Is REAPER the current worst long term choice?

[babaji]

Midi editing experience is pretty bad in Reaper. Everything else is top class.

[Kalamata Kid]

I was thinkin of switching to Reaper from Studio One but the midi editing is not up to par?
What turned me on was the many midi scripts available.

[J Veronica]

I've used the piano roll in Reaper and Studio One. I can't think of any missing features in Reaper.

If anything I'm faster writing midi in Reaper because every script and shortcut I add speeds up my workflow.

[lingyai]

Because for some folks, cost is measured in time as well as money

Well then turn.off the TV, turn.off the internet, close the doors to the man cave or woman cave and put the time in. You put the time in as a beginner so if you're an experienced user it shouldn't take you light years to come to grips with another DAW.
Otherwise be a masochist and suffer your DAW.

I've always felt it's pointless to preach about why one DAW is "right," as clearly it's a personal thing, and as a practical matter, how someone else chooses to make music doesn't impact me in the least, because meanwhile I'm free to do my own thing, so live and let live. Someone prefers Reaper? Cool, whatever, enjoy.

This is why I find comments like yours, while perfectly ignorable, to be so very obnoxious - the presumption that Reaper is the One True Path: "Choose it! Make time for it ! Devote yourself to it! I did, I struggled, but in the end I AM A BETTER PERSON NOW and if you don't YOU ARE BENIGHTED," seems to have a healthy dose of need for validation by having others do what you've done. Like the guy who REALLY wants you buy a Tesla, or do a Keto diet, or whatever, because, well, deep down ... because that's what he did. In particular, your equating not using Reaper with masochism is like something Tony Soprano's mom would say: "Oh go on, ignore my advice, suffer your whole life, and then for eternity with Satan, see if I care." It's incredibly blinkered, patronising, and unpersuasive.

Your advice (actually it's expressed as a command) that I turn off the TV, unplug from the internet etc - to put in the time to learn your favourite DAW - misses a few key points.

One, I don't need advice on how to create free time. (I don't even watch TV btw). The focus here is on how I choose to use that time.

Trigger warning: I'm into making music more than learning software.

For me, software is a means, not an end. My aim with a DAW is making music without having to pay too much attention to the DAW. The best software IMHO is the kind that becomes kind of invisible while you concentrate on the task at hand, with a minimal upfront time investment. As Alfred North Whitehead said, progress can be measured "by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them." Whereas Reaper seems to maximise the number of things you need to think about before you can even get going. The Great Reaper Customisation and Setup is always framed as some rite of passage, "but you'll be soooo glad you did! I am, and just look at me!"

I put in some time to learn my chosen DAW, and don't feel at any loss musically just because it was easy using it as it shipped, i.e. I used a GUI designed by someone else; if it is reasonably inuititve and fast enough for me, I learn it and get on with making music. My "mouse muscle memory" kicks in and does the job. I have no need to "make it entirely my own," as though that's some kind of Nirvana goal and in and of itself. I don't crave this with any other software.

I drafted a book, which gets good reviews, in MS Word, without customising it at all. I was able to start typing and formatting immediately. Neither a reader nor a listener cares at all whether I used any custom hot-keys. And best of all - while Word (like Excel) does have a huge range of functions, features and options if you like learning about software, sometimes over years, you don't need to know much at all to get up and running.

A few years ago I jumped ship from Sonar. I'd used a few other DAWs as well so knew what I wanted one to do. To test one, I decided what musical idea I wanted to try out, downloaded the demo, opened up the developers' demo project, pressed play, and started mousing, clicking and right-clicking around. Didn't consult any documentation. After about 20 minutes, I closed that, started my own project, recording audio, as well as midi chords feeding an arpeggiator feeding my favorite Kontakt instruments, setting up fx chains, sends and automating a number of things. I got a lot going in an hour before I had to look anything up in the help file, which proved to be 30 second detour. Most things were a right-click away. It all made sense, and did what I wanted it to do.

You'll never convince me that I was not having fun and realising my idea well, just because because I was not suffering through the initial hazing of a Reaper setup/customisation. Or that the music sounded - or sounds now, as I ended up going with that DAW- any worse for skipping that.

Moreover, your advice to unplug from the internet and get learning Reaper is a non-starter, because to have a clue about Reaper you've got to constantly learn there. I've used six DAWS over the years and I must say I found Reaper quite counterintuitive, and the plethora of options daunting as hell - something for people who enjoy complexity, Linux etc but not me.

This is where the Reaper True Believer says, "Yeah, but all DAWs have learning curves" - which like saying that all mountains have inclines, therefore Everest is a breeze - and "If you get stuck, don't worry, there are tonnes of videos on Youtube to help you! And you can always ask on the forum!"

That's great, but I don't actually want to watch tonnes of videos, or any, or to keep pausing and asking online something which should already be obvious enough, if I can at all avoid it, because I'd rather work out that harmony idea that's been earworming me all day.

This is what I mean by the value of time as well as the price paid for a DAW. Some things are worth paying for. Some folks just want a music making tool, not a New Way of Life, or an Electric Friend.

Again, if you dig all that makes Reaper Reaper, great. But pause to allow for the - trigger warning - possibility that not everyone is like you.

And if you worry that about how much they'll be missing out by not spending months or years optimising their DAW workflow, just let it go, it's none of your business.

Most Reaper people I've encountered are like polite Mormon missionaries, they really want to share their Truth and are happy to help, but will take it in stride and back off if you say "No thank you." Whereas Reaper people like you are like Scientologists. Not everyone buys what you're selling, deal with it.

Again, I can't see why anyone would get worked up over someone else's DAW choice.

[lintuxer]

I am the true Vogon who loves Reaper. Out of the box it looks beautiful. I don't customise the looks; maybe its GUI is brutalist. My house is a one room box.

I also love the manual. It fills me with more excitement than Game of Thrones. I run Reaper on Linux. In the long run I escape the evil megacorps. I've also found every free effect on the net and installed it.

Reaper! Reaper! Reaper forever!

[VOODOO U]

I've always felt it's pointless to preach about why one DAW is "right," as clearly it's a personal thing, and as a practical matter, how someone else chooses to make music doesn't impact me in the least, because meanwhile I'm free to do my own thing, so live and let live. Someone prefers Reaper? Cool, whatever, enjoy.

This is why I find comments like yours, while perfectly ignorable, to be so very obnoxious - the presumption that Reaper is the One True Path: "Choose it! Make time for it ! Devote yourself to it! I did, I struggled, but in the end I AM A BETTER PERSON NOW and if you don't YOU ARE BENIGHTED," seems to have a healthy dose of need for validation by having others do what you've done. Like the guy who REALLY wants you buy a Tesla, or do a Keto diet, or whatever, because, well, deep down ... because that's what he did. In particular, your equating not using Reaper with masochism is like something Tony Soprano's mom would say: "Oh go on, ignore my advice, suffer your whole life, and then for eternity with Satan, see if I care." It's incredibly blinkered, patronising, and unpersuasive.

Your advice (actually it's expressed as a command) that I turn off the TV, unplug from the internet etc - to put in the time to learn your favourite DAW - misses a few key points.

One, I don't need advice on how to create free time. (I don't even watch TV btw). The focus here is on how I choose to use that time.

Trigger warning: I'm into making music more than learning software.

For me, software is a means, not an end. My aim with a DAW is making music without having to pay too much attention to the DAW. The best software IMHO is the kind that becomes kind of invisible while you concentrate on the task at hand, with a minimal upfront time investment. As Alfred North Whitehead said, progress can be measured "by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them." Whereas Reaper seems to maximise the number of things you need to think about before you can even get going. The Great Reaper Customisation and Setup is always framed as some rite of passage, "but you'll be soooo glad you did! I am, and just look at me!"

I put in some time to learn my chosen DAW, and don't feel at any loss musically just because it was easy using it as it shipped, i.e. I used a GUI designed by someone else; if it is reasonably inuititve and fast enough for me, I learn it and get on with making music. My "mouse muscle memory" kicks in and does the job. I have no need to "make it entirely my own," as though that's some kind of Nirvana goal and in and of itself. I don't crave this with any other software.

I drafted a book, which gets good reviews, in MS Word, without customising it at all. I was able to start typing and formatting immediately. Neither a reader nor a listener cares at all whether I used any custom hot-keys. And best of all - while Word (like Excel) does have a huge range of functions, features and options if you like learning about software, sometimes over years, you don't need to know much at all to get up and running.

A few years ago I jumped ship from Sonar. I'd used a few other DAWs as well so knew what I wanted one to do. To test one, I decided what musical idea I wanted to try out, downloaded the demo, opened up the developers' demo project, pressed play, and started mousing, clicking and right-clicking around. Didn't consult any documentation. After about 20 minutes, I closed that, started my own project, recording audio, as well as midi chords feeding an arpeggiator feeding my favorite Kontakt instruments, setting up fx chains, sends and automating a number of things. I got a lot going in an hour before I had to look anything up in the help file, which proved to be 30 second detour. Most things were a right-click away. It all made sense, and did what I wanted it to do.

You'll never convince me that I was not having fun and realising my idea well, just because because I was not suffering through the initial hazing of a Reaper setup/customisation. Or that the music sounded - or sounds now, as I ended up going with that DAW- any worse for skipping that.

Moreover, your advice to unplug from the internet and get learning Reaper is a non-starter, because to have a clue about Reaper you've got to constantly learn there. I've used six DAWS over the years and I must say I found Reaper quite counterintuitive, and the plethora of options daunting as hell - something for people who enjoy complexity, Linux etc but not me.

This is where the Reaper True Believer says, "Yeah, but all DAWs have learning curves" - which like saying that all mountains have inclines, therefore Everest is a breeze - and "If you get stuck, don't worry, there are tonnes of videos on Youtube to help you! And you can always ask on the forum!"

That's great, but I don't actually want to watch tonnes of videos, or any, or to keep pausing and asking online something which should already be obvious enough, if I can at all avoid it, because I'd rather work out that harmony idea that's been earworming me all day.

This is what I mean by the value of time as well as the price paid for a DAW. Some things are worth paying for. Some folks just want a music making tool, not a New Way of Life, or an Electric Friend.

Again, if you dig all that makes Reaper Reaper, great. But pause to allow for the - trigger warning - possibility that not everyone is like you.

And if you worry that about how much they'll be missing out by not spending months or years optimising their DAW workflow, just let it go, it's none of your business.

Most Reaper people I've encountered are like polite Mormon missionaries, they really want to share their Truth and are happy to help, but will take it in stride and back off if you say "No thank you." Whereas Reaper people like you are like Scientologists. Not everyone buys what you're selling, deal with it.

Again, I can't see why anyone would get worked up over someone else's DAW choice.

Speaking of finding time valuable, the amount you took to write all this jargon you could've made a complete customized Reaper layout - including your very own custom made theme - written a whole album and tour it.
Speaking of Reaper - heads up, this is a Reaper thread hence why I'm backing it up as a viable long term choice.

[El°HYM]

Reaper is very good, because it runs on LINUX.

[lingyai]

I've always felt it's pointless to preach about why one DAW is "right," as clearly it's a personal thing, and as a practical matter, how someone else chooses to make music doesn't impact me in the least, because meanwhile I'm free to do my own thing, so live and let live. Someone prefers Reaper? Cool, whatever, enjoy.

This is why I find comments like yours, while perfectly ignorable, to be so very obnoxious - the presumption that Reaper is the One True Path: "Choose it! Make time for it ! Devote yourself to it! I did, I struggled, but in the end I AM A BETTER PERSON NOW and if you don't YOU ARE BENIGHTED," seems to have a healthy dose of need for validation by having others do what you've done. Like the guy who REALLY wants you buy a Tesla, or do a Keto diet, or whatever, because, well, deep down ... because that's what he did. In particular, your equating not using Reaper with masochism is like something Tony Soprano's mom would say: "Oh go on, ignore my advice, suffer your whole life, and then for eternity with Satan, see if I care." It's incredibly blinkered, patronising, and unpersuasive.

Your advice (actually it's expressed as a command) that I turn off the TV, unplug from the internet etc - to put in the time to learn your favourite DAW - misses a few key points.

One, I don't need advice on how to create free time. (I don't even watch TV btw). The focus here is on how I choose to use that time.

Trigger warning: I'm into making music more than learning software.

For me, software is a means, not an end. My aim with a DAW is making music without having to pay too much attention to the DAW. The best software IMHO is the kind that becomes kind of invisible while you concentrate on the task at hand, with a minimal upfront time investment. As Alfred North Whitehead said, progress can be measured "by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them." Whereas Reaper seems to maximise the number of things you need to think about before you can even get going. The Great Reaper Customisation and Setup is always framed as some rite of passage, "but you'll be soooo glad you did! I am, and just look at me!"

I put in some time to learn my chosen DAW, and don't feel at any loss musically just because it was easy using it as it shipped, i.e. I used a GUI designed by someone else; if it is reasonably inuititve and fast enough for me, I learn it and get on with making music. My "mouse muscle memory" kicks in and does the job. I have no need to "make it entirely my own," as though that's some kind of Nirvana goal and in and of itself. I don't crave this with any other software.

I drafted a book, which gets good reviews, in MS Word, without customising it at all. I was able to start typing and formatting immediately. Neither a reader nor a listener cares at all whether I used any custom hot-keys. And best of all - while Word (like Excel) does have a huge range of functions, features and options if you like learning about software, sometimes over years, you don't need to know much at all to get up and running.

A few years ago I jumped ship from Sonar. I'd used a few other DAWs as well so knew what I wanted one to do. To test one, I decided what musical idea I wanted to try out, downloaded the demo, opened up the developers' demo project, pressed play, and started mousing, clicking and right-clicking around. Didn't consult any documentation. After about 20 minutes, I closed that, started my own project, recording audio, as well as midi chords feeding an arpeggiator feeding my favorite Kontakt instruments, setting up fx chains, sends and automating a number of things. I got a lot going in an hour before I had to look anything up in the help file, which proved to be 30 second detour. Most things were a right-click away. It all made sense, and did what I wanted it to do.

You'll never convince me that I was not having fun and realising my idea well, just because because I was not suffering through the initial hazing of a Reaper setup/customisation. Or that the music sounded - or sounds now, as I ended up going with that DAW- any worse for skipping that.

Moreover, your advice to unplug from the internet and get learning Reaper is a non-starter, because to have a clue about Reaper you've got to constantly learn there. I've used six DAWS over the years and I must say I found Reaper quite counterintuitive, and the plethora of options daunting as hell - something for people who enjoy complexity, Linux etc but not me.

This is where the Reaper True Believer says, "Yeah, but all DAWs have learning curves" - which like saying that all mountains have inclines, therefore Everest is a breeze - and "If you get stuck, don't worry, there are tonnes of videos on Youtube to help you! And you can always ask on the forum!"

That's great, but I don't actually want to watch tonnes of videos, or any, or to keep pausing and asking online something which should already be obvious enough, if I can at all avoid it, because I'd rather work out that harmony idea that's been earworming me all day.

This is what I mean by the value of time as well as the price paid for a DAW. Some things are worth paying for. Some folks just want a music making tool, not a New Way of Life, or an Electric Friend.

Again, if you dig all that makes Reaper Reaper, great. But pause to allow for the - trigger warning - possibility that not everyone is like you.

And if you worry that about how much they'll be missing out by not spending months or years optimising their DAW workflow, just let it go, it's none of your business.

Most Reaper people I've encountered are like polite Mormon missionaries, they really want to share their Truth and are happy to help, but will take it in stride and back off if you say "No thank you." Whereas Reaper people like you are like Scientologists. Not everyone buys what you're selling, deal with it.

Again, I can't see why anyone would get worked up over someone else's DAW choice.

Speaking of finding time valuable, the amount you took to write all this jargon you could've made a complete customized Reaper layout - including your very own custom made theme - written a whole album and tour it.
Speaking of Reaper - heads up, this is a Reaper thread hence why I'm backing it up as a viable long term choice.

“A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.”

I do think you might be happier if you just worried about your own choice of DAW, not others, unless the latter gives you satisfaction.

Heads up, if you write and produce albums in 20 minutes then I've even less inclined to emulate you.

[Awats]

I wanna worry for other people.

[VOODOO U]

Another reason Reaper is a good long term choice is it works on old systems. The latest runs on Mac 10.5.
I'm on Windows but still, someone using a 20 year old computer can use the latest version.

[toitoi]

Because for some folks, cost is measured in time as well as money

Well then turn.off the TV, turn.off the internet, close the doors to the man cave or woman cave and put the time in. You put the time in as a beginner so if you're an experienced user it shouldn't take you light years to come to grips with another DAW.
Otherwise be a masochist and suffer your DAW.

I've always felt it's pointless to preach about why one DAW is "right," as clearly it's a personal thing, and as a practical matter, how someone else chooses to make music doesn't impact me in the least, because meanwhile I'm free to do my own thing, so live and let live. Someone prefers Reaper? Cool, whatever, enjoy.

This is why I find comments like yours, while perfectly ignorable, to be so very obnoxious - the presumption that Reaper is the One True Path: "Choose it! Make time for it ! Devote yourself to it! I did, I struggled, but in the end I AM A BETTER PERSON NOW and if you don't YOU ARE BENIGHTED," seems to have a healthy dose of need for validation by having others do what you've done. Like the guy who REALLY wants you buy a Tesla, or do a Keto diet, or whatever, because, well, deep down ... because that's what he did. In particular, your equating not using Reaper with masochism is like something Tony Soprano's mom would say: "Oh go on, ignore my advice, suffer your whole life, and then for eternity with Satan, see if I care." It's incredibly blinkered, patronising, and unpersuasive.

Your advice (actually it's expressed as a command) that I turn off the TV, unplug from the internet etc - to put in the time to learn your favourite DAW - misses a few key points.

One, I don't need advice on how to create free time. (I don't even watch TV btw). The focus here is on how I choose to use that time.

Trigger warning: I'm into making music more than learning software.

For me, software is a means, not an end. My aim with a DAW is making music without having to pay too much attention to the DAW. The best software IMHO is the kind that becomes kind of invisible while you concentrate on the task at hand, with a minimal upfront time investment. As Alfred North Whitehead said, progress can be measured "by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them." Whereas Reaper seems to maximise the number of things you need to think about before you can even get going. The Great Reaper Customisation and Setup is always framed as some rite of passage, "but you'll be soooo glad you did! I am, and just look at me!"

I put in some time to learn my chosen DAW, and don't feel at any loss musically just because it was easy using it as it shipped, i.e. I used a GUI designed by someone else; if it is reasonably inuititve and fast enough for me, I learn it and get on with making music. My "mouse muscle memory" kicks in and does the job. I have no need to "make it entirely my own," as though that's some kind of Nirvana goal and in and of itself. I don't crave this with any other software.

I drafted a book, which gets good reviews, in MS Word, without customising it at all. I was able to start typing and formatting immediately. Neither a reader nor a listener cares at all whether I used any custom hot-keys. And best of all - while Word (like Excel) does have a huge range of functions, features and options if you like learning about software, sometimes over years, you don't need to know much at all to get up and running.

A few years ago I jumped ship from Sonar. I'd used a few other DAWs as well so knew what I wanted one to do. To test one, I decided what musical idea I wanted to try out, downloaded the demo, opened up the developers' demo project, pressed play, and started mousing, clicking and right-clicking around. Didn't consult any documentation. After about 20 minutes, I closed that, started my own project, recording audio, as well as midi chords feeding an arpeggiator feeding my favorite Kontakt instruments, setting up fx chains, sends and automating a number of things. I got a lot going in an hour before I had to look anything up in the help file, which proved to be 30 second detour. Most things were a right-click away. It all made sense, and did what I wanted it to do.

You'll never convince me that I was not having fun and realising my idea well, just because because I was not suffering through the initial hazing of a Reaper setup/customisation. Or that the music sounded - or sounds now, as I ended up going with that DAW- any worse for skipping that.

Moreover, your advice to unplug from the internet and get learning Reaper is a non-starter, because to have a clue about Reaper you've got to constantly learn there. I've used six DAWS over the years and I must say I found Reaper quite counterintuitive, and the plethora of options daunting as hell - something for people who enjoy complexity, Linux etc but not me.

This is where the Reaper True Believer says, "Yeah, but all DAWs have learning curves" - which like saying that all mountains have inclines, therefore Everest is a breeze - and "If you get stuck, don't worry, there are tonnes of videos on Youtube to help you! And you can always ask on the forum!"

That's great, but I don't actually want to watch tonnes of videos, or any, or to keep pausing and asking online something which should already be obvious enough, if I can at all avoid it, because I'd rather work out that harmony idea that's been earworming me all day.

This is what I mean by the value of time as well as the price paid for a DAW. Some things are worth paying for. Some folks just want a music making tool, not a New Way of Life, or an Electric Friend.

Again, if you dig all that makes Reaper Reaper, great. But pause to allow for the - trigger warning - possibility that not everyone is like you.

And if you worry that about how much they'll be missing out by not spending months or years optimising their DAW workflow, just let it go, it's none of your business.

Most Reaper people I've encountered are like polite Mormon missionaries, they really want to share their Truth and are happy to help, but will take it in stride and back off if you say "No thank you." Whereas Reaper people like you are like Scientologists. Not everyone buys what you're selling, deal with it.

Again, I can't see why anyone would get worked up over someone else's DAW choice.

Jeez, man, Reaper really hurts your feelings
Don't like it - don't use it, no drama here.
Reaper is not for spoilsports, Reaper is a nice community of people who like helping each other, it's the for those who are against developers dictating you, their own workflow - or how to use software. Reaper - use it how you and only you like it!
Thats why Reaper is the best choice

[havran]

---

[Michael L]

Thats why Reaper is the best choice

Is this Ross?
Lonnng ago you kindly emailed me that AudioMulch was not abandoned.
Whassup?

[toitoi]

Thats why Reaper is the best choice

Is this Ross?
Lonnng ago you kindly emailed me that AudioMulch was not abandoned.
Whassup?

Dear Michael, sorry for a long delay. The transition to 64-bit takes a bit longer than planned.

actually this signature is from 2007 or 2010 don't remember

[Michael L]

Thats why Reaper is the best choice

Is this Ross?
Lonnng ago you kindly emailed me that AudioMulch was not abandoned.
Whassup?

Dear Michael, sorry for a long delay. The transition to 64-bit takes a bit longer than planned.

OK, I'll check back in 2032
.

Live Long and Prosper.jpg