With many engineers using more than one DAW depending on the task in hand, Luke Goddard talks about the things that make REAPER one of his tools of choice.

With the conversations about ‘which DAW is best’ becoming ever less relevant as features evolve and cross over, those new to audio could reasonably assume that there are no ‘bad’ DAWs out there. Despite this, there still is a perception of ‘the best tool for the job’ that hasn’t quite gone away. While some of this may be rooted in past experiences that no longer apply, most would agree that we are a long way from a total convergence when it comes to the different platforms’ functions and ways of working.

When working with any tool every day, its strengths and shortcomings for the job in hand become apparent pretty quickly. With this in mind, many engineers divide their everyday audio tasks between more than one tool on the understanding that as of yet no DAW can be a magic bullet for everything, all of the time. These are just five of the features that make REAPER work for me. Some will be reminiscent of those found elsewhere, while others are unique to the platform.

Finding REAPER

I first became aware of Cockos’ Rapid Environment for Audio Production Editing and Recording around fifteen years ago when a friend started using it for music recording and mixing. Having talked about it with him it struck me how its balance of configurability, stability, and affordability marked a different way of doing things that other platforms fell short on. Following a period away from REAPER I turned to it several years later when tasked with configuring three multi-workstation educational suites that needed a blank-canvas DAW delivered to a budget. The platform proved to be an excellent choice, both in terms of functionality and support from Cockos. When I later needed something myself that filled in the gaps in my arsenal, the deal was already sealed.

1 - Fair, Affordable

Considering the bottomless functionality offered by almost every major DAW out there, no single one of them could be accused of being overpriced. After all, how much would you have paid for big studio functionality with limitless track counts in the pre-DAW era? Although REAPER is the same across the board, there are personal or business flavours of the licence that comes as a text file, and you can install REAPER on as many machines as you like provided you only use one at a time. Before you buy, there is a 60 day fully functional free trial before buying $60 or $225 personal or business licences that are perpetual with free upgrades, typically for around two versions’ worth of development. REAPER treats you like a reasonable, honest person.

2 - Configurability That Works Both Ways

REAPER is prized by many for its towering configurability. As well as a fully configurable GUI, REAPER has thousands of shortcuts, macros, and controller setups available in the Actions list. That said, it’s true to say that users of existing DAWs can get caught out by its simplicity that is hiding in plain sight. A good example of this is REAPER’s approach to tracks; if you are looking for audio tracks, versus ones for busses, or instruments, or video you are going to be disappointed. Tracks are just tracks, which do not need to be told what they are going to be. You can even mix media within a track.

In any DAW, how much of the functionality on offer gets used by any given operator? Seventy five percent? Fifty? Ten? REAPER lets you drop not only the GUI buttons you don’t use, but even whole toolbar menus too. With this, any given REAPER rig can range from a multichannel game design monster into a simple stripped back recorder/mixer layout that could give any Portastudio a run for its money in the immediacy stakes.

3 - Reliable, Portable

REAPER’s stability is prized by its user base, which extends beyond the kind of audio professional working in music, post production, or game design. With users in scientific research, as well as those working in traditional and multimedia broadcast applications, its ability to hold up in critical situations has found a wide range of users. Users of other DAWs often point to REAPER’s lack of instruments and accompanying content, however this could be missing the point. The miniscule installer downloads in seconds, and incredibly, portable instals can be run from a USB stick thanks to REAPER’s light, tight coding. Having this facility lets you work anywhere simply by plugging into any studio’s machine. Sessions can then be taken away leaving no trace on the host machine.

4 - It Does Video

Many mixers who have used a video editing program (NLE) to mix a soundtrack will have the same piece of advice to new users, which is usually along the lines of “don’t bother”. While NLE’s can suffer with audio facilities that can make even the hardiest pro weep, it is not true to say that every DAW with video capability needs to be a compromise.

REAPER’s lesser-known trick is its ability to import, cut, and export video. While this is not exclusive to REAPER alone, the ability to apply effects, transitions, and even colour keying, while supporting a number of colour spaces and codecs offers perhaps the closest thing to a usable NLE within a DAW. All video assets can be worked with using REAPER’s (largely tool-less) workflow, observing a configurable top down, or bottom-up track visibility which makes simple video editing totally achievable. As a bonus, for those working with field recorders, the BWF polywav support is simple and elegant.

With so many artists producing video content as well as producing their own records, having a usable NLE built into your DAW is unbeatable.

5 - Easy To Learn

Given the right set of tools, virtually anyone can learn a piece of software, and despite its deep functionality, REAPER is learnable by anyone willing to do so. For video learning, the embedded tutorial videos on the REAPER site are a must-see. Taken from the kennymania YouTube channel, not only are they totally comprehensive, but they are also presented in an easy, affable style that helps the subject to stick for good.

When any fairy complex process is written down, two things become quickly apparent. The first is that it takes a lot of words. The second is that if the language used is engaging to read, the process of learning is going to be a lot easier and more likely to be completed by the reader. Given this, learning REAPER with the (albeit substantial) manual, is comparably painless, and by extension, even enjoyable. Helped along by its friendly and accessible vernacular, it is friendly and understandable to anyone who has made it as far as deciding which DAW to use.

What About Your DAW?

What is it about your daily driver that makes you stick with it? Maybe you use different platforms for different tasks… Let us know in the comments.