Reaper vs Pro Tools

[luckyshot]

Ok I've only been into recording a little over a year now. I've made a small home studio in a spare room. I am using Reaper which seems fairly easy to use. I have made a few recordings using ezdrummer and broomstick bass and I play all the guitar. I use a pod x3 direct into the computer USB on the guitar. Everybody keeps telling me to upgrade to pro tools. I look at the price and wow 600.00 bucks.... What can pro tools do that reaper can't and whats up with the price ?

 

[lucidspoon]

I haven't used Pro Tools, but I use Reaper. From what I've gathered, there isn't anything that either one can do that the other can't. I think just the workflow steps are different, so depending on your personal preferences, one might be easier to use. Usually, whatever you learn on is the easiest to stay with.

I appreciated the ease of entry into Reaper over Pro Tools and of course the price is a huge factor for a home studio. Can't beat Reaper at $60!

 

[ledzepp2122]

Pro Tools definitely Pro Tools over Reaper.

 

[Charliep]

I was steered to CuBase Elements 6. $99. Yes, $600 is a bit steep!

 

[fleahead]

Been using PT since 2008. Recently made the switch to Reaper. I use EZ Drummer / Superior Drummer and a few plug ins, URS, Abby Road....

Better response, better CPU & memory use. I wish I could get the look to be more like PT because that's the interface I'm used to, but no biggie. I love the ability to modify the looks however.

PT is finicky, memory hog, LOUSY customer service. WHil I have made soem great recordings with it, tey lost me after the 8.xx bullshite.

 

[lucidspoon]

Pro Tools definitely Pro Tools over Reaper.

So confident, no explanation required...

But seriously, what do you think is better other than personal preference?

 

[Username1]

From what I've gathered, there isn't anything that either one can do that the other can't. I think just the workflow steps are different, so depending on your personal preferences, one might be easier to use. Usually, whatever you learn on is the easiest to stay with.

I appreciated the ease of entry into Reaper over Pro Tools and of course the price is a huge factor for a home studio. Can't beat Reaper at $60!

I think that's a perfect summary of DAW's they all do the same thing, workflow environment and ease of use are really the only things that matter. Only thing that Pro Tools is essential for is swapping session's with professional studios. If this is not a concern, than keep on rocking with Reaper!

Also if you can maneuver a 'student discount' drops the price of PT to 300-- i went and bought it at USC the same day i dropped out Also they introduced "Pro Tools Express" it comes free with any of the Avid Mbox interfaces now-- it's a lot more limited but could get your foot in the PT door-- if you need it.

 

[Username1]

LOUSY customer service.

+1 Avid is the WORST customer service i've ever dealt with

 

[Scubaman]

Pro Tools definitely Pro Tools over Reaper.

Care to provide a little more detail as to why?

 

[luckyshot]

Thanks guys for the responses. I think I should stick with the Reaper then. I have already figured out enough to do simple recordings so it can olny get better from here. I hate learning new software if there is no great benefit to it. I'm not doing pro work just making demo's of songs I'm writing. My bass player lives a hour drive away so we send mp3's back and forth on new material were working on.

 

[Username1]

Thanks guys for the responses. I think I should stick with the Reaper then. I have already figured out enough to do simple recordings so it can olny get better from here. I hate learning new software if there is no great benefit to it. I'm not doing pro work just making demo's of songs I'm writing. My bass player lives a hour drive away so we send mp3's back and forth on new material were working on.

set up a dropbox and send WAV's you don't want lossy components in your mix

 

[blues_n_cues]

+1 Avid is the WORST customer service i've ever dealt with

nailed it.

 

[blues_n_cues]

Only thing that Pro Tools is essential for is swapping session's with professional studios. QUOTE]

you can import separate .wav tracks to Protools for extended work or mixdown.
https://www.ableton.com/answers/exporting-individual-tracks-as-wav-files-to-mix-in-protools

 

[Username1]

Only thing that Pro Tools is essential for is swapping session's with professional studios. QUOTE]

you can import separate .wav tracks to Protools for extended work or mixdown.
https://www.ableton.com/answers/exporting-individual-tracks-as-wav-files-to-mix-in-protools

Yes you can, that also takes forever. Having cross compatibility with any studio if you are working in that type of environment makes it ten fold easier than bouncing each track as a solo'd wav-- the whole session just opens up in front you with the faders and settings, plugins, etc all how you left them.

This isn't just for PT, let's say for some reason you are tracking at Peter Gabriel's studio-- might come in handy to have Logic if you want to do something at home and bring it in to work on.

 

[lucidspoon]

With Reaper, you can render all selected tracks to separate WAVs with one action, so you don't have to solo them.

 

[yeti]

Yes you can, that also takes forever. Having cross compatibility with any studio if you are working in that type of environment makes it ten fold easier than bouncing each track as a solo'd wav-- the whole session just opens up in front you with the faders and settings, plugins, etc all how you left them.

This isn't just for PT, let's say for some reason you are tracking at Peter Gabriel's studio-- might come in handy to have Logic if you want to do something at home and bring it in to work on.

I think you're making too much of this compatibility issue. Have you never heard of OMF/AAF? Yes, no plugins but do you really move to a bigger studio to use the same plugins? If changing studios is a necessity and you have to stay within your DAW platform then get a laptop and carry your rig with you.
Also logic lets you bounce all tracks simultaneously. It's really not an issue at all. Studios deal with cross platform issues everyday.

 

[Username1]

I think you're making too much of this compatibility issue. Have you never heard of OMF/AAF? Yes, no plugins but do you really move to a bigger studio to use the same plugins? If changing studios is a necessity and you have to stay within your DAW platform then get a laptop and carry your rig with you.
Also logic lets you bounce all tracks simultaneously. It's really not an issue at all. Studios deal with cross platform issues everyday.

You learn something new everyday!

See the studio i work with is strictly PT, so i got PT, made swapping A LOT easier for me. I like to do the most work i can at home to save on the studio budget, so that in itself justified PT for me.

 

[WolfeMacleod]

+1 Avid is the WORST customer service i've ever dealt with

I bought an Eleven Rack from Craigslist a while back.
After installing PT/ 11r GUI software on my PC, I noticed that it had not installed the stuff that supported the Eleven Rack firmware updates... So I called Avid.

They wanted something like $80 just to tell me how/where to download the PC GUI update so it would work with the 11r firmware updates that had already been paid for by it's previous owner.

Adobe Audition. Good stuff.

 

[blues_n_cues]

You learn something new everyday!

See the studio i work with is strictly PT, so i got PT, made swapping A LOT easier for me. I like to do the most work i can at home to save on the studio budget, so that in itself justified PT for me.

depending on the studio & version of PT not everyone can afford it.
if I could afford protools 10HD I'd never need to go to a bigger studio for things.

Avid Pro Tools HD 10 (Upgrade from PTHD7) | Sweetwater.com

and that's just the upgrade.

 

[Username1]

depending on the studio & version of PT not everyone can afford it.
if I could afford protools 10HD I'd never need to go to a bigger studio for things.

Avid Pro Tools HD 10 (Upgrade from PTHD7) | Sweetwater.com

and that's just the upgrade.

I was expecting it to be more expensive actually, but it would pay for itself in no time if you had that intensive of a home studio. I would kill for a 2 inch tape machine, the initial cost would probably be in the thousands, but i'd have a goddamn tape machine, that would be awesome!