![]() Unlike many sequencers, Reaper allows you to switch at will between the various modes (Piano Roll, Named Notes, Event List and Drum) within a single window, which I found incredibly convenient. The latter are best viewed in conjunction with the new Named Notes mode, which shows text without note graphics, although the names also remain visible in the traditional piano‑roll view, where I found them really useful for labelling sample‑library keyswitches and effects. ![]() A new Drum mode displays notes as diamonds, without length information, and allows you to enter names for each note, to create editable drum maps. It's also now possible to have multiple lanes across the bottom of the MIDI editing window so you can view and edit velocity and other controller data simultaneously (hooray!). In my previous Reaper review, the first item in the 'cons' list was the lack of a MIDI List Editor, so I'm pleased to report that this has now been remedied. MIDI editing features have been greatly improved, with multiple controller lanes (shown here) and a new Event List option. Beloved of Logic users, these allow you to carefully size and arrange the various windows to best suit recording, editing and mixdown tasks, and then switch between them with a single key‑press. Other visual enhancements since we last looked at Reaper in SOS are the new Extended mixer view that gives you the option of displaying both FX sends and inserts on each channel, and the introduction of Screensets. Alternative 'themes' created by users and available for free download on the Reaper forums range from 'minimalist with tiny icons' for those who want to get the maximum number of tracks on screen, to finely sculpted looks reminiscent of expensive hardware. Some users might consider such 'themes' rather frivolous, but there's no denying that the look and feel of a sequencer that you may be using for many hours at a time can become extremely important. The somewhat bland look of its predecessor is still available as an option, and the skinning support has been significantly enhanced, so that you can change the look and feel in many other ways. One of the most obvious improvements is the rather more sophisticated default interface created by graphic designer 'White Tie'. ![]() Many of these changes relate to minor improvements and bug‑fixes, but October 2007 saw the release of a major update to Reaper 2.0 with various completely new features, while the July 2008 release of version 2.4 was a second significant update that provides us with the perfect opportunity to revisit the application. It's also remarkable for the frequency of its updates: since we last looked at Reaper version 1.828 in SOS June 2007 ( /sos/jun07/articles/reaper.htm), the change log has increased by a massive 1672 lines! It offered a huge number of sophisticated features for very little money, and has attracted a large and extremely loyal following. The introduction of Reaper, dubbed "reasonably priced, uncrippled, unexpiring shareware" by its developers, caused a huge stir in the world of sequencing in 2006. ![]() With a sophisticated new interface and more versatile mixer, Reaper 2.4 looks and feels significantly better than previous versions. Since we first reviewed Cockos' shareware Reaper multitrack recording package, it has undergone hundreds of improvements - but the bargain asking price has barely changed.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |