Reaper Cheat Sheet

• Side chain compressor (ducking)

• Check the audio interface latency.
• Adjust gain to get levels between -18 to -12db.

• Enable lanes: Options > New recording that overlaps existing media items > Add lanes
• Enable comping: Right click lane > Comping > Comp into new empty lane
• If you have recorded as takes, convert them using the action: 'Take: Explode takes on selected tracks to fixed lanes'.
• Yellow dots control what you are listening to. Ctrl + Click to listen to more than one lane at a time.
• Shaded area around the dots indicates what (if anything) is currently being comped to. Double click a dot to turn off comping.

1. Project Settings (🛈 in toolbar).
2. [Project Settings] Timebase for items/envelopes/markers: Time
3. For each MIDI item (if any):
   1. Right click > Source properties…
   2. [MIDI item properties] Ignore project tempo: checked
4. Make sure the audio starts after bar 2.
5. View > Tempo envelope
6. Turn on Grid & Snap.
7. [Snap/Grid Settings] Show grid, line spacing: checked, 1, 1/2 or 1/4, depending on how accurate you want it.
8. First one:
   1. Shift + click on bar line in Tempo envelope to create marker.
   2. Ctrl + drag on tempo at top of marker and move it to beginning of transient.
   3. Alt + click to delete it.
   4. Shift + click to create it again.
9. The rest:
   1. Shift + click on bar line in Tempo envelope to create marker.
   2. Ctrl + drag on tempo at top of marker and move it to beginning of transient.
10. Adjust one marker without affecting everything to the right:
    1. Ctrl + Alt + drag on tempo at top of marker.

1. Crop start of recorded item to first note.
2. Move item to the beginning of the track.
3. Double click item, Item timebase: Time
4. Shift + double click item (create a time selection that matches the item).
5. Adjust the end of the time selection to the end / start of a part in the recording. Note the time signature and number of bars.
6. Check it by turning on looping and play it back.
7. Right click ruler, Set project tempo from time selection (new time signature).
8. [Edit Time Signature] Fill out details, OK.
9. Check with metronome.
10. Clean up, double click item, Item timebase: Track/project default timebase.

Manual:

1. Add stretch markers with Shift + W (current position) or Alt + Ctrl + Click.
2. Add stretch markers before the note, on the note and after the note.
3. Turn on snap to grid and drag stretch marker.

Auto: (better for working on most of the item)

1. Select item, Edit > Dynamic Split (or D).
2. [Dynamic split items] Split points: At transients: checked (others unchecked).
3. [Dynamic split items] Action to perform: Add stretch markers to selected items.
4. [Dynamic split items] Set transient sensitivity.
5. [Transient Detection Settings] Adjust Sensitivity & Threshold.
6. [Dynamic split items] Adjust Min slice length.
7. [Dynamic split items] Add stretch markers.
8. Delete unwanted stretch markers with Alt + click.
9. Select item, right click, Stretch markers > Stretch markers in selected items > Snap to grid.

Transient Guides: (better for working a smaller section of a large item)

1. Select item, Edit > Dynamic Split (or D).
2. [Dynamic split items] Split points: At transients: checked (others unchecked).
3. [Dynamic split items] Action to perform: Add transient guide markers to selected items.
4. [Dynamic split items] Set transient sensitivity.
5. [Transient Detection Settings] Adjust Sensitivity & Threshold.
6. [Dynamic split items] Adjust Min slice length.
7. [Dynamic split items] Generate guides.
8. Grabbing a guide creates a stretch marker. Start with the beginning and end of the section, then add the middle ones, snap to grid.

• Open with ChordGun toolbar button or Action > Script: pandabot_ChordGun.lua.
• Set note length with the Grid setting at bottom of MIDI window.
• Select notes and shift click new chords to replace them (preserves existing rhythm).
• Reaper Mania video.

1. Right click the track, Render/freeze tracks > Freeze tracks to x.
2. If the track is a parent track:
   1. Mute the child tracks.
   2. Colapse the track folder.

• Monitor Input: Next to record icon on track, options are On, Off, Tape Auto Style (off during playback, on during recording - useful if punching in and out).
• Auto punch: Options > Record mode: time selection auto punch, or right click record button in transport bar.
• Track manager: can set whether tracks are visible in the Track Control Panel or the Mixer Control Panel. Useful to hide tracks that are only used for routing in the Track Control Panel.
• Track templates: Select track(s) to save (use Track Manager if some are not visible), right click track → Save track as track template…
• Set start & end for rendering: Add marker at start (shift + M) and call it =START. Add marker at end (shift + M) and call it =END.