Falling in Love with the Reaper

For years it was only Cakewalk or nothing. Then I stumbled upon Sony Acid Pro, so it became Cakewalk and Sony or nothing. I started with Cakewalk when their Pro Audio 9 became a hit. A very talented musician friend introduced it to me, he introduced me to the world of home recording. I was addicted immediately and burned many hours in front of my PC to learn how to handle the immense power of the software in my hand. When the Sonar line of Cakewalk came, I became ecstatic. I became obsessed with getting every new release of Sonar. But after Sonar 6 I realized that the software has became too bulky and cumbersome for the kind of work I do with it so I stopped at version 6 and did not care to even read about version 7 and now version 8. My interest in home recording also waned because I had so much work in my hands these days. Ideas also came low so my Cakewalk Sonar 6 Producer Edition laid dormant and gathered dust in my hard drive.

But lately a little project came up and I had to use my old friend Cakewalk again. This little project is my first time to really deal with a some real vocals tracks. My experience with home recording was always with instrumental music. While mixing the song I found out that I could not make the track for the vocals sound as if it was part of the mix, it somehow sounded like it has a world of its own. I was frustrated, i spent a whole day and I was not satisfied with how it sounded. So I scoured the internet for lessons and tutorials on mixing vocals. It was there that I stumbled upon REAPER. I noticed Reaper because it was as if all the experts in the field of recording, mixing, and mastering are raving about it. So I set aside the task of learning about how to deal with the vocals track and turned my attention to reading and learning more about Reaper. After reading a lot about it I ended up downloading a trial but fully functional version of the software. I installed it and dove into it.



REAPER is a new generation fully featured multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing, and mastering environment. The word "mastering" really hits me there. After installing it and looking under its hood for some hours, I found out that I have stumbled upon the new software that would unseat Cakewalk from its throne in my heart.

What makes Reaper better than the other DAWs I've used? First, it is not bulky and cumbersome; the installer is only 3.4 MB and it runs with the minimum of system requirements. There was no problem (so far) with my 64-bit Windows Vista OS. Second, it has some features that your expensive and bulky DAW could only dream about like incredibly flexible and powerful routing - functions as an entire virtual studio with patchbays, enabling all sorts of effects not possible anywhere else. Drool on its unlimited sound processing - tons of included FX, support for thousands of third party virtual instruments, sample players, audio and MIDI processing plug-ins (VST, VSTi, DX, DXi, JS)

Well, i won't talk too much about Reaper here now because I have a mix waiting for me, just head to its website and download their fully functional and complete 30-day trial version.

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