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Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:33 am
by realtalk
I've looked at every freaking thing there is about how to get to the piano roll in reaper, just downloaded that free production pack cause I wanna try to make some dubstep (total beginner)
How in the hell do i get to the piano roll? I know you ctrl+left click and drag but it always says offline when I try to double click to get to the piano roll..nothing happens. And where would a true beginner find very very basic info on how to make dubstep?
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 1:10 am
by wormcode
Beginner info is here in the production forum, check the stickies and threads like Production Bible. Such as
http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=159713
To get the piano roll going in Reaper, insert a new MIDI track (Right click > MIDI Input), then input some notes as MIDI then double click them. Should pop right up.
Here's a video tutorial on piano roll + Reaper:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W2fNhtEZ9Y
Never seen "offline" messages, but maybe you need to properly set up your MIDI options in the Reaper preferences.
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:11 am
by realtalk
Thanks, got it working. Now the only thing to do is sift through a whole bunch of information about dubstep production...I literally haven't the slightest clue on how to begin to use what came in the pack to produce anything at all. Any pm's or emails or help at all would be great!
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 6:08 am
by Electric_Head
get yourself some basic sample packs to get your creative juices flowing.
did you get oatmeal or tyrrel with the pack?
both are awesome synths for bass, leads, fx, etc.
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:23 pm
by realtalk
I don't think either of those came with the pack, right now the only synth I have is Atlantis which is confusing...
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:12 pm
by Turnipish_Thoughts
http://spunkfacesamplers.com/freebies/ <- top quality free samples, the dubstep packs are definitely worth checking out.
And WUB. Would you be OK if I upload the "CM STUDIO" and "CM BEGINNERS" sections from this months Computer Music DVD to a file hosting site like Zshare or something so Realtalk can take a bash at the tutorials and have some basic beginner info for producing?
He'll need the freeware synths packed with the studio to be able to do the tutorials. It's all freeware (afaik?) and all completely legit obviously, but thought I'd run it past you first just to be perfectly sure you're cool with my uploading that shit and linking him to it.
Just thought it be by far the best way for him to dig into sampling/synthesis e.t.c.
and Realtalk, props for choosing Reaper! She's a beast
Oh, btw, Realtalk, if you're stuck for Synths, in this months freeware news there's what seems to be a pretty nifty synth up for grabs as freeware at the moment over at
http://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette
check it out. From the review it seems like a pretty decent synth to learn the basics on. A bit weird though, sort of has subtractive synthesis elements, but lacks a filter, only having envelopes, LFOs and effects. Sort of reminds me of the Subtractor from REASON (don't ask me why, i just get that vibe lol). Nice analogue sound.

Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:04 pm
by realtalk
thanks very much turnipish!

Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:11 am
by Electric_Head
realtalk - It definitely comes with Oatmeal if you have V3.
Also Tal elecktro is included.
Both are sufficient to produce most sounds.
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:16 am
by nowaysj
Electric Head this is totally peripheral to this thread, but I always thought there was a witch flying through your avatar.
OP - hey man, start with the fundamentals of music production and music theory. And slow down, by god your enthusiasm is just shooting out of the monitor at me. But honestly, slow down a bit, and pay some attention. This is going to a take a LOONG time.
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:36 am
by Electric_Head
nowaysj wrote:Electric Head this is totally peripheral to this thread, but I always thought there was a witch flying through your avatar.
It`s from some HD Wallpaper pack.

Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:43 am
by nowaysj
And still no solution to reapers instance on making it difficult to simply play a loop of music... maybe in the next release cycle?
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:14 am
by Electric_Head
what do you mean?
play a loop?
the media browser allows you to play any loops
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:29 am
by nowaysj
nah mat, the play head moves around when you select things in the play list or arrange page, whatever you guys call it. This behavior cannot be stopped. Not even by the preference settings. So if you've drawn a loop because you want listen to an 8 bar chunk, but you had clicked into a blog to a make an edit or something, the play head jumps to that location, if you hit start play will start from that totally random position. The up-shoot of this on workflow is that while you're working in the playlist, you have to rewind to the loop start every time before you hit play, which is some unnecessary shits in my opinion.
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:22 am
by Turnipish_Thoughts
nowaysj wrote:nah mat, the play head moves around when you select things in the play list or arrange page, whatever you guys call it. This behavior cannot be stopped. Not even by the preference settings. So if you've drawn a loop because you want listen to an 8 bar chunk, but you had clicked into a blog to a make an edit or something, the play head jumps to that location, if you hit start play will start from that totally random position. The up-shoot of this on workflow is that while you're working in the playlist, you have to rewind to the loop start every time before you hit play, which is some unnecessary shits in my opinion.
Ive come to making a (whatever you call them) timeline marker? moving it to where ever i want the loop to start as part of forming the loop area, then just hit 1 > spacebar when i want to playback. I know what you mean about the playhead moving about, it is a bit of an annoyance but this lil extra step has cleared it up for me. Would be nice to see this getting sorted on the next release though. +1
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 10:57 am
by Electric_Head
Has anyone mentioned this on the Reaper forum?
should I?
Re: Reaper Help
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:46 pm
by jaydot
New Reaper user here, the damn thing frustrated me at first but now I kinda like it,