GAME-CHANGING Add-Ons for your Default REAPER Projects: ReaLauncher & ProjectTimer

GAME-CHANGING Add-Ons for your Default REAPER Projects!
Hey folks! In this video I'm gonna show 2 truly game-changing features that you can unlock by adding them to your default project templates! If you don't know how to set up your default project template to your liking, watch the Prelude, otherwise, feel free to skip it!
How I quickly create Audio & MIDI-specific Recording tracks: • MIDI Hacks: Quickly Sk...
ReaPack download & Installation Guide: reapack.com/user-guide
[NOTE: This video originally contained 3 Add-ons but Retrospective Record is now default in REAPER as of version 6.66]
Instructions to install & use ReaLauncher: forum.cockos.com/showthread.p...
Download HOFA4U Free plugin bundle here: hofa-plugins.de/en/plugins/4u/
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:24 Prelude: How to Create your own Default Project Template
2:10 Add-On 1: ReaLauncher by Solger
2:44 shortcomings of the default start-up
4:44 ReaLauncher Overview
6:11 Setting up ReaLauncher to replace default start-up
8:20 Extra tips & Buttons
9:03 Add-On 2: HOFA ProjectTime
10:50 Outro & Props & Announcements!

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey folks! You may have noticed that a chunk of this video is missing. The reason is that I originally showed 3 things to add to your projects, retrospective MIDI recording, ReaLauncher & Project Timer. However, as of REAPER 6.66 Retrospective MIDI recording has been implemented into REAPER by default, so that part of the video is obsolete. Also an update on ReaLauncher, you no longer have tabs above, but instead a dropdown menu. Still works the same though. Sorry about the bad editing of the cut. I had to do that part through KZbin's terrible video editing application.

[@mimori.com_]

hello, I come here today and I feel another your movie very useful. this movie is my second one of your channel. you say you cut down this one because of the reaper enhancement. but I think old one is also useful for the history. archive is valuable for the future. you may create new upload for the new version of the reaper based on the upload with specific version number rather than cutting or editing existing one?

[@andreasfranzmann9634]

Again some pure wisdom in this vid! Thanks man! Glad to see the channel rising - slowly but surely - and to see you receive some love and coffee from the community. You really deserve it! Cheers, Andy

[@IDDQDSound]

Thanks buddy! and thanks for all your support and kind words! Got a whole box of coffee now :P

[@GKRGY_music]

ReaLauncher should also be made part of Reaper :) Thanks Arya for another great video. And for updating it!

[@IDDQDSound]

Trueee

[@EqDior]

Thank you so much for this. never knew about these extensions! awesome vid!

[@IDDQDSound]

My pleasure! Hopefully I'll have a few more to share very soon as well :)

[@seyisland]

Thanks for that amount of tips to save our time! :D

[@sebastiansalt]

Awesome stuff. I will try these out. Definitely falling in love with Reaper more and more, and I'm only 10 days into my trial :D

[@IDDQDSound]

Welcome aboard! It's a great DAW that you will love more and more everyday :)

[@platinummonster9755]

Really great content. My new favourite Reaper channel :)

[@IDDQDSound]

That's so nice to hear! Thank you for the kind words :)

[@williamjames1575]

I had no idea about Solger - just added it as a global start up action. Awesome tip!

[@IDDQDSound]

Thank you! mpl is a genius!

[@Unconsciouzone]

This comes video comes at a serendipitous time for me as I am currently researching the various community themes, and creating templates with coloring icons and all that. One of the things on my to do list was to build a screen set all about bells and whistles loops and samples. I want a really fun setup that looks like a spaceship panel. Since it's meant to be a one track template I want to fill it with all the prettiest gizmos and gadgets that I would normally avoid due to being to resource intensive or just plain unnecessary to have open, at the same time however I want everything to be as practical as possible even while still being a bit over the top. This is great Thanks!

[@IDDQDSound]

Sounds like fun! I do have something like that in my templates but I mostly just use the media explorer these days cuz launching the track template will copy everything to my project folder. I could turn that off, but then I'll forget to turn it on and then regrets will ensue. So do be careful with that :)

[@Unconsciouzone]

@@IDDQDSound Thanks for the heads up. Agreed, this project would make more sense as a track template as opposed to a project template.

[@mingothemongo4466]

man you're a hero

[@bobcabrera3080]

AWESOME, Arya!

[@IDDQDSound]

Thank you!!

[@RitchieCaron]

THIRTY THOUSAND NOTES! I'm sold,

[@IDDQDSound]

haha yeah should be plenty eh? :)

[@marcchurch1245]

This is really useful stuff, thank you!

[@IDDQDSound]

My pleasure!

[@champ1061]

You just made my weekend.

[@IDDQDSound]

Good to know haha!!!

[@rautshsale1948]

thanks for breaking down that ableton like capture feature

[@IDDQDSound]

It's real good stuff!

[@nabeelansari355]

4:41 my man just sneaked in the licc

[@IDDQDSound]

Lol!

[@Erudotic]

Awesome! Vety very helpful!

[@IDDQDSound]

Glad to hear it! :)

[@mukisajohnmary]

Thanks for the update. somehow all these years I am just discovering rea-launcher and the new drop-down menu almost tripped me up

[@IDDQDSound]

Glad to help! I'm used to it now but yeah the tab view was cool :)

[@snrmark1042]

This is just Awesome mahn

[@IDDQDSound]

Thanks buddy! Haven't heard from you in a while! I know you keeping busy so keep rocking

[@ketiwww]

This is great. Thanks!

[@IDDQDSound]

Glad you liked it man!

[@aryabanerjee1179]

We be twinning on the name!:)

[@IDDQDSound]

ahhhhhhhh yeah :D

[@TadDoylemusic]

Thanks Arya!

[@IDDQDSound]

You're so welcome!

[@amirhosseinvahedi6980]

SuperCool ☮👌

[@TheTightiewhities]

1:15 - my experience is also that it takes at least 20 tries with the random color selector to get a good one ;)

[@IDDQDSound]

lol right? :D There is a better way where you can select 15 colors and random chooses from those, but I just tap away and never bothered to set it up (it's SWS-based)

[@TheREAPERBlog]

@@IDDQDSound the worst is when you find the right random color, then put the track in a folder and it overrides.

[@IDDQDSound]

@@TheREAPERBlog lol yeahhhh

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

Retrospective Recording: LOVELY!!!!!!!!!!!

[@IDDQDSound]

So good! I'm now trying to script something for the audio equivalent, basically using the bounce to disk feature and writing a script to import it into the project.

[@ARE_YOU_SICK_OF_YT_CENSORSHIP]

@@IDDQDSound sounds exciting

[@francoisBonin-phils]

I do not remember what i did , but now when i open reaper i have always "project setting" pop u .any idea how to remove that?Thanks for the video...

[@kristjanmartinssonmusic]

Great vid!! Thanks for all the tips. However I could not seem to get retrospective record working because I needed to get the paid version of "Various Functions". In the end I figured out that I needed to downgrade it to v1 of the retrospect record. (that one is free) :) thanks!!

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey Kristjan! Yeah mpl introduced his paid scripts after I made this video, but glad you figured that out! It also seems like retrospective record will become a native reaper feature in an upcoming update :)

[@Rockband238]

The retrospective is absolutely amazing. There is just one thing missing for me, for now, in Reaper. I don't know how to re-record only de the CC's from a track withou crackling the audio when using toch ou latch replace midi record in. For example I recorded a CC01 for a Violin section and but I didn't like it. So how I can replace only the CC in real time recording? Thanks!

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey Rodrigo! If you right click on your track's record arm button, you can set record mode to midi: overdub replace and use latch replace, that way, anything you touch is replaced in a new take, and everything else is preserved how it is, once you let go of the control, it goes back to just reading :)

[@althewicked]

Nice one! Didnt know about the Realauncher. Thanks for this tipp. One thing I really missing in Reaper and didnt found a good script yet its the Preset system of Reaper. If you know a good script for a better Preset system with subfolders and easy changeable preset name order for example please let me know. Thanks man. Cheers

[@IDDQDSound]

Hmmm yeah not gonna lie it's not great! You can find the preset files and modify them there as text and then reimport, but yeah I don't think you can have subfolders and such. Your best bet is to do something like: presets 1-4 are called 1. Guitars - [Preset name] and then presets 5-10 are called 2. Bass - [Preset Name] but yeah also not a part of REAPER easily scriptable :)

[@althewicked]

@@IDDQDSound I think at the moment its just usefull for a couple of presets like some Default/Init presets or for quick AB because also the order of the presets are not alphabetical and the only options are "move up" or "move down". So if you rename them like you mentioned and you made a Bass preset after a dozen of Drums, Guitars, Synth... presets then you have to click 10min till this Bass preset is at the top again :) Its strange that nobody made a script for preset organisation yet.

[@marcfrank7446]

Thanks for another great video! One question re mpl_RetrospectiveRecord: I used to have Eugen's version as a startup action, but suddenly it turned out that it wouldn't obey PDC any longer. So all my Midi input is out of sync. Does the mpl approach take PDC into account or is it meant more or less as a Midi sketchbook (i.e. not in the context of a song/project)?

[@IDDQDSound]

That's a good question. I guess just by its nature, since you were supposedly playing while the project was not playing, what you import may not be to grid or even the right tempo. If you were only playing and then not recording, bringing it in will be to time, but you may have to move it to the top of the grid.

[@ClubDaveMusic]

Just found this, and as always, great time savers and very good tutorial. I'm on Windows 11, and I get a dropdown menu instead of tabs as shown in your iOS example. Is that configurable or does the Windows version always use a dropdown? Thank you again!

[@IDDQDSound]

Thanks for the kind words! Solger made it a dropdown in the new update. If you downgrade to the older versions via Reapack you get the tabs back!

[@NtandoMntungwa-lk8xo]

I can't find the repository, is it still there?

[@explainlight]

Help! When I run ReaLauncher the Tabs are not left to right like in this video they are in a drop down menu. I would prefer the tabs to be laid out like in your video.

[@IDDQDSound]

Hi! Yes unfortunately this is the new update of the script. I'm fine with it personally, and it makes it better resizable, but if you really want tabs you can downgrade to version 1.7. Go to ReaPack, find the script, then right click, choose versions, and choose 1.7.4 :)

[@JarJarJesses]

Wow - thx

[@IDDQDSound]

My pleasure!

[@Mr_Crumbly]

I think the Retrospective Record is an excellent addition to Reaper and hope that the developers will add it as a built-in function at some point. I have two (pretty minor) issues with the current way of achieving Retro Record: firstly, if you have tracks set to auto-arm on selection, when you add a track to a project this switches off the record-arm on the midi storage track, thereby effectively turning off Retro Record. Secondly, although you can hide the midi storage track from the Track Control Panel and Mixer Control Panel it still retains its track number, so when you add "legitimate" tracks to the project they are numbered from 2 onwards. I've looked for some way to offset the track numbering but can't find any solution as yet; the only thing I've found is to change the track.idx number to "0" in the Reaper theme, which would remove all track numbers, but I don't know if this would affect other functions which use track numbering. An alternative idea that has occurred to me is to start the track numbering from zero, but I don't know if that's possible. If anyone can throw any other ideas into the mix I'd appreciate it.

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey Alan, a couple of things: Retrospective record will always record regardless of what track is armed on the track that has the plugin, when you run the action to dump retro record stuff, it'll do it on selected track, so auto arming tracks will not have any effect on how it works. For example if you arm track 2, play some stuff, then arm track 3 and play some stuff, then use the dump action, the midi item will go on track 3 but also include midi events you played on track 2. Hope that makes sense :) changing your track idx number is also something to avoid, because I know in scripts, track 0 is the master track, so doing what you do may mess with your settings in unforeseeable ways. You can always have it on track 1 in the default and just drag it to the bottom of the project. I personally don't mind. My projects all have 5 tracks at the top that aren't part of the project :)

[@Mr_Crumbly]

@@IDDQDSound Thanks for the reply. My knowledge of scripts is very rudimentary, and I probably didn't explain myself very well! As I understand it, the first script sets up Track 1 to be storage for the MIDI log, and Track 1 has to be set to record in order for it to receive the MIDI data from your controller. You then create other tracks as normal and arm them so that you can hear whatever plug-in you've loaded in when you play your MIDI controller. This works fine for me. However, there is an item on the Track Menu called "Set all tracks to automatic record-arm when track selected". If you have this set as a default then, when you insert a new track or a new instrument the newly-created track is automatically set to record. The script also disarms all other tracks including Track 1, which can then no longer receive MIDI data for its log. I've confirmed this visibly by checking the Track Manager as I create a new track with auto-arm set to on from the Track menu. As soon as I create another track and it is automatically set to record, Track 1 is disarmed and is no longer logging MIDI data. There is a sort-of work-around: rather than use the Track menu to set auto-record, when you create a new track select the context menu on the record-arming button and select "Automatic record-arm when track selected". This sets the automatic record-arm toggle just for the selected track and has no effect on any other tracks in the project. Ideally I would create a custom action to do this automatically for any new track but I've had no luck so far. Of course, the alternative would be not to forget to manually arm the track in the first place, but at my age you have to accept your limitations!

[@IDDQDSound]

@@Mr_Crumbly did you create the retrospective record track using the action 'prepare selected track for retrospective record '? Otherwise if you set that track to monitoring only (right click record arm on that track) then it won't be unarmed automatically. Just checked on mine.

[@mel.b.coolin]

Thanks this is great. Does retrospective record also work with audio or midi only?

[@IDDQDSound]

Only MIDI. There's a workaround with audio but I'm trying to make it better :) Spoiler alert: it's the bounce to disk function :)

[@teomage978]

I search your video wher you made shot cut for Activate next tab please. My problem is th focus when the dock change I do clic on docdat for focus change can u help please ?

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey Teo, not sure I understand. Can you explain more? Maybe even send me a screenshot if you have me on fb/discord?

[@carlos.e.flores]

Great. There is some FX and Instruments Launcher alternative? Like the Sonar (Cakewalk) has.

[@IDDQDSound]

FX browser is pretty good and you can even use the media explorer. It'll let you drag n drop track templates & fx chains.

[@carlos.e.flores]

@@IDDQDSound Thank you, but I really don't like the FX browser in Reaper. Very disorganized UI for my workflow.

[@filipdespotovic8575]

Thanks for this video! I have small problem with retrospective script. In action menu it only gives me "dump options" not "prepare selected track for retrospectiverecording". I installed whole reapack and full mpl script but it doesn't show that script, and JS fx for retrospective is not in my fx list... Am i doing something wrong here?

[@IDDQDSound]

Hi! Yeah that's strange. If you have the JS you won't need the prepare script itself. You can just add it to a track. It could be that since reaper is adding this feature natively, it's no longer in mpl scripts, but if you couldn't find it elsewhere, shoot me an email and I can send you both scripts and JS :)

[@filipdespotovic8575]

@@IDDQDSound Yeah, I tried to find the JS plugin but no luck. I searched through reapack and actions but no luck with finding JS or the action for the retrospective options, except the retrospective dump options that I previously mentioned. Thank you for your fast response and help! :)

[@aholder4471]

I wish reaper and every other software that I use had a way for me to stop it from loading VSTs or looking for new ones or looking for current certificates or ilok or whatever. It would be nice to have a way to somehow tell it which ones to load instead of every one in the folder, I know I could separate them in different folders but that's not as easy as it sounds. Some plug ins I use for video and some only for audio and some for both. Davinci Resolve is a far worse offender though because it literally looks at every VST I've ever had or tested and makes me either try to register it or click cancel or ignore, and this is so tedious. Literally have to click cancel on 100s of plugs that I no longer use. Honestly I don't even know how to get it to stop. I've deleted the actual VSTs and DLLs but I think must need to go edit the registry probably. If anyone knows, any tips would be cool.

[@mikeonb4c]

Great video, thanks very much and I reckon ReaLauncher will help me greatly. Managed to insall it OK (I think!) but one thing I can't get it to do for me but that I can see on you video is to display tabs across the top for the sections (Recent, Project Templates, Track Templates etc). I seem to have version 2.4 mind you and I think I can see yours is 2.3? Maybe that is why but it seems a bit of a retrograde move by the designer if so.

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey Mike! Now that you mention it I see that it has changed for me too! Bummer. I liked the tab version more, and now it seems to be a dropdown! You can go back in versions if you go to the github for solger, but sounds like too much work :D

[@mikeonb4c]

I had a read of the sticky thread on Reaper forum and he had good reason to do it - seems the earlier version could be problematic if you want to put ReaLauncher in a docker as it then couldn't be expanded / lengthened to show all the tabs. My main concern was whether I had not installed it properly but it seems I had. And as you say, if a user prefers the tab version then they can always go back to that version. It's going to be interesting to see whether I stick with the new launch default (Reaper certainly could use something a bit more interesting than the defaults when loading, that's for sure!)

[@IDDQDSound]

@@mikeonb4c ahh that makes sense! I guess we could also request that it'd be an option to toggle on/off, since both bits of code already exist it should be easy for them!

[@harleymiller7672]

I can't find the prepare track for retrospective recording by mpl. I have reapack and mpl extensions installed

[@IDDQDSound]

Hmmm that's strange. Not sure what's going on, are you on the forums? There's an mpl script thread and he responds pretty quickly!

[@harleymiller7672]

@IDDQD Sound thanks for the prompt reply. I will check the forums out. Thank you. I love your videos, by the way. I've been obsessing with getting an efficient reaper workflow and your videos have definitely helped.

[@robertopistolesi2735]

Hi, I need help please. Something happened to my vst list. I can't find some plugins anymore in the vst list. I tried to Re-scan and checked the vst path, but still no success. Can you help me? Thanks a lot

[@IDDQDSound]

Hey Roberto! That is annoying! Have you recently done an update or something to your OS? In any event check your paths and make sure nothing was renamed (like your drives, or the partitions on OC etc.) And sometimes it helps to delete and add the plugin paths again just to be sure!

[@robertopistolesi2735]

@@IDDQDSound thanks for the answer! I have an old computer, no updates there :) I gotta check my path one more time. It's soooo annoying

[@privateprivacy6949]

I can't find the the Realauncher script. I think it changed its name to Scythe and then was taken over by by someone else but it's so confusing that I can't figure out what or where to download it. I'm really confused! Could you post direct updated link where this can be downlaoded?

[@IDDQDSound]

If you have ReaPack you already have the script in there. Go to Extension>Browse Packages and search for ReaLauncher. It's not been taken over. Still shows up under Solger for me. I checked :)

[@privateprivacy6949]

@@IDDQDSound Somehow I got it to work! Thanks for your help and for your insightful videos.

[@TheNewFlesh]

Damn, I have a lot of reading to do, just to keep up with this video. Haven't touched scripts yet and it's a little overwhelming

[@IDDQDSound]

Yeah it could be a bit overwhelming, but once you set it up it gets really easy. I'd suggest watching these two videos from my buddy Myk on ReaPack and SWS, once you install them, it's just a matter of finding repositories and importing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWPEZYSNpr9oaa8 kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2iUXqWZi7BqoLM

[@ChaitanyaBhagwatChai]

HOFA projectTime seems like it should go in the monitor fx plugin chain, keeping it independent of projects

[@IDDQDSound]

then it just tells you how long you've had reaper open, which reaper already tells you. I want it to tell me the length I've been on any given project. Monitoring fx are shared across all projects

[@jeppemusic1367]

Was that a samurai champloo transition sound around 2:00 lol

[@IDDQDSound]

Haha don't remember where I got that from but quite possibly yeah :D

[@mrslickbeats]

5:16 yes that is me lool

[@IDDQDSound]

It's ALL OF US. I feel more and more like being creative and being scatterbrained just go hand in hand :) :D

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

To invoice HOFA is useful :-)

[@IDDQDSound]

yeah very useful! and just after the video I saw that in the new update you can even tell it how much you're getting paid and it calculates your hourly wage automatically, which is pretty neat!

[@schizodillo1952]

Window, Mac OR LINUX. Please don't overlook us haha!

[@IDDQDSound]

Not overlooking, but just never been a user of Linux so I dunno how it works :)

[@vitaliksasa6484]

SUPER DAW REAPER благодаря Reaper $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[@IDDQDSound]

da ochen khorosho :)

[@whitex4652]

Sorry, but exactly what is game changing?

[@IDDQDSound]

No need to be sorry. Retrospective Record was game-changing for me, and knowing how long each project takes me helped me a lot. You are of course free to disagree & if these weren't useful to you, sorry :)

[@rano12321]

Reaper.