REAPER vs Pro Tools, is it really better? 

I used to hear horror stories from Pro Tools users about you should NEVER update your DAW in fear of breaking their projects. After downloading the latest Reaper updates for over a decade I can say that it has never happened to me with Reaper. I think the biggest reason some people don't think Reaper is professional is that they have heard of it 10 years ago and thought that because Pro Tools is the same now then Reaper must be as well 😂

Big one: reaper doesn't force you to specify track type. Saves a lot of time and means if a vst is only available in stereo, I can still use it on a mono clip

5:15 can't lie I thought my thing froze😂

Gunna be sending this to a lad that was told Reaper wasn’t “professional.” Good stuff!

I’ve been using pro tools for 15 years. I’m in the process to switching to reaper for these exact reasons.

Justin Frankel and the whole team behind REAPER should be shouted out with nothing but praise for the great work they've been doing.

Reaper allowed me to use it's software fully functional free of charge when the pandemic world shut down live music and I suddenly found myself having to do a rapid evolution into DIY home-recording musician. This is a huge factor imo, as most of us working class musicians don't have a ton of expendable cash lying around to get started, so the ability to create and learn the craft while you get your feet under you is of massive importance imo. I just purchased my license for it now that my finances stopped being so chaotic and I'd recommend it to any musician trying to get into recording, both for the functionality of the program and because of their musician friendly business model.

The audio community needed this video, thank you so much

Reaper has the web interface for remote controlling implemented in itself. Don’t need for external dongles or extra software. Depending on your workflow, this is huge.

+12 years PT user here. When I got into Reaper, customized it, set it all up, never went back and never will.

I used ProTools for over a decade but after getting fed up with Avid jacking up the annual prices, last summer I gave Reaper a try out of curiosity since the demo was generous and the full version was affordable if I liked it. I've actually never opened ProTools since, except to export some stems from an old session so I could switch them over to Reaper!

I used Protools for over 20 years, switched to REAPER 3 years ago and its the best software decision of my life. Avid has mismanaged and destroyed Digidesign's once leading product, and meanwhile Justin Frankel is making audio history. I really do think there will be a day when Justin will be as revered as Rupert Neve - they are both leaders and visionaries.

One of the best advantages that Reaper has over ProTools is VST! No more proprietary AAX format. I can use the thousands of free or cheap VSTs out there and not be limited to whether a company happens to have an AAX version of their plugin available. Additionally, I love how every track can be anything: mono, stereo, instrument, buss. If I change my mind halfway through, a session, I don't have to build the track from scratch again.

I've been using Reaper for ten years. Turns out I was right all along!

Hey Miami! Ever since you've been in charge of content, JST videos have become way more entertaining and educational. Keep doing what you're doing man!

I bought reaper a long time ago and don't regret it. I'm now doing a deep dive so i can learn all the bells and whistles/

The most important feature in Reaper is the Action list (custom actions, macros, scripts). New Razor editing is also very useful.

REAPER is the Future !!!! Period.

Reaper is the Blender of DAWs. The future is bright!

Been using Reaper since 2008. After many years on a console and grudgingly making the switch to a DAW, it just felt great and intuitive compared to others I demoed. I have pushed resource usage into the 90% range and it just sails right along without a hiccup. Thanks for spreading the word.

Lots of larger studios are actually beginning to implement Reaper. There's a reason David Farmer uses Reaper for his Sound Design work; nobody would call him unprofessional.

Thanks for the video. I started using Reaper a few weeks ago. I had it installed and working so quickly it surprised me! I have found it easy to use so far, especially when I do something stupid and need to recover or ‘repair’ a track - I am sure that I will use slip editing very often :) The on line Reaper community is very quick to help too. Subbed. Cheers!

Great video! Another feature I like in Reaper is the ability to add plugins to individual clips. This has saved my butt quick and easy many times to make different takes match each other (or sound different if needed) with clip-level EQ, reverb, etc.

Very informative, and it is so nice to listen to somebody who is so articulate. Thank you.

I’m so used to Pro Tools because that’s what I’ve had to learn in school and I’m comfortable with the workflow. Having said that, I’ve loved Reaper since I purchased it. Can’t wait to spend more time with it once I graduate.

As a professional within post production for 23 years I absolutely adore Pro tools....when it comes to _audio editing_ only! This is due to the incredible _speed_ PT is offering shortcut ninjas like me. Shortcuts are not adjustable in PT. And yet no other DAW I`ve bought and know (Reaper, Logic and Cubase) , is nearly as good with shortcuts. Moving a region/sound clip to another track, from..say two ours timestamped back one hour in the timeline, strip silencing it, adjusting the start length and the clip`s overall length, and in perfect lip sync with the picture, will take me approximately 8-10 seconds. Without the use of macro programs, and with minimal use of mouse. PT has other benefits over other DAWs too, like a very wide functionality of the markers and the Suspend Automation, just to mention some. Btw: *Whether you`re using mouse, shortcuts or a controller, slip editing works perfectly fine in Pro tools! And has done so for at least 15 years already.* Combine PT with a third party macro program like QuicKeys, and the possibilities are basically limitless! I did a job in 2 days that would normally take me 2 weeks. Shortcuts and speed were important to _me_ because of the dead lines. But mostly because I have tendinitis in my arms, which makes it impossible for me to use a mouse for too long at a time. *And this would have been the ONLY reason for me to keep using PT professionally!* Because any other DAW than Pro tools is preferable for all other reasons than tendinitis, speed and key commands. I have no problem with crashes ( I always use PT on Mac). Yet, in my opinion; AVID sucks! They ruined Pro tools by breaking it up into pieces you had to pay a fortune to put back together. Command8 and old PT HD was all I needed back then. Today, everything with PT is utterly expensive. The company I worked for had to replace a lot of equipment to meet AVIDs requirements. At least my job could afford it. But I cant afford one at home anymore. AVID is not treating their customers well. Any other DAW sounds just as great anyway. Besides, I find instruments and midi programming and editing in PT clumsy and impractical compare to Logic Pro X and Reaper.

Right on man. Very well laid out video here. I've used PT for 17 years but using Reaper more and more....

Another reason to use Reaper: You can do 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, 8 channel etc.. with reaper whereas in Pro tools you need the ultimate version do be able to do surround sound. Working in film post-production, this makes a HUGE difference (especially concerning the pricing).

This is a phenomenal video Sir, well done and thank you very much!

OK, that slip editing thing and the new razor tool is fantastic. Very entertaining video dude thanks.

0:00 - Short answer: Yes. Yes, it is. The only excuse for using Pro Tools is really just legacy. When I started home recording, Reaper's price tag was just a no brainer, and it has never disappointed me since. Heck, now I even edit my _videos_ with it; and while it does have its limitations there, it is orders of magnitude faster and hogs far less system resources than, say, Da Vinci Resolve - and I get far more powerful sound editing options than in _ANY_ video editor - sidechain compression for speech just to begin with. It is fast and portable and priced incredibly affordable. What more could anyone want? Oh yeah, legacy...

Very well done. Articulate and intelligent and efficient presentation with excellent production values.

Great video, man!

I am a new Reaper convert, after 21 years as a Pro Tools user. I'm happy, and I ain't lookin back.

Congratulations on 50k ^^

One of my favorite features: the rendering window with all its highly customizable glory... there is even a rendering matrix letting you choose exactly what to bounce to where, using whatever name you want with wildcards and in multiple file formats... Excellent for bouncing rehearsal recordings to individual songs

20 Avid engineers disliked this video

Awesome Video! I'm using reaper for two month now and I love it! I tried ProTools First a little over a year ago and totally failed. I nearly gave up on my dream of recording music at home. In just two month of reaper I got multiple Songs down and thinking about dropping 3 of those as an EP So Reaper is AWESOME :)

Thanks for the info. Well done video !!

Reaper: 1. 64 audio channels per mixer track 2. Advanced routing features 3. Advanced "side chaining" for All parameters 4. Built-in pitch correction (both auto & manual) 5. Great stock plugins plus use any 3rd party plugin format 6. Extremely Advanced render options & render queue with flexible naming options when rendering multiple items. 7. 16 customizable tool bars 8. Create your own keyboard shortcuts 9. Create custom macros which automates multiple commands into 1 action then map that to a keyboard shortcut 10. Portable install 11. Advanced multiple layered "track freeze" with the ability to go all the way back to the original state even after closing the project 12. Load project in offline mode to troubleshoot buggy vsts 13. Extremely low RAM & CPU usage 14. Amazing noise removal 15. Vocal alignment function built-in 16. Versatile time Stretch options 17. Open & switch between multiple sessions 18. Remote session collaboration tools (NinJAM) 19. Online repository with over 2000 community based enhancements including plugin 20. Sub-project linking 21. Remote control daw via any web browser 22. ChordGUN 23. MIDI key lock 24. Save "undo" as a part the project for unlimited "undos" at anytime 25. Loop record & create take lanes for both audio & midi to capture the perfect performance or use comping to achieve the perfect take 26. Tempo lock samples to your project with built-in sample browser 27. Delta solo 28. Ara support 29. Agnostic tracks... Meaning there are no specific track type. 30. Put Midi, audio, mono, stereo, video or image files, all on the same track 31. Media browser can show 🎶 notes being played in the sample being previewed 32. Video editing & rendering

Awesome video!!

Informative and entertaining video! I have never used either but I am considering buying Reaper.

Bro your segue game is on another level!

Great show. There is so much disadvantage in the internet about PT that I even don't try to find a hacked version.

thanks brother JOEY this was a GREAT full of good INFORMATION FOR ME BECAUSE Im JUST starting my first studio and I upgraded to big sur on my mac computer and now my logic pro x does not work in it , so I will get reaper for sure your video is the one that caused me to make the choice thanks again bro all the best to u man BLESSINGS peace mike

The Render Queue is amazing, what a time saver ! And Sub Projects....amazing.

One friendly correction from a regular user of both PT and Reaper: While Reaper’s implementation is, in fact, a bit more elegant, PT has long had the equivalent of slip edits - there are shortcuts not just for nudging clips as a whole but also for nudging the content within clip regions, which is the same as slip editing and isn’t as clunky as just nudging the clip then adjusting bounds and re-crossfading. Reaper’s take is perhaps more efficient by a very slight amount, but PT’s audio editing workflow and key command layout for editing audio really is worthy of praise - it is insanely well thought out and implemented. Not a Reaper hater by any means - PT and Reaper are my daily drivers and I’d even say Reaper covers a few more bases for me in a way I prefer than PT, but slip editing isn’t something that PT lacks.

Thanks so much!!! Very interesting!

Joey man, when you were talking about software crashing, I spit out my morning coffee when you froze and immediately subbed. That shit is so funny.

Im a music hobbyist and have always used Acid pro. Last year I switched to Reaper and it was very easy to pick up and learn.

Not to mention the priceless work of Kenny Gioia (and others) on YT!!! I’m learning so much thanks to his content!!!

Really nailed the main philosophical points. You didn't even have to mention Render Queuing...when I have to make alternate mixes for either artists (mix1, mix2_more reverb, mix3_mastered etc), or production music houses (track_no drums, track_piano, track_bumper, etc), it feels like an absolute necessity. I feel so sorry for engineers who have to sit there and wait for every render one by one. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck that.

Great video. I used to work in a developing country and we set up our own little recording studio. Pro Tools and the other big DAWs were miles out of our budget (as in, more than a teacher's salary). Reaper on the other hand? Cheap, and they gave us a generous discount. I'd never heard of it before and I was skeptical, thinking we might as well just use Audacity if we were going to use some unknown software, but boy was I wrong. Never used anything else since. Amazing software and so consumer friendly. Now all we need is for Cockos to take on Adobe so we can have a consumer-friendly alternative to Creative Cloud...

i've been using reaper since 2008 , never looked back !! Has so many options !!

Reaper is amazing!! Using it for about 13 years now.

New to reaper and seeing that slip editing trick is a huge game changer. Thanks for the info!!

I'm not sure if other daws can do this, but I know in Reaper you can run FL studios, Ableton, and Reason (and maybe you can run more DAWs in it, but those are the only ones I've used). And you can just use them as if they're a VST instrument and record parts with them.

Youre great, thanks

Cool comparison

Long time JST fan here I love this new content lately I hope you get lots of subs!! I am thinking about switching from Ableton to Reaper is there anyway I can download the skin your using?? Thank you :D

It was a great video! Things I feel should have been mentioned are 1. Multiple Hardware Outputs from a track in Reaper 2. Clip Effects where we can use external plugins as well But in PT you can't

One of the biggest things that’s been requested for years in protools is the ability to add note names to the midi piano roll. If your someone that programs drums by hand that’s a must have. Reaper also lets you tap from the back of the piano key to the front to sample the velocity sound, once you do this it will set your velocity for you when you pencil it in. IMO that’s huge if your going for realistic cymbal/hi hat variations.

I have been using reaper for 8 years now ha. My music teacher in high school owned his own studio in Canada, and this is what he started all of us on. Still using it to this day.

Yo these transitions are smooooooooth

Well Done !!!

LoL. Dude. Great video. Funny as hell. So many people are hating Pro Tools. It's time for Reaper to become industry standard.

I'm a huge fan of reaper and you did a good job of this!

You're awesome. Subscribed.

Great video man!!

Thanks so much! I am just a beginner, but thanks to your video I know how to save myself some nerves and rise my chances of not giving up 10 mins after starting with a DAW :D

You can slip edit within regions in PT, BUT you are still restricted to the nudge value. Highlight your region you want to slip edit and then on Mac: Command+Option+Plus/Minus (+/-) keys. Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Plus/Minus (+/-) keys

A lot of great points! I agree with it all as a Protools user for over 15 years. Biggest problem isn't the whats best, its the what people know and what people (most studios) have invested in. It's just hard for so many to abandon it for another DAW that could be a better fit, when so many clients and collaborators are in PT. Great video dude!

Thanks, dude. Confirmed everything that I was thinking.

I must compliment you on this video. You get your point across with style and I can tell you put a lot of energy into this which is greatly appreciated! I have the Adobe suite as I do both video and audio, but the one thing I'm really looking to get done is the ability to quantize audio tracks and tighten them up. You had mentioned slip editing. But is there a way to quantize a whole track? I know that midi can be quantized not only the beginning of the note but you can also quantize the duration. Does anything like this exist on any DAW? I downloaded a free version of pro tools (haven't installed it ye), but as I watched this video, I'm really thinking of trying reaper. I would greatly appreciate , if you can tell me that it's easy to quantize with Reaper. Thanks again!!

Lost it at the ProTools crash bit haha. Haven't missed that at all since making the switch!

I dumped Pro Tools 3 years ago for Reaper. Reaper is far more powerful(which can be a bad thing if your new to DAW). However you don't have to dive deep unless you want. One thing the video didn't mention was the free plugins that come with Reaper and being able to use VST files.

Hahahah Awesome!! Love your content here! I use REAPER and love it and your (windows tone) at 5:14 or so , got me!!! Thank you!1

DOOOOD! thanks! this was highly informative and convincing. I'm definitely going to investigate Reaper. I Love/Hate Pro Tools for all the reasons you pointed out and some.

this was really helpful

Love the segues to the different sections of the video. I've been using Reaper since v4.x and it hasn't crashed on me once. Like one of my fellow audio engineers says it, "ProTools is like trying to swat a mosquito with a sledge hammer."

I just opened up Protools right now just so I could prepare a session to share. Man Reaper is so amazing. I didn't even have to learn the key commands as they were so logically set up. I hope this industry standard BS goes away ASAP I'm a Reaper guy forever.

I use Reaper at home and PT at work and the main difference that's pushed in favor of PT over other DAWs incl. Reaper is more of a hardware advantage. PT, when run with the proprietary hardware, allows for DSP outside of the host computer, which is awesome. However, MOST engineers aren't going to be able to justify purchasing the AVID converters on top of the ridiculous software pricing in order to take advantage of that feature. So in the end, with similar setups, Reaper could be the more logical choice for anyone in the beginner to mid-tier level (which is most of us). I would just say that knowing both is a great skill set to have, as would knowing other popular DAWs that are on the market.

Great spin on Reaper !!!

That crash part was hilarious!!

In Reaper you can "sidechain" all parameters inside of your plugin ! This is amazing !!! You can use it for mastering or for sound design ! 🤪😜

I took the plunge on Reaper about 3 years ago after using Cubase forever - I wish I'd done it sooner (especially before paying for a couple Cubase upgrades). I'm sure I'll be learning new tricks on this thing for as long as I use it.

I'm currently in a community college course to learn the basics of recording (in case I missed anything) and we're being forced to learn Pro Tools which is crazy. I've been using Reaper for two years so I figured I'd be able to use it in the class but since Pro Tools is the "iNdUsTry sTaNdArD" we have to learn that and it's super clunky compared to Reaper I really didn't want to even try learning it

I know it's not something outrageous, but PT uses iLok (which I learned to accept) while Reaper... you know the rest :)

The crash part took me off guard 😂😂😂😂 That was brilliant.

I used pro tools for over ten years and just recently switched to Reaper and I love it. The ability to customize almost every aspect to suit my workflow is amazing.

I am just getting into music creation and was bombarded with PT users when asked about a good quality DAW. I have since watched several vids on Reaper and for me it's a no brainer.

Nice feature: record to FLAC. Don't know if Protools can do that, but I record most tracks on 18 bit FLAC, consuming only half the size of 16 bit wav. Super!

I use em both, and it really depends on what you're doing. For making music I love using reaper and its flexibility, customization options and the programmable side of things. When it comes to really fast editing, and I mean fast, Reaper is not even close to Pro Tools. Mainly I do Dubbing, Radioplays, Foleys, Voice Overs, Podcasts, Audiobooks and things like that (for a living). I really tried to be as fast as Pro Tools with reaper, for a long period of time, but there's no way. If you don't need the outstanding Editing capabilities of Pro Tools, go with Reaper. Avid drives me crazy... But for Editing, only Pro Tools for me.

I just came out of a pro tools course at my university. Got by fine with pro tools first to pass my exam, but it was enough to make me hope I never have to use the program again. I never had a program crash so much on me, I’m definitely not giving avid my money anytime soon. By the way, if your software has a CUSTOM crash window it does tell you something, doesn’t it?

So many things: I'm gonna mention Spectral Peaks. Try editing/time aligning an entire 13-piece big band horn section playing legato runs. With spectral peaks you can see where the individual notes are. HUGE time saver.

Man, if you want to have a reference bring that track to your session!! and you can do import data session too!

Swiping mutes and solos is a good one. LOve that. The SWS autocolor is a huuuuge timesaver. Customizabilty in general is a big one, not one way of doing things, but thousands!

I bought Reaper in 2010 (v3) and had been using it for quite a while before. By far the best DAW out there!

The best move I made, moving from Cubase to Reaper, great DAW.

My favourite feature is when recording guitar with Fx active it still records just the clean signal so I can change anything later, only other DAW I tried this in was FL and it records the fx combined with clean signal so you can't change anything after.