I've been learning Reaper over the last couple of days after having used Sonar for the last 15 years.
 
I've had to watch the videos, the ones by Gioia, and now I'm able to use Reaper well enough to do the basics and then some. For people changing over I highly recommend taking advantage of the videos - you'll learn a ton about the settings that you can change to make your experience more like what you're used to (and the settings that will expand on what you're used to).
 
The audio editing environment is impressive. You can do things you are not able to with Sonar.

One thing I don't get: what is the SWS/S&M Extension? I get from the forum that most are using it, but the page doesn't explain itself...

Mully
Reaper is becoming an interesting option. Thanks for all the info!
 
The Melodyne topic is definitely one point of interest. So if you don't have Melodyne, you'll need to buy it or will there be a release of Reaper that includes it I wonder.


How do you guys find Reaper for editing normal wav files compared to Sonar?
Thanks.

There is ReaTune, which works on vocals and instruments and such. It has an Auto mode, earlier in the thread I was mentioning it with a video on how to use it. 
 
Your right about that though, if you don't have Melodyne Essentials and even if you do the ARA part for some is a big issue. But according to what I've read ARA is coming to Reaper soon, how soon, I have no idea. 
 
If you already own Sonar Platinum or Sonar Pro then Melodyne Essentials and Addictive drums 2 will work fine in Reaper without any problems, those are independent from Sonar and not tied to it. You just wont have the ARA with Melodyne Essentials. 
 
As for editing normal wav's in Reaper, that all depends on what you consider normal. You have a lot of options, honestly so many it's ridiculous and overwhelming just getting started with Reaper. 
 
You can make Reaper work how you want, or you can use Reaper as is.
 
The last time I visited Reaper I found myself spending a whole lot of time trying to configure the DAW rather than creating music. That's the biggest complaint I have with Reaper, there are no basic templates and no start menu to show you the way. There are TON's of tutorials, but if you are sitting down to record, you don't want to watch a tutorial and hope you get it right, you want to click record and start playing ya know. 
 
Other than that, once you get it setup HOW YOU WANT IT and save things as a template along with the preference settings you are good to go at that point. 
 
You were asking about working with Wav's. Maybe this will answer your question.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2SlBMpzwY
 
I hope my information and thoughts I am posting here helps someone. I am not trying to SELL YOU on REAPER or any other DAW. I'm just trying to post helpful information for those of you who are trying out new DAW's with a few things that helped me in the hopes that it might save you some time trying to find a few things. 
 
Happy Holidays!
 
Bobby
 
 

jonboper
One thing I don't get: what is the SWS/S&M Extension? I get from the forum that most are using it, but the page doesn't explain itself...

That really confused me also when I first tried Reaper. Here's a video about it that explains it. It allows you to customize Reaper to work however you would like it to, meaning you can make it work like any other DAW, but even more so you can add custom actions and such things.  Hope this helps!
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCfjDsA6-qE
 
You can get the latest SWS software from here for Reaper, IT'S FREE but I would encourage donating because a lot of work went into them making it for them to be giving it away to everyone : 
http://www.sws-extension.org/
 
Check out the Reaper Resources page, you can get Themes, JS Plugins, Maps for Keys & Drums, and pretty much about anything you want here : https://stash.reaper.fm/tag/Themes
 
Happy Holidays!
 
Bobby
 

Mully,
 
Audio editing native to Reaper is good, but the real power is in 3rd party plugins linked to the Reaper tasks.
Has been mentioned that the 11 MB installer is that small because no bloat. Reapers strength in this regard is the rock stability registering VST and VSTI plugs from external sources, not what is supplied by the program (in some cases...).
 
The Cockos plugs, their EQ, ReaControlMidi, gates and comps, ReaFir, others are hi five excellent. JS plugs are all over the map and the cool option to roll your own with a few text skills easy to learn.
Otherwise Reaper is like a Christmas tree without a lot of commercial ornaments. You add the lights and bells as needed from external sources with about the best probability anywhere that you will be able to use your plugins.
 
In the preferences or Reaper, there is a section for external editors. Whatever you got, Audacity, Audition, Acon stuff, whatever. Point in the preferences to the exe file of the editor.
CNTRL+ALT+E will then open the editor of choice for whatever is needed in a selected track with audio wav data recorded.
 
Note that if the unisex track is set to receive midi data and there is data on the track, double click on the track opens the native midi editor. Sonar midi editing is currently at least more friendly IMHO. Can do about anything midi in Reaper that I need however. Break even point in the sights, looking ahead up the road. Sonar is fixed and receding in time. Beautiful antique dear to all of us here, or we wouldn't be here.. Reaper has been going balls to the wall, hard on upgrades, subtle improvements at almost a frightening pace.
 
Hope any of this makes sense.
 
John

Serious_Noize!
 
 
That really confused me also when I first tried Reaper. Here's a video about it that explains it. It allows you to customize Reaper to work however you would like it to, meaning you can make it work like any other DAW, but even more so you can add custom actions and such things.  Hope this helps!
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCfjDsA6-qE
 

 
Thanks, did watch that video: so the SWS extension is an additional set of Actions?

Johan and Bobby thank you for the replies and detailed responses, really appreciated.
It seems a no brainer to buy one of the other upgrade offers just to get Melodyne. I'm back into recording after a long break and still have X2 hence the interest.
 
I was about to also pull the trigger on Harrison Mixbus (might still happen) and then stumbled across this: http://www.houseofwhiteti...erial/wt_imperial.html
 
Wow...Reaper suddenly got very attractive and given the edit-ability (thanks for the video link guys) and I'm excited to make music again.
 
So much to learn and it is actually now becoming a little exciting to be honest. V-Studio gear is now for sale
 
Again, thank you.

jonboper

Serious_Noize!
That really confused me also when I first tried Reaper. Here's a video about it that explains it. It allows you to customize Reaper to work however you would like it to, meaning you can make it work like any other DAW, but even more so you can add custom actions and such things.  Hope this helps!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCfjDsA6-qE

Thanks, did watch that video: so the SWS extension is an additional set of Actions?

Long time ago, music programs creators have realized they can not do everything themselves in one closed program. They was far from the first. "Extensions" for a program is something which can be somehow "added" to it, for extended functionality. For that, some "agreement" should be made how extra "program" can communication with the core program, some API (Application Programming Interface).
 
Most known in the DAW world at the moment is VST API. It allows create audio and MIDI processors independent from a DAW.
 
But stream (only) based VST covers only one aspect of the DAW, signal processing, but even there it has clear limits. Melodyne is an example. It is a signal processor and can work as a VST, but it needs the whole "region" of audio and required "playing" first to transfer the audio. To simplify that operation, they have introduced ARA (yet another API, complimentary to VST).
 
Sonar support several APIs: VST, DX/DXI, MFX, CAL, ARA, ProChannel, ACT. That covers a lot, but far from all aspects of Sonar. There are also "themes", but they are just image replacements, not the functionality of the interface.
 
Reaper is on the "next level" of that evolution. It exposes much more. "Extensions" can modify the interface and modify almost everything in the project, DIRECTLY. A kind of "mega ARA" (and the reason ARA was not implemented before, they have more generic way to access project data, why implement something custom, for one plug-in?).
 
SWS is the most known project among extensions for Reaper.

I should have mentioned at the start of this thread. You can make Reaper a Portable installation if you would like to use it that way, or just try it out without installing. 
 
It's pretty simple, for Windows when you run the installer you just Check the box that says "Portable Install".
 
You can make a portable install for Mac's but I don't use a Mac, here's a link on how you do that for Mac's. 
 
https://reaperblog.net/2016/06/quick-tip-portable-install/
 
 
 

    Just learned that Reaper could stream music to shout cast. That might be a handy feature for some. 
 
https://reaperblog.net/2017/11/how-to-use-reacast/