Moved from Pro Tools to Reaper

[toko]

Hi everyone,


I just joined the forum. Please excuse my terrible English.
I work in audio post production and my main DAW has been PT for over 10 years.
I just started using Reaper and find it incredible and powerful, it covers areas that I've been looking for in other DAW. I'd love to set some of Reaper's mouse behaviour/ key commands/ editing behaviour to be similar to PT for compitablity and ease of use as I still need to use PT as my main DAW when working in a team and exchanging sessions.

Has anyone done this and wouldn't mind sharing these settings?

P.S. I'm using a Mac which is why I posted this here. I hope it's the correct place.

Many thanks,

Toko

[sveinpetter]

You can follows this Pro Tool user to Reaper user series from David Farmer:
https://www.youtube.com/user/DavidFarmerSound/videos

[vanhaze]

I am sorry to say but here is the deal:

Please totally forget Protools workflow, now that you are using Reaper.
Why ?
Cause workflows in Reaper can be far more faster and efficient then workflows in Protools.

I know its gonna be hard, it takes time to get used to Reaper's workflows.
But it is worth every dyme to take your time and dig into Reaper deep.
Please be patient, feel happy about every new little thing you learn in Reaper.

Eventually, you will forget that Protools (aka Notools) ever existed.
Please believe me , i used Protools for over 20 years and went over to Reaper and never looked back.
I never looked back to ANY DAW that i used for that matter (Live, Cubase, Logic)

For starters, you will have to describe in detail what your workflow wishes are.
We will then translate that workflows to Reaper actions and soon you will see Reaper offers faster, better and solid workflows and will bring you happiness in Life.

I wish you good luck and lots of happiness with Reaper DAW !

[toko]

Thanks very much!!

You're right, I intend to learn Reaper inside out and use all the great features it offers. I moved to Reaper to change my workflow and complete what I can't do in other DAW.

I'm not actually looking for the same workflow as Pro Tools. I also use Logic and set it up with some of Pro Tools key Commands yet the workflow and features are different.

I move between programs and it makes sense to have similar key commands for the same functions.

For example: I'd love to change the behivior of the mouse scroll wheel + key commands
To do things like various types of zooming, waveform hight, clip gain level ( or any other visible global clip parameter or automation).

In other words I'm not looking to turn Reaper into Pro Tools.

Whether I like it or not I have to use Pro Tools every day as I work in a team that exchanges Pro Tools edit sessions so moving to only one DAW in not an option for me. At least I'd be able to do things in Reaper which I can't in Pro Tools and then import them into Pro Tools. This is also something that I will need to descover how to do in the long run.

Many thanks

[EpicSounds]

Here's a video where I helped my friend get going with reaper after years with pro tools, I switched from PT too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36UwZvb0RcM

[airon]

Ask any question. There are lots of Protools/Reaper users here.

I use both and do prefer my customized Reaper setup for design, dialogue edits and even mixing in many cases(when an Icon or S6 isn't around). When I need to deliver PT sessions and get a big enough benefit from using Reaper for editing, I use Aatranslator to produce a PT session from my Reaper session.

[peter5992]

Welcome to Reaper, Toko - I use Pro Tools and Reaper side by side (for the same reason you do). You should be able to get the hang of the shortcuts and mouse / editing behavior pretty fast; in fact, Reaper is much more intuitive in my opinion. Importing audio is so much easier, as is just setting up a simple session with groups and subgroups.

You can customize Reaper any way you want, one thing worth mentioning to make the transition smoother: one of the Reaper users, called Alberto, has developed a beautiful "theme" which, if you import it into Reaper, will create a familiar looking graphical user interface.

[jrengmusic]

i use PT for almost 10 years before i migrated completely to REAPER. The learning curve was steep because i was trying to customise REAPER the way i used to work in PT (and Cubase). I started to learn the best of REAPER on the 2nd year of using it, and other DAW which i had side by side become useless and i decided to sold them.

Learning from that experience, (and from what i saw from my pupils whom most of them were new to DAW). REAPER learning curve would be much more fun and easy when you take it as a new tools. Forget everything you have learned and mastered in other DAW.

Once you have grasp the essence how to think and work inside REAPER, you can easily improve (not just adopt) your habit and workflow in previous DAW to REAPER. From simple things like saving few clicks to do macro (set of actions), until even no mouse click at all to do complex things fully automated with presets, templates or scripts.

Remember the first letter R in REAPER is Rapid. If you're not working more rapidly than before, you have not use REAPER at all.

Have fun!

[toko]

Thank you all for the amazing advice and links.

I'm all for fast workflow and macro's. Reaper seems perfect for that. I use QuicKeys and keyboard maestro in other DAWs.

airon, Aatranslator looks great, thanks.


peter5992, Is Alberto's theme a visual layout only or is it also custom key commands and mouse behavior?

Many thanks,

Toko

[vanhaze]

You won't be needing QuicKeys and Keyboard Maestro anymore :0)

Please check my Youtube channel for Reaper vids and subscribe if you like !

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...UX76ladcmw6QMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OucH...zQFZp3s37bOU9t

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OucH...hB7fS4IpL0d2h9

[toko]

Thanks a lot!

[planetnine]

You can set a few simple things with key "shortcuts" in the "Action List", and also with "Mouse Modifiers" in Preferences.

I would also iterate that you should explore REAPER workflows rather than apply another DAW's paradigm over its controls -or at least learn a bit first Keep an open mind, learn about the REAPER tool-less editing interface and the modifiers with the various zones in it; try right-clicking anything you want to do anything with/to; get used to filtering the action list with words or half-words when you want to find a shortcut to help your workflow.

The "Up and Running..." manual is very good, as are Kenny Gioia's tutorial videos on the REAPER site and the Groove3 site.



>

[vdubreeze]

Welcome, toko. I'll tell you what helped me a lot. There's a script you can run that will delete every mouse modifier so that the mouse clicks do nothing. Now, if you've already set up a configuration you want to save it but if you haven't you can always return to the Reaper defaults. I found that there are so many things that Reaper does as far as clicking and dragging etc. that not only didn't make sense to me but once I figured out what it was doing didn't want it happening. Sometimes ever : ) It was taking too long to change from the default set to a set that worked for me by trial and error. So I deleted every mouse setting and keystroke combination and started a dummy session, and every time I wanted to do something nothing happened, so I could simply keep the mouse prefs and actions (for keystrokes) windows open and add the mouse/keystroke I was used to and continue. It seems like this would take a long time, and it does, but not as long as trying to work from the default set.

When people say "Forget your ProTools workflow, Reaper is so much more powerful" most of the time it's missing the point of what we want to do, and in fact how Reaper defaults is very often NOT preferable for some tasks to a certain combination of moves we have to do 100 times an hour in another DAW, which did it well. What you're asking is not to ignore Reaper's power and turn it into PT. You'll find some things are worlds better Reaper different way. But absolutely there are some things you are better off getting Reaper to workflow more like you are used to than its defaults.

However you do it, you basically have to find where each of the places to change the behavior exists (some are prefs, some are actions, some extensions or scripts). And sit with a pot of coffee for a few days : )

Just for the way it handles plugins and parameter modulation (any plugin parameter can be affected by absolutely anything anywhere) and its rendering and batch processing are worth the price of admission coming from PT.

[Reno.thestraws]

Originally Posted by jrengmusic

i use PT for almost 10 years before i migrated completely to REAPER. The learning curve was steep because i was trying to customise REAPER the way i used to work in PT (and Cubase). I started to learn the best of REAPER on the 2nd year of using it, and other DAW which i had side by side become useless and i decided to sold them.

Learning from that experience, (and from what i saw from my pupils whom most of them were new to DAW). REAPER learning curve would be much more fun and easy when you take it as a new tools. Forget everything you have learned and mastered in other DAW.

Once you have grasp the essence how to think and work inside REAPER, you can easily improve (not just adopt) your habit and workflow in previous DAW to REAPER. From simple things like saving few clicks to do macro (set of actions), until even no mouse click at all to do complex things fully automated with presets, templates or scripts.

Remember the first letter R in REAPER is Rapid. If you're not working more rapidly than before, you have not use REAPER at all.

Have fun!

This exact post should be display at the page 1 of REAPER user manual

And in bold capital letter at the first reaper launching

No wait, as an agreement to download

[grayter1]

I agree with everything said here. I bought Reaper at the end of ver 3, and coming from Logic & PT, it did not come easy. I did what most do - try to mimic your old daw in Reaper. That practice just adds time to your learning curve.

Now I cannot imagine working without it. When I'm in the field, I won't use anything but Reaper. I was about to give up Logic completely, when Apple integrated Alchemy in version 10.2, so I'm keeping it around, or until I can figure out a way to Rewire it into Reaper.

It's been a long journey learning Reaper, but ultimately, a rewarding experience.

tg

[vanhaze]

Exactly my very same experiences and thoughts ; well said !

[peter5992]

Originally Posted by toko

Thank you all for the amazing advice and links.

I'm all for fast workflow and macro's. Reaper seems perfect for that. I use QuicKeys and keyboard maestro in other DAWs.

airon, Aatranslator looks great, thanks.


peter5992, Is Alberto's theme a visual layout only or is it also custom key commands and mouse behavior?

Many thanks,

Toko

No, it is just the visual layout (unless I totally missed something, lol).

[kero]

Originally Posted by toko

Hi everyone,


I just joined the forum. Please excuse my terrible English.
I work in audio post production and my main DAW has been PT for over 10 years.
I just started using Reaper and find it incredible and powerful, it covers areas that I've been looking for in other DAW. I'd love to set some of Reaper's mouse behaviour/ key commands/ editing behaviour to be similar to PT for compitablity and ease of use as I still need to use PT as my main DAW when working in a team and exchanging sessions.

Has anyone done this and wouldn't mind sharing these settings?

P.S. I'm using a Mac which is why I posted this here. I hope it's the correct place.

Many thanks,

Toko

I use Pro Tools 8 on my main computer because the requirements for Reaper are mad, it only works with modern computers after OSX 10.5.8 Intel. This is a big negative side to Reaper and I am sure, unfortunately, it will mean many people cant use it.

In which case I have Reaper on another machine (very small screen laptop) and use it for midi, then save as wav files and open up in Pro Tools!
Then do the main session in Pro Tools.

Having said that, I am waiting for the day that Reaper latest version becomes compatible with OsX 10.5.8, then I will probably just work with Reaper, on the big main computer.

Meantime, what I am saying, you can Use both PT and Reaper, they are very similar really.

[serr]

REAPER v4.75 is in fact the last version made for the PPC.

What new features in later versions of REAPER since 4.75 do you need?


I used Protools HD for a good 15 years myself before upgrading to REAPER. I'm thinking REAPER v3 is even light years ahead of Protools... But seriously, what new REAPER feature is the make or break for you here?

[peter5992]

Originally Posted by kero

I use Pro Tools 8 on my main computer because the requirements for Reaper are mad, it only works with modern computers after OSX 10.5.8 Intel. This is a big negative side to Reaper and I am sure, unfortunately, it will mean many people cant use it.

In which case I have Reaper on another machine (very small screen laptop) and use it for midi, then save as wav files and open up in Pro Tools!
Then do the main session in Pro Tools.

Having said that, I am waiting for the day that Reaper latest version becomes compatible with OsX 10.5.8, then I will probably just work with Reaper, on the big main computer.

Meantime, what I am saying, you can Use both PT and Reaper, they are very similar really.

That's weird - Reaper should be compatible with all OS as of 10.5.

In terms of compatibility, it is much more flexible than Pro Tools - where every new version always creates compatibility issues.

[serr]

Originally Posted by peter5992

That's weird - Reaper should be compatible with all OS as of 10.5.

The installers for PPC vs Intel are in fact different. You really do need v4.75 or earlier of REAPER for the PPC.

If there is a feature in a newer build of REAPER that you can't live without...
What is it?
Maybe there's a way to hack it into the older version.

[Teo Oliver]

I'm made the switch in some months ago.

I am doing a lot of personalization so i can have most of the shortcuts and behavior of ProTools in Reaper.

Heres the Link to download it:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yo6d21t4t9...ConfigZip?dl=0

[kero]

Originally Posted by serr

REAPER v4.75 is in fact the last version made for the PPC.

What new features in later versions of REAPER since 4.75 do you need?


I used Protools HD for a good 15 years myself before upgrading to REAPER. I'm thinking REAPER v3 is even light years ahead of Protools... But seriously, what new REAPER feature is the make or break for you here?

Cheers
The older version of Reaper Does work on my G5 non intel, but not the latest version.
I use MT Power kit drum program which works with Reaper 5 on an Intel computer, but not on the Non intel computer with the earler Reaper.

[kero]

Originally Posted by peter5992

That's weird - Reaper should be compatible with all OS as of 10.5.

In terms of compatibility, it is much more flexible than Pro Tools - where every new version always creates compatibility issues.

Only extremely modern computers with Intel unfortunately.
I paid for the licence believing I could use it on both my main computer and laptop.
Both 10.5. But my main computer is non Intel.

[serr]

MT Power kit drum says they need 10.5 or newer.

That suggests they had a PPC installer at one point. You should contact them and find out.

The G5 will still be a fairly powerful machine with REAPER. No worries there.