How reaper effects CPU

It's actually a lot simpler than you're imagining. It may be possible to select a bunch of tracks and add sends to all of them as a batch, then turn them all up to 0 as a batch. Then just go through and make minor tweaks on individual tracks. I generally have the lead vocal 2-3dB lower than the backings. If I have any reverb on bass it's 3-6dB down from the "default" level. It literally takes me 20 seconds to make those tweaks.

One nice thing about this, you can make adjustments to the reverb that apply to all the tracks at once. It's easy to change the reverb level or tone across the board.
 
It's actually a lot simpler than you're imagining. It may be possible to select a bunch of tracks and add sends to all of them as a batch, then turn them all up to 0 as a batch. Then just go through and make minor tweaks on individual tracks. I generally have the lead vocal 2-3dB lower than the backings. If I have any reverb on bass it's 3-6dB down from the "default" level. It literally takes me 20 seconds to make those tweaks.

One nice thing about this, you can make adjustments to the reverb that apply to all the tracks at once. It's easy to change the reverb level or tone across the board.

Its the first song I've done in Reaper and the learning curve feels steep...getting the song almost done, I feel like I just wanna get over the line without learning something else!...but you're right, it doesn't sound arduous.

I'm guessing if I lose my way I can always go back to the individual reverbs. Would I be right in thinking that the individual reverb won't use up any CPU if it is loaded as a vst on the track but the box is unticked?
 
Have you tried increasing your buffers?

But anyway an offline render can take all the time it needs for each block, so there shouldn't be any of those issues audible in the final file.
 
Have you tried increasing your buffers?

But anyway an offline render can take all the time it needs for each block, so there shouldn't be any of those issues audible in the final file.

Until I'd read through the thread earlier I'd actually forgotten to try that amidst all my thoughts of buses! Wont be at the PC for a day or two but will definitely have a look...is it in PC settings or Reaper settings?
 
I'm guessing if I lose my way I can always go back to the individual reverbs. Would I be right in thinking that the individual reverb won't use up any CPU if it is loaded as a vst on the track but the box is unticked?

Unticking the box probably takes the load off.

You could always save the project with a new name and do your experimenting with that. If it doesn't work out, just go back to the original project.
 
Unticking the box probably takes the load off.

You could always save the project with a new name and do your experimenting with that. If it doesn't work out, just go back to the original project.

The reverb vst has various levels to adjust labelled

1. Dry send at 80%
2 Early level at 10%
3 Early send at 20%
4 late level at 20%

I'm not quite sure where I should be putting the faders other than to assume the dry level needs to be at zero.

I raised the reaper buffer from 1200 default to 1600 but it made no discernable difference.

Mark
 
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I'm not quite sure where I should be putting the faders other than to assume the dry level needs to be at zero.
That’s all you really have to do. Changing the others could and probably will change the character of the reverb itself. I mean, mess with them and see what happens, but all you need to do is turn that dry send off.

I raised the reaper buffer from 1200 default to 1600 but it made no discernable difference.
Oh shit, I’m sorry! We often use the word “buffer” and “block” interchangeably, and even different manufacturers use them differently, so it can get confusing.

What you actually need to change is what Reaper calls “block size”, but we’d rather not let Reaper choose. Instead, we use the interface’s own control software to set it where we want it and let it just tell Reaper what’s happening.

In Reaper, at the upper right is an area that tells you about your audio device and settings. It tells you the sample rate and hit depth and latency and stuff.

Click that. It’ll often seem to “stall” while it opens to Options|Preferences|Audio|Device. You can navigate the menus to get there, too, but this way is faster.

Now all of this assumes you’re using an ASIO interface which is properly installed!

Near the middle of this window is a button that says ASIO Configuration. Above that is a check box “Request Block Size”. Make sure that’s UNchecked. Then click the button.

It might think about things for a couple seconds while it opens your interface’s own software. You can just find it on your computer and run it, but this is faster, and if Reaper is already open, I think it’s better to do it this way so that Reaper knows it happened. But at this point I can’t help you as much as your interface’s manual can. Again, different manufacturer’s use different terms. It’s often just labeled Latency. Sometimes they let you pick a number of samples or ms or it’s just some arbitrary scale from low to high.

Make that higher, do whatever that software needs to apply the changes, and close it to return to Reaper. Hit ok on the Preferences window, and see if that helps.

Probably put the Buffers you changed back to where it was. IDK what it does, but I’ve been told to only change it if you really know you need to, and you really shouldn’t need to.
 
I finally got some time to route most tracks through a reverb bus and also reduced the buffer size on the AI. All seems to have worked a treat and playback is fine with no distortion or other issues. Thanks for all the help ?
 
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