Hi there. I've been using Reaper for around a month now; bought it very shortly after giving it a couple days' test run (and just before the version 4 update, no less!), and I've been very pleased so far. However, there is a feature I believe is not present that I'm desperately wanting.
The problem is this: I record almost entirely in-the-box. The drawback here is that I use a LOT of VSTs. In the project I'm working on now I've got something like 100 VST plugins (and counting). As you can imagine, having all of them on at once causes more than a bit of strain on my CPU.
So what I'd
like to do, ideally, is automate the BYPASS FX button on each track where there is no audio; there are large sections where an instrument isn't playing that I'd prefer to shut all FX off to save processing power. But when I look through the track automation list, I see no such option.
I realize that
individual VSTs' bypass can be automated--but that's not what I'm looking for. I'd rather not create 100+ automation envelopes even WITH copy/paste, because it would take longer than it would simply to turn the effects on tracks X Y and Z off while I'm adjusting the mix for another section. I also realize I can render the tracks and THEN bypass FX on the original, but that's not ideal whilst in the process of mixing because I have do fine-tune the effects before I render the final mix--this would mean if I realize some change has to be made after the fact, I would have to go back and tweak the effect, then render
again... and so on.
For someone like me, who can't afford nice analog equipment, mics, EQ/reverb, guitar amps, and so forth--or anyone making electronic music with nice VSTi's
--this is a sorely missed feature. An envelope for automating the BYPASS FX button would streamline this process and save plenty of time
and processing power, as I imagine it would cut CPU use for me anywhere from 50% and up when turning off the tracks not in use.
For my purposes, and for anyone who records in-the-box, I find this an essential feature; it's a shame that it's amiss. Any hope that it could be added would "seal the deal" for me--until then, I'll be clicking that BYPASS FX button quite a bit.