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

Determine actual latency.

1. [Reaper] Preferences > Audio > Recording > User audio driver reported latency, uncheck.
2. [Reaper] Add track, record something.
3. [Interface] Connect headphones (?) into input.
4. [Reaper] Add track.
   1. Turn off monitor.
   2. Arm for recording.
   3. Set input.
5. [Reaper] Play and set levels so track 1 & 2 roughly match.
6. [Reaper] Record.
7. [Reaper] Track 1: Put a marker (M) at a distinctive point.
8. [Reaper] Track 2: Put a marker (M) at the same point.
9. [Reaper] Double click in the ruler (top) in the space between the two markers (creates a time selection).
10. [Reaper] Right click in the ruler (top) in the space between the two markers > Samples.
11. [Reaper] Bottom, Selection: [from] [to] [number of samples].

Determine reported latency error.

1. [Reaper] Delete second marker.
2. [Reaper] Track 2: Delete item.
3. [Reaper] Preferences > Audio > Recording > User audio driver reported latency, check.
4. [Reaper] Record.
5. [Reaper] Track 2: Put a marker (M) at the same point.
6. [Reaper] Double click in the ruler (top) in the space between the two markers (creates a time selection).
7. [Reaper] Right click in the ruler (top) in the space between the two markers > Samples.
8. [Reaper] Bottom, Selection: [from] [to] [error number of samples].

Set correct latency.

1. [Reaper] Delete second marker.
2. [Reaper] Track 2: Delete item.
3. [Reaper] Preferences > Audio > Recording > User audio driver reported latency, check.
4. [Reaper] Preferences > Audio > Recording > Input manual offset, set samples to [error number of samples]

Check it.

1. [Reaper] Record.
2. [Reaper] Waveforms should match.

• Enable lanes: Options > New recording that overlaps existing media items > Add lanes
• Enable comping: Right click lane > Comping > Comp into new empty lane

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.

1. Add 'ReaLimit' FX to master track.
2. Add 'Loudness Meter Peak/RMS/LUF' FX to master track.
3. Adjust the threshold in the limiter, until LUFS-I in meter is what you want.
4. To hear the effect of the limiter threshold without the change in volume, check the Link option.
5. These two plugins use quite a bit of CPU, so should be disabled until rendering is required.

Generally speaking, it is recommended to aim for a range between -14 and -16 dB LUFS.

• Preview (dry run) render. Ideally:
  • Peak -0.1
  • Clip: 0
  • LUFS-I: Refer to table
• To prevent clipping:
  • Add JS: Event Horizon Limiter/Clipper to master track.
  • Threshold: 0.0 (no change in LUFS-I) or decrease to make louder
  • Ceiling: -0.1
  • Release: 0.0
• 2nd pass render: checked
• Resample mode: r8brain free
• Normalize ON, LUFS-I, -10 LU Make sure the track is mastered correctly as above.
• Format: MP3 (encoder by LAME project)
• Mode: Target quality (VBR), Maximum q=0 (slow)
• Quality: 70

This trick will enable you to hear the effect of the limiter without changing the volume.

1. Add JS: Event Horizon Limiter/Clipper to master track.
2. Threshold: 0.0
3. Ceiling: -0.0
4. Release: 0.0
5. Select Edit button.
6. Scroll down to @slider.
7. Add slider2=slider1; afterwards.
8. Threshold & Ceiling are now linked. Decrease the Threshold to hear the artifacts of the limiter.

• 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.