Make Reaper look and act like Pro Tools

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philbagg

philbagg

Just Killing Time
Ello fellers!

I'm thinking about getting into Reaper. I heard yesterday that I can make it look and feel like Pro Tools (which I'm used to), which has kind of inticed me a little further into looking into it. The main reason I want to use it is for the VST engine (the RTAS one sucks), but I'd like to have a similar looking/acting platform as Pro Tools.

So, what am I up against here?

Cheers :drunk:
 
Reaper is 'skin-able' using graphics packs.

All you have to do is download them and unzip the contents into the Reaper\ColorThemes folder and then select the new skin in the program.

About as dead simple as it can get.....

(and the ProTools skin isn't bad, although I've been using the ACID skin lately and find it easy on the eyes.)

BTW: it doesn't change the way the program works, just the way it looks...
 
TimOBrien said:
Reaper is 'skin-able' using graphics packs.

All you have to do is download them and unzip the contents into the Reaper\ColorThemes folder and then select the new skin in the program.

About as dead simple as it can get.....

(and the ProTools skin isn't bad, although I've been using the ACID skin lately and find it easy on the eyes.)

BTW: it doesn't change the way the program works, just the way it looks...
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Thanks Tim :D

I heard that you can import the Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts, any info on that?
 
Yeah you can.. there is someone on the official REAPER message board (http://www.reaper.fm/forum.php) that's working on keyboard shortcuts and menus. I don't believe it's finished yet.. and I can't really remember his name (dang it..)

Also, you might want to install SWS's REAPER extensions to add things similar to PT's track list and group list.



There have been A LOT of converts coming from PT lately. What in the world is going on in AvidLand?
 
No offense here, but if you just want to make it work like Pro Tools, then you're really missing the point. Reaper has a lot more to offer than Pro Tools. It works a bit more like ACID than Pro Tools, but the learning curve isn't very steep if you've worked with any other DAW before. Reaper is designed to do everything very efficiently, so I recommend you try it out stock before you try to make it into Pro Tools.

And really, if all you want is Pro Tools that can do VST, why wouldn't you just buy a VST wrapper?
 
d.bop said:
Yeah you can.. there is someone on the official REAPER message board (http://www.reaper.fm/forum.php) that's working on keyboard shortcuts and menus. I don't believe it's finished yet.. and I can't really remember his name (dang it..)

Also, you might want to install SWS's REAPER extensions to add things similar to PT's track list and group list.



There have been A LOT of converts coming from PT lately. What in the world is going on in AvidLand?
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Cheers d00d :D

What's going on in AvidLand? Lots of problems and no answers :rolleyes:

thebigcheese said:
No offense here, but if you just want to make it work like Pro Tools, then you're really missing the point. Reaper has a lot more to offer than Pro Tools. It works a bit more like ACID than Pro Tools, but the learning curve isn't very steep if you've worked with any other DAW before. Reaper is designed to do everything very efficiently, so I recommend you try it out stock before you try to make it into Pro Tools.
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Well, I'm used to Pro Tools and I plan to keep using it professionally, although I just like the idea of not having as many restrictions for my own home-stuff. And I'm used to Pro Tools, so I can't see the harm in trying to make reaper work similarly. If there's major faults with it having to do that, I'll learn how to use Reaper as it is. If not, then it suits me fine.

And really, if all you want is Pro Tools that can do VST, why wouldn't you just buy a VST wrapper?
Click to expand...

If I was just looking for VST plugins, I'd use the wrapper. But the wrapper converts those plugins to the RTAS engine, which is the problem. The RTAS engine is awful. If you run two sessions that are exactly the same (track count, plug-ins, settings, everything!), one on Pro Tools with the RTAS engine, and one on another DAW (Reaper etc.) with the VST engine, Pro Tools will be maxed out much quicker than the other DAW w/VST.

PS: that your pet blobfish? :p
 
philbagg said:
If I was just looking for VST plugins, I'd use the wrapper. But the wrapper converts those plugins to the RTAS engine, which is the problem. The RTAS engine is awful. If you run two sessions that are exactly the same (track count, plug-ins, settings, everything!), one on Pro Tools with the RTAS engine, and one on another DAW (Reaper etc.) with the VST engine, Pro Tools will be maxed out much quicker than the other DAW w/VST.

PS: that your pet blobfish? :p
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I wish! What a weird fish...

I noticed, way back when I was using Pro Tools, that Pro Tools would gobble up my resources and give me problems bouncing to disk a lot sooner than with Reaper--by sooner, I mean with fewer effects. I put FX all over everything in Reaper and never run into any problems, so I do know what you mean with that, but to me it seems silly to try to get Reaper to fit into what you already know. I mean, I see where you're coming from--you don't want to learn a whole new piece of software when you won't be using it in the studio--but what you're likely to miss out on is all the stuff Reaper has to offer that you just can't do in Pro Tools. And anyway, Reaper is never going to do things quite the same way that Pro Tools does. Kinda like buying a Civic to tow a trailer, ya know?

You can try it out for free, so I would recommend you give it a shot as is before you try to make it all Pro Toolsy. Personally, I don't think I could ever go back to PT no matter what I was using it for. But if you really can't wrap your head around it, make it your own. I don't think it's all that different from Pro Tools to begin with, though some of the signal routing options might throw you off at first. You can do anything with FX in Reaper, it's insane!
 
I'm with thebigcheese on this one. I started using Reaper a few years back, screamin' and a-hollerin', because the guy I was doing a project with used it. I was very comfortable with Logic, and it took me a while to come to terms with a different way of operating. However, I use it 99% of the time now, only going back to Logic for older stuff that needs to be finished off. Reaper is immensely powerful and versatile. Having said that, I am not pleased that it doesn't yet have a scoring facility, and is not quite as easy to use with MIDI as Logic.

The trick with Reaper is to embrace it, and not to try and make it behave the way other programs do. That's depriving it (and yourself) of much of its strength. But it is difficult if you are soaked in another system.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I think I'll give it a few months til I'm done with all my Pro Tools exams and fully qualified, then I might give Reaper a bash for what it is.

One thing I'd like to ask. I'm always hearing about the pros of Reaper, but what are the cons? What are its downfalls?
 
Well, like the guy above said, it isn't quite as good at MIDI as other programs. Other than that, I can't really think of any. It works with any interface I've tried it with and there are a wealth of plugins to customize it however you want.
 
There are only really two problems that i have with reaper.

1)It is a little on the confusing side at first, and it took me a while to wrap my head around it. But I just started clicking things, and after about a week or so i started to get the hang of it.

2)Im not real pleased with the midi and vsts (the ones it comes with at least). The midi isn't very "straight forward" and the vst fx and midi instruments are quite unpleasing. Now i know you can go out and buy vst packs and soft synths and what not, but for someone who dosnt have that kind of cash, its a little bit of a problem.

Other than that though, I absolutely love it.
 
I think MIDI is a weak point for Reaper, so that's understandable. I also wish it came with better virtual instruments, but it is what it is, I guess. If you can make your own samples, though, the virtual drum thing can be reasonably flexible.

Personally, I love the FX, especially ReaVerb. It took me some time to get used to how it works, but what you need to do is download "impulses." If you search on the Reaper forums, you can probably find some links. If you've just been using Pro Tools's built in reverb, like I was, then it'll take some getting used to, but ReaVerb allows you to essentially mimic the reverb sound of any space or fx unit. It's pretty awesome, but it takes some getting used to. There's a book called ReaMix that you might want to look into, or just go through the wiki (the book is more in depth, obviously) and it'll get you down the road toward understanding their FX. I think they just take some getting used to, though I only use the basic ones like compressors and reverb.
 
thebigcheese said:
I think MIDI is a weak point for Reaper, so that's understandable. I also wish it came with better virtual instruments, but it is what it is, I guess. If you can make your own samples, though, the virtual drum thing can be reasonably flexible.

Personally, I love the FX, especially ReaVerb. It took me some time to get used to how it works, but what you need to do is download "impulses." If you search on the Reaper forums, you can probably find some links. If you've just been using Pro Tools's built in reverb, like I was, then it'll take some getting used to, but ReaVerb allows you to essentially mimic the reverb sound of any space or fx unit. It's pretty awesome, but it takes some getting used to. There's a book called ReaMix that you might want to look into, or just go through the wiki (the book is more in depth, obviously) and it'll get you down the road toward understanding their FX. I think they just take some getting used to, though I only use the basic ones like compressors and reverb.
Click to expand...

So it's a convolution reverb?
 
d.bop said:
Yep, ReaVerb is convolution-based plus some extra goodies. ReaVerbate is a digital room reverb (non-convolution based)
Click to expand...

Yeah, ReaVerberate was pretty meh, and the stock impulses in ReaVerb are pretty weak, too. I haven't really looked for any replacement impulses, but I have a feeling that if you just were to grab some better files (there's a ton free on the net) it'd take care of that nicely.

That was probably my only problem with Reaper - right out of the box, none of the 'verbs were any good. Other than that I've been happy with it. :)
 
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