)" "beat (start only)" or "time" where they stick to the number of m:s:ms they're currently at, and the tempo can change around them



but also: "can X do anything Y can do" is kinda like … like, i can't think of any program which is EXACTLY THE SAME as other programs.

[Satch1]

One thing Reaper can’t do AFAIK is separate automation accuracy from the buffer size. In FL Studio automation accuracy depends on the project PPQ setting. I think Reaper can do up to sample accurate for Vst3 and some Reaper parameters though.

[yellowmix]

I doubt it has Time Warp, meaning the timeline can be warped while events remain stationary. Studio One 4 adopted this from Cubase recently.
Samplitude has this kind of feature. I'm not sure, but I doubt it.

Events can be stationary or adapt to the tempo, this is done by setting an item's timebase. "Time" will ignore tempo (an item at 5 seconds will always be at 5 seconds regardless of how tempo is changed), "Beats" can change position only (start of the item will conform to tempo), or change position, length, and rate (item will move and be timestretched). It's been in Reaper for a long time. There's an SOS article discussing it in 2011.