Reaper 5 worth it for Virtual Orchestration?

[Viktor]

This forum seems to be home to a lot of Reaper-Users, so I thought it would be a good place to ask. I'm still using 4.78, which is as far as I know, the newest before 5.0, for which I would have to get a new license. It's only 50 bucks, but they could also be spend otherwise, if the software doesn't have any perks against my 4.78.
So my question to the people that updated, is it worth it? Especially for Virtual Orchestration needs? I saw there is a score editor, how good is that working? And does the automation of midi cc parameters work better? Because thats something, thats really bugging me right now.

[Mattias Westlund]

I'm curious about this myself -- same as you I'm also still on 4.78 and I would need to renew my license to move to REAPER 5. Looking at the new features present when v5 was released I decided against it, as 4.78 does pretty much everything I need a DAW to do already and on top of that I still vividly remember all the hassles when moving from v3 to v4. Features and functionality being altered or moved around, themes that I had grown accustomed to were incompatible with the new version, etc. Plus that v5 (at release) didn't have fixes for a number of long-standing bugs and quirks which completely turned me off upgrading. I mean, why pay another $50 for a program that has the same exact problems as the version I'm presently using?

Still, REAPER is well on its way to v6 now so I assume a lot of new stuff has been added and possibly fixed during the v5 development cycle. The score editor is of little use to me but there might be other things that I'm not aware of.

[Paul Battersby]

(10-21-2017, 08:43 AM)Viktor Wrote: So my question to the people that updated, is it worth it?

The best way to find out is to download and install it as a portable install. That way you have 60 days (depending on your conscience) to evaluate it and you won't affect your existing 4.x installation. There is also this:

What's new in Reaper Updates video series

It's a video series on what has changed in Reaper 5.0. I always watch the latest video when a new Reaper update is released.

[Viktor]

(10-21-2017, 10:37 AM)Paul Battersby Wrote:

(10-21-2017, 08:43 AM)Viktor Wrote: So my question to the people that updated, is it worth it?

The best way to find out is to download and install it as a portable install. That way you have 60 days (depending on your conscience) to evaluate it and you won't affect your existing 4.x installation. There is also this:

What's new in Reaper Updates video series

It's a video series on what has changed in Reaper 5.0. I always watch the latest video when a new Reaper update is released.

Wow thats a rather long list (and quit some amount of videos). I just skimed it, but they don't seem to have fixed anything regarding the CC Automation Problems. I found something rather interresting fanmade though in that regard, if someone has the some struggle as me. https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?p=1681565 I haven't gotten around to test it yet though.

I guess the score editor is a little bit useless for midi orchestration, since you always have to drag things out of place only a little bit, which would make the notation look preeetty messy.

(10-21-2017, 10:26 AM)Mattias Westlund Wrote: I mean, why pay another $50 for a program that has the same exact problems as the version I'm presently using?

Still, REAPER is well on its way to v6 now so I assume a lot of new stuff has been added and possibly fixed during the v5 development cycle. The score editor is of little use to me but there might be other things that I'm not aware of.

Yeah thats what I'm thinking too, since it doesn't seem to have anything (of my knowlegde) that just makes everything way better for my workflow, I don't see the point. But I might check out that video series and maybe find something and post again.

[Paul Battersby]

(10-21-2017, 12:26 PM)Viktor Wrote: Wow thats a rather long list

Here's a longer list:

https://www.reaper.fm/whatsnew.txt

This is the change log in case you'd like a list of all the changes since 4.78. You can search the text for CC changes, OR as I suggested, download and install as a portable install and test the CC automation behaviour so you can see for yourself if your issues have been addressed. If you've customized your version 4.78 and you want to evaluate 5.x with your customizations in place, you can export and import your configuration.

[Chris Heinen]

Hi Viktor,

I'm a noob to it all (Reaper & VO) but am having a bit of success with Reaper, sforzando, and VPO2 (hi Paul!).

I've been following the Reaper notation development for the past year or so, and although it looks like enhancements are few, what is there does seem stable and functional.

I mostly use it to dabble with orchestration to learn *about* orchestration, more than to create anything others would care to hear, so my requirements in notation are not even "semi-pro".  What becomes a killjoy for me is the 'task switching' between entering say a melody/chord motif and then having to switch focus to some other track/lane to goof with articulation changes.

What I've done that seems to work pretty well is use the MIDI channel as the means by which to tell the VSTi what articulation I want.  Reaper has actions that I've bound to keystrokes and toolbar buttons that let me pick a note/range and tag it as say stac/pizz/trem.

There is a subgroup on the Reaper forum that is *heavy* into building an articulation definition environment, and I will eventually probably move to that when the "dust settles" on development.

Here's a link to a question I had for the Reaper community that shows some screenshots of where I'm at in my travels into MIDI orchestration...

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=201006

Hope this helps...

CH

[Samulis]

(10-21-2017, 12:26 PM)Viktor Wrote: I guess the score editor is a little bit useless for midi orchestration, since you always have to drag things out of place only a little bit, which would make the notation look preeetty messy.

C'mon man, I did virtual orchestration in Finale for the better part of a decade. It's not *that* bad! I'm only... slightly messed up. 

Typical Sam score...