Selecting from multiple takes.

rose62

New member
I'm recording an intro to a tune and I've enabled the function to repeat a selection while recording, so that I can choose the best take. Once I have one that I like, how to discard the takes that I don't want and keep only the one that I do?
 
If you have several takes, and you want to keep the best and get rid of everything else, click on the take you want to keep, the right click and go to 'take', then to 'crop to active take'.
 
The actions of Reaper with multiple (more than 2) takes on 1 track drives me nuts sometimes - I find it quicker for me to record on a new track. During mixing, I can pick the one I like, but still have the others to use if I need to substitute a small section or note.
 
The actions of Reaper with multiple (more than 2) takes on 1 track drives me nuts sometimes - I find it quicker for me to record on a new track. During mixing, I can pick the one I like, but still have the others to use if I need to substitute a small section or note.

Likewise. Sometimes I have to put a few bars in a loop then record on repeat for people who are trying to get a particular bit right.

But I don't do it myself. I sometimes record on a new track. Mostly, though, I do a take. If I don't like it I delete it straight away and do another. I don't worry about picking out the best. I'm happy with a take that is acceptable.
 
I've been doing that as well, ditching a track immediately if I'm unsatisfied with it. However, on the tune that I've been working on lately, there is an intro part that's about ten seconds long and I've found it easier to just keep playing until I finally nail one then ditch the rest.
 
I find that when I'm tracking I don't always notice a note that's 'not quite right ( usually a string pull) or where timing is off just a bit, or the tone is off, because it only sticks out when placed with the rest of the music at proper mix level. AS there's no track limit to think about, easier for me to just keep them. When I'm trying to nail a particular guitar lead part, I may do 10 to 15 takes (tracks), and I lose objectivity until coming back to listen to it.
 
Using Takes really is soooo much easier when you're recording multiple passes of the same thing in order to choose or comp between them. That's kinda why they're called takes after all. Reaper's way of doing things needs a little getting used to, but it's completely worth it.

If you've got 15 separate tracks, and you want to switch between them on the fly, you have to mute the one and then unmute the other. With takes, you either click the take you want or use the shortcut keys to cycle through. Plus, it takes up a whole lot less real estate. Also, if you've got any plugs (like an amp SIM on a guitar) on the track, they either need to be copied or you have to put all of these "take tracks" in a folder. And then if you actually do want to comp pieces of different takes together... Nope, you're just making things harder on yourself.

One thing that really helps is always recording full takes. Things get fucked up fast when one take starts a little later and another ends a little early and you have all those short little items everywhere. That doesn't happen if you record to a time selection and always go all the way through. Sure wish I could actually follow that advice more often!
 
Just what ashcat said. Takes really are one of the most powerful editing features in Reaper. Working up a guitar solo? Set Reaper to loop over the part and hit record, then let it run while you improvise. Do two tries or a hundred. You don't need to set up separate tracks. It makes comping ridiculously easy too. When you listen back, you can cycle through your takes with the click of a mouse. Using cuts and basic editing techniques, you can select the best bits of your different takes and comp them together seamlessly into a finished part. That's pretty much how the guitar solos, keyboards, and vocal melodies come together on all the songs I write.
 
One thing that really helps is always recording full takes. Things get fucked up fast when one take starts a little later and another ends a little early and you have all those short little items everywhere. That doesn't happen if you record to a time selection and always go all the way through. Sure wish I could actually follow that advice more often!

That's the problem I always have using takes!
 
That's the problem I always have using takes!

I get that a lot as well. I try to do full passes whenever possible as mentioned. Something that also helps for me is to make sure that my last take is slightly longer than the rest. Then right after I track it, I ctrl+click the main part (i.e. what I meant to record) to unselect it and hit delete to throw out all those little tails.
 
Time selection auto punch is the right way to do it, of course. Takes discipline though, and that is in short supply around here. There's an option somewhere to automatically delete partial takes in loop recording which can help too. But you really don't need those little slices. Delete them all and just drag the bigger item out to fill the space.
 
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