Who's using Ableton Live and Reaper together as a combo?

[Bevoss]

I'm curious how many members use this combo together, and whether you compose in Live/mix in Reaper, ReWire them together, or use the ReaRoute/MTC sync trick documented HERE, which allows you to use VSTs/VSTi's in Live slaved to Reaper.

I saw a few people in the other thread mention this, so I thought I'd try a dedicated thread so the info is not spread out on many pages.

Reaper/Live rocks IMO!

[Dysanfel]

I am curious about this, what does Reaper do that I can't do in Live?

[xBONESstyle]

I am curious about this, what does Reaper do that I can't do in Live?

Ditto.

I would think something MIDI intensive would be a better compliment for either, but then again I'm still learning one [Live 6] and don't know much except forum talk on the other.

[Bevoss]

I am curious about this, what does Reaper do that I can't do in Live?

I should compose a long list I guess, but off the top of my head the things Live users might like:


Tab to transient for real accurate, fast editing and slicing...essential for drum editing imo.

Auto trim/split for removing silent areas and isolating hits/notes

Multiple rendering options eg apply as new take, render as new track, glue, consolidate, all pretty fast and automatic

Build multi output audio routing, and build multi channel midi routing for setting up vstis fast

Folders that act as group busses for quickly applying fx to multiple tracks

A huge fx list geared for mixing, better gates and comps than Live for starters, impulse player, multiband comp, LOTS of included js fx that are low cpu.

Multiple undo history tree, so you never lose any option

A better navigation system, with markers, regions (eg verse), go to next/previous item/track...I find it a lot faster to get around a project in Reaper.

Awesome routing, similar to Live in that you can route any track to any other track, but do it really fast dragging and dropping sends in the mixer. Or click on the routing matrix for an overview and click fast in there too, for setting up armed tracks etc. Plus 64 internal channels of audio per track, for side chaining and multiple output routing. (I've only ever used 4 channels, but it's there)

Macros! Many tools have been imitated just joining together the abundant actions, like zoom tools, split, slice, fade to/from cursor...there's a large thread on the cockos forum dedicated to this. And you can have multiple keymaps for whatever area you are using, ie one for recording, one for editing, one for mixing, etc.

ReaInsert - send your audio out to external processors and return it.

ReaNinjam - jam live on line with other musos

Many instances of Reaper can be open at once, plus it hosts and slaves both ways ReWired.

It works great at low latencies, maybe the best at that.


I'm sure there's a lot I'll miss here, but some interesting features I just tested are:

ReaMote - you can farm out fx processing via a ethernet cable to another computer (or more)...works really well, and great if you run out of headroom during a mix...just hook up another machine and soldier on!

ReaStream - you can send audio from one instance of Reaper on one machine, and receive it on another instance of Reaper on another machine, via said ethernet cable...ie pipe your mix from your control room to your live room, or from your bedroom to your lounge, whatever...really really easy to set up, you can send up to 8 channels to multiple locations.



A final few reasons Reaper suits Live is:

Smoothseek - enable this in options, and Reaper changes smoothly on the Bar (or 2 or 4, whatever)...works very well with Live when synced for glitch free playback.

VST/VSTi's - if you slave Live to Reaper as per the tutorial link posted, it's exactly like ReWiring except, NOW you can still use your VST fx and instruments...you can't do that rewired!

Startup time is seconds literally...if you need to reboot Reaper it's 2-3 seconds, could be really useful in a gigging scenario as a backup

Oh, plus you can use ReaRoute to substitute for any other daws asio driver, and feed audio to and from them, eg send your audio to Samplitude and back to use it's fx, or use Foobar 2000 as a big sample organiser feeding into a channel of Reaper.


Yeah, I know Live does a lot of things Reaper doesn't, and Reaper is still catching up on the midi and hardware mapping, but that's a decent list to consider. If you're like me and do more audio than midi, it may suit you to the ground...or not.

Anyhoot, food for thought! Plus it's a free unexpiring uncrippled demo to try out, $50 for non commercial if you choose to be ethical (and many do for that price), and dongle free of course.

Was that enough? I know I will have missed heaps out here...

[ckatrun411]

but, its a two hundred dollar commercial license... And I would choose to be ethical.

PluS....IMHO, there more to music than tools of the trade.

There is inspiration.

I guess I just like to keep it simple. One major program is definitely enough for me right now. I am quite happy with how its going with Live and Me, and I don't expect to change any time soon.

[Bevoss]

but, its a two hundred dollar commercial license... And I would choose to be ethical.

Commercial is $225 actually, and I'll pay that too once I make money out of it...my point being, there's no dongle or challenge response, Justin leaves that decision squarely up to the user's integrity (the other options encourage cracking)...I think it's a great paradigm.

Mainly though, it's no loss financially to try Reaper out properly, to see if it suits.

And btw, this is a thread about people that use Live and Reaper!

[dusted william]

Three incredibly annoying things about Live:

1. Only can automate the first 128 parameters.

2. If you use an effect that introduces a delay, and then want to play or sing something else with a low latency you are screwed. Even if you turn off the plugin you are screwed. The latency stays until you delete the plugin, or move it to another track. This is not the case in every other host I've every used.

3. If you have two tracks that are tied to each other... ie a sidechain or a route of some kind, you can't freeze them. Not one, not together. Completely lame if you ask me.


You can do all those things and more with REAPER.

dw

[ckatrun411]

And btw, this is a thread about people that use Live and Reaper!

I C, its a private club, and no other opinions are welcome.

my bad.

[Bevoss]

And btw, this is a thread about people that use Live and Reaper!

I C, its a private club, and no other opinions are welcome.

my bad.

Nah, it's pretty unlikely at KVR...

[politcat]

I tried rearoute but it caused problems and I didn't want to waste any serious time figuring that out. I gave up after a couple days.

I just want to use the session view for composing then mix in reaper. It's a lot of money for that lone purpose but I fell in love with the session view right away. i'm sure i'll use some of the live plugs, I just haven't messed with them much.

I haven't bought the full version yet (i got live lite with my new axiom) but for about a week now I have been composing little bits then rewiring to reaper to test it. It works really well so far. I just have to remember to have the exact same tempo in reaper or the audio gets weird.

if only reaper had something similar to the session view...but that's not gonna happen

[Amberience]

What does live do that I can't do with Reaper. mwahahha. Don't bother answering that!

[Dysanfel]

I am sorry I did not mean to Hijack this thread, but perhaps its not too far off topic if those who use both of these programs together can explain how these programs compliment each other.

I guess in the end it is all about workflow.

[Dysanfel]

Three incredibly annoying things about Live:

1. Only can automate the first 128 parameters.

2. If you use an effect that introduces a delay, and then want to play or sing something else with a low latency you are screwed. Even if you turn off the plugin you are screwed. The latency stays until you delete the plugin, or move it to another track. This is not the case in every other host I've every used.

3. If you have two tracks that are tied to each other... ie a sidechain or a route of some kind, you can't freeze them. Not one, not together. Completely lame if you ask me.


You can do all those things and more with REAPER.

dw

Thank you, nice post.

[Dysanfel]

I am curious about this, what does Reaper do that I can't do in Live?

Was that enough? I know I will have missed heaps out here...

Although some of those can be done in Live, although not as efficiently, that is an impressive list. I may need to give Reaper another look.

[dancerchris]

My primary host is Live 7 and I have a liscense for Reaper as well. I like the mixing layout in Reaper better than in Live but I still haven't got a job that I haven't been able to handle in Live only. I'm a bit disappointed with Live's Rewire implimentation and have not yet tried the ReaRoute option.