Cubase is even weaker in this regard...
Why do so many people say REAPER is bad at MIDI editing?
- KVRian
- 1499 posts since 7 Jun, 2021
somebody learning a DAW, or just trying to gel with a specific DAW,
is an entirely different task, than beeing into it, ...and dealing with pro/advanced level feature requests.
starting to gel with a specific DAW, can be hit or miss based on very small things.
Thats my opinion, and what i´m personally experiencing right now.
Yeah, we all might tick differently vs. what specific "small details" makes it a Go or a No.
which makes it a very tough one to come up with helpful infos for sayed starter.
i am right now checking several DAWs at once myself..........
i really agree: at first, workflow is key !.....and at the end of day: same
is an entirely different task, than beeing into it, ...and dealing with pro/advanced level feature requests.
starting to gel with a specific DAW, can be hit or miss based on very small things.
Thats my opinion, and what i´m personally experiencing right now.
Yeah, we all might tick differently vs. what specific "small details" makes it a Go or a No.
which makes it a very tough one to come up with helpful infos for sayed starter.
i am right now checking several DAWs at once myself..........
i really agree: at first, workflow is key !.....and at the end of day: same
"Plugin has turned Drug now"....and the business knows it.
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- KVRAF
- 4328 posts since 20 Feb, 2004
When I demo'd Reaper a few years back I absolutely hated its MIDI workflow. My main DAW is Cubase, and I love the toolbar with keyboard shortcuts to select your desired function. I found Reaper's MIDI to be too "contextual"; the MIDI function would switch automatically based on what & where your mouse pointer was touching. This made for a very fiddly & jumpy experience for me.
A well-behaved signature.
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- KVRian
- 1163 posts since 2 Oct, 2021
Reaper's MIDI funtionality is strong.
What still compells me a lot is that I can customize Reaper in many, many ways.
Looks, Skins, Make and customize toolbars, create Macros (do THIS then THAT then 2x OTHER, etc), customize Key Commands (assign a key command to a Macro we just created...) AND contextual Mouse behaviour: When in MIDI Editor window, then Left click, left drag, combined with ALT, SHIFT, etc etc etc. all can be assigned to tons of stuff.
This might not be everybodies thing. Some people are happy with an iphone with standard behaviour and standard functions. And then if you want something to change even a little bit, or a bit more, and then some. This is more the Reaper thing. Win, Mac and Linux. Sexy.

What still compells me a lot is that I can customize Reaper in many, many ways.
Looks, Skins, Make and customize toolbars, create Macros (do THIS then THAT then 2x OTHER, etc), customize Key Commands (assign a key command to a Macro we just created...) AND contextual Mouse behaviour: When in MIDI Editor window, then Left click, left drag, combined with ALT, SHIFT, etc etc etc. all can be assigned to tons of stuff.
This might not be everybodies thing. Some people are happy with an iphone with standard behaviour and standard functions. And then if you want something to change even a little bit, or a bit more, and then some. This is more the Reaper thing. Win, Mac and Linux. Sexy.
ABX is enemy to GAS
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- KVRian
- 1163 posts since 2 Oct, 2021
Some more: Me coming from a now and then crashing Nuendo2 (which for what I do was basically a glorified Cubase SX2) back then to Reaper. Working with Nuendo taught me to save every 5 minutes. To not lose too much work. And dang I lost some. That Reaper thing is effing stable. Quite some things I wanted in Nuendo were possible after the switch.
And today my Reaper is VERY much customized. That far, that I can't really work with Reaper's standard settings and key commands before applying my custom setting files. It is THAT customizable.
This is not on topic? Alrighty. You can keep it, for free.
And today my Reaper is VERY much customized. That far, that I can't really work with Reaper's standard settings and key commands before applying my custom setting files. It is THAT customizable.
This is not on topic? Alrighty. You can keep it, for free.
ABX is enemy to GAS
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shatteredmindofbob shatteredmindofbob https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=538671
- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 99 posts since 20 Nov, 2021
Exploring further, a big selling point for Studio One is the "Pattern Editor," ...after checking it out, isn't this just the "Glue" function in REAPER?
I swear, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, I'm genuinely trying to understand...
I swear, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, I'm genuinely trying to understand...
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AdvancedFollower AdvancedFollower https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=418780
- KVRian
- 1342 posts since 8 May, 2018 from Sweden
It's a different way of working with MIDI and sequencing.shatteredmindofbob wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 5:22 am Exploring further, a big selling point for Studio One is the "Pattern Editor," ...after checking it out, isn't this just the "Glue" function in REAPER?
I swear, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, I'm genuinely trying to understand...
Studio One has its own equivalent to "Glue" called "Shared Copies". In fact most linear DAWs have something similar.
Take a single oscillator, producing a drone. Send it to the wave shaper, altering the tone.
This can be a triangle, Sawtooth or a square. Modulate the pulse width, nobody will care
This can be a triangle, Sawtooth or a square. Modulate the pulse width, nobody will care
- KVRAF
- 2195 posts since 8 Jan, 2005
You can customize the skin of Reaper and whatnot, but at the end of the day you are still left to use plugins with all that useless s*** attached to the plugin GUI. Can that be disabled?
the same plugin in Live:
.
is all that crap around the plugin UI necessary? If I was a Reaper user it would annoy the s* out of me
plus: it doesn't even seem to follow the UI preference you set the OS to (dark/light)
Reason also doesn't and it pisses me off big time
the same plugin in Live:
.
is all that crap around the plugin UI necessary? If I was a Reaper user it would annoy the s* out of me
plus: it doesn't even seem to follow the UI preference you set the OS to (dark/light)
Reason also doesn't and it pisses me off big time
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MacMini M2 Pro …… MacOS Tahoe ……… Reason 14
- KVRAF
- 7147 posts since 19 Apr, 2002 from Utah
That can absolutely be disabled
Vendor‑Dependent Copy Protection: Customers lose. Pirates win.
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
(Also: I'm Accused of lying about Linux—it boots, runs my pro audio workflow, stays stable, updates--though yearly dismissed as “niche”. Yet I'm the deluded one.)
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- KVRist
- 374 posts since 13 Sep, 2011 from UK
Reaper being Reaper, there's a few ways around it. You can right-click on the FX button and just open the plugin you want to. If you just want to open the first plugin in the chain and save that extra click, there's an action called "Track: Open/close UI for FX #1 on last touched track". You can assign that to a keyboard shortcut.sQeetz wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:12 am You can customize the skin of Reaper and whatnot, but at the end of the day you are still left to use plugins with all that useless s*** attached to the plugin GUI. Can that be disabled?
is all that crap around the plugin UI necessary? If I was a Reaper user it would annoy the s* out of me
plus: it doesn't even seem to follow the UI preference you set the OS to (dark/light)
Reason also doesn't and it pisses me off big time
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- KVRAF
- 1524 posts since 29 Oct, 2015 from Jupiter 8
just right click instead of left click the FX button
that "ugly window" has it's workflow benefits too though
(and it's not as "ugly" on a dark themed OS anymore, same with the native plugins)
but after having used Reaper as my only DAW for 4 years now, i still agree: standard behavior should be left click for the "non intrusive version" and right click for the more featured, but "kinda annoying" view.
that "ugly window" has it's workflow benefits too though
(and it's not as "ugly" on a dark themed OS anymore, same with the native plugins)
but after having used Reaper as my only DAW for 4 years now, i still agree: standard behavior should be left click for the "non intrusive version" and right click for the more featured, but "kinda annoying" view.
The GAS is always greener on the other side!
- KVRian
- 997 posts since 23 Oct, 2009 from Italy
Just double klick over synth /fx nane and It Will be detatched from the ugly guisQeetz wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:12 am You can customize the skin of Reaper and whatnot, but at the end of the day you are still left to use plugins with all that useless s*** attached to the plugin GUI. Can that be disabled?
Screenshot 2022-11-19 at 09.06.27.jpg
the same plugin in Live:
Screenshot 2022-11-19 at 09.14.37.jpg
.
is all that crap around the plugin UI necessary? If I was a Reaper user it would annoy the s* out of me
plus: it doesn't even seem to follow the UI preference you set the OS to (dark/light)
Reason also doesn't and it pisses me off big time
12 years old PC running :Reaper;Reason;Dune;Zampler;Kontakr;Reaktor;and many others countless vst 
- KVRAF
- 8114 posts since 13 Jan, 2003 from Darkest Kent, UK
You're not comparing the same windows; the Reaper one is actually the tracks FX window which would list all the effects and instruments on that track. As has been, said, if you rightclick and choose the plug you get just the preset, gui, mix etc boxes above it. Even better, if you have a more modern theme like the default6, echolot, Peace, flat madness etc that list the fx on the tcp and it's a simple left click to open the gui. Personally I find that useless shit dead handy, being able to assign controls and envelopes, control the wet/dry mix, manage presets etc etc from the fx window great, pain in the ass in Ableton that you have to go elsewhere for that, even set up alternative routing I believe for the mix functionality.sQeetz wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 8:12 am You can customize the skin of Reaper and whatnot, but at the end of the day you are still left to use plugins with all that useless s*** attached to the plugin GUI. ...