exporting configurations

Burnsjethro · 09-09-2018, 03:44 AM

However, when I opened up a tune I have been working on (from "Anton's music files transferred from my external hard disk to a usb stick) I found the drum tracks were missing, in fact I was told some tracks were missing). The (midi) tracks were still there and I could actually see some red lines moving up and down as the tune was playing but there was no sound. Does anybody have any ideas about this please?

On my music computer Reaper is stored on the hard drive and the tunes on the external drive. The drive in my "music" Reaper is set to ASIO (I have a Focusrite interface) but to Wave on my "work" computer otherwise Reaper won't open properly.

Also, is too late to move Reaper on my music computer with all its configurations on to my external computer? How would I set about this?

Anton

uncleswede · 09-09-2018, 04:20 AM

You may have thought of these solutions already. If so apologies, but...

I can think of two scenarios....

One, where that you have simply copied the Reaper project folder from one machine to another and the project folder does not contain the recorded audio...

This is a common mistake where the original, default project settings do not specify an audio, or media, folder (Project Settings, Media tab -> Path to save media files....).

With this setup Reaper stores all the recorded audio for all projects in one, pooled folder elsewhere. If you specify a project audio folder, recorded audio files will be stored in a sub-folder of the project folder and thus will be copied if you copy a project folder elsewhere.

The solution to this, by the way, is to specify an audio folder in the original project settings (and, while you're there tick the 'set as default project settings' checkbox) then re-save the project, selecting move media files when asked.

----

The second possibility is that, you have also copied the project folder to another machine and the original project was configured correctly as far as project audio settings were concerned, but actually contained only MIDI tracks driving virtual instruments (VSTs) and you do not have those same VSTs installed on the target machine

Burnsjethro · 09-09-2018, 07:03 AM

Thanks very much for your reply Uncleswede but, and excuse me for being a bit thick, but that is why I am locked here in Newbieland, could you simplify your answer a bit please?

Anton

Burnsjethro · 09-09-2018, 03:01 PM

"The solution to this, by the way, is to specify an audio folder in the original project settings (and, while you're there tick the 'set as default project settings' checkbox) then re-save the project, selecting move media files when asked."

I did this. That is, I went to project settings, specified my music folder on my external hard disk, ticked 'set as default project settings), resaved project (along with my entire music files folder) and then put this on a usb stick and tried it on my 'work' machine. Still no drums sounds.

The drum track is there (there is a kick and snare drum files, kick, kick, snare, kick, kick, snare, which I created by clicking on my keyboard). I do have the same audio files on my work machine perhaps I should direct the drum fx (which is still there and I can see something is being played inaudibly) to my audio files somehow!

Anton

Burnsjethro · 09-09-2018, 03:15 PM

I tried to import my kick and snare into my effects but Reaper would not recognise this. I tried this with a new project and Reaper still did not recognise them?

Maybe I should revert to original settings in reaper.

Anton

uncleswede · 09-10-2018, 03:02 AM

Hmm...

It's difficult without hands-on....

Can you upload the Reaper project file from your 'music' PC (just the single *.RPP file - not the audio files!) to the Reaper stash here...

https://stash.reaper.fm/

then copy the stash link in your reply. Then we can download it and take a look at the project.

Burnsjethro · 09-10-2018, 07:46 AM

Bit of a problem. I went to the stash place and had to sign in but it would not accept my password, so I wrote to reset my password. The said they would resend instructions within 15 minutes. They didn't. So I wrote again and am still waiting.
Could I upload my file here (attachments below).

WITH THE PROVISO THAT THIS IS NOT A GREAT PIECE OF MUSIC; A friend in England sent me a recording and asked me to slap on a bass. Thing is he did not keep time with his metronome. So I laid down another foundation, put his voice on the top, plus his guitar solo and split these into pieces so I could align them with the proper time. I am still working on it. As you will see

Anton

Burnsjethro · 09-10-2018, 07:53 AM

OK I have managed to login now. However, what do you mean by "then copy the stash link in your reply"?

Anton

Burnsjethro · 09-10-2018, 08:04 AM

I think this is it?

Thanks for all your efforts.

https://stash.reaper.fm/manage_file/...ber%202018.rpp

uncleswede · 09-11-2018, 06:01 AM

OK - got that RPP file. I'll try and take a look at it today :-)

Burnsjethro · 09-11-2018, 09:19 AM

Sorry to have wasted your time uncleswede. It was all a question of my utter ignorance about matters Reaper.

I was just looking at Audiohackr's Reaper course and one lesson I had not paid enough attention to was where he explained the importance of saving properly. So I created a new folder saved the tune there making sure include all media items was ticked, looked into the folder, opened "samples' as Audiohackr explains and there, lo and behold, were the kick drum and snare. I copied this onto a stick and have now tried it on my work computer. And it works. Thank you so much for all your effort in trying help me out.
Let's hope that all my false steps can serve to help other newcomers out!

If anyone can now explain how can put my entire Reaper programme, lock, stock and barrel, with all the present configurations onto my external hard disk, I would be very pleased.

Anton

uncleswede · 09-11-2018, 09:39 AM

Glad you got it sorted :-)

To clone the Reaper program and all associated bits and pieces is relatively straightforward...

1) Install Reaper (32 or 64 bit as appropriate) onto the 'new' PC.

2) On the 'old' PC, launch Reaper, export it's configuration to a USB stick and import that configuration into Reaper on the new PC (see Kenny's video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB4C3njFxRg)

3) Now comes the less straightforward bit... For the Reaper instances to be identical, you also need to install all the same FX, VSTs (effects and instruments), scripts etc. The FXs and scripts should come over as part of the imported config data but you may have non-Reaper VSTs scattered around your 'old' PC. What you need to do is check out the 'VST plugin paths' in the Preferences/Effects\VST screen, create those same folders on the new PC and copy the contents of those folders from the old PC to the new one. For most VSTs, you simply need to copy the library (DLL) file but, occasionally, a more complex VST will need a custom installation, in which case you need to run that installation on the new PC.

That you should get most, if not all, of the way

uncleswede · 09-11-2018, 09:42 AM

By the way, if you are daunted by the sheer number of tutorial videos available, Kenny Gioia has produced this video for new users to guide them through which tutorials to start with for the best learning experience,

https://www.reaper.fm/videos.php#li8uxwKxXOs

Burnsjethro · 09-11-2018, 10:17 AM

Thanks very much once again for all your efforts. Actually, I would like to keep everything, including Reaper, on my external disk (attached to my music PC), and then use my music PC to back up what is on my external disk (I can then go back and forth with my external disk).

In that case, should I install a new version of Reaper on the external disk and then import a configuration from my PC, checking to see what settings are missing?

Anton

uncleswede · 09-11-2018, 10:37 AM

OK - I see where you're going. You want *everything* (the Reaper program, project files, FX, VSTs) all on the eternal disk...

OK - what type of external disk is it - USB2, USB3, SSD?

I can see potential performance issues with USB2 (and possibly USB3) disks...

Out of interest, I run Reaper on a studio PC and a roaming laptop PC, swapping project folders between the two very regularly. The downside compared to your approach is that I have to keep the two Reaper instances in line (which is not hard once you've done it a few times) but the upside is that I get maximum performance out of both studio PC and laptop (both have internal SSD drives for project data).

The downside of your proposed solution is that track playback will be limited by how fast your external disk can deliver data to Reaper. So, for high track count projects you may hit the buffers....

Burnsjethro · 09-11-2018, 10:54 AM

Its a hard disk/drive called WD Elements with 1.80 TB on it.
You are no doubt quite right. It is best to just keep my project files on the external and export the configurate from the PC from time to time.
Thank you so much for your patience. You can't believe how much help you and everybody else have been.

Anton

Burnsjethro · 09-11-2018, 10:58 AM

P.S. Lucky you mentioned the performance issue because the slight delay I experienced with Reaper in the beginning was driving me completely bonkers until I remembered to install the Focusrite drive (as I did on Audacity in the past).

Anton