I've been watching the Groove3 videos; almost convinced!
Time to create a Superior Drummer template (now that I "get" how folders and "busses" work),
then do some midi editing.
I must admit this program is very powerful.
The routing at first is intimidating, but the Groove3 video lays it out simply.
Reminders me of the RME Totalmix; once you wrap your head around it, you can't live without it!
 
T

DeeringAmps
I've been watching the Groove3 videos; almost convinced!
Time to create a Superior Drummer template (now that I "get" how folders and "busses" work),
then do some midi editing.
I must admit this program is very powerful.
The routing at first is intimidating, but the Groove3 video lays it out simply.
Reminders me of the RME Totalmix; once you wrap your head around it, you can't live without it!

 
If you right click REAPER's mixer and select "Insert virtual instrument on new track", then select Superior Drummer 2, REAPER will ask if you want to create separate audio tracks for the outputs. Selecting yes will build a track with Superior on it, followed by 16 stereo tracks for Superior Drummer's mixer outputs.
 
From here, pick a drum kit in Superior, and then right click Superior Drummer's mixer on "output" and select "Multichannel".
 
That will get everything laced up in short order and may be the same thing you saw in the video, but if not, that's how I do it.
 
One additional thing I do with my kits is pare down the number of outputs to REAPER, doing some grouping within Superior. IOW, instead of using up four tracks for snare top, snare bottom, snare rim, and snare comp, I send all four variations of snare to one output in Superior, so all snare variations are one track in REAPER. If I need to tweak the balance of the four snare parts, I use Superior's mixer, but all FX and mixing of the main components of the drums, I do in REAPER. Most of my kits in REAPER have kick, snare, toms, hihat, overhead, and room.
 
If you need any help setting any of it up, let me know.  I've been using the two together since Superior 1, which was actually called "Drumkit From Hell Superior".
 
 
 

azslow3
I do not want to create yet another thread. Before bombing Reaper forum, where such discussion can trigger quite some negativity AKA "holy wars", lets compose the list of Sonar features which are NOT available in Reaper. I guess the list will be smaller then the opposite. Gurus are welcome to correct, in case something is just overseen (but without "no one needs that" comments, please...).
 
I will start with my own observations:
* ARA. Already declared as coming.
* Control Surfaces integrations. That I can change
* No "key signature". Loops can follow tempo, but not key. Manual pitch shifting can be used as a workaround.
* Track inspector. Is something in that direction exists?
* Step sequencer. I have checked Megababy, but that is not even close. May be some 3d party VST can be used for that? Sonar MIDI was DX based only, any MIDI VSTs was a nightmare to route, but in Reaper that should not be a problem. Ideas?
* Matrix view. In Sonar it was more buggy then useful, I guess some VST/Reaper plug-in can do at least the same. Which?

In no particular order . . .
 
One of the cool control surfaces in REAPER is HTML. On my phone, tablet, or any other device that can display web pages that is on the same network as REAPER, you can remotely run it. As for hardware mixer looking things, those are supported pretty well, but I always wonder "why bring back a hardware mixer thing?". Oh well, to each their own. I prefer mixing with envelopes, and no moving parts or space taken up, but that's just me.
 
Loops?  I never use them at all, because I play all the instruments on my songs, unless I have a friend sitting in, so I don't know much about loops.  I do know that you could record say a rhythm guitar that you wanted to repeat, and only record say a measure of it, then snap trim the start and end to perfect time, glue the clip and it becomes an acidized clip that you can drag the end of out as far as you want. You can also hold alt, then drag the end and it will stretch the clip, while retaining the original pitch.
 
Plugins like KT Drum Trigger, which listens on multiple bands to audio, and then creates midi to trigger drum instruments is on that I remember having no luck with in Sonar 5 (maybe it works with later versions), because it is both an audio and a midi plugin. With REAPER, I can put KT Drum Trigger on an audio track, set the bands and thresholds the way I want, and then simply drag from that track's "Send" to another track that has something like Superior Drummer 2 on it. 
 
Hehe, just the other day I did that with one of the famous Buddy Rich bus rants, where he screams and cusses out the members of his band on his bus while on a break. The end result is a sloppy drum solo that is in perfect sync with Buddy Rich's rant.
 
I never used track inspector when I used Sonar, but I've seen videos for REAPER where docking the mixer to the left of track view and reducing it to the size of one mixer strip, makes it so that click selecting a track in track view, causes the one single mixer track that is docked on the left to be sync'd and display the same track as selected.
 
Is that what track inspector was used for in Sonar? I have always in both programs split the screen down the middle, with mixer view on the bottom, and track view on the top.
 
Never used any step sequencing either, but I know that the native midi editor in REAPER has some step recording stuff built in.  This video hits on some of it.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmQEq-dE_pc
 
Matrix view?  Is the the green falling text from that movie?  I have no idea on that one.   ;)
 

the_user_formally_known_as_glennbo

azslow3
I do not want to create yet another thread. Before bombing Reaper forum, where such discussion can trigger quite some negativity AKA "holy wars", lets compose the list of Sonar features which are NOT available in Reaper. I guess the list will be smaller then the opposite. Gurus are welcome to correct, in case something is just overseen (but without "no one needs that" comments, please...).
 
I will start with my own observations:
* ARA. Already declared as coming.
* Control Surfaces integrations. That I can change
* No "key signature". Loops can follow tempo, but not key. Manual pitch shifting can be used as a workaround.
* Track inspector. Is something in that direction exists?
* Step sequencer. I have checked Megababy, but that is not even close. May be some 3d party VST can be used for that? Sonar MIDI was DX based only, any MIDI VSTs was a nightmare to route, but in Reaper that should not be a problem. Ideas?
* Matrix view. In Sonar it was more buggy then useful, I guess some VST/Reaper plug-in can do at least the same. Which?

 
Matrix view?  Is the the green falling text from that movie?  I have no idea on that one.   ;)
 

Matrix view => PlayTime
 
I'm researching some loop pitch options.

I’ve been using Reaper for a week and a half now.Somethings about it are great, mostly the flexibility. The region markers are really useful also. Other things like routing and frustrating, but all and all it has been good. I imagine once I get used to the work flow it will be fine. I’ve started working on a song and everything is going well so far. I just reached the mixing stage, so after that’s over I’ll really be able to judge.

As I find time during the busy day at my REAL JOB............Still just Bumping about 'firing arrows' at Reaper and seeing what happens.
Downloaded and activated the generous  'Overloud' ...Crossgrade VSt's ( with Cakewalk Monogram :) ).
Thnx so much to OVERLOUD............PS: they obviously feel our pain......
Anywho ............ Breverb,Rematrix ,Vx64 ..all present and accounted for................running SMOooooooth :) in Reaper.............FYI.

Mosvalve
I don't care about Melodyn because I never use it. I don't do loops and never installed them in Sonar. I don't do extensive midi editing or clip editing. I never used most of the features in Sonar so I won't miss them in Reaper. 

Sorry to single you out, I'm just using as an example of what I mean.
I don't mean any offence to anyone, but I see lots of people recommending a new DAW, but then stating things like this. Well, sheesh, guys, honestly if your needs are this basic, then I'm not sure how relevant your experience or recommendations are.
All of the DAWs can record and edit audio to a basic level.

Good information azslow.
@Jbraner, there is the previously mentioned "bounce to disc" real time option which records the pristine wave file, no artifacts exactly the way you hear it in the mix.

ooblecaboodle

Mosvalve
I don't care about Melodyn because I never use it. I don't do loops and never installed them in Sonar. I don't do extensive midi editing or clip editing. I never used most of the features in Sonar so I won't miss them in Reaper. 

Sorry to single you out, I'm just using as an example of what I mean.
I don't mean any offence to anyone, but I see lots of people recommending a new DAW, but then stating things like this. Well, sheesh, guys, honestly if your needs are this basic, then I'm not sure how relevant your experience or recommendations are.
All of the DAWs can record and edit audio to a basic level.

I agree that this thread has too many "I don't..." statements and that is destructing from the real power side of Reaper.
 
It is a DAW targeting freedom (in license), flexibility (in extensions and customizations), performance and stability.
Stability and flexibility are mutual exclusive in general, that can cause confusion.
 
"Basic level" is relative. One example: someone (especially programmers) can think that analyzing and avoiding problems in a complex  system (DAW core, external connections, 1000s of VSTs, performance) is a "basic" property. Reaper is "armed and armored" in that direction. Sonar has nothing at all for that.
 
That is why I have started realistic and constructive list several posts ago: what someone will miss when switching from Sonar to Reaper.
 
Repeated several times already, but: Reaper is 11MB download and no registration required for that. It does not pollute registry, can be installed on USB stick. That means that is the only DAW which everyone can start to test in its full power within a minutes and without consequences.
 

azslow3
I agree that this thread has too many "I don't..." statements and that is destructing from the real power side of Reaper.

I DO use more than one VSTi instrument on a single track and DO hear them all in REAPER.
I DO use the Parameter Modulation that REAPER has which can do things like ride the wet control of a reverb or delay.
I DO use REAPER's unequaled routing capabilities to do things that are impossible on other DAWs.
I DO use the Variable Speed control to hit occasional high vocal notes when my voice is cracking or blown out.
I DO use burn to CD render option to make CDs for testing my mixes in the car.
I DO use the portable install option on USB drives and to have both 64 and 32 bit REAPER on my hard drive.
I DO use REAPER's ability to scale the UI for a less than 100% size UI on my netbook.
I DO use the easy copy and paste of envelopes to duplicate them on other tracks.
I DO use REAPER's HTML interface to run it from across the room using my smartphone.
I DO use REAPER's Drag and Drop functionality for patching things like side chaining up.
I DO use the native pitch stretching in REAPER to lengthen or shorten clips without altering pitch.
I DO use clip based envelopes for pitch and volume to correct minor pitch or volume problems.
I DO use clip based FX to put an effect only on one single clip of a track with many clips.
I DO use the notation in REAPER just to hear my wife play my compositions on piano
 
I DON'T use Sonar any longer, but still have it installed on my machine so I can still get to my oldest projects.
 
There, I only used one instance of "I DON'T" this time!   <ggg>
 

I have the full version of Kontakt, but not Omnisphere or Trilian, and I always use the quick render, but I suppose if you are running plugs that do disk streaming like the old GigaStudio used to, then you might need to try one of the other methods of rendering

 
Well, it doesn't hurt to run through the entire song once (or twice) before you render, so that the streaming apps can cache a little bit. This would probably apply to any DAW...

the_user_formally_known_as_glennbo

azslow3
I agree that this thread has too many "I don't..." statements and that is destructing from the real power side of Reaper.

I DO use...

You have understood me right, Schwa has also understood me right (in the ARA thread)...
I hope I can positively influence Reaper community
 

I DO use REAPER's HTML interface to run it from across the room using my smartphone.

When I have started to implement that for Sonar, there was no interest for such feature (at least no feedback it exists). Also I have found that no matter what I try to do in the browser, it has slower reaction than dedicated applications (TouchOSC, TouchDAW). So I have stopped (but Sonar web transport control still exists).
 

I will not bet $10000 on that, but there are 2 types of plug-ins in Sonar:
a) which are DAW independent. They will work in any DAW, not looking around for Sonar
b) which run inside Sonar only. They detect the DAW on startup and refuse to function when the DAW is not Sonar.
 
I mean from my knowledge there is not a single plug-in which check the presence of Sonar to work in other DAWs and for sure not Sonar validity (checking validity require some "insider" knowledge how to do this).
 
But you need some way to install these plug-ins without Sonar. That depends in which Sonar version the plug-in was distributed and how.
 
Do not forget to apply for Overloud and AAS licenses. That effectively drastically reduce the number of plug-ins you can not use in other DAWs (and that is free).