The Ultimate Reaper Beginner Tutorial for Electronic Music Production

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Vital is a great synth plugin to start with (for free!): vital.audio/ If you install it, it should show up in Reaper once you restart the program. If not, this might help you out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXPceYOOoJh5otksi=G0JdfWP9PoYb_v43

[@The8BitDrummer]

Thank you for the info dude! I am ultra new to the Reaper game and this got me further than anything else has! :D

[@Legit12Player]

Hello, the8bitdrummer, how are you?)

[@tictac1020]

Same! The way he explains things and demonstrates is superb.

[@jerryancel6944]

I have a huge issue with attention span and I need info coming at me at a fast pace. I think he gets right to the point and still makes it easy to follow along, especially if you already have some knowledge of daws.

[@Emerald12222]

Holy shit it's you!

[@TazzSmk]

as a long-term Reaper user, not doing EDM, just watching this out of curiosity, video is super simple and well done, thanks!

[@tijmen6947]

Have had reaper (free) for like 2.5 years for playing guitar. Never really tried to produce anything. Now im starting to mess around with midi and such. And its quite some fun

[@ultimatestats4569]

This guy is a GENIUS.

[@remymartincognac6974]

Awesome brother...love your videos...very helpful

[@Sugarush]

Hey man loved the tutorial but right at the bat I don’t have helm that you want your audience to use to start the track?

[@DextersLab93]

Same here.. I have none of the virtual instruments shown in the video.

[@MrEMann]

Great content and instruction. Thank you!

[@Hokkaido-Sound-Design]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@DanielKwan]

Is there any way to dock the piano roll to like the lower part of the main window so it doesn’t block my view of everything else?

[@frankthehecker08]

This is really cool! I am looking into making electronic music and I am trying to find DAWs that I think will be useful. Does Reaper come with plugins? Or do you have to separately get them?

[@elizaramsey9748]

ps, where is the bit about using internal sounds please?

[@againstthedarkness985]

Hey Gabe! Thanks for producing this video - it is really helping me out getting started. You mentioned a "free" sample pack that you were going to link in the description, but I have yet to find it. Am I missing something here?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

My bad, I totally forgot to link it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGTaYaOunbehjbs

[@PersonManManManMan]

@@GabeMillerMusic add it to description ya dummy

[@kedskies]

Bro I recommend you to use free Vital synth by the same creator of Helm.. more awesome then Serum for me. Awesome content man.. subbed to you

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Thanks! It's on my list of things to try out, it looks dope

[@elvijsvolinskis7453]

Hi Gabe. Can I use reaper without the serum?

[@marco_oder6665]

I'm actually a Metalhead trying to record and mix my Songs, but I learned a lot form this video. You showed a few things metal producers won't show in their beginner videos. I guess sometimes it's better to think outside the box

[@GabeMillerMusic]

That's great to hear that the video was helpful! I also did do some videos on making metal... It's very electronic infused metal, and I'm not much of a guitarist, but hopefully they're pertinent. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXReWtun9CjeaM kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnevmZeMq7ugmLM

[@by9diz8]

Btw Gabe I think you forgot to add the link you mentioned at 8:49. Could you still share that one? 😃

[@Александр-й7б9и]

There is under the comment of Against the darkness. Just scroll through comments. I'm in yt mobile app now and it lacks feature of copy and paste in comment section

[@LevySkulk]

What a really useful video, I don't normally comment on tutorials but the information you provided was so concise that the video is only 20 minutes long, but detailed enough that I'm going to rewatch it slowly while working through what you've shown. Fits perfectly with my learning style.

[@kevinwarsaw1793]

@11:05 TAL Filter 2 is a great free equivalent to LFO tool. Also thanks for your content, made me get an MC-101, which in turn got me back into making music and finally learning a DAW.

[@mutton_man]

Thanks for that, that plugin really helps get that sound.

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

I've been using Reaper for rock music for years but wanted to try some EDM production.. May I say how refreshing your straight-to-the-point 'no waffle' style/demo was! Thanks for sharing your insights.

[@CrescentRollCarl]

Nice. Reaper is such an underrated DAW.

[@CrescentRollCarl]

@إسلام فانكي- islam. funky it's not. I've been involved in over 100 audiobook projects all using Reaper. Fantastic DAW for recording. Maybe you are doing something wrong. There isn't any quality problems with audio recorded into Reaper.

[@CrescentRollCarl]

@إسلام فانكي- islam. funky And his conclusion at the end is they all sounded the same. And he admitted to different mic distances at the end of the vid which accounts for the very sight difference in sound between his tests.

[@CrescentRollCarl]

@إسلام فانكي- islam. funky If that's the way you feel, that's fine. More likely a setting is wrong or you're not using the right drivers in Reaper. If you prefer Protools and want to pay the premium, more power to you.

[@vladv5126]

@Funky Music No DAWs influence the quality of the recording in of itself, they just record and play back what you're putting into them. If you're getting bad results with reaper or any DAW for that matter, it just means you're not setting up your inputs or gain staging correctly or you're not setting up the audio device in your DAW.

[@reisaki18]

@Funky Music because your record settings is at low quality change it to high quality, your machine capability is the limit.

[@tictac1020]

I've been wanting to make music for over a decade now. I play guitar (and fiddle around on everything else) but seeing my friend make stuff for years, I have been too intimidated to really jump in. There's so many moving parts and prior knowledge that so many tutorials assume you have or the curse of knowledge makes them not consider mentioning or explaining some things that a noob might not get. Your video is so clear, concise, straightforward, and well articulated. Thank you. I'm going to check out your other videos and see if I can manage to create my first shitty EDM track this weekend. I'm a metal head and ambient fan so EDM is outside of my usual range but luckily it can be very simple. Thank you again dude.

[@vitopugliese1342]

Bro what the fuck this looks hard as hell I’ve never done anything w music I’m just high and wanted to make a simple song this is to much shit u did a great job but I am fucked if i made this “simple” beat I’d quit my job and think I was a prodigy why are all the comments understanding this

[@listenanrelax]

I forgot I was on 2x speed. The beat still sounded dope as hell. 240 bpm was vibing with my AHDH! 😂

[@TonyBombardo]

I'm a bit confused here because I don't already have a midi keyboard or any plugins downloaded... I tried to add an instrument (ReaSynth) but now I have no clue how to actually use it since I don't have an input device other than my computer keyboard....

[@regularladz]

Did u find out, or i should help you

[@nathanielkitta5230]

Am having the same issue. Am failing to add the instruments. Like there is no response after choosing an instrument and clicking add. @regularladz please help yes.

[@regularladz]

@@nathanielkitta5230 most of the default reaper synths suck, I recommend downloading tal baseline, helm vst, vital synth, and keyzone piano, after installing them when u are adding fx, there is a small fx button in the top left if the effects pane, click on it and click on scan for new fx, after it scans search and add the one u want let's say tal baseline, press alt+b to bring I the virtual keyboard,

[@TerranSpacePolice]

double clicking doesnt allow me to see the piano roll editor, does anyone know why by chance? also i dont have a midi keyboard so i have to do it this way

[@keithfulkerson]

At 6:42 he explains it real quick. I don't have a midi controller either.

[@winddealer1]

Great video and use case for beginners. Love that in Reaper all tracks are created equal. Any track to be Audio, FX, Midi, Video and more. Reaper is a very extensible system and uses LUA as a scripting language. Reaper also includes a slew of included FX, modulations controls and sound generation tools. Don't hesitate to invest time his this DAW, it's a gift that keeps on giving. Perhaps a better description would be "..the best DAW". Don't let the word "cheap" suggest that it is underpowered or weak in capabilities or support. The fact that it is affordable doesn't suggest that it is "cheap", far from it. Thank you for using and supporting this great DAW, continue your journey with it, it will pay dividends. Gratefully.

[@idkVR88]

you dont even explain how to get the plugins or anything like that i just downloaded reaper and have no clue about what im doing and you dont even explain how you got what you have

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I took this as a cue to add a pinned comment with some info on plugins to get people started. If you want a free, quality synth plugin to start with, Vital great: vital.audio/ If you install it like any other software, it should show up in Reaper once you restart the program. If not, this might help you out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXPceYOOoJh5otksi=G0JdfWP9PoYb_v43

[@chrwrd2960]

Why you dont use reaper stock limiter for mastering?

[@PersonManManManMan]

Here is sample pack mentioned at: 8:49 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGTaYaOunbehjbs

[@goodall18]

thanks buddy

[@howtodostuff1244]

great vid, but is it just me that heard you say free sample pack in the description below because it doesn't seem to be there or I am not looking in the right place? Thanks for tutorial

[@ninnginni]

Nice tutorial but where is the link to download the plugins you are talking about in the video ?

[@MarioPlushStudios2300]

hey what happened to the sample pack?

[@AndresLopez-eo5rr]

Hey Gabe! I found this video and the other video about reaper very helpful! Any chance you might make a video about making a project template for dubstep in reaper with stock/ free plug-ins? Honestly would buy if you sold those lol

[@Александр-й7б9и]

This tutorial makes me sure coolness does not entails complexity. I knew it earlier but I just missed a visual demo of the fact. And thank you for tutorial

[@MarshyHawks]

Helm's audio is not registering on my project. What can I do to fix this?

[@pantyburp]

wow AMAZING video. Can't tell you how much more this has helped me compared to other Reaper videos. I've been dabbling with the idea of doing some EDM production for fun and already have Reaper, but I had no idea where to start and couldn't find a video to point me in the right direction to unlock the potential of this DAW. Well done explaining everything in such a simple way to understand!

[@Tomino1302]

but how to make a sound with no midi keyboard like yours, just a laptop???

[@vector0001]

where are the drum samples? I couldnt find in the comments or description

[@vinceadam3816]

Thanks man, i don't even know how to enter the piano roll thingy 😂😂😭

[@LS-wc6mr]

Awesome video sir...very informative! Where can i find the sample pack you mentioned? I don’t see the link in the description.

[@antoniovalladolid2642]

I know some people very very happy with this one. Maybe it's time to retire my old copy of Cubase. Also the price is unbeatable.

[@pkdude5334]

this video was so helpful, thank you

[@DextersLab93]

Hey so kind of silly question but, how do you get the virtual instruments..? I have none of the ones you showed, including helm, so I can't get started with the video 😅

[@Stellarainn]

Just google it and it'll show up the free ones

[@ewanyork]

I’m amazed how much you covered here in such a short time. Makes it all seem possible! Really, great video - thanks!

[@roninnero4480]

I dont see the drum sample pack in the description, am i missing it or is it not there?

[@BUCKSHOTSTV]

Man this was great! I’ve attempted reason for the last few years and I just can’t get into the groove with it. I came from an old school mpc and a synth. So reason just had me give up on making music, but I’ve been using reaper for my pro voice work for the last several months and I really love the work flow so much better than pro tools that I’ve been using since like 2004. You’ve given me hope that I can once again make music with a daw I feel comfortable with. Thank you!

[@FallenFlame6666]

why do I not have all the instruments that you have?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

They don't come with Reaper by default, they're external plugins that you can download from the developer's websites. Vital at vital.audio/ is a great free synth plugin, and Splice has a good selection of free plugins to choose from as well. If you install a plugin on your computer, as long as Reaper has the file path, it'll pop up in Reaper for you to use.

[@BixiDoxxes]

No link to the free sample pack you've mentioned 😔

[@GabeMillerMusic]

My bad, it should be this one if I recall correctly: drive.google.com/file/d/1eq69uk2xiAbrLdtzvrVsp52lpa16TcON/view?usp=drivesdk

[@ephraimwarrior6766]

i have dexed vst helm kind l00ks the same l0l

[@AleArzMusic]

Is TAL filter 2 a good free alternative to LFO tools to do kick/synth trick?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Yep, I've used it for exactly that.

[@AleArzMusic]

@@GabeMillerMusic thank you very much. After several years using Reaper for death metal, I'm going back fo my techno trance roots and your content is like gold

[@Reseed]

You're a fantastic teacher, genuinely! Thanks so much

[@by9diz8]

Underrated channel

[@LuanBermudez]

excellent tutorial. simple, direct, practical to get the hands on the stuff quickly and feel producing and learning. I saw bunch of other tutorials, they are not close as this in quality, for real. Thanks a lot! And please, keep posting! I've been stucked with reaper a long time not knowing how to manage simple projects and now this is unlocking me.

[@Tchanembg]

Thanks

[@shpontheblock]

Why do I have so few instruments and you have so much?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

The instruments I have are all external plugins, software that works inside of a DAW. There are lots of good free ones like Vital and Tyrell to get you started.

[@mutton_man]

I got stuck at 1:19, I only have 3 things listed under instruments. I dont have Helm. Am i meant to download these pluggins from somewhere or should these already be on reaper?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

Correct, Helm is a plugin you can download for free from the guy who made it. And you can download/install a ton of free and paid plugins and they'll show up in Reaper.

[@mutton_man]

@@GabeMillerMusic where do you find the free plugin downloads?

[@sgtcheetoh8023]

Gabe how did you get helm plug in ? My stock reaper 6 doesn’t have it

[@GabeMillerMusic]

It's not built in, you download it separately from the developer's site. Once you install it, it'll show up in Reaper. Same goes for any other external plugin.

[@ThatKolehmainenGuy]

5/5.0038, indeed good

[@MobileMiniPlayer]

Thanks for making this tutorial. Super helpful

[@ultrajayme]

I've heard the proprietary plugins are extremely bland and not very engaging. Can anyone confirm or reject this?

[@GabeMillerMusic]

The basic mixing tools are pretty good, but there aren't really any good virtual instruments or fun FX built in. Fortunately, there are a ton of good free third party plugins that can easily be loaded into Reaper (Vital is a great free synth plugin to start with).

[@ultrajayme]

@@GabeMillerMusic vital is great. Have only used the free version. I love my 80s Roland analog stuff but Pigments is my go to for VST synthesis

[@weobeyjesus4565]

Helm for the win. Thanks for the tip. Surge is good too. Good video. Subscribed.

[@johngraham9878]

Hi Gabe, I have an editing question. Is there a way to copy splits from an item on one track to an item on another track? Not the audio, just the splits. I do a lot of background vocal edits and as I go through them I wind up having to re-split the new versions after making various changes for noise cleanup, plosives, de-essing, etc. I'd love to be able to copy the splits from the versions I've edited to the next version efficiently without having to re-split each phrase. If Reaper doesn't do this, OK - just tell me so I can stop going down this rabbit hole. - Thanks, John

[@st33Npuist]

REAPER IS THE ENDGAME...

[@duprostudio]

I don't think you'll ever be able to do a better video than this

[@GabeMillerMusic]

I've peaked too soon. Glad it's been helpful!

[@proximityclockworkx1572]

I used FL studio my whole life up to this point, so it's gonna be rough until I know where everything is. I had to switch to Reaper, because Sindows shat itself repeatedly to the point of unusability, so I installed Linux. And there is no FL studio in Linux.

[@kalixzee7505]

Someone explain to me how this dude isn't famous. I was shocked when I looked down and say that you had less then 500k subs. Insanely high quality video. I'm actually going to start recommending your channel in the indie music communities that I'm apart of.

[@EllissDee4you4me]

The music industry is ruthless but also filled with dabblers. For an example, see how many amazing guitar players there are on YouTub that you’ve never heard of. To get “famous” the stars need to align. You need to have mass appeal and taste, a loyal audience, and don’t dabble with all the technical intricacies. Play songs, not sounds.

[@EdwardJacksonproject]

Gabe! This is really helpful, I have so many questions 👍🏿

[@GearAddict90210]

The media explorer window in Reaper is great for previewing samples, they can be even adjusted to your tempo automatically. Hitting Enter will insert it into the project

[@rollandjoeseph]

New sub! Great clear explanations..I'm new with creating electronic music and this helped alot, especially with it being in reaper! thx and look forward to learning more from your videos!

[@محمدابراهيممحمد-ي3ت]

lol must like and subscribe.. what are you thinking man XD nice vid

[@johnchapman8717]

How did you copy the low pass frequency fx from the synth track to the bass track?

[@DMichaelReese1953]

Bravo Greg!

[@RailgunPK]

Was all amazing and super helpful until 16:16 and it started getting super fast and hard to follow but it's the best part of the video 😭

[@HAL1000]

wait but i have etirely diffrent ui help

[@TerranSpacePolice]

you may have to update reaper

[@MarioKuburovic]

Thanks

[@leochavez6833]

this is way more complicated than fl studio but also not? Great tutorial

[@kiitten249]

idk if this helps to make hardcore music or not, what it did help on is on my overall knowledge of reaper, so huge thanks for the tutorial!! remember me when i make a song and it gets popular lol note: the piano roll to percussion one just screams “breakcore” to me

[@alastairdonnison8164]

Ye fr this is a great video thanks, many others are way too intimidating you made it very accessible x

[@maomallows]

Trying to get into Reaper. Been using FL for a while, and Reaper is a new toy for my arsenal. This is the only video that I find helpful because it's generalized and quick. It doesn't have multiple parts and only takes 20 minutes to get the important parts down. This is a legit good video for people getting into Reaper. Thank you good sir.

[@loopboop4205]

I've been using reacomp for ducking but the LFO plug is def gonna be something to try. Happy more people use reaper for edm

[@3dmonkeybizz]

Superb video. I have been using Reason for years now. Thanks to your video here I can see that Reaper is much more my direction. Very many thanks!

[@muddhopkins]

Thanks for the video man, super new here and this really helped explain things in a way I understand. Keep o rocking dude 😎

[@bethredmondwalsh2008]

Loved it, two thumbs up, thank you Gabe! New Reaper user here. Looking forward to more of your offerings. :)

[@elizaramsey9748]

this is great. thank you so much. I'm a good musician, but absolute novice at production. this is even advanced for me, but I can slow it and pause it .

[@astrowyrm6871]

i can't click play or hear anything while i'm in reaper, any reason why that might be?

[@vigneshbalaji171]

Bro ur video is amazing but I want the sample pack

[@lightwaveofficialmusic]

Great

[@imvamps]

Bro all you said in this video it´s going to help me a lot on my journey, thank you very much, new sub!

[@imhatchmantoo]

This is very helpful. Ive been doing this since 4 tracks. Lol But i am interested in learning to produce this type of electronic stuff more authentically and , as i am told by my producer friends, Reaper and Serum and few other programs are a must have fot that hot shit , so thank you for helping me to understand how to use some of these programs that are new to me

[@pokedoke7384]

why are there only 3 instruments in my instruments???

[@sibillaborghi5158]

Thanks for the introduction, you explain very well!

[@grim789]

Dude thanks just found your channel top notch content! Got a sub from me my dude.

[@directedbymohith1396]

Thank you bro You gived me hope to use reaper

[@Boxericom]

how to i get the instruments in the beginning

[@TorontoTitans98]

Well laid out and informative video. I'm a rock guy and need to learn edm mixing etc.. Thanks! :)

[@JoshIsMakingMusic]

Great video, thanks for sharing your advice!

[@alainsellier7751]

Great Tutorial! Thank you so much!

[@jerryancel6944]

I liked and subscribed. This is helpful. I want to start making remixed VG music and this helped out with a lot of questions I had for programming sounds. You aren't overly wordy either. You get to the point and it was still easy to follow along. I plan to try this out later today after work. Thank you!

[@whelanbdubs]

Always a great job, Gabe. You are a good teacher.