Reference Track Scripts by Hrvix

These two scripts help you easily compare ("A/B") your own mix against a reference track.
Note: SWS Extension also offers actions for toggling reference tracks, but it does not automatically disable master send on your reference track, and does not assume that track 1 is your reference if you haven’t set one. These custom scripts fill those gaps and offer a more streamlined workflow for A/B comparisons.

WHAT THEY DO

1. Hrvix - Set Reference Track.lua
   - Allows you to pick any track in your REAPER project and designate it as your "reference track."
   - Run this script after selecting your desired track.
   - Important! Reaper remembers which track you've last set as a reference even after restart, so keep that in mind to avoid unexpected behavior.

2. Hrvix - Toggle Reference Track.lua
   - Toggles between listening to your reference track alone and listening to your full mix.
   - Each time you run this script, it switches between:
     • "Reference Only": Mutes every track except your reference track.
     • "Full Mix": Unmutes all tracks except your reference track.

WHY THESE SCRIPTS ARE USEFUL

- Quickly compare ("A/B") your mix with a reference track for consistent and professional-sounding mixes.
- Automatically ensures that the reference track bypasses master bus effects so you don’t color the sound of your reference track.
- Saves time versus manually muting and unmuting multiple tracks.

HOW TO INSTALL

1. Copy the two Lua script files (Hrvix - Set Reference Track.lua and Hrvix - Toggle Reference Track.lua) into a folder where you keep your ReaScripts.
2. In REAPER, open the "Actions" menu and select "Show Action List..." or press F4 key.
3. Tab to "New action..." and then choose "Load ReaScript..." from the popup menu. Then, in the Open dialog, point to a location of the scripts, select both .lua files and press Enter to load them.
4. The scripts will now appear in your Action List. You can type in "Hrvix" in Search Filter field to easily get to them.

HOW TO USE

1. Select the track you want to use as your reference track in REAPER.
2. Run the "Hrvix - Set Reference Track" script (from the Action List or by assigning a keyboard shortcut). I've assigned mine to Shift+Y.
3. Whenever you want to toggle between your mix and the reference track, run the "Hrvix - Toggle Reference Track" script (from the Action List or by assigning a keyboard shortcut). I've assigned mine to Y.
4. Repeat step 1 any time you wish to choose a different track as your reference track.

OPTIONAL: ASSIGN KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

- In the Action List, find each script (Hrvix - Set Reference Track and Hrvix - Toggle Reference Track).
- Tab to and press Enter on "Add..." button in the Shortcuts for selected action section to bind a custom key for quick access.

NOTES

- If you don’t set a reference track first, the scripts will use your first track by default.
- Your reference track remains unchanged until you explicitly set a new one.
- Messages will be spoken aloud by OSARA to indicate the current state.

Enjoy faster A/B comparisons between your reference track and your own mix!