Recommended REAPER Theme Tweaks

My favorite things to adjust in REAPER's theme/interface no matter which theme I am using.
1 - Transport docked at top of main window
2 - Transport centered
3 - Hide Transport playrate control
4 - Colored bar on selected item
5 - Colored bar on active take
6 - Grid line colors
Really simple stuff but I find it really helps.
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[@TadDoylemusic]

This is so helpful. I wondered how you did that and now I know. As a guy who came from a PT background, who has committed to switching to REAPER, these to the point tips and tutorials are indispensible. Thank you Jon.

[@rolfedrengen]

Great tweaks! My personal fave is to make the "play cursor" flashing like a real cursor. That creates the feel of a resposive DAW, and it informs me whether REAPER is working.

[@RickyBana]

Just wanted to say that I like your videos cause they are simple and to the point but with good/great advices that go beyond scratching the surface of what one can do with reaper. Keep it coming!

[@TheREAPERBlog]

[@BryanChiMusic]

playrate is actually pretty useful when you want to slow down the tempo when recording , so you can play slower, and when it plays back it plays back at original tempo. It even works when you're recording electronic guitar, since it's virtually amped, it won't be noticeable that it's recorded at a slower tempo

[@MrFLAVIUS12]

Change the color of the takes was very useful for me, thanks!

[@AsVit]

Thank you! Very usefull! Especially the stripe highlighting of the active take!

[@DopamineOverload]

Great vid as always, Jon! Do you know if there's an easy (ish) way to make the selected track "pop" a bit more? Highlighted brighter / border box around it? So many people's themes, I dig... but SO many of them have the selected track BARELY noticeable. Please let me know, thanks man! (Still using Reaper 5 mostly).

[@rick4electric]

All I want is to be able to make the automation points a different color than the automation curves. Is that too much to ask?

[@michmarmx]

Thank you Jon Very useful!

[@fernandohood5657]

This is cool, it has been many years since i was exited about a daw! Im so getting reaper, it has Also been many years since i have Togo with the process of re- learning a DAW :p

[@djabthrash]

I also recommend the grid lines color for the MIDI editor (which is further down in the theme development/tweaker menu list).

[@andivax]

thank you! very usefull!

[@jenskrgaardlarsen9572]

Very usefull, are also my opinion! I use most of it now, after tweaking gridlines it was much easyer to find my way! Thank you.

[@SisterIndica]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!

[@somebodyelseuk]

Cheers, buddy. I've been looking for how to adjust the colours all week - used to be in the preferences back in v3.xx. Thanks

[@NihilQuest]

Thanks, that very good, especially getting rid of playrate. Why didn't I think of that? I had trouble with this as well.

[@giovannibuffone3774]

Great explanation bro. Is there any chance to customize the color of a selected track? Many thanks.

[@PherotoneStudios]

These are really helpful. Thank you

[@djabthrash]

Loving the theme development/tweaker changes ! However, for some reason it seems that with certain colors (like purple just as in the video) the "grid lines (start of measure)" color changing doesn't change the actual color in my TCP (it stays grey just like before) ... Whereas the other 2 grid lines color changes work just fine... If i chose a color like yellow or red however, i can see it just fine Any idea where this could be coming from ? For now i've just put "grid lines (start of measure)" in BLACK, and it's way better than the default grey to me. Also : how did you get your grid lines to bo so thick (which helps with distinguishing the different lines/colors) ? Mine are super thin... (EDIT : i guess that's because you're ZOOMING in your video, making them appear bigger than they actually are on your (and everyone else's) screen)

[@CeresKLee]

Is there no way to change the font of the pulldown menus?

[@ketiwww]

Thanks for the video! I have a question though. How can you move different sections of the transport? You have Time on the left and selection on the right. I cannot find a way to customize those.

[@exoduslnx]

I want to move my time to the left also, did you figure it out?

[@ketiwww]

@@exoduslnx Unfortunately, no. I just got used to the default layout.

[@rawproof]

If you have the time and don't mind can you name the area in which all of the tracks are laid out? My area is three shades of grey and all too dark. I would like to lighten up my situation. Using Imperial theme 🙂

[@TheREAPERBlog]

type 'track' into the filter of the theme tweaker.

[@chumbo]

Is there any way to individually reset the Theme changes to their default? Like at 4:38 where you struggle to find the original color. I just want make sure I can revert if I mess things up.

[@TheREAPERBlog]

you can just load a different theme and back without saving. I'm always saving to a copy of the theme

[@marshallrhut]

started using them already ... thanks

[@CornSw]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@vincentguarino4262]

Awesome! Thanks Jon!

[@christopherheadcase6886]

How do you use the sws extensions to change the parent folder tracks to side bar?

[@TheREAPERBlog]

type in the name of the layout in the mcp column of the autocolor window

[@daleonov]

Thanks! Is there a similar way to tweak stuff hardcoded into a non-stock theme?

[@TheREAPERBlog]

gotta unpack the theme zip and edit the theme config file, or edit the image files.

[@artao5]

One of the first things I did when I finally bought Reaper was to dive into that theme editor and tweak some stuff. Here's a question: Can one combine elements of multiple themes? If so, got any tips for doing so? I'm using my tweaked version of RADO V4. However, I would like to add a few additional Mixer panels from a couple other themes. I have no clue how to do this, or if it's even possible. Thanks. Have a great day :D

[@TheREAPERBlog]

Theme files are _mostly_ human readable text. It is possible to copy and paste between but rarely quite that straight forward. Kenny has a video on editing the theme kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHW3mmyredybnJI

[@sunsoulg11]

Thanks very useful.

[@soundforgerecorder742]

How to magnify top menu bar text size .. How to make writings like "file-edit-view-insert-item" etc in reaper?

[@TheREAPERBlog]

should be the same size as your other programs, is it not?

[@soundforgerecorder742]

yes all right. I use ubuntu studio . how change top menu bar size?????

[@jazzbeats8168]

Hey, The colors are not reflected once I choose a new one? Any ideas?

[@MrFLAVIUS12]

In the case of "Draw colored bar...etc" turn on this options [x]. 3:22 i hope u understand , im not speak english...

[@jppagetoo]

Very helpul!

[@drutgat2]

Many thanks for this. *Quick Question* To avoid having to do this kind of thing again if you have to reinstall Reaper, could you just save the tweaked theme as a template, store that file somewhere else and then import it/open it in the new install of Reaper, and somehow make it the default theme again?

[@TheREAPERBlog]

Save button is at the top of the theme tweak window. Also, automatically backing up your settings is really easy

[@AudioReplica2023]

im starting to see a pattern here between reaper users. The theme have to look all fucked up to be useful. That explains why I havent found a nice looking theme without all the bejeweled fuck up looking colors in the site.

[@noslohcinkin]

thanks!

[@The7nUp]

Nice!

[@midiman5045]

Awesome...

[@thevisi0naryy]

You are my fucking savior did you know that? Edit: One quick question to ask, to you know if it is possible to change the thickness of the gridlines?

[@skaterock71]

yes. initially, they are dotted but just go to appearance in the preferences and unselect "show dotted grid lines". Hope that helps

[@Hexspa]

👍

[@ibanezrg320fm]

6 people don't like purple.

[@ОлексійСергійович2000]

У автора, судя по всему, серьёзные проблемы со зрением. Абсолютно ебанутые рекомендации по настройке цвета.