Exactly!

 

This isn't Reddit or a thread even created by some novice asking for a DAW version of My Little Pony. It's multiple pages of Reaper users trying to explain why their DAW is <whatever to them>. Most coming across as waterboys like the commenter who is so impressed with themself about the fact they finally learned a single DAW. It's not any heated argument because dealing with someone making those sorts of comments barely qualifies itself as lightwork. I see no confusion about the matter at all.

If someone cannot figure out what is meant by the words "similarity", "open-source", "customizable"; maybe Reaper is not the DAW for them. That's almost as impressive as letting your DAW turn you into an unpaid hobbyist programmer.

To the DAW agnostic, this "argument" as you call it, is about as exciting as watching a OpenOffice Libre vs. MS Excel brawl develop between some accountants.

 

Don't forget "The reaper Stash"

 

why participate in it then if you don't care? especially if you feel like you're above the fray such participation resembles incitement instead of trying to get to the truth

 

don't forget Presonus Exchange or the same user exchange of Bitwig https://bitwig.community/presets or https://bitwiggers.com/

 

... or Max4Live or Reasen Rack Extensions...

 

R2R is your friend , do a little dip here nad there and you get a slight idea acording to your approach in needs for a DAW

perception my friend ..perception
for me it sounds like a compliment.that linux bashing from certain people is always just showing their lack in knowledge of IT,coding,OS scripting,shortpath thru command line and what not.
...and im just a mouse and application user myself but i know very well that bashing is stupid.
///
for me
its
ABLETON
-----------(REASON)
REAPER



S1 and FL imo have terrible gui workflow/cluttering in different ways

...but it should be equal to you cause im not you .


---------------
the real interssting point which could someone point out pls is ,what someone said in a anoher have DAW different audio sound thread .
its bout harrison mixbus and that the dev coded some analog circuit imperfections or so into the DAW output/audio engine or however .
??

 

i aint no scientist like them bitwig ableton fruityloops or cubase sx programmers , them folk are scientists , Reaper and Presonus Studio Pro is decent fo any guitarist or bassist or vocals recorder recordind them business on some shure mic , logic pro is a beast , good fo anyting, beyond that fo traxx like

or

u need quickrolls beats summer sambas n , i aint noone , but i recognize tha truth ,so , long wordz short like ma ex told me , all presonus or reaper needs , is more automation arpeggiator and cuttoff accesibilities , so goes fo

 

Ah but access is forbidden to the Presonus Exchange unless you have a legit copy of Studio one.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengin...4/the_harrison_mixbus_sound_does_it_have_one/

 

while yes there's no perfect DAW i found that FL studio is the one with less hassle. For composing is the fastest yet most complete one imho

 

It is really good that you added 'imho". Because reading this post makes clear that there is no best DAW in the world. There is however a DAW that fits best to a person's need to make music in that person's most convenient way.
Everybody involved in making music has to find the tools that fit their needs best. I found, the tools don't matter. It's just about your feeling to make music.
Oh, and BTW, imho.........

 

1- That doesn't make it look better - it is just an explanation.
2. So every other application in MacOS supports that it automatically uses the prefered color scheme of the OS but Reaper - the one that uses generic UI elements of the OS, to make it more performant (and ugly) - does not support it and i have to manually adjust the setting. Alright...

I do not care that programming and routing parameters have been an integral production in the past, nor do I want to write a few single lines of code every time I come across an annoyance. I code for work, not to make music.

I am sorry, but the price is an argument that is so often brought up its kinda strange. Reaper is 225$. Logic is 200$ (and I paid it once a decade ago), that comes with a plethora of effects instruments etc (not one upgrade price). FL Studio All Plugins Edition is around 380$ at a sale (with always updates). Now it is cheaper than Cubase, Ableton, but these also come with a plethora of more effects and instruments - and if you need any of those you would need to buy them seperately. Now I can already see the argument of that you can use that saved money to buy what you need. But if it is already better and more CPU friendly implemented in the DAW, why not use that.

___

I am not sure about the developers. Yes for two people they are incredible, but if you compare it to the updates of Logic, Ableton and Cubase - they quite often pale in comparison.

The thing is we all use the DAW we most enjoy and are most comfortable with. Reaper is an incredible DAW with by far the best philosophy. But it does have it weaknesses - just like other DAWs do too.

 

Last edited: Sep 5, 2025 at 8:52 PM

Most of Reaper users are Discounters, and that is $60. Does Logic has that option too?
And the update versions run up to over 6 years. I don't know how you get to use it for free after 10 years, but I checked and with Logic 10 arrived in 2013 and v11 in 2024. It is not possible to update for free to 11. Also because v11 needs an upgrade or so. Reaper 7 still runs on my 2007 notebook. Reaper works on Win XP, Win Vista, Win 7, Win 10 and Win 11. Also, I started using Reaper when I was on Windows. Now I am on Linux and all my configuration is valid on Linux. And if I would have way too much money to be able to afford a Mac, I could still keep using Reaper and the same configuration.

And about the extra stuff you get with Logic: that is correct. But.....it's only useful if they fit your needs. I buy what I need. I don't have to pay for stuff I don't use or need.

First: the company maybe owned by 2 persons, the community (voluntary or payed dkdc) is much bigger. Take just for example Kenny Gioia who makes video's of all new versions and updates with explanations of all the new features? Even I as a noob can understand them!

What are you claiming about updates? Reaper bugs are repaired within 1 or 2 days. At least once (usually 2 or even more) a month an update is released with new features, mostly new features asked for by members.

Well, finally one thing we agree on. Everybody needs to use the stuff that fits best. I don't mind what people use, I even don't mind if people hate Reaper for it's GUI or whatever. But please don't say things that are not true about Reaper.

 

My point wasn't to change your subjective opinion about how REAPER looks, but to highlight the conscious design decision behind it: It's a trade-off where a modern GUI design is intentionally sacrificed for maximum performance, backward compatibility, and an extremely small codebase. This is the core of REAPERs design philosophy. Whether you see that as a pro or a con is up to you. It's not really worth debating, because a discussion like this will just go in circles.

My point about the dark mode was just a correction of your claim that REAPER doesn't have one. That it doesn't switch automatically is a separate, valid critique, but that's beside the point. Again...

On the topic of coding, the original context is key. I only suggested it as a one-off fix for a very specific issue, not as something you always have to do. I was responding to a user who was completely dismissing any free downloadable extensions, labeling REAPER as the "worst DAW for music production", and making a bunch of apples-to-oranges comparisons. Let's be clear: You don't have to code in REAPER, any more than you have to code in Live or FL Studio. Honestly, REAPER is the only DAW I'm aware of where downloading free extra content is criticized as a negative, and where people seem to judge that content by who coded it, instead of by its actual usefulness.

You seem to be anticipating an argument about using the saved money to buy plugins, but that's not the point I was making at all.
My point was that REAPERs price is only possible because of its small team. That's a comment on their business model, not a debate about whether Reaper is worth it compared to other DAWs. And even if we were to get into that debate, the comparisons you're making are classic apples-to-oranges. The math for Logic, for instance, works completely different.

Logic is just one piece of the Apple ecosystem, which operates on a blended pricing model. Apple buys up plugins and features, gives them a makeover, and optimizes them for their own processors. The deal is: want Logic? Buy a Mac. Want to update Logic in a few years? You'll need a new Mac. Most Logic users are buying mid-to-high-spec Macs anyway, so the model pays off for Apple over time. So sure, if you're already in the Apple ecosystem, Logic is a great deal. If you have to buy a Mac just to run Logic, it's a very expensive DAW, isn't it?

And the FL Studio price comparison is another case of apples and oranges.
The FL Studio All Plugins Edition costs $630 normally, not $380! The price you brought up is a temporary sale.
REAPER is $60, unless you're a business making over $20k a year. For the standard price of FL Studio, the overwhelming majority of people could get 63 years of REAPER updates. I guess we can chalk that up to "with always updates" too, can't we? Granted, that's assuming these companies and their DAWs are even still a thing in 63 years. And let's be honest, I have my serious doubts about that.

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2025 at 12:20 AM

Let’s be honest: one of Reaper’s biggest blunders (and it’s been a while) is the lack of a decent score editor. I’m not even asking for anything extraordinary like what comes with Nuendo, Cubase, or Logic. But Reaper’s notation editor, with its barebones features, simply doesn’t match the DAW’s power. It’s like having a Michelin-starred French chef cook instant ramen as if it were haute cuisine...

The most frustrating part? Development once showed promise, but somewhere along the way it got tossed aside like an old plugin nobody wants to maintain. The result? Users having to whip up wild extensions just to patch holes that shouldn’t even exist. And let’s be real: a proper score editor is basic infrastructure for any DAW that dares to call itself professional, as proven by Cubase, Nuendo, Logic, Digital Performer, and Studio One!

These days, my workaround has been using Nuendo’s score editor. It gives me everything I need... (and then some advanced post-production tools, like robust syncing between video and music, Dolby Atmos support, Game Audio Connect integration, Netflix loudness metering... the whole arsenal). It fills Reaper’s gaps with ease!

And yes, I’ll admit that many of these features aren’t strictly essential (a lot can be replicated in Reaper with enough patience and creativity). But let’s not kid ourselves: Nuendo trades performance and customization for convenience, and that’s the deal. Still, if Reaper had a real score editor, I wouldn’t even glance at Nuendo. But since that’s not the case... well, I keep on 'Steinberging' my way!

 

Last edited: Sep 7, 2025 at 2:24 PM