GigaStudio Users - BEWARE of Reaper!

Hey folks! I just wanted to pass on a bit of info to anybody using Gigastudio ReWired into Sonar. I've been using it for several months now. The 3.20 patch was very stable, given my machine and a few config tweaks. However...

I was doing some testing with a developer a couple weeks back, trying to resolve a bug in one of my plugins. In the process, the dev' asked me to install some other host -- just to make sure this bug was not unique to Sonar. So I did what seemed logical: I downloaded the current version of Reaper and installed it just long enough to test the plugin; then I immediately uninstalled it.

Well, the bug in the plugin is LONG gone; but I noticed a couple days ago that I was having trouble with Giga in Sonar. The audio engine kept cutting off as soon as I inserted Giga into the Synth Rack. ...big headache -- lots of testing.

The short version: Reaper installs an updated version of ReWire.dll that DOES NOT work well with Giga. It took me a while to trace this, since I didn't realize that Reaper replaced it. Also, re-installing Giga won't fix the problem (unless you manually delete ReWire.dll in the process), because the ReWire.dll in Reaper has a later version # than any of the Giga 3 installs or updates. The uninstall/install/updates won't touch it. So I now officially detest Reaper -- for changing my system without asking and for NOT changing it BACK when I uninstalled.

Anyway -- save yourself some ReWire headaches and avoid Reaper like the plague. It's free for a reason...

ORIGINAL: Infinite5ths

Hey folks! I just wanted to pass on a bit of info to anybody using Gigastudio ReWired into Sonar. I've been using it for several months now. The 3.20 patch was very stable, given my machine and a few config tweaks. However...

I was doing some testing with a developer a couple weeks back, trying to resolve a bug in one of my plugins. In the process, the dev' asked me to install some other host -- just to make sure this bug was not unique to Sonar. So I did what seemed logical: I downloaded the current version of Reaper and installed it just long enough to test the plugin; then I immediately uninstalled it.

Well, the bug in the plugin is LONG gone; but I noticed a couple days ago that I was having trouble with Giga in Sonar. The audio engine kept cutting off as soon as I inserted Giga into the Synth Rack. ...big headache -- lots of testing.

The short version: Reaper installs an updated version of ReWire.dll that DOES NOT work well with Giga. It took me a while to trace this, since I didn't realize that Reaper replaced it. Also, re-installing Giga won't fix the problem (unless you manually delete ReWire.dll in the process), because the ReWire.dll in Reaper has a later version # than any of the Giga 3 installs or updates. The uninstall/install/updates won't touch it. So I now officially detest Reaper -- for changing my system without asking and for NOT changing it BACK when I uninstalled.

Anyway -- save yourself some ReWire headaches and avoid Reaper like the plague. It's free for a reason...

Hey now, you don't need to be so harsh on REAPER. If anything the blame should fall on Propellerheads or TASCAM. REAPER does what it's supposed to, installing the newer version of ReWire. The fact that it leaves the newer version on the system on uninstall is also standard behavior for Windows shared DLLs.

The fact that GigaStudio doesnt work with the new ReWire DLL version is likely either Propellerheads or TASCAM's fault, probably the former. It may be worth mentioning that to TASCAM to see if they will fix it.

Having said that, you could just choose not to install ReWire in REAPER during the install process.

Finally, REAPER is not free, and you don't need to diss it with no apparent reason other than you had some frustrating issues with ReWire.

-Justin

The lesson I would hope EVERYONE should learn here is to approach changes with caution, making a Image backup, or at least setting a Restore point PRIOR to new installs. I follow this practice (doing both) religiously and it has saved my bacon more than once



Sorry you had to find out the hard way Mike, and thanks for passing on the info.

ORIGINAL: deadbeef

The fact that GigaStudio doesnt work with the new ReWire DLL version is likely either Propellerheads or TASCAM's fault, probably the former.

I actually doubt it's Propellerhead's fault, since all my ReWire programs work fine with the updated DLL.

ORIGINAL: Infinite5ths

ORIGINAL: SteveJL

The lesson I would hope EVERYONE should learn here is to approach changes with caution, making a Image backup, or at least setting a Restore point PRIOR to new installs. I follow this practice (doing both) religiously and it has saved my bacon more than once



Sorry you had to find out the hard way Mike, and thanks for passing on the info.

Uh...thanks for the "advice" Steve; but you should know that you are preaching to the choir. I currently have a total of six (6) full image backups of my system drive, with several image copies of each of my other drives sitting on two different external hard disks. The time spent troubleshooting was a result of having made a series of changes and updates (with corresponding backups) before discovering this issue with GigaStudio. [Giga doesn't get used in every session/project.] I elected to figure out the problem rather than restore to an earlier image and work through the changes again. I did not "find out the hard way".

Oh...and and System Restores are a normal part of my routine -- along with manual registry edits/cleanings. [Just yesterday, I cleaned out my entire hardware enumerator setup & re-installed my USB devices to streamline. The addition of an extra USB hub introduced some enumerator changes which were too messy for my taste.]. Oh and religous virus scans are also my forte. I worked in network support & IT for several years.

My thoughts on Reaper as a whole I will keep to myself. I don't care to give it any more free advertising on the SONAR forum.

All best,

Well then you should know that the problems you had are not the result of some malevolent "free software" goblin.

I don't own or use Reaper but I've owned and used GigaStudio from the beginning (when it was called Gigasampler); and if I had to pick one program that consistently exhibits tech issues (like not working with the latest Rewire dll), GS would take the prize.

Furthermore, if I had to pick one company that is always behind the curve on tech support issues, Tascam would take the prize.

The problem you're ranting about could just as easily be blamed on GS as Reaper.

That's really unfair to slander Reaper. Why WOULDN'T a program that uses rewire install the latest version?

By the same token, why wouldn't Tascam update Giga to work with the latest version of rewire?

I'm not sure why they haven't updated it, but I can tell you that I don't use Giga anymore unless I absolutely have to, and these kinds of problems are the reason. I used to be a die-hard Giga user, since Gigasampler, and few programs have given me more problems.

I've switched to Kontakt recently and have never looked back.

By the way, Reaper is NOT free, but is unlimited shareware. AND, it's revolutionary in its philosophy. Don't listen to the naysayers. Check it out for yourself and make your own decisions.