Kenny, you're an utter, utter star. You've no idea how many hours you've saved me. If you extrapolate it across the Reaper community you're probably responsible for saving a decade or two.
Hello Kenny! I'm Luciano from Brazil. One day a friend asked me a question: Is it possible to mix a song using only stock plugins? I told him Do you know Kenny Gioia? I played a song mixed by you and he was very impressed when I told him "he uses only Reaper and only Reaper plugins" Then he said that Reaper is the best daw. I replied that Reaper is a great Daw, but Kenny has learned to use Reaper plugins effectively. He found the best Daw for him and dove deep into it.
Reaper does everything so well, It's a perfectly programmed DAW, super lightweight, CPU friendly, track type agnostic, powerful stock plugins. It's the DAW that just keeps on giving the more you learn it. Only downside is lack of VST instruments but there's a ton of FREE stuff you can use & If you need sound libraries, Splice & Loopcloud are good.
@@basilisktv9750hey man. This is true. Video issue is quite easily solved with formats that are made for editing like dnxhd lb. Someone actually released an aaf script that allows you to import them. I've tested it and it works. Apparently not super well with avid but trying to figure that out.
Ex protools user for over 10 years. Like you the licensing became ridiculou$. Reaper has everything I need and more. Been using Reaper for 3 years not looking back. Kenny's teaching is top notch, down to earth, life saving, epiphany moments again and again!
I have been recording for, many years back to my 70's analog days with reel-to-reel decks and up through all the latest multi tracks through the years. in the late 80's I got my first computer (a used IBM 256 XT) and started using Cakewalk midi software (version 1 on 5 1/4 floppy discs). Cakewalk made using midi a breeze. In the late 90's I toyed with Cakewalk/Sonor when Cakewalk introduced Cakewalk Audio #9 then introduced Sonor/Cakewalk DAW but I did most of my tracking on Tascam 2488 (24 track) digital workstation and brought my stems into Cakewalk for mixing.. I have used Pro Tools, Abobe Audition and Cuebase. About 4 years ago I switched to Reaper after many amazing reviews on RUclips from producers and engineers I admire. I will never go anywhere else. Reaper gives me everything I need and more. There has not been anything I wanted in a DAW that Reaper did not deliver. Thanks to Kenny Goia and Reapermainia who have guided me on my Reaper journey.
Welcome to the family! The more you use this DAW, the more you'll customize it based on your workflow, and the more you'll realize how far you've modified it from the vanilla version. Uniquely customizable!
@@CantAffordToRecord Better than that == EZ to use. You can actually THINK and WORK like an artist instead of being a techno goon put upon by the evil music tech industry.
I used reaper for years when I was poor and then a few years ago I bought it because now I can support its development to ensure it's being updated and working for many years into the future :)
i finally bought it even though i just tinker with production. it's just so powerful and efficient. works even on live USB linux installations, flawlessly!!
I was a Logic Beta tester and have used Cubase and ProTools professionally. I moved to Reaper 3 or 4 years ago and now dread when I have to use other DAWs. I had to use Logic this weekend on a client's radio show he had recorded and it took me 2 to 3 times as long to edit as it would have in Reaper. Reaper might not be for everyone but it is certainly is for me!
@@CantAffordToRecord I miss the MIDI inspector and general MIDI editing but that's it. The instruments are all replaceable. I would say The Logic ecesystem is fantastic value with the plugins, instruments and sample sets...
Exactly, every time I try to use other DAWs, I constantly hit roadblocks, I think the reaper creator felt the same too while using logic which is why he made reaper.
@@Mrbambony for getting a better midi editor closer to logic, cubase etc. I'd recommend checking out the midi editor guide blog by Seventh Sam. Good luck.
I've been using it since v3 in 2009 it is as much my 'instrument' as my guitar or mandolin. thank you reaper They (cockos) never sold out, they never added ads, they never changed their philosophy. Consider how much the internet has changed since the 2000s ... My reaper stays a beeper
I've been using reaper as a secondary DAW for mixing for about half a year as ableton can't really handle large amounts of long wav files properly. Today I decided to update to a newer version and just for fun I read through the changelog. I literally recognized none of the things mentioned in there. That just goes to show the depth reaper has and for the price it's an absolute no brainer.
I’m glad you decided to move to Reaper, as it will serve you well. I have used Pro Tools since it was just a sequencer and as Sound Designer back in the 80’s. I’ve used Logic, GarageBand and MainStage since they were released decades ago. All solid products- at least of late. I began using Reaper about 6 years ago, and along with Pyramix for DSD work, the productivity gains inherent to Reaper, not even counting the dozens of other ancillary benefits, put Reaper so far beyond anything else that comparison is totally lop-sided. We keep ProTools in the studio for the limited percentage of client situations where it’s useful, but that amounts to maybe a couple times per year.
These Reaper convert videos always come up in my feed, and I still always watch them! Glad to hear someone has given Reaper a fair shot, I often get slack for using it 😂 I have tried other DAWs but none of them vibe with me, been using Reaper for probably close to 15 years now and it makes a lot of sense to me. The ease of routing alone is worth the entry fee!
@@CantAffordToRecord many of those years were spent misguided so I wouldn't quite put myself at veteren status 😂 but definitely a great DAW to jump into!
Very cool vid. Personally, I was bouncing around from DAW to DAW and I ended up using 3 different ones for different tasks. Voice over work, sound design, film music, basic recording. The fact that Reaper is so flexible with the community written actions is a gamechanger. Being able to work on whatever production task in the same daw is a huge time saver. The lighter cpu consumption is a plus as well.
First time I looked at Reaper, I looked at the cliff before me and thought, "Pft! Ain't nobody got time for this." And went back to FL Studio. Some time in FL Studio later and I find myself sniffing around Reaper again. Now I've got the license and I'm all in, climbing the cliff and loving every step, because there is just so much freedom. Lots to learn, lots to enjoy. Thank you Cockos.
I forgot , my biggest impression was the ability to record midi on one track, and the audio produced, on another simultaneously. Even if you edit the midi, you can still re-record to another track!
My first DAW was pen and paper then I bought an Atari with Logic, Then the Cubase floppy disks and after that had used everything else including ProTools and Harrison and yes Reaper. Now at age 63 I still have the latest updates of Cubase and Logic as a matter of habit but the one DAW I use most of the time is Studio One.
Reaper is like that quiet girl that you get talking to and discover she is the most amazing beautiful girl in the world. Literally so much endless depth to it. When you get the action lists and extensions and JS scripts going however you want along with all the general customisation its great, I mostly use Ableton live but for sound design and music for film and video games, its perfect and lately I have just been using it for demos and experimenting musically due to its fluid routing and speed.
I started using Reaper because I found it to be less intimidating than other DAWs that I tried, wasn't sure how it stood up to other DAWs but I enjoyed it and over time I realised it can really hold its own. 7 years on and I'm still learning this awesome piece of software. Also Kenny is the saviour. His channel was honestly the key factor in me sticking to Reaper. he had this 30 video long "course" on Reaper 5 back then. completely addressed everything I was afraid I wouldn't be able to understand or figure out
Just switched to Reaper from Pro Tools a few weeks ago. Very impressed! Right out out the box it's very intuitive & easy to pick up on how things are done. Digging deeper, it does get a little tedious molding it to your own specifications. That being said. You only have to do it once. I'm really loving it.
After becoming disabled a few years back, I was forced to look for more affordable options for much of the software I was used to. Reaper and Cakewalk are the DAWs I now use and have both served me well. At first Cakewalk's workflow was more intuitive to me, however the more I use Reaper, I'm slowly getting it customized for my needs, I can see it becoming my go to DAW.
I've been using Reaper since version 3.xx. It truly is the best, most flexible, most stable, tightest code DAW out there. Don't get fooled by other DAW's that come with virtual instruments - if you want free instruments, tones, sounds, loops, samples - just look around. Get Reaper and get recording!
One of the most amazing things (for me) about MIDI in REAPER is the ability to filter events to and from different tracks based on channel. Cakewalk couldn't do it, and I would have had to upgrade Cubase to Pro to get this feature. My main use case is a Hammond SK1 which has one MIDI port, but upper manual is on channel 1, lower manual on channel 2, and bass pedals on channel 3. I want these on separate tracks. REAPER handles this with no convoluted workarounds. I am also impressed that REAPER has a notation mode!
My first DAW was Sound Designer/SoundTools back in the ‘80’s. I used ProTools for much of my career, with Logic and Live for several years. After evaluating Cubase, Studio One and Reaper several years ago, I moved over to Reaper and now use it for 95% of my mixing and mastering. It us the best DAW i have ever used by far. So, I sold all my Carbon and MTRX gear last year.
Welcome, FL guy here, moved to reaper, and I love it. Except for the midi roll lol, I find myself always going back to that damn channel rack and quickly program my midi then export to reaper.😅
Same im an fl guy. I must say fl 21 is wicked. It truly is. I mean that piano roll and the step sequencer and how everything can control everything. Its just a rabbit hole. Not to mention... you buy once.. you get free upgrades to next version for life.
I've customized the piano roll to a point it's faster and easier to than my time using fl, ableton. Checkout learning reaper on yt, he has guides on how to do that.
I record Renoise and VCV Rack into Reaper via the Rearoute driver and I've done live sets with the Playtime clip-launching Reaper plugin from Helgoboss. I love Renoise's tracker-based workflow for sampling and writing a track, but when I want a "traditional" DAW I always go for Reaper. Most Reaper users I see online are recording bands or mixing/mastering, but it is an extremely powerful tool for electronic music and hip hop. It's also insanely cool you can roll up to the studio with a USB containing Reaper and everything you need to use it.
Yep. Try finding someone comparable to Kenny and Jon for ANY other Daw. I’ve emailed Jon three or four times when I got something screwed up with a careless mouse move and had no idea what I’d done. He ALWAYS responds within hours. The guy is awesome. And Kenny? Well.... we all know the story there. Talk about a born teacher! Screw stein burger and blow tools. I got better ways to waste my money. Reaper is the boss.
Love Reaper, it does more than nay other DAW, costs less, runs any plugin in any format, does not require you to tell it what each track is for (i.e. Midi, live sound, video , Reaper works it out), is the most stable DAW by a long way, smallest install file by a factor of 10-100, Runs skins that mimic ANY others DAWs work flow, constant support with ultra fast bug fixes (usually within days of a bug being found, sometimes hours, and will run on just about any system no matter how weak that system might be, a continuous supply of community made JS plugins that look basic but can sound fantastic all for free, there are probably a few other great things have forgotten /not aware of yet. Every time I use it I am reminded I made the right choice starting on Reaper 5 years ago
I started in LMMS. A cool starter DAW. Then I used cakewalk and found it didn't suit my workflow. I kept getting in my own way using it. Then I found Reaper and never looked back. I found it so easy to just get going. I have now been able to refine my workflow in a couple of ways that suits my creativity. Kenny is my savior. His videos are straight to the point and really work for me.
I love reaper: I used to be Logic 9 user but when my mac died and I switched to Reaper. I did a free trial of all major DAW and I came back to reaper when I figured our what plug ins I needed. I still got a lot to learn but I love reaper !
What doesn't get enough mentioning is that you can bind arbitrary actions to arbitrary OSC messages. If that action is a Lua script, it can take one parameter as context (a bit limited IMO). There are myriad ways I make use of this. (One example is a DJ controller's jog wheels being used to scrub the timeline, or to change the grid size.) There's so much more that could be done easily if this sort of thing was more popular.
Thanks for the video. I haven't recorded in over a decade, and the videos I watch, forums etc. I read point me towards REAPER, looking forward to using it, thanks again.
Reaper is like Davinci Resolve, but in the DAW world. It has a steep learning curve with all its technical options, but it gets good once you learn and overcome it.
Came from Cubase to Reaper about 10 years ago. There is a learning curve but well worth the effort. The Reaper forums are really good too. In all this time I have only had a handful of "crashes" - not the Cubase type crash but a warning something was not right - it still let me save work but the important thing is all these "crashes" were down to iffy plugins and not Reaper. I think the Reaper code is really solid and I trust it. The options to autosave and how to manage the projects are fantastic. Who would pay the Pro Tools prices anymore. I would like to see a starter setup option for Reaper to ease new users but to be honest it's not that hard with all of Kenny and Jon's videos to help. There are many free skins available to make it look similar to your old decrepid DAW but I find the default is fine. Don't forget you own this software so none of this confusing licencing. Not sure but I think you get 2 full release versions then you have to pay the $60 ($225 for commercial use) or just keep using the version you have - it doesn't stop working. Also remember the generally weekly updates and fixes. The way to go forward.
C'est un produit fabuleux ! Je suis également passé de Cubase à reaper car j'en avais assez d'avoir des séquences plantées !! Je n'ai plus jamais planté à par à cause d'un mauvais plugin. Reaper est un produit très puissant et réellement complet.
I had a slower computer at the time I started using Reaper and it was still snappy, compared to other DAWs I was trying out. Apart from a few custom actions and preference changes I am happy the default settings. Project tabs and the loopback feature, are really powerful and useful. I can cut or copy track effects, automation lanes and instruments from one tab to another open project, I can also mix on the fly in one project and record in another tab. Its great for making different demos, stems, masters and versions
I switched to Reaper 2 weeks ago after buying a new Dell XPS 8950 I7 computer with Windows 11. Before I was using Sonar Platinum and Cakewalk by Bandlab. There was audio issues like clicks and pops etc, i just could not figure out, but I got Reaper and the problems were GONE!!!! Plus the workflow is so much better and faster for other reasons too. Best choice I've made recently.
I used Digital Performer and PT for years. Discovered Reaper at version 6 and been using it ever since. Like my Mac it just works! I customized it to my liking and my workflow is very much improved. I have Logic Pro 11 and Mixbus 10. They are nice and do a great job but I always go back to Reaper. My thoughts - Cheers
I only use Reaper for music. I use Adobe Audition for recording and editing voiceover, doing sound design, and for ADR. Audition wasn't built for music creation. So, I'm glad I have Reaper for that.
I was like you, a long time ProTools user but I got sick and tired of it crashing all the time. And every time there was an update it would take literally a month to get it running smoothly again. When I first tried reaper I was completely lost. I figure I have been using ProTools 10 years it’s gonna be pretty similar… yes and no. It’s so customizable it can be daunting, and some of the default settings are terrible. Thank God I found Kenny’s reaper mania channel because he’s got a video on literally everything, he was a lifesaver. And Jon over at Reaper blog was very helpful. My advice to new users would be to just start using it, don’t worry about customizing it to try and make it work like ProTools. When I first got it I spent more time screwing around with customizing the DAW than I did recording anything, don’t do that. Just dive in and start using it the way it is, and then slowly you can customize it as you get more used to it to suit your particular workflow. Also when in doubt, right click! You can right click on almost anything in the daw to find options on how to customize things.
I Iove Reaper, the stock plugins may not look fancy and in many ways i prefer that, i only use stock and free plugins BTW and i get great results. Reaper is also so lightweight and even still supports windows XP and i actually up until a year ago used my oldest computer a single core Pentium 4 from 2005 with XP to record drums and live scratch tracks up to 16 channels at once with low latency DAW monitoring at our rehearsal studio and it was on the limit for what was possible but it actually worked fine, its crazy. I later upgraded to a much more powerful and slightly less old used computer with windows 10 for the rehearsal studio, i mix on another computer at home.
Started with FL studio almost 20 years ago, switched to Ableton 4 years ago and now to Reaper. I was confused with the controls first, but when I started customizing it to how I roll, zoom, hotkey and stuff, it's perfect. I use mostly 3rd party effects and instruments anyway, so that's all checked for me. And it's portable, which is awesome for my frequent train trips. I think the only thing Ableton flows better for me is with automation, but as I'm writing this I've been using Reaper only for couple weeks so it's a matter of adjusting. I don't miss FL studio at all, but it served me well.
Funny how it's exactly what made me like reaper too. Reaper feels intimidating if you are trying to learn it with everything default without any modifications. It took me good two days to set it up, but it was worth it.
Wow, you took your "favorite plugins" to the next level! What I did was I created two folders in the left panel when you're looking to add a plugin to the track. One is named "My GO-TO effects" and the other is "My GO-TO instruments." It's so easy to drag & drop the plugins of your choice into the folders. Then when you want to add plugins to a track, open one of those folders & they are all there. No more searching, unless you are doing other stuff, like effects with JS or REA plugins that you didn't put into those folders.
been using reaper over 15+ years, half that time in free version. only thing i worry about is with so many awesome updates my license will need renewed fast
I was a PT user my friend is a engineer also a PT user told me about Reaper I was very surprised when I transferred files from PT to Reaper without plugins and it’s sounds amazing well my conclusion is bye-bye PT best decision ever
The current version of Cakewalk/Sonar (the one that's free when you create a bandlab account) is absolutely excellent. I def prefer that to Reaper, plus it's free!
You get so used to your own customisations, it's wise to regularly use the 'export configuration' to an external drive, in case your main machine goes down, and you need to set up a clone. I always move the transport controls to the bottom of the screen, so they're not masked by any open fx screens I may need to see. I also hide/unhide the mixer, so I can see more tracks on a laptop screen.
I have been using Reaper for about 3 years now. I really liked the price point and the demos of it looked great. I like that Reaper works great without too much tweaking for those of us who are more interested in actually playing music than being a studio engineer.
I started with REAPER 3 years ago, I was GREAT but UGLY a bit! 😉 Luckily I found "Default Commala 5 2016 (with fully-tinted track panels)" COLOR THEME and now I'm 100% satisfied! I love REAPER! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗
Always fun to watch Reaper converting videos :) Nice! Love Reaper for some 6 years. Before that used Pro tools for film scoring and tried Logic but it annoyed me so much I quickly started to use and learn Reaper. Love it since! I use also Adobe Audition because of mxf support but don't like it.
Switched to Reaper about a year ago and am very happy. As a DAW it has so much under the hood and is configurable enough to please everyone. Midi? while perhaps not as in-depth as one or two others, it works very nicely, Audio? it does it all. and Routing is fantastic. Some very good plugins (even though they look like something from Windows 5, not sure what that's all about?) And an ocean of free JS plugins you can fish around in for something you need. No instruments, which is no big deal for me as I have lots. For someone starting out or a casual user perhaps it is a bit long-winded and daunting to get yourself up and running, but if you sit down with it and learn it, you will Reap the rewards :)
Well said! I think ANY daw can be overwhelming for someone starting out so I don't think Reaper is too much different. While the customization aspect is certainly never ending...there are stock commands and actions that I use to this day and have never changed :-) Reaper rocks!
@@CantAffordToRecord Yes if you put a bit of time in to learn the customisation side of things then its quite fun configering stuff to you liking and watching your work flow speed up ..
Cool! I just finished moving from PT. It was totally daunting, but it is paying off. It crashes every time when quitting, but protools crashed every time it was about to finish loading a session. Love it the Reaper way! :-)
@@CantAffordToRecord Thank you sir. It also crashed two times on startup, but guess what - after telling me about the crash, it just finished loading anyways - all twelve mixes, and everything worked just fine. This is crazy! :-)
I would say if you're looking for super simple DAW, there are 'simpler' ones, like GarageBand...BUT there is no better community than Reaper's when it comes to tutorials, advice and resources, IMO. Best thing to do is download it and start making music!
I'm cheap so Reaper was obviously the choice for me. Are the other ones good? I'm sure they are. Reaper does have some weird hiccups at times but even after using it for years I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do.
~2 years ago, I purchased a dying laser control software package, which was basically a DAW with customized features for creating laser imagery, but at that time, I didn't even know what a DAW was. Plus, I had purchased an Akai MKii control surface for tactile control. However, as a retired old school laserist I found the product to be too restrictive and began developing my own laser synth, using a Teensy 4.1 MCU and modifying the code for 5 channels, XYRGB, instead of only L&R. Great! All of the T4 Laser Synth's waveform generators are MIDI controllable. So, I needed a DAW and chose Cakewalk, because of Creative Sauce's rave reviews. But, now that I've learned about Touch OSC, and want to add video graphics, I'm migrating to Reaper, because of it's incredible potential for customization. Really appreciating Reaper Blog's tutorials and find myself being overwhelmed with creative thoughts of control possibilities, over Ethernet, WiFi, touch surfaces, and multiple MIDI groups for simultaneous control of multiple laser projectors. Thanks to Reaper, I'm pioneering new roads into laser imagery, just like back in my hey-days!
You should take a look at the quick adder script by neutronic, its a must extension. Also take a look at contextual toolbars and souk22_key sequences script.
hey, i own both ableton intro and reaper. i hate waiting two minutes for Ableton to open on my win10 laptop. reaper opens instantly. reaper terrifies me with its freedom, though, but so does ableton, in a different way. so, reaper kept crashing over loopcloud for me. with no recovery. until i just got mad and commanded it to stop reacting that way, and now it doesn't crash over that vst anymore. lololol!!
I hope they revamp the stock plugin GUIs in V7. The few times I've used them over the years they are fine but they just don't look very confidence inspiring so I typically use third-party plugins for everything.
I understand but honestly if you can break through the underwhelming GUI, there's some real gems in there. Check out a video I did recently mixing a song with only Reaper plugins.
Pro Tools is a sinking ship that only runs on legacy support. 4:40 On top of automated track colors, I also assign automated instrument icons. Makes the tracklist a *_lot_* more manageable.
Great video mate. There's no such thing as a 'Perfect' DAW that fits everyone as everyone's needs change but it's all about exploring and keeping an open mind. Now subscribed and looking forward to watching your channel grow.
I switched to Reaper because my Macbook Pro had enough, I didn't want to buy an iMac and didn't want to suffer Windows 10/11. So I switched to Linux, and the only decent DAW native for Linux is Reaper. And I discovered it had all the good things from differents DAWs that I had used, but in just one software. Funny thing, I had checked Reaper years ago and I dropped it because I found it "ugly". It's true what they say about the covers...
How dare you mention me last!!!!! LOL - Great video. Thanks!!!!
Ha, forgive me! 😂 Appreciate all you do, Kenny 🙌🏻
Kenny, you're an utter, utter star.
You've no idea how many hours you've saved me.
If you extrapolate it across the Reaper community you're probably responsible for saving a decade or two.
Hello Kenny! I'm Luciano from Brazil. One day a friend asked me a question: Is it possible to mix a song using only stock plugins? I told him Do you know Kenny Gioia? I played a song mixed by you and he was very impressed when I told him "he uses only Reaper and only Reaper plugins" Then he said that Reaper is the best daw. I replied that Reaper is a great Daw, but Kenny has learned to use Reaper plugins effectively. He found the best Daw for him and dove deep into it.
Kenny my fav reaper teacher
it was surprising. Your series of videos got us all to be power users in only a few months.
Very cool Thanks for the mention 👍
My pleasure, your channel is amazing!
I am one of those reaper users that can't stop watching other people switch to it
I hope this was a good episode 😂
Reaper is a very powerful & unique DAW ahead of the rest...the most customizable DAW ever.
Reaper does everything so well, It's a perfectly programmed DAW, super lightweight, CPU friendly, track type agnostic, powerful stock plugins. It's the DAW that just keeps on giving the more you learn it. Only downside is lack of VST instruments but there's a ton of FREE stuff you can use & If you need sound libraries, Splice & Loopcloud are good.
The lack of VST instruments is fixed if you just spend the money you saved on Reaper vs other DAWs on your top-choice plugins.
No AAF/OMF support and laggy video tracks. Reaper is awesome for sound design/mixing, but not for film post production.
@@basilisktv9750hey man. This is true. Video issue is quite easily solved with formats that are made for editing like dnxhd lb. Someone actually released an aaf script that allows you to import them. I've tested it and it works. Apparently not super well with avid but trying to figure that out.
The only time Reaper has crashed on me was due to unstable third-party plug-ins.
There ya go! Awesome 😎
Same here. The program is a tank -- a tiny, fast loading tank.
Mine crashes every few hours but I blame my computer
You might want to try CakeWalk by Bandlab. I've used it for over 20 years. I can't remember a time it crashed.
@@GTSongwriter I used CakeWalk years ago (ProAudio/Sonar). Glad it still lives on.
Ex protools user for over 10 years. Like you the licensing became ridiculou$. Reaper has everything I need and more. Been using Reaper for 3 years not looking back. Kenny's teaching is top notch, down to earth, life saving, epiphany moments again and again!
I have been recording for, many years back to my 70's analog days with reel-to-reel decks and up through all the latest multi tracks through the years. in the late 80's I got my first computer (a used IBM 256 XT) and started using Cakewalk midi software (version 1 on 5 1/4 floppy discs). Cakewalk made using midi a breeze. In the late 90's I toyed with Cakewalk/Sonor when Cakewalk introduced Cakewalk Audio #9 then introduced Sonor/Cakewalk DAW but I did most of my tracking on Tascam 2488 (24 track) digital workstation and brought my stems into Cakewalk for mixing.. I have used Pro Tools, Abobe Audition and Cuebase. About 4 years ago I switched to Reaper after many amazing reviews on RUclips from producers and engineers I admire. I will never go anywhere else. Reaper gives me everything I need and more. There has not been anything I wanted in a DAW that Reaper did not deliver. Thanks to Kenny Goia and Reapermainia who have guided me on my Reaper journey.
Awesome, thanks for sharing!! :-)
Welcome to the family! The more you use this DAW, the more you'll customize it based on your workflow, and the more you'll realize how far you've modified it from the vanilla version. Uniquely customizable!
its pretty addictive isn't it?
@@CantAffordToRecord Better than that == EZ to use. You can actually THINK and WORK like an artist instead of being a techno goon put upon by the evil music tech industry.
I used reaper for years when I was poor and then a few years ago I bought it because now I can support its development to ensure it's being updated and working for many years into the future :)
i finally bought it even though i just tinker with production. it's just so powerful and efficient. works even on live USB linux installations, flawlessly!!
I was a Logic Beta tester and have used Cubase and ProTools professionally. I moved to Reaper 3 or 4 years ago and now dread when I have to use other DAWs. I had to use Logic this weekend on a client's radio show he had recorded and it took me 2 to 3 times as long to edit as it would have in Reaper. Reaper might not be for everyone but it is certainly is for me!
I have to say, Logic seems so clunky to me now! It has wonderful virtual instruments though which I do miss!
@@CantAffordToRecord I miss the MIDI inspector and general MIDI editing but that's it. The instruments are all replaceable. I would say The Logic ecesystem is fantastic value with the plugins, instruments and sample sets...
Yes, so much easier to edit on reaper . They make it so simple
Exactly, every time I try to use other DAWs, I constantly hit roadblocks, I think the reaper creator felt the same too while using logic which is why he made reaper.
@@Mrbambony for getting a better midi editor closer to logic, cubase etc. I'd recommend checking out the midi editor guide blog by Seventh Sam. Good luck.
I've been using it since v3 in 2009
it is as much my 'instrument' as my guitar or mandolin. thank you reaper
They (cockos) never sold out, they never added ads, they never changed their philosophy. Consider how much the internet has changed since the 2000s ... My reaper stays a beeper
I've been using reaper as a secondary DAW for mixing for about half a year as ableton can't really handle large amounts of long wav files properly. Today I decided to update to a newer version and just for fun I read through the changelog. I literally recognized none of the things mentioned in there. That just goes to show the depth reaper has and for the price it's an absolute no brainer.
You can even import configs and make reaper look EXACTLY like a nother daw and function like a nother daw, its insane!
I’m glad you decided to move to Reaper, as it will serve you well. I have used Pro Tools since it was just a sequencer and as Sound Designer back in the 80’s. I’ve used Logic, GarageBand and MainStage since they were released decades ago. All solid products- at least of late. I began using Reaper about 6 years ago, and along with Pyramix for DSD work, the productivity gains inherent to Reaper, not even counting the dozens of other ancillary benefits, put Reaper so far beyond anything else that comparison is totally lop-sided. We keep ProTools in the studio for the limited percentage of client situations where it’s useful, but that amounts to maybe a couple times per year.
These Reaper convert videos always come up in my feed, and I still always watch them!
Glad to hear someone has given Reaper a fair shot, I often get slack for using it 😂
I have tried other DAWs but none of them vibe with me, been using Reaper for probably close to 15 years now and it makes a lot of sense to me.
The ease of routing alone is worth the entry fee!
You're a Reaper veteran! Agreed, it's just wonderful!
@@CantAffordToRecord many of those years were spent misguided so I wouldn't quite put myself at veteren status 😂 but definitely a great DAW to jump into!
Very cool vid. Personally, I was bouncing around from DAW to DAW and I ended up using 3 different ones for different tasks. Voice over work, sound design, film music, basic recording. The fact that Reaper is so flexible with the community written actions is a gamechanger. Being able to work on whatever production task in the same daw is a huge time saver. The lighter cpu consumption is a plus as well.
Thanks so much for watching! Great to hear you're enjoying Reaper - It truly is mind blowing how much this DAW can do 🙌🏻
First time I looked at Reaper, I looked at the cliff before me and thought, "Pft! Ain't nobody got time for this." And went back to FL Studio. Some time in FL Studio later and I find myself sniffing around Reaper again. Now I've got the license and I'm all in, climbing the cliff and loving every step, because there is just so much freedom. Lots to learn, lots to enjoy. Thank you Cockos.
I forgot , my biggest impression was the ability to record midi on one track, and the audio produced, on another simultaneously. Even if you edit the midi, you can still re-record to another track!
My first DAW was pen and paper then I bought an Atari with Logic, Then the Cubase floppy disks and after that had used everything else including ProTools and Harrison and yes Reaper. Now at age 63 I still have the latest updates of Cubase and Logic as a matter of habit but the one DAW I use most of the time is Studio One.
I'm on reaper for years now. Is's awesome has an incredible licene modell, is running like charm on linux and comes with Kenny. Just awesome!!!!!!
Reaper is like that quiet girl that you get talking to and discover she is the most amazing beautiful girl in the world. Literally so much endless depth to it. When you get the action lists and extensions and JS scripts going however you want along with all the general customisation its great, I mostly use Ableton live but for sound design and music for film and video games, its perfect and lately I have just been using it for demos and experimenting musically due to its fluid routing and speed.
I started using Reaper because I found it to be less intimidating than other DAWs that I tried, wasn't sure how it stood up to other DAWs but I enjoyed it and over time I realised it can really hold its own. 7 years on and I'm still learning this awesome piece of software. Also Kenny is the saviour. His channel was honestly the key factor in me sticking to Reaper. he had this 30 video long "course" on Reaper 5 back then. completely addressed everything I was afraid I wouldn't be able to understand or figure out
Reaper rules, The Reaper squad guys are the best, the community is always ready to help out.
Just switched to Reaper from Pro Tools a few weeks ago. Very impressed! Right out out the box it's very intuitive & easy to pick up on how things are done. Digging deeper, it does get a little tedious molding it to your own specifications. That being said. You only have to do it once. I'm really loving it.
So glad you're enjoying it! I usually only customize something if its a real slog to do otherwise but it does usually improve my quality of life ha!
@@CantAffordToRecord I hear ya. I end up doing it the hard way for way too long before I do something about it.
Hands down, the best DAW out there.
I think ,Reaper should become the Industry standard,in time to come,,,👍👍👍
After becoming disabled a few years back, I was forced to look for more affordable options for much of the software I was used to. Reaper and Cakewalk are the DAWs I now use and have both served me well. At first Cakewalk's workflow was more intuitive to me, however the more I use Reaper, I'm slowly getting it customized for my needs, I can see it becoming my go to DAW.
I've been using Reaper since version 3.xx. It truly is the best, most flexible, most stable, tightest code DAW out there. Don't get fooled by other DAW's that come with virtual instruments - if you want free instruments, tones, sounds, loops, samples - just look around. Get Reaper and get recording!
One of the most amazing things (for me) about MIDI in REAPER is the ability to filter events to and from different tracks based on channel. Cakewalk couldn't do it, and I would have had to upgrade Cubase to Pro to get this feature. My main use case is a Hammond SK1 which has one MIDI port, but upper manual is on channel 1, lower manual on channel 2, and bass pedals on channel 3. I want these on separate tracks. REAPER handles this with no convoluted workarounds. I am also impressed that REAPER has a notation mode!
My first DAW was Sound Designer/SoundTools back in the ‘80’s. I used ProTools for much of my career, with Logic and Live for several years. After evaluating Cubase, Studio One and Reaper several years ago, I moved over to Reaper and now use it for 95% of my mixing and mastering. It us the best DAW i have ever used by far. So, I sold all my Carbon and MTRX gear last year.
Reaper is freaking awesome. Once you learn and set up the preferences it's incredible. There's no going back for me.
Been using Reaper since 2009. By far the best DAW for my needs.
You're an OG!
@@CantAffordToRecord 👍
I've been using Reaper for a little over a year now and absolutely love it!
That's awesome!!
Welcome, FL guy here, moved to reaper, and I love it. Except for the midi roll lol, I find myself always going back to that damn channel rack and quickly program my midi then export to reaper.😅
Same im an fl guy. I must say fl 21 is wicked. It truly is. I mean that piano roll and the step sequencer and how everything can control everything. Its just a rabbit hole. Not to mention... you buy once.. you get free upgrades to next version for life.
I've customized the piano roll to a point it's faster and easier to than my time using fl, ableton. Checkout learning reaper on yt, he has guides on how to do that.
I record Renoise and VCV Rack into Reaper via the Rearoute driver and I've done live sets with the Playtime clip-launching Reaper plugin from Helgoboss. I love Renoise's tracker-based workflow for sampling and writing a track, but when I want a "traditional" DAW I always go for Reaper. Most Reaper users I see online are recording bands or mixing/mastering, but it is an extremely powerful tool for electronic music and hip hop. It's also insanely cool you can roll up to the studio with a USB containing Reaper and everything you need to use it.
The Renoise sequencer rewired in Reaper is very powerful.
The Reaper community is huge. Infinitely customizable. Buy it once and updates are free. Hard to imagine wanting more than this program provides.
It delivers, delivers and then delivers more!
Yep. Try finding someone comparable to Kenny and Jon for ANY other Daw. I’ve emailed Jon three or four times when I got something screwed up with a careless mouse move and had no idea what I’d done. He ALWAYS responds within hours. The guy is awesome. And Kenny? Well.... we all know the story there. Talk about a born teacher! Screw stein burger and blow tools. I got better ways to waste my money. Reaper is the boss.
Love Reaper, it does more than nay other DAW, costs less, runs any plugin in any format, does not require you to tell it what each track is for (i.e. Midi, live sound, video , Reaper works it out), is the most stable DAW by a long way, smallest install file by a factor of 10-100, Runs skins that mimic ANY others DAWs work flow, constant support with ultra fast bug fixes (usually within days of a bug being found, sometimes hours, and will run on just about any system no matter how weak that system might be, a continuous supply of community made JS plugins that look basic but can sound fantastic all for free, there are probably a few other great things have forgotten /not aware of yet.
Every time I use it I am reminded I made the right choice starting on Reaper 5 years ago
I started in LMMS. A cool starter DAW. Then I used cakewalk and found it didn't suit my workflow. I kept getting in my own way using it. Then I found Reaper and never looked back. I found it so easy to just get going. I have now been able to refine my workflow in a couple of ways that suits my creativity. Kenny is my savior. His videos are straight to the point and really work for me.
Kenny is all of our savior, haha!
I love reaper: I used to be Logic 9 user but when my mac died and I switched to Reaper. I did a free trial of all major DAW and I came back to reaper when I figured our what plug ins I needed. I still got a lot to learn but I love reaper !
What doesn't get enough mentioning is that you can bind arbitrary actions to arbitrary OSC messages. If that action is a Lua script, it can take one parameter as context (a bit limited IMO). There are myriad ways I make use of this. (One example is a DJ controller's jog wheels being used to scrub the timeline, or to change the grid size.) There's so much more that could be done easily if this sort of thing was more popular.
With Reaper since v3! Welcome mate!
I love Reaper. I switched a couple of years ago and I sincerely doubt that I will go to any other DAW.
Thanks for the video. I haven't recorded in over a decade, and the videos I watch, forums etc. I read point me towards REAPER, looking forward to using it, thanks again.
You're so welcome, enjoy!
Reaper is (ironically) the Heaven of DAW's in my opinion =D
We share the same opinion 🙏🏻
Reaper is like Davinci Resolve, but in the DAW world. It has a steep learning curve with all its technical options, but it gets good once you learn and overcome it.
Came from Cubase to Reaper about 10 years ago. There is a learning curve but well worth the effort. The Reaper forums are really good too. In all this time I have only had a handful of "crashes" - not the Cubase type crash but a warning something was not right - it still let me save work but the important thing is all these "crashes" were down to iffy plugins and not Reaper. I think the Reaper code is really solid and I trust it. The options to autosave and how to manage the projects are fantastic.
Who would pay the Pro Tools prices anymore. I would like to see a starter setup option for Reaper to ease new users but to be honest it's not that hard with all of Kenny and Jon's videos to help. There are many free skins available to make it look similar to your old decrepid DAW but I find the default is fine. Don't forget you own this software so none of this confusing licencing. Not sure but I think you get 2 full release versions then you have to pay the $60 ($225 for commercial use) or just keep using the version you have - it doesn't stop working. Also remember the generally weekly updates and fixes. The way to go forward.
C'est un produit fabuleux ! Je suis également passé de Cubase à reaper car j'en avais assez d'avoir des séquences plantées !! Je n'ai plus jamais planté à par à cause d'un mauvais plugin. Reaper est un produit très puissant et réellement complet.
Reaper is awesome!
I had a slower computer at the time I started using Reaper and it was still snappy, compared to other DAWs I was trying out. Apart from a few custom actions and preference changes I am happy the default settings. Project tabs and the loopback feature, are really powerful and useful. I can cut or copy track effects, automation lanes and instruments from one tab to another open project, I can also mix on the fly in one project and record in another tab. Its great for making different demos, stems, masters and versions
I switched to Reaper 2 weeks ago after buying a new Dell XPS 8950 I7 computer with Windows 11. Before I was using Sonar Platinum and Cakewalk by Bandlab. There was audio issues like clicks and pops etc, i just could not figure out, but I got Reaper and the problems were GONE!!!! Plus the workflow is so much better and faster for other reasons too. Best choice I've made recently.
Awesome! So glad you're enjoying it too :-)
Reaper was challenging to get started, but after a few days, I will "never" go to any other DAW. Price performance is unmatched.
I used Digital Performer and PT for years. Discovered Reaper at version 6 and been using it ever since. Like my Mac it just works! I customized it to my liking and my workflow is very much improved. I have Logic Pro 11 and Mixbus 10. They are nice and do a great job but I always go back to Reaper.
My thoughts - Cheers
Thanks for sharing! Glad you're enjoying Reaper!!
I only use Reaper for music. I use Adobe Audition for recording and editing voiceover, doing sound design, and for ADR. Audition wasn't built for music creation. So, I'm glad I have Reaper for that.
I was like you, a long time ProTools user but I got sick and tired of it crashing all the time. And every time there was an update it would take literally a month to get it running smoothly again. When I first tried reaper I was completely lost. I figure I have been using ProTools 10 years it’s gonna be pretty similar… yes and no. It’s so customizable it can be daunting, and some of the default settings are terrible. Thank God I found Kenny’s reaper mania channel because he’s got a video on literally everything, he was a lifesaver. And Jon over at Reaper blog was very helpful. My advice to new users would be to just start using it, don’t worry about customizing it to try and make it work like ProTools. When I first got it I spent more time screwing around with customizing the DAW than I did recording anything, don’t do that. Just dive in and start using it the way it is, and then slowly you can customize it as you get more used to it to suit your particular workflow. Also when in doubt, right click! You can right click on almost anything in the daw to find options on how to customize things.
Great advice here!
Kenny's the man. The worldwide Reaper community is grand. Long live Reaper.
Good, good. One Reaper to rule them all.
I Iove Reaper, the stock plugins may not look fancy and in many ways i prefer that, i only use stock and free plugins BTW and i get great results. Reaper is also so lightweight and even still supports windows XP and i actually up until a year ago used my oldest computer a single core Pentium 4 from 2005 with XP to record drums and live scratch tracks up to 16 channels at once with low latency DAW monitoring at our rehearsal studio and it was on the limit for what was possible but it actually worked fine, its crazy. I later upgraded to a much more powerful and slightly less old used computer with windows 10 for the rehearsal studio, i mix on another computer at home.
Welcome to Reaper. I'm using it since v2. Previously, I spent 20 years. I never regret me switching to it.
That's awesome!
Started with FL studio almost 20 years ago, switched to Ableton 4 years ago and now to Reaper. I was confused with the controls first, but when I started customizing it to how I roll, zoom, hotkey and stuff, it's perfect. I use mostly 3rd party effects and instruments anyway, so that's all checked for me. And it's portable, which is awesome for my frequent train trips. I think the only thing Ableton flows better for me is with automation, but as I'm writing this I've been using Reaper only for couple weeks so it's a matter of adjusting. I don't miss FL studio at all, but it served me well.
Funny how it's exactly what made me like reaper too. Reaper feels intimidating if you are trying to learn it with everything default without any modifications. It took me good two days to set it up, but it was worth it.
Wow, you took your "favorite plugins" to the next level! What I did was I created two folders in the left panel when you're looking to add a plugin to the track. One is named "My GO-TO effects" and the other is "My GO-TO instruments." It's so easy to drag & drop the plugins of your choice into the folders. Then when you want to add plugins to a track, open one of those folders & they are all there. No more searching, unless you are doing other stuff, like effects with JS or REA plugins that you didn't put into those folders.
Nice way to do it! Glad you've got your flow 🙌🏻
been using reaper over 15+ years, half that time in free version. only thing i worry about is with so many awesome updates my license will need renewed fast
Adam Steele also has some nice optimization tutorials for reaper.
Great video. All the reasons I love reaper. My main tool for all of my audio workflow. Starting to edit some videos in it as well.
Thanks so much!! Glad you love Reaper too!!
I was a PT user my friend is a engineer also a PT user told me about Reaper I was very surprised when I transferred files from PT to Reaper without plugins and it’s sounds amazing well my conclusion is bye-bye PT best decision ever
one of us, one of us, one of us
The current version of Cakewalk/Sonar (the one that's free when you create a bandlab account) is absolutely excellent. I def prefer that to Reaper, plus it's free!
So pleased it's working for you!!
You get so used to your own customisations, it's wise to regularly use the 'export configuration' to an external drive, in case your main machine goes down, and you need to set up a clone. I always move the transport controls to the bottom of the screen, so they're not masked by any open fx screens I may need to see. I also hide/unhide the mixer, so I can see more tracks on a laptop screen.
Good suggestions!!
I have been using Reaper for about 3 years now. I really liked the price point and the demos of it looked great. I like that Reaper works great without too much tweaking for those of us who are more interested in actually playing music than being a studio engineer.
I started with REAPER 3 years ago, I was GREAT but UGLY a bit! 😉 Luckily I found "Default Commala 5 2016 (with fully-tinted track panels)" COLOR THEME and now I'm 100% satisfied! I love REAPER! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗
Always fun to watch Reaper converting videos :) Nice! Love Reaper for some 6 years. Before that used Pro tools for film scoring and tried Logic but it annoyed me so much I quickly started to use and learn Reaper. Love it since! I use also Adobe Audition because of mxf support but don't like it.
Reaper is great -----indeed
@REAPER mania is the lord and saviour
Amen
Glad to run across your channel, good pointers - Subbed
Ahh that means so much! Thank you :-)
Switched to Reaper about a year ago and am very happy. As a DAW it has so much under the hood and is configurable enough to please everyone. Midi? while perhaps not as in-depth as one or two others, it works very nicely, Audio? it does it all. and Routing is fantastic. Some very good plugins (even though they look like something from Windows 5, not sure what that's all about?) And an ocean of free JS plugins you can fish around in for something you need. No instruments, which is no big deal for me as I have lots. For someone starting out or a casual user perhaps it is a bit long-winded and daunting to get yourself up and running, but if you sit down with it and learn it, you will Reap the rewards :)
Well said! I think ANY daw can be overwhelming for someone starting out so I don't think Reaper is too much different. While the customization aspect is certainly never ending...there are stock commands and actions that I use to this day and have never changed :-) Reaper rocks!
@@CantAffordToRecord Yes if you put a bit of time in to learn the customisation side of things then its quite fun configering stuff to you liking and watching your work flow speed up ..
Cool! I just finished moving from PT. It was totally daunting, but it is paying off. It crashes every time when quitting, but protools crashed every time it was about to finish loading a session. Love it the Reaper way! :-)
Welcome aboard! Hopefully that crash bug gets figured out for ya, thanks for watching the video :-)
@@CantAffordToRecord Thank you sir. It also crashed two times on startup, but guess what - after telling me about the crash, it just finished loading anyways - all twelve mixes, and everything worked just fine. This is crazy! :-)
@@marianlech3378 Must be some plugin bug. Reaper seldom crashes.
My mancook pro finally died and i switched from logic to reaper… it s the most usable daw for me nowadays
Is this a "dummies" friendly DAW?
Looking forward to making music.
I would say if you're looking for super simple DAW, there are 'simpler' ones, like GarageBand...BUT there is no better community than Reaper's when it comes to tutorials, advice and resources, IMO. Best thing to do is download it and start making music!
I have used Cakewalk and Studio One and Reaper's interface isn't as easy to use, but I think it's not as resource-hungry as the other 2.
And you get a mix knob on every plugin!
Yes, Reaper.
Loving it.
If it just was for throwing out Steinberg, which I hated.
Come for the DAW affection, stay for the coffee ☕ 🥰
Love your work, Myk! ☕️
I am so glad I switched to Raper, it does so much and is pretty easy to use really.
It's the best 🙌🏻
Wow that's quite a typo 😬
HaHa, didn't see that, you know what I mean, thanks.@@Sucktackular
I'm cheap so Reaper was obviously the choice for me. Are the other ones good? I'm sure they are. Reaper does have some weird hiccups at times but even after using it for years I've barely scratched the surface of what it can do.
Studio one is worth a look
Great video. Went from Pro Tools to Reaper. Never looked back.
When the Reaper comes'a knocking, you answer 🤘🏻
~2 years ago, I purchased a dying laser control software package, which was basically a DAW with customized features for creating laser imagery, but at that time, I didn't even know what a DAW was. Plus, I had purchased an Akai MKii control surface for tactile control.
However, as a retired old school laserist I found the product to be too restrictive and began developing my own laser synth, using a Teensy 4.1 MCU and modifying the code for 5 channels, XYRGB, instead of only L&R.
Great! All of the T4 Laser Synth's waveform generators are MIDI controllable.
So, I needed a DAW and chose Cakewalk, because of Creative Sauce's rave reviews. But, now that I've learned about Touch OSC, and want to add video graphics, I'm migrating to Reaper, because of it's incredible potential for customization.
Really appreciating Reaper Blog's tutorials and find myself being overwhelmed with creative thoughts of control possibilities, over Ethernet, WiFi, touch surfaces, and multiple MIDI groups for simultaneous control of multiple laser projectors.
Thanks to Reaper, I'm pioneering new roads into laser imagery, just like back in my hey-days!
Long time PT"s user cause that's what they used in school. Reaper is great, even if it may take some time getting used to switching DAWs.
I've used Reaper many time but I just do not find the ui intuitive and workflow fast enough. I use Studio One so much easier in this regard.
You should take a look at the quick adder script by neutronic, its a must extension. Also take a look at contextual toolbars and souk22_key sequences script.
I absolutely will, thanks!
Best DAW, ever. Tried Logic, Cubase, Bitwig, Live and FT2 a lot. Same mindset, and after 6.x I am convinced.
Woohoo!!
Kenny G and reaper mania is the best resource to learn reaper in my opininion.
Kenny is amazing!
You won't regret this move!
Brilliant video.
Well done.
Thank you!! 🙃
hey, i own both ableton intro and reaper. i hate waiting two minutes for Ableton to open on my win10 laptop. reaper opens instantly. reaper terrifies me with its freedom, though, but so does ableton, in a different way. so, reaper kept crashing over loopcloud for me. with no recovery. until i just got mad and commanded it to stop reacting that way, and now it doesn't crash over that vst anymore. lololol!!
Ha, that's awesome!
I hope they revamp the stock plugin GUIs in V7. The few times I've used them over the years they are fine but they just don't look very confidence inspiring so I typically use third-party plugins for everything.
I understand but honestly if you can break through the underwhelming GUI, there's some real gems in there. Check out a video I did recently mixing a song with only Reaper plugins.
I travelled from cool edit pro, adobe audition, protools, cubase, liked them all, cubase at most, but I stopped at reaper with cubase skin for good:)
Pro Tools is a sinking ship that only runs on legacy support.
4:40 On top of automated track colors, I also assign automated instrument icons. Makes the tracklist a *_lot_* more manageable.
Great video mate. There's no such thing as a 'Perfect' DAW that fits everyone as everyone's needs change but it's all about exploring and keeping an open mind. Now subscribed and looking forward to watching your channel grow.
Thanks so much man! I just subbed back at ya ;-) Cool channel!
Daws are tools. Use what is affordable and easy for you and forget the others. The important is the music.
Wonderfully said! Totally agree 🙌🏻
I switched to Reaper because my Macbook Pro had enough, I didn't want to buy an iMac and didn't want to suffer Windows 10/11. So I switched to Linux, and the only decent DAW native for Linux is Reaper. And I discovered it had all the good things from differents DAWs that I had used, but in just one software.
Funny thing, I had checked Reaper years ago and I dropped it because I found it "ugly". It's true what they say about the covers...
I moved from Abberton to reaper i like the flow
Yeah - it is a solution. Being able to drag and drop any file format onto the timeline and have it just work is worth it alone. It just works.
So incredibly overlooked, geez!