New Reaper user with question

[Ronnie Sal]

Hi all,
Just was told about trying Reaper. Trying to breakout of the Garageband box.
So I downloaded my Mac version which I thought would be the 64 bit version.
After a successful download and installation, I plugged in my USB iRig HD, guitar and tried it out.
Spent a little over two hours trying to get sound out of my computer speakers but failed.
Can somebody point out what I need to do in order to hear what I'm playing?
I can get sound levels to show in track and have tried clicking the play button to allow monitoring.
I tried researching the internets, Reaper help section and user manual.
It was very hard to understand.
Thanks.

[shanabit]

Did you change the audio driver to your guitar thingy?

1. Options/Preferences will take you to the preferences. Under Audio/Device, look to the right of that and change the driver to your iRig HD. Hit apply then OK
2. Select your INPUT on your track underneath the fader, can be MONO, Stereo and select the input its coming from.
3. turn on the MONITOR button on the track, little speaker
4. Record arm the track wit the red record button
5. Hit record on the transport

[Ronnie Sal]

Originally Posted by shanabit

Did you change the audio driver to your guitar thingy?

1. Options/Preferences will take you to the preferences. Under Audio/Device, look to the right of that and change the driver to your iRig HD. Hit apply then OK
2. Select your INPUT on your track underneath the fader, can be MONO, Stereo and select the input its coming from.
3. turn on the MONITOR button on the track, little speaker
4. Record arm the track wit the red record button
5. Hit record on the transport

Hi and thanks for lending a hand.
iRig is identified.
I can't seem to get the bloody thing to work!
Did most of what you wrote down a couple I have no idea what you mean.
Am I supposed to hear what I'm playing even before I hit the record button?
I see that I'm not the only one with configuration issues and the ones that I have read some on this forum, solutions don't seem to be clear cut as to the fix you know step by step cures.
I've reached out to Reaper Customer support. Hope to hear from them soon.
Cheers

[Jacos]

Hi Ronnie, new myself, and certainly the configuration of Reaper is particularly challenging - but rewarding! Yeah, manuals etc only make so much sense, at first ... good for you for posting here. I've had heaps of very patient help and understanding from this forum.

As I said I'm new to everything but I think I've got what shanabit said. eg

Originally Posted by shanabit

2. Select your INPUT on your track underneath the fader, can be MONO, Stereo and select the input its coming from.

Finding where to set Input took me ages in Reaper. You have to click on the the Track Control Pane ("TCP") - see attached image.

Find the circular button with a downward pointing arrow, or anywhere on the horizontal strip to the left of it, where in the attached image it's showing "Front Left+Front Right", for both the tracks pictured.

You can also set Input by R-clicking the Record Arm button (shown Red, ie Armed, in the top track in my pic). If you R click the Record Arm button you will see settings for Monitoring, Recording, and Input - I think they should read "Monitor: Input / Record: input (Audio or MIDI). Input - I don't know, for your set-up., but perhaps "I-Rig"?

Sorry i don't know how to highlight or circle the feature you are looking for in red on my screenshot, as some posters do. And apologies if none of the above is something you needed to know

EDIT: ...and the monitor button is the Green rectangle showing an arrow pointing Right; in my pic these are shown green, with the word IN to the right of them. Both the colour and the word IN indicate that monitoring is on for that track - if you click on the arrow you will see the choices.

Oh, and one more thing - Kenny Gioia's Reaper 4 Explained video series avail from Groove 3 is the best $30-40 I ever spent . They are REALLY helpful about audio engineering in general, as well as Reaper.

Good luck

[VinodXAgent]

I am not on a mac, but did you check in the reaper Audio Preferences if an output is selected.
Vinod

[Jacos]

Yes, good point VinodX. On a Mac:

- In the main Reaper Menu Bar, under Reaper drop-down Menu, select Preferences, then select the pane for Audio/Device.

Select "Audio Device" (drops down to give options): To hear through computer speakers rather than an interface, select "Built-In" or similar

If Request sample rate is blank, put 44100, unless you have selected different sample rates already somewhere in your system.

Request block size: tick the box and put 512, unless you know you need something different. Having this box ticked can become important later on.

That's all you need to do in this Preference Pane. You probably won't need to touch it again unless you get/use an audio interface.

[Ronnie Sal]

Originally Posted by Jacos

Yes, good point VinodX. On a Mac:

- In the main Reaper Menu Bar, under Reaper drop-down Menu, select Preferences, then select the pane for Audio/Device.

Select "Audio Device" (drops down to give options): To hear through computer speakers rather than an interface, select "Built-In" or similar

If Request sample rate is blank, put 44100, unless you have selected different sample rates already somewhere in your system.

Request block size: tick the box and put 512, unless you know you need something different. Having this box ticked can become important later on.

That's all you need to do in this Preference Pane. You probably won't need to touch it again unless you get/use an audio interface.

Yep this is one thing that did the trick.
Thanks to you all for setting me straight.
I knew I had succeeded when I chose "Built-in" and heard a pop coming through the speakers, then beautiful sound.
However I did enter a few other settings that I may have stumbled on to that I don't really remember what I did.
But anyway she works and I tried out some various FX.
Pretty cool program!

[Jacos]

That's great! Thanks for letting us know.