How to record simply using Reaper

[simon_says]

I bought Reaper to run on a PC to mess about with some multi tracks and get an idea how to produce a mix (classical & rock). I have found it very complicated and most times (certainly for the simpler jobs) I find myself going back to Audacity.

I have got a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 with which I would like to record some double bass with a mic and electric bass via the DI out on my amp (Phil Jones Suitcase).

Please can anyone point me to a straightforward "How To" using Reaper as I would like to get to grips with it.

Thanks for your help

[RockfordStone]

check out reaperblog.net, lots of guides etc on there

[Ou7shined]

I use Reaper for everything now. I'm sure that I don't use a fraction of its potential but I do produce reasonable demos with the little knowledge I have of it.

I go guitar > Line6 UX2 > Reaper. I love its almost plug and play simplicity and get totally absorbed in adding extra instruments and effects to my riff ideas.

You need to find a decent stock of VST's and VSTi's to use with it. There are quite a lot of free ones on the net but you need to put in the time sorting the wheat from the chaff.
I also find that a decent drum plugin is essential. I used Addicted Drums.

There are tutorials on YouTube but found that trying to figure out Reaper without knowing the language of DAW fatiguing to keep up with so I'm basically self-taught.

Which bits do you need most help with?

[simon_says]

Thanks for your replies.

Basically I am after a blow by blow set of instructions for recording with the 2i2 into Reaper. I am sure it should be pretty straightforward but I have wasted so much time trying to get something simple recorded that I am close to giving up.

I am hoping that someone has written a Dummies guide to doing this.

Cheers

[Grangur]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1391605879' post='2359071']
I use Reaper for everything now. I'm sure that I don't use a fraction of its potential but I do produce reasonable demos with the little knowledge I have of it.

I go guitar > Line6 UX2 > Reaper. I love its almost plug and play simplicity and get totally absorbed in adding extra instruments and effects to my riff ideas.

You need to find a decent stock of VST's and VSTi's to use with it. There are quite a lot of free ones on the net but you need to put in the time sorting the wheat from the chaff.
I also find that a decent drum plugin is essential. I used Addicted Drums.

There are tutorials on YouTube but found that trying to figure out Reaper without knowing the language of DAW fatiguing to keep up with so I'm basically self-taught.

Which bits do you need most help with?
[/quote]

Thanks for posting this thread Simon. I'm in the same boat. I know Ou7shined is a great guy. Not only is he a Mod, but we see his other contributions and he's got the greatest of intentions.

Regretfully though his post leaves me thinking "Que...?!"

Sorry to pick your post out, Ou7shined, but it does, for me at least, sum up my problem with the Recording forum here on BC. HOWEVER.... it's been great. I've googled VST and found this link which answers a lot of questions..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Studio_Technology

Actually a glossary of recording terms here would be useful for a numptie like myself.

Thanks guys... I DO mean that. You're all great.

Cheers
Rich

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='simon_says' timestamp='1391621530' post='2359372']
Thanks for your replies.

Basically I am after a blow by blow set of instructions for recording with the 2i2 into Reaper. I am sure it should be pretty straightforward but I have wasted so much time trying to get something simple recorded that I am close to giving up.

I am hoping that someone has written a Dummies guide to doing this.

Cheers
[/quote]

Assuming you have it set up for your soundcard and are plugged in.
Open up Reaper, in the middle of the screen you set the bpm (I usually get a good idea of my start bpm with a metronome) and your time signature. Then either in the dark area on the left or at the bottom double click your left mouse button. This will open a new track - you can name it if you wish by doulble clicking near it's top to highlight the text area. If you want to record straight away you simply "arm" the track by clicking the round red button in the track - this makes it live for recording. Then press the record button (near the left on the centre line of your screen) and off you go - you can pause, stop, review etc from here too. Remember to unclick the arm button once you are done.
You may want to set a click track first though as it makes syncing everything much easier later on. This requires a MIDI track. Select your track (click on it) and with the right mouse drag/select say 4 bars, then at the top click Insert > New MIDI item. This creates a Midi zone in those 4 bars. Now click where it says FX on your track - this will open up all your plugins. You want a drum instrument so select VSTi in the left side. Now all your instrument plugins are listed. I think the only native plugin that you could create a metronome in is ReaSyndr - click on it. Now go back to your track and double click on the MIDI area. This will bring up your midi keyboard - you should be able to scroll through the various sounds. Simply click on whichever sound you want at the appropriate place in the bar (the grid) you wish it to make a sound.
Volume sliders on each track allow you to crudely "mix" the levels of each track.

I hope this is enough to get you started.
Just come back when you have more questions.

Oh here's one very important tip for recording with Reaper. Create a folder on your desktop (or wherever you find convenient) and name it as you project name. As soon as you open your project save it to that folder. This will insure that all files related to that project (and there will be many) are all kept in one simple location. To open your project again in future you are looking for the .RPP file.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Ou7shined

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1391622896' post='2359391']
Thanks for posting this thread Simon. I'm in the same boat. I know Ou7shined is a great guy. Not only is he a Mod, but we see his other contributions and he's got the greatest of intentions.

Regretfully though his post leaves me thinking "Que...?!"

Sorry to pick your post out, Ou7shined, but it does, for me at least, sum up my problem with the Recording forum here on BC. HOWEVER.... it's been great. I've googled VST and found this link which answers a lot of questions..

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Studio_Technology"]http://en.wikipedia....udio_Technology[/url]

Actually a glossary of recording terms here would be useful for a numptie like myself.

Thanks guys... I DO mean that. You're all great.

Cheers
Rich
[/quote]

Yep it's minefield but also a great voyage of discovery. I've been using my laptop for recording for a couple of years now but I'm still just a beginner... although I used to edit tv programs for my local cable network back in the 90s and I find that a lot of the processes are similar. Not to mention using basic reel to reel audio recording since forever.

A VST is just a type of plugin. A plugin is a small (usually) .dll file which can be either an effect, a virtual instrument or a process that you use in your DAW - digital audio workstation... or studio.

Btw I'm not a mod...yet. lol

[Dad3353]

This was my introduction to Reaper. It's a free download of the User Manual, in which all is explained. Recommended...

[url="http://www.reaper.fm/userguide.php"]Reaper User Guide download page ...[/url]

I could do a 'blow by blow' 'first steps' thread, but all is in the User guide anyway. One doesn't have to ingurgitate the full 400 pages to get started, and it's very well written. Give it a go, then come back if any questions remain unanswered.
I bought a couple of Reaper books since, as I like to have a paper version (I've not a printer...), but they're for delving deeper, and aren't required to get off the mark at all.
Hope this helps.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Dad3353

[lowdown]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1391623961' post='2359406']
You may want to set a click track first though as it makes syncing everything much easier later on. This requires a MIDI track. Select your track (click on it) and with the right mouse drag/select say 4 bars, then at the top click Insert > New MIDI item. This creates a Midi zone in those 4 bars. Now click where it says FX on your track - this will open up all your plugins. You want a drum instrument so select VSTi in the left side. Now all your instrument plugins are listed. I think the only native plugin that you could create a metronome in is ReaSyndr - click on it. Now go back to your track and double click on the MIDI area. This will bring up your midi keyboard - you should be able to scroll through the various sounds. Simply click on whichever sound you want at the appropriate place in the bar (the grid) you wish it to make a sound.
Volume sliders on each track allow you to crudely "mix" the levels of each track.
[/quote]

For a basic click track,
Reapers internal click is much easier - Just toggle it on and off, or use a key command - It is on the tool bar.
You can set it up for pre roll, x amount of bar(s) count in, and of course you can change the sound (.wav)
It will follow BPM changes.
http://en.wikiaudio.org/Reaper:Metronome

Of course, your way of doing it would be good for setting up off beats or odd time sig bars (3/8 etc) etc.
Maybe the latest update addresses this (I am not a Reaper user)

Edited February 5, 2014 by lowdown

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1391629618' post='2359509']
For a basic click track,
Reapers internal click is much easier - Just toggle it on and off, or use a key command - It is on the tool bar.
You can set it up for pre roll, x amount of bar(s) count in, and of course you can change the sound (.wav)
It will follow BPM changes.
[url="http://en.wikiaudio.org/Reaper:Metronome."]http://en.wikiaudio....aper:Metronome.[/url]

Of course, your way of doing it would be good for setting up off beats or odd time sig bars (3/8 etc) etc.
Maybe the latest update addresses this (I am not a Reaper user)
[/quote]

Good point. I rarely ever write in 4/4 etc. so this is a practical solution for me. It also means that when I go to add proper drums (usually one of my last jobs) I already have a dedicated beat track setup. I thought it was a good introduction to making a midi track though.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Ou7shined

[lowdown]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1391631464' post='2359572']
I thought it was a good introduction to making a midi track though.
[/quote]

Go on then - I'll give you that one. [size=4] [/size]

[Grangur]

Many thanks guys. Yes, that is all a great help. I, for one, have managed to get much further than I have before.

I've done the beat track, without recording (we'll take that as a given for now) I've told it to play the track back, but I don't hear anything.
I've saved the project and told it to Render it as a .wav. This then plays back in iTunes. Is this normal?

It's not a problem, but am I missing something?

Thanks for the help.


Edit: Ou7shined for Recording Mod! Vote NOW!!

Edited February 5, 2014 by Grangur

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1391632553' post='2359595']
Many thanks guys. Yes, that is all a great help. I, for one, have managed to get much further than I have before.

I've done the beat track, without recording (we'll take that as a given for now) I've told it to play the track back, but I don't hear anything.
I've saved the project and told it to Render it as a .wav. This then plays back in iTunes. Is this normal?

It's not a problem, but am I missing something?

Thanks for the help.


Edit: Ou7shined for Recording Mod! Vote NOW!!
[/quote]

A number of things could have gone a-rye. Do you see the VU meter fluctuating in time with the expected beat?
If that seems ok then check nothing has been muted. If that checks out then it could be your output settings. Try Options> Preferences> Devices and check that you are using ASIO drivers. This often fixes most things.

Your iTunes has probably been given permission to be the primary program on your pc for .wav files. You may want to have something more useful like Audacity, VLC media player (my favorite) or indeed Window Media Player take over these duties. Open up the appropriate program and in it's settings/preferences look for the "associate files" tab.

As for the mod vote. As I say I'm only a novice myself... but thanks anyway.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Ou7shined

[simon_says]

Thank you everybody, particularly Ou7shined. I will have a go with the instructions over the weekend and if I am successful it will shine a light on how the software works and I can make my own progress from then on.

If not, as the Terminator would say, "I'll be back"!

[lurksalot]

the trick that used to get me most was choosing the input / output devices to get the sound in/out working .

With the focusrite 2i2 it is so easy . In Reaper, In the bar just under the minimize/close/ buttons at the screen top right , you can click to the devices . If you click a few of the driver options , it will show up the 2i2 as an input option and an output option .
If you use headphones use the 2i2 as an output and get used to using monitoring by that .

when you create a track, beside the 'meter' on the track on the LHS of the screen 'arm' the track for recording by clicking the little button , it should turn red , then choose the input channel from the 2i2 , mono L/R or stereo L+R ,adjust the gain and you should see the meter start making moves when you play . hit the red record button and play something , when you press the red button again it should save your sounds to that 'track'

Edited February 7, 2014 by lurksalot