Reaper Audio Engine issue

[TheWinterSnow]

So I recently made over the switch to Reaper and have been customizing a template for my band's upcoming full length. While I haven't learned everything yet like I do with my old DAW, I am coming across an issue that is a real pain in the ass.

The audio (ASIO) driver is disabled every time the main Reaper window is not selected. Adjusting audio settings, preferences, listening to reaper in the background is impossible, but it gets worse. Having a 64-bit OS with 8GB of memory I opt to use 64-bit reaper. While opening and tweaking with FX based pop up windows don't cause a drop out, but the 64-bit bridge pop out screen causes Reaper to disable the audio driver/engine. Kind of annoying when you have to go back and forth between tweeks and listening to the effect.

Its actually not a drop out though, as soon as Reaper is in the foreground again it plays back where it left off, its pausing itself when its in the background, and apparently an x86 bridged effect puts Reaper in the Background.

Its not the ASIO driver, it is still up and running, Reaper's audio engine disconnects itself from the ASIO driver when it isn't in the foreground. My old DAW Sonar did this but there is a setting that allows the engine to work alongside other audio applications and will run in the background, I have looked around in the preferences for a setting that will always keep the Reaper's Engine on regardless if it is background or not.

Maybe someone can help, using ASIO4ALL for the ASIO driver, latest version for Win7 64-bit.

Also is there a way to prevent the x86 bridge from having is own pop out window, the two separate windows and not being able to tweak 32-bit effects in the main FX window is annoying.

EDIT: And it looks like Trigger isn't recognized, reset and re-scanned twice and not showing up in the FX menu. It scans it during the re-scan, wonder if its crashing when being scanned. EDIT again, not just slate, all my iLok FX. Seems to be working just fine in Sonar, Reaper have a problem with scanning iLok FX or something?

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

Also is there a way to prevent the x86 bridge from having is own pop out window, the two separate windows and not being able to tweak 32-bit effects in the main FX window is annoying.

I can run audio outside REAPER and Reaper at the same time. Not sure what setting it was just default for me. As far as the separate window (which annoyed the fuk outta me too) Open your FX window, Right-Click the plugin, Run as, Embed Bridge UI (on the bottom). I selected all my plugins and did this, so I didn't have to do it 1 by 1.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Not seeing Embed Bridge UI, only an Auto Float option and the effect is still in its own window.

 

[Sloan]

If you have any onboard audio devices, disable them in Windows' Device Manager.

Also, I have found it helps to set your 'Recording Device' (in Windows) bit and sample rate to your preferred settings for recording. That way it won't be switching the bit/sample rates back and forth when using both Windows apps and Reaper. This might be a problem if you play games as it seems they still want to force 16-bit audio, but you can always switch it back.

 

[Terminus]

I'm not sure that ASIO4All will let you use other audio at the same time as the daw is up front or let the daw run audio while other windows are on top of it. With a native driver yes, but I'm pretty sure I've read that A4A can't do it. My friend uses it and we tried for hours one night to no avail.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

If you have any onboard audio devices, disable them in Windows' Device Manager.

Also, I have found it helps to set your 'Recording Device' (in Windows) bit and sample rate to your preferred settings for recording. That way it won't be switching the bit/sample rates back and forth when using both Windows apps and Reaper. This might be a problem if you play games as it seems they still want to force 16-bit audio, but you can always switch it back.

Already have done this. Cant say I have ever played a game used an app or had a web pahe that couldn't play 16 bit audio. I record in 16 bit 44.1k as well so there is no switching needed.

I'm not sure that ASIO4All will let you use other audio at the same time as the daw is up front or let the daw run audio while other windows are on top of it. With a native driver yes, but I'm pretty sure I've read that A4A can't do it. My friend uses it and we tried for hours one night to no avail.

You are right it only has one stereo send to one app. With sonar if I open another app the audio for that app won't work until I disable thse audio engine. Vice versa happens if I have an app up like a youtube video, A4A won't connect to sonar until that app is shut off and asio is reset.

Its not like reaper isn't connecting to A4A, reaper is diconnecting itself if it is in the background then instantly reconnects when it is brought back into the foreground. Asio is still engaged when reaper is in the background and says it doesn't have a connection to reaper so its an issue with reaper.

 

[FarBeyondMetal]

For REAPER unloading everytime it is in the background, go to your preferences and under the audio tab make sure the setting "Close audio device when stopped..." is unchecked.

For the iLok stuff, under VST in prefs hit clear cache and re-scan.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

For REAPER unloading everytime it is in the background, go to your preferences and under the audio tab make sure the setting "Close audio device when stopped..." is unchecked.

For the iLok stuff, under VST in prefs hit clear cache and re-scan.

The first part worked...finally have that taken care of. Second part not so much, I have already done that more than once before I made this thread, re-scanning does nothing, the iLok FX do show up on the loading menu as they are scanning but do not show up after the scan is complete. Again that makes me think that they are failing the scan so Reaper is ignoring it. I am afraid to update iLok drivers as I have heard people having issues from doing that.

On a side note what have been your experiences with the x86 bridge stability. Every now and then I have it crash and I can't reboot that plugin, have to delete it and insert a new instance. That is really annoying with SD2.0 as all unsaved configurations are lost. Will be re-installing SD2.0 to 64-bit to rectify that, but I have other plugins that will have to stay in 32-bit.

EDIT: Updated iLok drivers, installed the license manager, Reaper crashed a handful of times when it reached scanning all my iLok plugins. Finally got it to go through the whole scan and...iLok plugins still don't show up. Really annoying. Google searches don't come up with anything. Obviously not an iLok issue, the licenses show up on the account, the dongle registers with the manager app, account recognized the licenses on the iLok. When I go to Sonar and insert an iLok plugin, the authorization process goes through and the plugin boots up.

EDIT EDIT: Looks like it comes down to compatibility. Apparently x86 plugins bridge to reaper no problem, x86 plugins with ilok can't bridge to reaper, regardless if the ilok divers are x86 or x64. That is really lame, you would think if they incorporated x86 bridging that would extend to x86 plugins that use ilok. Fucking weak if you ask me. 32-bit DAWs aren't really an option for me considering I would when it is all said and done have about 1.5GB left before hitting the 3.5GB limit where shit starts crashing. Over an hours worth of a total of 128 tracks with FX, sample replacement, automation etc and sample libraries is squeezing the resources a little tight.

 

[sjcortese]

When you open the fx selection window that lists all your plugs you can highlight all of your x86 plugs, right click, and select run as embedded/bridged. That stops them from floating outside of fx bins on your tracks. Not sure about the iLock issue.

~scott

 

[FarBeyondMetal]

You should post on this on reaper's forum things like this gets for fixed all the time

 

[bryan_kilco]

I have Win7 64 bit and have to run 32 bit REAPER because the latest version is buggy as fuck for me in 64 bit.

 

[tedtan]

First, post your issue over at the Reaper forum - they are pretty helpful and if this is a bug, the developers can work to fix it.

Second, as a workaround, try using an older version of Reaper. Given bryan kilco's experience, this may solve your problem.

Alternately, consider using the 32 bit version of Reaper. As long as your OS is 64 bit, you are not limited to ~4GB of ram total, but 4GB per process. So you could have Reaper, your drum software, your sampler and each synth each using ~4GB of ram (assuming you have that much ram available). Plus Reaper uses a 64 bit "audio engine", even in the 32 bit version, so you shouldn't run into any of the problems you are expecting from the 32 bit version.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

First, post your issue over at the Reaper forum - they are pretty helpful and if this is a bug, the developers can work to fix it.

I will definitely do that, I would just expect that it would be an issue already talked about as I can imagine there has to be a good number of people using 64-bit Reaper with 32-bit iLok plugins.

As long as your OS is 64 bit, you are not limited to ~4GB of ram total, but 4GB per process. So you could have Reaper, your drum software, your sampler and each synth each using ~4GB of ram (assuming you have that much ram available).

I don't know so much about that. 32-bit apps cannot process 64-bit addresses unless that app has bridging capabilities. I had that problem with SD2.0 and Sonar where the 32-bit versions would crash as soon as the total system memory reached 3.5GB. Sonar would CTD out of nowhere. Superior wasn't taking more than 1.2GB and Sonar wasn't taking anything higher than 500-800MB. That again makes sense considering 32-bit apps can't process higher bit addressing and most simply crash.

Plus Reaper uses a 64 bit "audio engine", even in the 32 bit version, so you shouldn't run into any of the problems you are expecting from the 32 bit version.

Now this is a little more interesting. If each process can run its own 4GB then that would work. I have to ask myself then what would be the reason for a 64-bit version then?

EDIT: Installed the 32-bit version, scan locks up every time it gets to an iLok plugin. When I remove the setting to get names and just show all .dll files in the VST folder it completely locks up and will not scan anything.

And I have to wait for a mod to activate my account so I can post the issue on their forums.

 

[Diego_C]

hi, had your same problem and found solution unchecking this option in the preference settings:
"close audio device when stopped and application is inactive"

try it
hope it helps

cheers
D.

 

[[Prime]]

Something worth noting....

If you are running mixed 32 and 64 bit plugins...you will notice that there are actually 2 instances of reaper running. You can check this in windows by viewing the task manager.

To test this, simply remove all 32 bit plugins if running 64 bit reaper or vice versa for 32 bit reaper. Restart reaper and now you will only see one instance. This will save a few computer resources.

That would be one reason to run 32 bit or 64 bit reaper.