It's light, effective and can be installed in two or three clicks. Except for Linux users, everybody else is catered for from Windows 95 to Windows 8 32 or 64 bits, Mac OS 32, 64 bits or PPC. Do note that it works better under Windows than Mac OS. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I've tried multiple options but this software is currently the lightest there is. We could disregard the hardware because this software is really optimized. Relatively stable and very powerful, Reaper can compare with the major players. I was surprised with the Mackie Control support, it is excellent. OVERALL OPINION I couldn't tell when I started to use Reaper, but I have version 4 since it came out. Its price/quality ratio is very interesting, but it depends on how much you earn and your plug-in collection. It's a version stripped of all unnecessary features. It goes straight to the point, while allowing some unprecedented things in this type of product. Reaper is an expert sequencer that isn't meant for everybody, but those who master it will have an unlimited world of possibilities at hand. I would criticize its not very intuitive usage, due to its endless possibilities. It's not easy to make it simple when you offer so many things. Its midi editor, while having evolved quite a bunch, is not the most user-friendly. It is actually off-putting for beginners. It lacks certain options that would allow beginners to really get on with a comprehensive product. But apart from that, it's really a performance beast. It's a unique product without equal. I use it rarely, preferring Logic, Cubase and Sonar. Probably out of habit. But even if I'm not a regular user, its qualities do not need to be proven and must be recognized. Reaper is a minor player in the sequencer world, like Linux in the OS world. It's a bit harder to get a grip of, maybe a bit less sexy in the beginning, but very powerful and customizable. When it comes to price/quality ratio, I have mixed feelings: it costs $60, which isn't much, but if we want to use it for professional applications its $225. For people who have a good plug-in collection, it's OK. But for those who don't, they have to buy everything, so it is a stiff price. To summarize: Reaper is the sequencer we end up using when we are disappointed by the rest and have already come a long way. Starting directly with Reaper is not as obvious nor advantageous.
This program is great! Just wanted to say that first. It installs with no problem. You can download the installer for free from Cockos' website. I had no compatibility issues with my system. The configuration goes fairly in depth, but if you don't care that much about optimizing your software perfectly, it doesn't need to get very complicated. The manual is provided digitally, and is extremely thorough. Even though this program is free, you are not getting short changed on the quality of the program and documentation. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I have my own custom built system. It's an intel motherboard and dual core processor, with 4GB of RAM and plenty of hard drive space. I also run Windows XP for my operating system. Reaper works great on my computer. It very rarely gets sluggish unless I am really using a ridiculous amount of plug-ins. Reaper itself has a small memory footprint, and seems to be coded very efficiently. It is also very stable. It does crash from time to time just like any audio program will, but it is a small amount when compared to some of its big name competitors. OVERALL OPINION I have been using Reaper for the past couple years when I switched away from Cakewalk's Sonar. Sonar was also great, but I felt that Reaper was just as good, and it's free! Obviously my favorite thing about it is the price, but the workflow and general layout design of the interface is very intuitive and easy to learn. It is also becoming more widely supported by third party plug-in developers as time goes. Beyond that, almost every VST plug-in I have tried to use with Reaper has worked, and in most cases when there is a problem, it is something that you can deal with like a graphical error. Cockos also includes some high quality plug-ins of their own design to get you started with a good collection if you are new to digital audio. The value is amazing, considering the price of $0. I plan to keep using Reaper for the foreseeable future.
