A Reaper video for everything – mapping Sonar features

Kenny Gioia may be one of the primary reasons the Reaper Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is so popular. For any specific feature you can name, there is apparently a YouTube video by Kenny that demonstrates and explains it. He has. An odd way. Of speaking. That is disconcerting at first. But after a while, you get used to it, and I find it very easy to absorb the information Kenny is relating.

For my own benefit, I’m going to keep an index of videos I’ve found useful when researching how to map a specific SONAR feature to Reaper’s functionality. At least, that was my intention when I started.

Master Bus, and Track vs. Buss in general:

• The Master track in Reaper
• Folders vs. Busses vs. Groups vs. VCAs in Reaper

Track Folders:

• Reaper 5 Explained – 11. Folders

Routing:

• Reaper 5 Explained – 9. The Sends
• Multi Channel Routing and MIDI tracks in Reaper
• Creating FX Sends and Returns in Reaper

Working with external MIDI sound modules:

• External Keyboard or Synth in Reaper (except this isn’t working for me yet!)
• Update: It *does* work but I have no idea what I did. Maybe the input monitor button was involved? Must research further.

Arrangement, Markers, and Time-base Rulers

• REAPER 5 Explained – 19. Markers & Regions
• Colors in Reaper (Default 5 theme)

Automation:

• Reaper 5 Explained – 23. Envelopes and Automation

Time signature changes:

• Time signature changes in Reaper

Take management, and comping:

• Reaper 5 Explained – 16. Takes and Comping
• Exploding and Imploding Takes in Reaper

Customizing the editing experience:

• The Smart Tool in Reaper
• Customizing the Toolbars in Reaper

Vocals:

• Tuning Vocals with ReaTune in Reaper
• De-Essing vocals in Reaper
• ReaVocode or Vocoder in Reaper

Driving a multi-timbral VSTi with multiple tracks (e.g. Split tracks for drums)

• Multi Channel Routing and MIDI tracks in Reaper
• Recording MIDI Drums to Separate Tracks in REAPER

"Fit to improvisation":

• Tempo Mapping in Reaper

Drum Maps:

• Re-mapping MIDI notes – Drum pads in Reaper

Groove clips and time-stretching:

• Copy Loop of selected area of items in Reaper

Export to WAV (rendering a mix):

• Rendering in Reaper – Creating a Master Mix

MIDI Editing

• Working with multiple MIDI items in Reaper (not Kenny but still good)

Noise reduction:

• Removing Background Noise in Reaper (ReaFIR)

I should probably stop adding things to this list, because after a while it’s just going to look like the complete index of Kenny’s videos on his site, here.