New DAW

[Eddie C]

Hi, I’m a solo musician, electric guitar and backing tracks.
For the last 30 odd years , I’ve been mixing midifiles in Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 .
Through Roland JV1080, transferring to MP3 using Audacity.
I’d like to do some home recordings using midifiles and adding vocals and guitars to mix.
I’ve downloaded a trial version of Reaper and I need help in understanding how it all works.
Do I still need to use my JV1080 or are the sounds already there ?
I’ve no idea how VST,s work, do I need to download them ?
If yes , where do I download from ?
I think I have all the equipment needed , laptop , Audio interface, microphones, headphones.
Anything else I need ?
Thanks for accepting me to group and thanks for any help.

 

[Papanate]

Hi, I’m a solo musician, electric guitar and backing tracks.
For the last 30 odd years , I’ve been mixing midifiles in Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 .
Through Roland JV1080, transferring to MP3 using Audacity.

You use Midi Files and now have converted you midi files to Audio? Why did you do that? Just keep them as Midi Files.

I’d like to do some home recordings using midifiles and adding vocals and guitars to mix.
I’ve downloaded a trial version of Reaper and I need help in understanding how it all works.
Do I still need to use my JV1080 or are the sounds already there ?

If you like the JV1080 you should continue to use it. Reaper works just like Cakewalk - the workflow is slightly different - but the controls are the same.
Just look up Reaper Tutorials on YouTube - they will get you running in no time

I’ve no idea how VST,s work, do I need to download them ?
If yes , where do I download from ?

Well VST Plugins are just that - then there are VST Snyths etc….there are paid versions and free versions.
I use Logic so I don’t know what VST are good or where you get them.

I think I have all the equipment needed , laptop , Audio interface, microphones, headphones.
Anything else I need ?

Curiosity.

 

[rob aylestone]

I have a 1080, but subscribe to Roland's VST versions - so I still use the 1080, just the software version. However - no real problem with simply just playing it via MIDI, and bringing the audio in via your interface. That works with every DAW - you just need to get one that works like your brain works. Eveyone has their own favourite!

 

[mark skinner]

I'm surprized you haven't gone to the New Cakewalk Sonar. Same workflow and eons above the Pro Audio versions. There is also a free version that covers just about everthing. ms

 

[TalismanRich]

I wonder if lots of people lost track when Gibson killed off Cakewalk and Sonar 10 years ago. They may not have followed that Bandlab bought the program and have updated the program.

Also, Eddie mentioned the "trial version of Reaper". There is no trial version. You get the whole package whether you register or not. Registering removes the opening NAG screen, but the program will still work 100%. Registering helps to maintain the program development. And it's a small price to pay for an excellent package.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

Reaper is great, extremelt customizable, and I like their business model of treating you like an adult and only differentiating between a Personal Use license and a Professional Use license not with functionality but with how much revenue you expect to make using their program. It's refreshing.

On VSTs - VST is basically an audio plugin language. Reaper comes with a lot of plugins, and many of them (ReaEQ and ReaComp in particular) I still use regularly - they're very "clean" and don't add a lot of coloration to your tracks beyind the adjustments you're making, very efficient, and very effective. I also have a lot of "color" plugins where I'll reach for them when I WANT to add color to a sound. For now I'd start mostly with the Reaper ones until you have a sense for what you like and what you don't. One immediate weakness for me was reverb, and if you find the stock reverbs are kind of bland and grainy, Valhalla is a great source for time based effects - Valhalla Room is an awesome general purpose reverb, and at $50 pretty reasonable for a third party audio plugin.

After that, I've generally liked Sonimus for console emulation/saturatipon and use their Burnley 73 a TON for a "color" Neve-style EQ, and the Universal Audio compressors are great (I use their Distressor, LA-2A, and 1176 plugins a decent amount), and they'll do twice annual sales. I'll often use these in conjunction with Reaper's effects - for example, the project I'm mixing now, I've got Burnley73 on most drum tracks but on more than half of them I've also got an instance of ReaEQ for additional tweaks, and on my bass I'm still settling in on what exactly I'll do here, but the current approach is a ReaComp instance first in line on the master bus to take the edge off the largest transients, followed by a LA-2A to "glue" the body to the attack a little better.

But, if I was on a budget and needed to do as much as possible with as little money as possible, I'd say a Reaper license (do the right thing, they do, so so should we!) and $50 for Valhalla Room, and if I wanted to push my bidget further, I think UA is doing a semi-annual sale at the moment so I'd want to see if I could get a good deal on their Distressor model, since nothing else mangles drum overheads/room mics in quite the same way.

 

[TalismanRich]

For reverbs, I use ReaVerb with the Bricasti M7 IRs. They are available on the Samplicity download page.

It gives you 134 different reverbs at 44.1 and 48K in stereo or quad formats. It's a collection of halls, plates, rooms, ambiences and chambers.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

For reverbs, I use ReaVerb with the Bricasti M7 IRs. They are available on the Samplicity download page.

It gives you 134 different reverbs at 44.1 and 48K in stereo or quad formats. It's a collection of halls, plates, rooms, ambiences and chambers.

Those ARE very good. I used them for rather a long time and probably have them somewhere too...