Which Reaper theme do you use?

[mabian]

The only thing that matches the amazing versatility of REAPER is its mind-boggling insistence on the most horrible default GUI of any DAW.

I maintain that an additional reason why Pro Tools is still so widely used is that the best software to actually replace it looks unbelievably ugly to any normal person at first glance...

( This is coming from someone who has used REAPER as their main daw for over a decade. )

Thank you for calling me - and possibly other guys around - Abnormal. Appreciated and respectful...

Keyboard lions alert :\

- Mario

The first time you ever laid eyes on the REAPER default UI, did you honestly think "wow! This software looks awesome"? If you did, yes, I think you're special. Also, go ahead and let me know which DAW you think looks worse than REAPER?

I work in education an routinely introduce REAPER to people who have never seen it. Almost everyone from my groups of young adults year after year agree that their first impression of it is that it looks awful.

Version 6 and 7 to me don't seem ugly at all, maybe a bit flat and not sexy. Far from ugly though. In the end, I hardly found better replacement themes and when I tried alternatives quite often reverted to the default. At first sight, I don't like Ableton for example, and I don't think Studio One is so nice - a bit too dark for me.

Also, I'm not mad about Logic, same Cubase and Waveform. Let alone Pro Tools.
So maybe I'm not normal. Smooth 6, Commala, and now ReaperTips themes, I think they look cool and especially the latter is very ergonomic for me - I think I can almost forget using the mixer and just work in TCP. So I think I get your idea, but maybe it was just a little bit too harsh.

[twal]

Tbh I never thought of it until I read posts on Kvr who say it is not the best looking gui. I can say that the packaged FX are plain with white borders and what not, but it's just basic not so ugly to me. I have used various daws and nothing says "omg this is so beautiful"! I think the default is sleek, but can be a bit boring if you like a lot of stuff visible with "intent" of making the daw look like it is set up with "purpose". No inspector, mixer is minimalist, tracks have few things going on, transpose is basic, toolbar buttons are pretty plain, timeline doesn't appear to standout or what have you. Maybe these things aren't what makes a daw "attractive". I am always puzzled by the criticism...

EDIT: I think Luna looks pretty nice and also Bitwig but not like mindblowingly nice...

[Scoops]

Hasn't been mentioned, but I really like the LCS_Reaction_Dark, but modified to suit my taste a little better.

[twal]

https://stash.reaper.fm/theme/2361/Supe ... erThemeZip

[mjolnir]

I still just use default / default 6.0.
Everything else is too hard for me to read or too bright or too dark.
I want to like the custom theming, but I can't find any that I like.
I do prefer 3D themes though. I have been severely disappointed ever since boring "flat" themes(?) came into play after a while.
Everything 3D that reminds me of actual hardware helps me work faster since I remember using actual hardware back in the 90s.
The default theme doesn't have that, but at least it's not too bright or too dark on my system.

[Niowiad]

And I'm still on Default 5... I found my 2021 reply a few pages back, and nothing changed.
viewtopic.php?p=8241288#p8241288

I will only consider switching to a newer theme whenever I move to higher screen resolutions which could possibly make Default 5 inadequate.

[EnGee]

I've tried dozens of free and paid themes, but LCS_Flat-7 is the only one that has kept me from going back to the default. I've been using it for about a year now, and after just a few small edits and tweaks, it's basically perfect for me.

Yes this one is nicer than the default

[twal]

I love LCS_Flat-7 it's definitely an easy one to look at and work with.

[I_Am_Become_KVR]

NGL, Reaper really is ugly, to the point where it's hard to see. That Matrix green seasick glow is really unpleasant.

I use my own Reaper theme I made years ago. It's not just way easier on the eyes, it's laid out more clearly too.

No clue how anyone can stand looking at the default theme lol, but to each their own!

[BuddySpencer]

I am using this one

https://phaselabaudio.gumroad.com/l/reapertheme

[mirDR]

Hot take:

Due to the amount of information and the need to include a reasonable amount of functionality inherent to such complex software - NO DAW is actually nice to look at and is deeply cluttered. Not being willing to use something just by looks is really quite immature. For what it's worth, Reaper is great to use and is one of the two DAWs I use all the time, but I'm inherently biased by dint of using Reaper.

TLDR: functionality > looks.

[I_Am_Become_KVR]

Hot take:

Due to the amount of information and the need to include a reasonable amount of functionality inherent to such complex software - NO DAW is actually nice to look at and is deeply cluttered. Not being willing to use something just by looks is really quite immature. For what it's worth, Reaper is great to use and is one of the two DAWs I use all the time, but I'm inherently biased by dint of using Reaper.

TLDR: functionality > looks.

I've been using Reaper since it began.

It's just plain gross to look at, and that matters, with how many thousands of hours it has to be looked at while working. It's got a downer hospital ambience or something.

The themes help a lot, if nothing else, to get rid of the seasick colors.

[Awats]

I felt the same way for a long time. I needed something to spice up the look but finally settled on default once the flashiness wore off. I still did make various color changes but I did get over the look.

[3lu5iv3]

CSix BC

[eLawnMust]

Too much drab blackishness in current themes...

Heres a buncha Reaper 1.888 themes...