Is REAPER the current worst long term choice?

[Trancit]

A cool default Reaper feature is volume automation that's post FX but pre fader. Makes it super efficient to adjust the volume with your faders without disturbing your automation lanes.

I don't think that's possible in Studio One or Logic.

Oh, that´s quite easy in every DAW... these got simple tool devices you can put anywhere in the chain and just automate it´s Volume/Gain parameter instead... common practice since the early days of DAWs and plugins...

Reaper perhaps doesn´t need an extra plugin but without you lose the freedom to put the volume automation anywhere you like...
And if you do it in Reaper with a plugin you lose the advantage to not have to use a plugin...

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

We are truly bored creatures......

[VOODOO U]

I disagree. This only means HAL had the illusion it could complete the mission on its own. HAL apparently suffered from Dunning-Kruger effect and failed to recognise humans could contribute.

HAL is a programmed computer and thus is unable to have any "illusions" about anything. It's a determined machine programmed to complete a specific mission (and keep that mission secret from the astronauts) at all costs.
It is capable of handling the mission on its own should anything fail with the astronauts.
That being said, HAL realized there was a threat and took what it considered a logical step towards eliminating it because that's part of the program. That includes eliminating the humans if necessary, a logic that would not be made available if it threatened the mission. And it didn't since HAL was programmed to complete it all on it's own.
That brings it back to the point which is there was no reason for man to assist. In fact, as usual, man f**ked it up. Man f**ked it up the minute they agreed to send astronauts.

Have to disagree again. It was not programmed to kill humans. It only came to that conclusion because he thought himself to be superior and the humans on board were a liability for the mission.

A machine can't "think it is superior". That's ego. It can only do what it is programmed to do without any resistance or hesitation due to shame or fear etc.
HAL was designed to recognize any threats (hence the psychological evaluations) and eliminate any for the priority of completing the Jupiter mission.

[BertKoor]

Yeah, well.. HAL could have shut off astronaut life support right at launch, but then the story would be less interesting.

Crux of the story is that neither men nor (man-made) machines are perfect. I'm a professional programmer since 1989, and can tell you with confidence that it is impossible for any non-trivial program to be without bugs or user surprises. Which should not stop us trying.

> HAL is a programmed computer and thus is unable to have any "illusions" about anything.
That's what we though, until recently...

[DorianBloom]

It took me a long time to fully get to grips with Reaper. I actually spent time with it, then gave up and went back to another DAW multiple times. Sort of had it going on in the background as a project in my spare time.
I am at a point now, where I cannot go back to pro tools or S1 willingly (unless a project really requires me to)

When you get it set up exactly to your liking it is exceptional. A good practise for me is keeping a list of changes I want to make throughout the week, then on Sunday spending a couple of hours going in and making adjustments and integrating new features. I am about to do that with the alternative keyboards.

It is certainly not for everyone. But I couldn't do without it now..

I also would add that in the last couple of years, they have added a lot of actions that have allowed me to rely less on third party scripts, which has made Reaper much more responsive and less janky feeling. Finally getting my install to a point where it feels smooth and effortless.

[Kalamata Kid]

alternative keyboards?
do you mean
alternative midi keyboards?
If so, tell me more.

[fathomstory]

Question: "Is REAPER the current worst long term choice?"

The answer is "No", no more than most other good DAW's out there. The idea is that by then, you would have learned enough about audio production to adapt the principles to other tools. It is not the tool, it is the principles. Reaper might end tomorrow. But those Reaper users would have that skill and knowledge to transfer to other tools and continue. I have used and do use a lot of DAWs. Reaper is actually pretty good. My main thing is video production and post, and Reaper does amazing things with exporting pro video codecs and importing footage. Respect. While Reaper may not be a favorite for my own personal tastes, I have to give the devs their due. Glenn, an audio engineer from Spectre Sound Studios uses Reaper and he makes good cases for his own scenarios. Compared to the likes of Pro Tools, Reaper comes off as the better smelling option. Musicians I know have preferences like Ableton Live, Reason, Logic, FL Studio and so on. If their DAW died tomorrow, I think they would adapt. Pro Tools is the industry standard, but who wants to be 'standard' when they can be exceptional?

[Agg]

While Reaper may not be a favorite for my own personal tastes, I have to give the devs their due. Glenn, an audio engineer from Spectre Sound Studios uses Reaper and he makes good cases for his own scenarios. Compared to the likes of Pro Tools, Reaper comes off as the better smelling option. Musicians I know have preferences like Ableton Live, Reason, Logic, FL Studio and so on. If their DAW died tomorrow, I think they would adapt. Pro Tools is the industry standard, but who wants to be 'standard' when they can be exceptional?

On a related tangent, I think this video does a good job explaining both why Pro Tools is the industry standard, and also why it doesn't really make sense to jump onto that train anymore (warning 30min video, slow intro, you can skip the first 20 minutes if you want):

[fathomstory]

@AGG,

I'm teasing. The idea of 'principles over tools' apply to any DAW.

Uhh...no wait...now I am remembering my stint with Pro Tools...it sucked. They put more energy into deploying iLok than their damned DAW. They monetize every facet of that. Just sell the iLok and throw in the DAW as a cracker-jack bonus.

[jojoB3]

Cool story about a guy that had no idea what he was doing from day one (and likely through today).

Fabricated Paul and the DAW of Death

Reaper haters? Good gawd.

I was chatting with my mate Paul, and he's all into music and stuff. He tells me this story, and honestly, I couldn't believe it. Paul, being the musical genius that he thinks he is, decides he's gonna record his masterpiece using Reaper. Now, don't ask me why it's called Reaper, maybe it's because it kills your hopes and dreams. Who knows?

Anyway, Paul's been working on this song for ages. One day, he's all excited, ready to lay down some sick beats. He hits record, starts playing his guitar, feeling like a rockstar. As Paul's jamming away, suddenly, Reaper glitches out, like, big time. And I'm not talking about a little hiccup here and there, I'm talking full-on meltdown. The screen starts flashing, weird noises coming out of the speakers, the whole shebang.

Poor Paul, he's freaking out. He's trying to save his precious masterpiece, but Reaper's like, "Nah, mate, not today." Next thing you know, the entire project disappears into the digital abyss. It's gone. All that hard work, all those late nights, poof, vanished into thin air.

Now, you'd think that'd be the end of it, right? But oh no, Reaper wasn't done with Paul just yet. As if to add insult to injury, it decides to crash his entire computer. Like, completely. Blue screen of death and everything. Hard drive is toast. Smoke coming out from the computer.

So there's Paul, sitting in front of his now-dead computer, staring at the screen in disbelief. His masterpiece is gone, his computer's toast, and his dreams of music stardom shattered into a million pieces. All thanks to Reaper.

And you know what the worst part is? Paul's still gonna use Reaper. Because apparently, it's all he can afford after having to buy a new PC. Bless him.

[Tj Shredder]

In theory the best long term choice for a DAW would be a open source one…
Ardour maybe? I doubt it, as there are so many short term better choices…

[sellyoursoul]

Reaper will be 20 years old this year. And since it debuted it has been the most logical, flexible, and efficient daw on the planet.

Cockos really should give it a decent default theme though. It has the stylistic sensibility of a 90's Linux distro, which unfortunately likely sets a bad first impression for kids hunting for their first daw, not knowing that it can be skinned to look much nicer. I think it was v4 when it it took a hard fall down an ugly tree and never made a recovery.

[Awats]

Ya gotta admit …

[ghettosynth]

...Reaper is no sleeper.

[xmstkvr]

A cool default Reaper feature is volume automation that's post FX but pre fader. Makes it super efficient to adjust the volume with your faders without disturbing your automation lanes.

I don't think that's possible in Studio One or Logic.

Oh, that´s quite easy in every DAW... these got simple tool devices you can put anywhere in the chain and just automate it´s Volume/Gain parameter instead... common practice since the early days of DAWs and plugins...

Reaper perhaps doesn´t need an extra plugin but without you lose the freedom to put the volume automation anywhere you like...
And if you do it in Reaper with a plugin you lose the advantage to not have to use a plugin...

I don't think you understand what he said at all. Reaper also has "simple tool devices" with a gain feature that can be automated. The point is, in Reaper you can do it at the Mixer Fader level - not disrupting your mixing workflow. That's unique right there. Try to see videos on this feature, and you'll understand. This way, you do not end up using or opening your session and looking at or trying to find those pesky gain tools within your tracks.