In this book, we will be working with version 7.20 of REAPER. You can download it from https://www.REAPER.fm/download.php.

If you haven’t installed REAPER yet and you are a Windows user, your computer should be running Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11 (32- or 64-bit, Intel/AMD only). If you are a Mac user, you need macOS 10.5 – 14.x (Intel or Apple Silicon).

REAPER is a DAW created by the American company Cockos Incorporated, whose intention from the outset was to create a powerful and accessible DAW and develop lightweight and easily installable software. The result has been more than satisfactory, as the size of the installation file is less than 30 MB and still has a lot of functions included.

REAPER has gradually positioned itself as one of the main contenders in the world of DAWs. In the subsequent sections, let’s look at the most important features that have made REAPER the preferred DAW for millions of users around the world.

Compatibility

REAPER is one of the few DAWs that can be used on Mac, Windows, and even Linux computers. This allows it to have project compatibility across different types of systems and for all kinds of users, from young people starting out in the world of music production making music in their bedrooms to experienced audio engineers who require a reliable and powerful tool...

If you don’t have REAPER installed on your computer yet, this section will demonstrate the steps you should follow.

Head over to the official website of REAPER (https://www.REAPER.fm) to download the installer relevant to your operating system. REAPER offers both 64-bit and 32-bit versions. If you’re unsure which one to choose, the 64-bit version is generally recommended for most modern computers.

REAPER is constantly updated, so it is very likely that by the time you read this, there will be a newer version. Generally, updates are for bug fixes or minor features, so you should be able to follow the procedures outlined in this book without a problem.

Windows installation

To install REAPER on a Windows machine, follow the next steps:

1. Double-click the downloaded .exe file to launch the installer.
2. Agree to the license agreement and follow the on-screen prompts.
3. Choose an installation location (default is usually...

To understand the use of a DAW more completely, it’s a good idea to grasp some concepts of digital audio. We’ll go over some of the most important points in this section.

Digital audio is the representation of sound in the form of binary code. This representation is made using binary digits or bits (1, 0). This means that we can represent sound through a stream of ones and zeros. When audio takes this digital or binary form, it can be manipulated and processed in various ways using a computer.

This is precisely what a DAW does: it allows us to record, edit, and process digital audio. The use of DAWs has been part of the revolution in music and audio production. This is because, previously, this could only be done in a professional recording studio. Now, anyone with a moderately powerful computer and a DAW such as REAPER can create highly polished projects.

Now, let’s see some fundamental concepts of digital audio that will allow...

Let’s see how to start a new project in REAPER, as well as the settings we need to consider. If we have an audio interface, we must ensure that it is turned on and correctly installed before launching REAPER, as otherwise, we may encounter errors in its configuration.

Many of the current interfaces that connect via USB are usually plug-and-play; however, we should check their documentation to ensure they do not require additional drivers or software to be recognized by the operating system.

When we open REAPER, we will see the main REAPER window, as shown in Figure 1.5:

Figure 1.5 – An overview of REAPER’s main window

Now let’s see how to adjust the device settings to ensure we are using the appropriate audio device.

Audio device settings

The first thing we need to do when using REAPER is to ensure that our audio interface or sound card is recognized by REAPER. To do this, we will go to...

One of REAPER’s most notable features is its customizability. In fact, REAPER can be customized so much that in some cases it can be counterproductive, as you might open REAPER on someone else’s computer and find options that are different than those you are used to.

Throughout the book, we will be looking at the most important options depending on the topic or project we are dealing with. For now, I will mention the most important options regarding the appearance of the user interface in this section.

If we go to the Options | Settings menu, the first tab on the left is called General, as we can see in Figure 1.13. Here we can change the Language of REAPER, the Undo settings, and the Startup settings.

Figure 1.13 – General preferences

In the General section, there are also options to adjust the keyboard and multitouch pad if you have one.

Next, in the Appearance section, we find many options that we...

In this chapter, we have seen the major features that make REAPER a different and, in many cases, unique DAW. We have also covered important concepts of digital audio, such as latency, sampling rate, and bit depth, so you can set up your projects using the correct resolution. Now you know how to configure REAPER to use your audio interface, as well as access the menus to customize some aspects of it.

In the next chapter, we will start working by importing and recording audio and MIDI, which is the first step in a music or audio project.