The Reaper Q&A Thread

[fr0st003]

Tried reaper out for a bit loved the routing and send's etc. But editing midi was a chore, as well as manipulating audio. Can't wait to see this program in the future. Also my bounce in place action I created caused a lot of trouble...

[crytek]

Tried reaper out for a bit loved the routing and send's etc. But editing midi was a chore, as well as manipulating audio. Can't wait to see this program in the future. Also my bounce in place action I created caused a lot of trouble...

I'm finding recording midi to be a pain in the ass. So much you have to go through.

[crytek]

I would also like to suggest ReaMenus. Kick ass menu set for Reaper.

http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=58672

[sackley]

I know not too many people work with drum breaks, but as I'm recording my kit to tape for use in songs I knew I was going to have to overcome some obstacles.

Here's an interesting way to layer drum hits (at least synth hits and noise) to drum hits in a single track break (or at least how I've figured out to...) so that all the hits start as one, instead of snapping the individual hits to the grid or trying to line them up with grid snapping off.

1. Load break onto (eg.) Track 1

2. Bounce to track 2 (I love dragging the out of track 1 to track 2 and setting record output>Stereo function!!)

3. Open Track 2 FX

4. Add ReaEQ (or whatever eq or bandpass you want) and try to single out the main attack frequencies of the snare.

5. Add ReaFir (not neccessary but I think this helps) - Change the type to Gate, add 2 points (4 points total) and drag the middle 2 down into the peaks of the snare hit (even if it sounds metallic and very odd, just get it so that only sound comes through when the snare is hit).

5. Add ReaGate - set the limit so it lets only the attack of the snare through consistently. Drag the "Wet" slider to the bottom, drag the "Noise" slider up to taste.

6. Optional - Check "Send midi note on/off" and add a synth to the fx chain. Load a snare sound and off you go!

The same process can be done for the kick.

Hope this helps someone or leads to further experimentation.

[sixth sense]

edit; figured it out

[buttock]

right click on the track -> render Track to stem should do it

[sixth sense]

yeah I'm an idiot was doing it a wrong way I read on the forums but now just set up a custom action to make that all even quicker which is nice

[9fiyah6]

hey guys hope i can get some help here, i was using the dynamic split items and creating a chromatic midi part as well, however i am unsure how i use this part. in the manual it just mentions you can use it to trigger samples inside your sampler ( which is what i want to do and im using sc 1) and be edited using the midi editor but still does not mention how to import it to my sampler. hope im not being dense and this has a simple solution but any tips are greatly appreciate it.

[ENZA]

HOw wud i go about resampling in reaper? or atleast turnin my midi synth track into a sample prety much the samething but ya thanks! just downloaded reaper today lovin it so farrr.

[futures_untold]

hey guys hope i can get some help here, i was using the dynamic split items and creating a chromatic midi part as well, however i am unsure how i use this part. in the manual it just mentions you can use it to trigger samples inside your sampler ( which is what i want to do and im using sc 1) and be edited using the midi editor but still does not mention how to import it to my sampler. hope im not being dense and this has a simple solution but any tips are greatly appreciate it.

You need to render each slice as its own waveform befor you can import it into a sampler. You'll need to render each slice as an audio file before it can be imported into a sampler. To do that, select each slice in turn and use the render menu to save each slice as a.wav. You can make the process a lot easier by assigning a toolbar button to set the loop markers at each end of the slice automatically. That way, when you open the render menu, you can select the 'render time selection' option to only render the audio within the time selection.

I recommend creating another toolbar shortcut button, '1-click bounce/render to file'. Use the custom actions menu to build a new action and place it on a toolbar. This action should use the following commands within the action; 'set loop points to selected item', 'solo selected track', 'render project to disk', 'unsolo selected track'. By doing this, you can slice a loop, select each slice and set the loop points with one click, then render the file with a second click. Be sure to remember to select 'render selection only' in the render menu.

finally, once you have your waveforms in your sampler, each slice needs to sit on its own trigger key. What I mean is the first slice needs to be triggered by C1, then the next slice C#1, then the next D1 etc. When you use the chromatic midi to trigger the sampler, it will play each slice in turn as the original loop was played.

Long huh? Ableton has a faster drum slicing tbh.

HOw wud i go about resampling in reaper? or atleast turnin my midi synth track into a sample prety much the samething but ya thanks! just downloaded reaper today lovin it so farrr.

See above.

Select your audio to be bounced by setting the loop markers to each end, then render to file using the 'render loop selection option. Reimport the sample into Reaper, either directly in the sequencer or into a sampler.

[9fiyah6]

Long huh? Ableton has a faster drum slicing tbh.

true, i even set up a preset for drum rack to emulate the mpc chopping style! which is great if i could get used to the workflow, it just isnt suited for me but i digest, lets keep on talking about reaper!!!

thanks for the help but maybe i didnt explain myself correclty, when i use the dynamic split function i leave the create chromatic midi part checked so when i apply, a new track is created with a midi editor window showing the slices already placed in order, i click on the keys but hear no sound i even add shortcircuit to that track but it will not play the chromatic midi part, do i need to save it then import into shortcircuit? as for rendering i was aware of that (hope i dont sound like an ass) since i rtfm and used the search function on cockos!!! BUT i was not aware of all that toolbar shortcuts you mentioned so big big big thanks on that since i mainly work with samples. you just made my life easier!

[futures_untold]

Long huh? Ableton has a faster drum slicing tbh.

true, i even set up a preset for drum rack to emulate the mpc chopping style! which is great if i could get used to the workflow, it just isnt suited for me but i digest, lets keep on talking about reaper!!!

thanks for the help but maybe i didnt explain myself correclty, when i use the dynamic split function i leave the create chromatic midi part checked so when i apply, a new track is created with a midi editor window showing the slices already placed in order, i click on the keys but hear no sound i even add shortcircuit to that track but it will not play the chromatic midi part, do i need to save it then import into shortcircuit? as for rendering i was aware of that (hope i dont sound like an ass) since i rtfm and used the search function on cockos!!! BUT i was not aware of all that toolbar shortcuts you mentioned so big big big thanks on that since i mainly work with samples. you just made my life easier!

You digress or digest

Custom actions are what make Reaper fun to use, because you can make it work the way you want.

I did understand the first time, but like I said, you'll need to bring those bounced slices back into your sampler. The midi notes play up the keyboard one note at a time. You'll need to import your drum slice samples and assign them to the corresponding note on the keyboard so that they are triggered by the midi info on the piano roll. It should be easy, render your slices from the left to the right, and name you slices with a number. Then import the slices starting with the first numbered slice and assign the midi note number that it needs to be triggered by (probably C1 to for the first slice).

As an aside, check out the action called 'move, stretch and loop item to fit time selection'... It isn't assigned to any toolbars by default, but it certainly makes working with samples even easier!

[9fiyah6]

Long huh? Ableton has a faster drum slicing tbh.

true, i even set up a preset for drum rack to emulate the mpc chopping style! which is great if i could get used to the workflow, it just isnt suited for me but i digest, lets keep on talking about reaper!!!

thanks for the help but maybe i didnt explain myself correclty, when i use the dynamic split function i leave the create chromatic midi part checked so when i apply, a new track is created with a midi editor window showing the slices already placed in order, i click on the keys but hear no sound i even add shortcircuit to that track but it will not play the chromatic midi part, do i need to save it then import into shortcircuit? as for rendering i was aware of that (hope i dont sound like an ass) since i rtfm and used the search function on cockos!!! BUT i was not aware of all that toolbar shortcuts you mentioned so big big big thanks on that since i mainly work with samples. you just made my life easier!

You digress or digest

Custom actions are what make Reaper fun to use, because you can make it work the way you want.

I did understand the first time, but like I said, you'll need to bring those bounced slices back into your sampler. The midi notes play up the keyboard one note at a time. You'll need to import your drum slice samples and assign them to the corresponding note on the keyboard so that they are triggered by the midi info on the piano roll. It should be easy, render your slices from the left to the right, and name you slices with a number. Then import the slices starting with the first numbered slice and assign the midi note number that it needs to be triggered by (probably C1 to for the first slice).

As an aside, check out the action called 'move, stretch and loop item to fit time selection'... It isn't assigned to any toolbars by default, but it certainly makes working with samples even easier!

wow! so i even need to export the chromatic midi slices, sounds like a pain but oh well, aside from acid(and renoise to an extent) reaper is the only daw i am comfortable with, reaper would be perfect if it had a sample chopping window like acid! i guess as longs as my efforts pay off i'm sure it'll be worth it! just need to look into those toolbars you mentioned now

[futures_untold]

The audio slices need to be exported, but the midi doesn't.

There are two reasons why the audio needs to be exported.

1> Reaper makes non destructive edits, it doesn't change the source file no matter how many times you slice and glue a sequencer item together.
2> The drum loop is just one file on your HD at the mo. If you load that into the sampler, the chromatic midi slices won't correspond to each drum hit, but will trigger the whole from the begining at different pitches. By rendering each slice as audio you are creating multiple audio files onto your HD. Once those have been loaded into the sampler, each one can be triggered independently of the others in any order you like, hence the purpose of the chromatic midi part.

[sackley]

W/ regards to dynamic splitting and the like...



This is what I just started doing. Amazing. Open my drum breaks, save to a new folder. Dynamic split (or manual maybe). SWS extension > Explode items on one track to multiple tracks and keep in time (or however it's phrased). Glue items. Open chopped items in modplug tracker (or whatever sequencer you want).

As far as the chromatic midi and SC1: Are you on Windows 7? SC worked for me in XP but no longer in Windows 7, unfortunately. If I'm remembering correctly you may be able to drag and drop these .wav files created from gluing them on each track into SC on the chromatic midi track from the windows folder (not reaper's sequencing panel).

<reaper3

[9fiyah6]

@futures and sackley

thanks for the tips!!! it has made my chopping life easier and can actually concentrate now on makng music! as for the midi i guess i just needed an explanation of it which futures covered in his last post, now i see the purpose of it and can stop spending my time on it, great vid sackley, wish i would have found that sooner but i had no luck with my searches, guess i was using the wrong keywords, as for SC i am on XP, after the whole vista fiasco i went back and havent bothered to move up to 7 and now that you informed me that 7 doesnt handle SC i probably wont get it any time soon either!

*edit*
could you please explain the need to glue items in the process of your chopping, i noticed in the tut they also used that step as well, why is it need it if we want separate files to work with?

[futures_untold]

Reaper has two methods for joining items together, 'Glue' and 'Heal'.

I think glue simply joins any two sequencer items of the same type together, wheras heal will 'unsplit' any slices created in an item. Either could be used to join together an item that has been sliced in the wrong place.

Open the manual and type 'glue' & 'heal' into the 'Find' box of Adobe Reader. It will jump straight to each use of the word in one at a time throughout the whole document.

[sackley]

As Futures has explained, splitting items in reaper is Non-Destructive. Therefore, when you do split an item in the sequencer it doesn't actually "damage" the original file (your .wav file)

Gluing items makes a single NEW .wav file (or however you have reaper set up) out of the multiple items (or single item, in this case) in the folder your project is saved in.

The reason you put all the slices on different tracks and then glue them is that reaper will make a new .wav file out of each one, instead of gluing them all together on one track and making one .wav file.

/run on sentence

85% of my reaper knowledge is from Futures , the rest is from the manual or tutorial vids.

Edit: Just decided to clarify about your question. You need to glue the items so that you get seperate .wav files in the projects folder. This is basically the same thing as Futures way of selecting each item and rendering it. Only real difference is that gluing them takes away some of the naming abilities and quality settings you can make when rendering. But it's so much faster (imo of course) that having reaper set up to make decent files (and it does make decent files with the standard settings) when gluing that this method is preferable for me. And if you care you can loop the range of the sliced sample and then name each track, which is then put in each .wav file one way or another. (Tab down the tracks when naming!)

[futures_untold]

You've just taught me something new!

But how do you ensure that only one slice is rendered as a new wav when glueing and not the whole lot? Can you just glue one slice at a time?

If that is the case, you could just assign the glue function to 'G', select each slice in turn and press 'G' to render to disk. Then import the samples into your sampler as per usual. Super fast, super slick.

Nice one Sackley!

[sackley]

You could just glue one at a time, and that would create one .wav at a time. But, I've never done this. The whole reason that I slice items is to chop up my drum breaks that I record into reaper, so I personally want to make a whole bunch of .wav files at once.

right click, lasso all sliced items, right click, glue selected items.

You've GOT to make sure the project is in it's own folder or else these .wavs will be impossible to find. Reaper gives them some default name that's just a bunch of numbers, but they are in order from top track to bottom track. Usually I will name the tracks like...

kick1
hats1
snare1
kick/snare shuffle
etc
etc


so that when the items are glued and the track names are tagged to the file name I can cycle through them quickly in modplug.

Reaper + Modplug Tracker = The monkey's bananas.