Can reaper really replace my cubase?

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

Hi folks!
Since I'm using a mac at my mixstudio and a PC at my trackingstudio I'm searching for a good DAW that works on both platforms.

I bought Cubase Studio 4 for this purpose but that turned out to be a total bummer, now I can choose between not being able to use all my previously bought plugins due to the lack of support in the 4.0 version or having constant asio spikes and audio dropouts when using the 4.1 update.

Therefore I started looking at Reaper since they will be launching a Mac version of the program and my question is; is it as good as cubase? What do I need to complement it with in order to have the same features plug-in wise as cubase?

Reaper users; enlighten me!

 

[AdamWathan]

I love Reaper, I was using Cubase before and switched. The general consensus is that Cubase outperforms Reaper in the MIDI department, but as far as audio goes, Reaper can do everything Cubase can do and more. I think a full on official Mac release is still a few months away since they are still beta testing, but for PC, Reaper rules.

 

[Kadmium]

Reaper is mostly highly awesome. Its timestretching functions leave a little to be desired compared to Cubase, though. It offers some great things that Cubase doesn't, however; Reamote is very nice. The Mac version is still in prerelease, though, and isn't really trustable.

 

[Wolfeman]

I used to be a die hard SX3 user, now I wouldn't trade my Reaper for anything...

 

[JonWormwood]

I've tried to switch, but I can't. Not completely.

I have Cubase on XP and Reaper on Vista.

I still do a lot of drum and key programming, thus I've stayed with Cubase.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

If there was no Saw, I'd be using Reaper.

 

[Soundlurker]

I've tried Sonar, Samplitude and Reaper and always came back to Cubase. I've been using it from the very beginning and I just can't help but feel like trying to play guitar with gloves on. IMHO, it all comes down to choosing the DAW you're most comfortable working with, since every modern one has at least 95% of the features you need. That being said, I prefer Reaper to Sonar and Samplitude.

 

[Fredrik-Ablaze]

I've tried Sonar, Samplitude and Reaper and always came back to Cubase. I've been using it from the very beginning and I just can't help but feel like trying to play guitar with gloves on. IMHO, it all comes down to choosing the DAW you're most comfortable working with, since every modern one has at least 95% of the features you need. That being said, I prefer Reaper to Sonar and Samplitude.

Well the, since i can't even get Cubase running anymore thanks to the glorious 4.1 update i guess I'll have to await the release of reaper for mac!

 

[PostMortem1666]

ill probably get flamed for this lol but i switched from reaper to pro tools 7.4 and i am extremely pleased. everything in pro tools is so much more organized then reaper seems to be. plus reaper on my system was giving me tons of problems. sometimes audio would just dissappear and i would have to search through my audio folder to find the right parts again and add them back again.

 

[006]

Indeed. I've used ProTools for several years professionally, I've used Vegas professionally (which, IMO, Reaper is like a better version of Vegas), I've used Sonar, I've used Reaper on my PC before, I've used Adobe Audition (horrible), N-Track Studio (for $40 it's pretty neat)...and out of alllllll of those years using all those other hosts I just cannot let go of Cubase. While using ProTools and Vegas professionally I still had Cubase SX as my personal host. I even ran a lot of sessions off of my PowerBook/CubaseSX at the last studio I worked at, instead of the monster PC/Vegas that the owner used. Cubase just seems the most intuitive to me, in other words it's just the most natural feeling for me. But it comes down to what you are comfortable with. When it comes to picking a host to use, you have to be comfortable with it so you can maintain an efficient workflow. If you find yourself thinking that you are having to do too many things for one end result in one host compared to another, you really should switch to the one that you can work faster in. Editing seems to be the one thing Vegas/Reaper has over Cubase, to me. PT as well. Editing in PT, Vegas/Reaper is quick and easy. But, I'm so use to Cubase now that I can edit faster in it than I ever could in any other host. A lot of efficiency comes from keyboard shortcuts - they are your friends.

~006

 

[Soundlurker]

A lot of efficiency comes from keyboard shortcuts - they are your friends.

~006

+1

Using the numpad for transport functions + engaging the "return to start position on stop" sure beats having to click 23546436 times when the musician can't get that 5-second take. Also zooming in and out, moving back and forth, crossfading, etc.