one of the things i love and hate about reaper is how deep it is, sometimes i don't even know how to phrase the question i have though because of that. so im guessing there is a setting that will fix this for me, but currently swing settings under quantize for midi override every time i change projects. so for example i have song 1 and 2. i make song 1 and using q or quanitize i set the swing to 30% and i save and close it. then i make song 2 and make the swing 10%, save and close it. when i go back to song 1 the midi data is still set to swing 30% until i hit q again, then it will change the swing from 30% to the last set swing, which is 10% from song 2. so i basically lose the old songs swing settings.

im not even sure im explaining this right, but its very frustrating, i basically have to try and remember to write the swing settings down somewhere so i dont lose them. there has to be a better way im hoping?

 

ok, so this is how you do it:

kidding

No idea, what´s even worse this actually "subliminally" slipped thru for me, like having a ghost that always messes some little setting enough to drive you insane. I would see that it is different but i always thought " i´m such a crap producer, why do i even change these settings, i dont even hear them"...but i was wrong, Cubase does not make me negate my entire existence.

i guess i´m just adding more weight to this entire thing

 

You're using the "quantize" command, not changing project settings, so the command remembers the last state it was used in. What you want is a global, project wide midi setting. Unfortunately, Reaper doesn't have such a thing. It only has the quantize command, no project setting. I just looked it up, it's actually annoying.

I guess copious use of project notes is the only solution. All DAWs should have such a feature, this is one reason I still use Reason.

 

Open a new project, make your changes to the Snap, then go File > Project Templates > Save project as template.

Then go Options > Preferences > Project > then browse for the template in the top line.

Whilst you're here you might wanna set up an autosave directory which you can do on the same page as above, tick 'Save to timestamped file in additional directory' and set an autosave folder.

Swing Grid in REAPER

Snap to Grid Settings and Snap Bypass – Reaper Tutorial
https://untidymusic.com/reaper-tutorials/reaper-snap-to-grid-snap-settings-snap-bypass

 

Last edited: May 4, 2026

Not sure if this is the solution, but have you tried when you hit Q, instead of "Quantize: All notes", changing it to "Selected Notes", highlight the notes you want to swing, then "Commit"?

Those notes should then stay at whatever swing percentage you have set them regardless of whatever subsequent changes you make to the Swing percentage.

 

Isn't the swing saved (per-MIDI item) with your MIDI editor grid settings? The row below the MIDI editor where you can also find 'key snap'.

E: Yeah, it is.

If you want to manually look this up in your RPP file or script this somehow, grab the CFGEDIT chunk for the MIDI item you're working with. Fields 25 and 26 are for swing enabled (bool, 0 or 1) and swing in % (float, -1 to 1) respectively.

 

Last edited: May 4, 2026

Correct. but the OP wanted a global option. To avoid having to do it per MIDI item. But yes each MIDI item does save it's individual grid settings.

So the only two options are:
1. Write it down.
2. Change each MIDI item's grid settings, which are then saved with the project.

 

See if this does what you want.

Basically: This script is meant to replace your "Open Quantize window" keybind AND toolbar icon(s).

It will (try to) re-call swing strength from a value that it stores with the PROJECT file and fill in the "Swing strength" field accordingly.

(Therefore, you need to change the swing strength the quantize window (which you opened with the script) at least once (and save your project too) before anything useful can happen!)

You need to have js_ReaScriptAPI installed ( https://github.com/juliansader/ReaExtensions ).

You need to change both occurrences of "Quantize Events" to match your language if your Reaper installation is not in English.

Code:

if not reaper.APIExists("JS_ReaScriptAPI_Version") then return nil end

local editor = reaper.MIDIEditor_GetActive()
if not editor then return nil end

reaper.MIDIEditor_OnCommand(editor, 40009)

local wnd = reaper.JS_Window_Find("Quantize Events", true)
if not wnd then return nil end

local strength_field = reaper.JS_Window_FindChildByID(wnd, 1002)
if not strength_field then return nil end

local ret, val = reaper.GetProjExtState(0, "swing_str", "strength")

if ret < 1 then
    val = reaper.JS_Window_GetTitle(strength_field)
end

reaper.JS_Window_SetTitle(strength_field, val)

local function str_loop()
    if not reaper.JS_Window_Find("Quantize Events", true) then return nil end

    strength_field = reaper.JS_Window_FindChildByID(wnd, 1002)
    strength_field_val = reaper.JS_Window_GetTitle(strength_field)

    if not (val == strength_field_val) then
        val = strength_field_val
        reaper.SetProjExtState(0, "swing_str", "strength", tostring(val))
    end

    reaper.defer(str_loop)
end

str_loop()

 

Last edited: May 4, 2026